The Best Restaurants in Makassar for Every Budget

💰 Click here to see Indonesia Budget Breakdown

💰 Prices updated: June, 2026. Budget figures are estimates — always verify before travel.

Exchange Rate: $1 USD = Rp17,940.00

Daily Budget (per person)

Shoestring: Rp448,500 – Rp897,000 ($25.00 – $50.00)

Mid-range: Rp897,000 – Rp2,691,000 ($50.00 – $150.00)

Comfortable: Rp2,691,000 – Rp7,176,000 ($150.00 – $400.00)

Accommodation (per night)

Hostel/guesthouse: Rp89,700 – Rp358,800 ($5.00 – $20.00)

Mid-range hotel: Rp412,620 – Rp1,435,200 ($23.00 – $80.00)

Food (per meal)

Budget meal: Rp53,820.00 ($3.00)

Mid-range meal: Rp215,280.00 ($12.00)

Upscale meal: Rp1,076,400.00 ($60.00)

Transport

Single metro/bus trip: Rp15,000.00 ($0.84)

Monthly transport pass: Rp897,000.00 ($50.00)

Makassar in 2026 is a different city to eat in than it was even two years ago. The Trans-Sulawesi highway upgrades have pushed more domestic tourists through the city, and restaurant prices near Losari have quietly crept up to match. That means the old budget guides are out of date — a bowl of coto that cost Rp 25,000 in 2023 is closer to Rp 40,000 now at the tourist-facing spots. But Makassar is still one of Indonesia’s best eating cities, full of rich, unapologetically bold food. You just need to know which direction to walk away from the waterfront.

Restaurants Along the Losari Waterfront Strip

Jl. Penghibur and the stretch behind Pantai Losari is the most visited dining corridor in Makassar. Sunset here genuinely earns the hype — the sky turns deep orange over the Makassar Strait, and the smell of grilling fish from the row of open-air restaurants drifts across the whole promenade. This is where you come for atmosphere, not for squeezing value out of every rupiah.

Rumah Makan Surya Losari sits right on the strip and has held its reputation for grilled seafood since before the waterfront renovation. Order the ikan bakar with a side of dabu-dabu — the fresh tomato and chilli sambal cuts through the smoke from the charcoal grill in exactly the right way. Expect to pay mid-range prices here: around Rp 80,000–150,000 per person with drinks.

Kios Kuliner Losari is the permanent food stall cluster along the boardwalk itself. Dozens of small operators share the space, and competition keeps quality reasonably honest. The sate terong (grilled eggplant skewers) from the stalls near the northern end of the cluster is an underrated order. Prices are closer to street level: most dishes between Rp 20,000 and Rp 45,000.

One thing to know: the Losari waterfront underwent a second phase of pedestrianisation in late 2025. Several kiosk stalls were relocated 200 metres south of their old positions. If you’re following an older map or review, expect to hunt a little.

Where Locals Actually Eat in Makassar

Step two or three streets inland from the waterfront and prices drop by 30–40%. The real Makassar food scene lives in areas like Jl. Gagak, Jl. Andalas, and the warren of streets around Pasar Butung in the northern part of the city centre. These are not scenic destinations — fluorescent lights, plastic chairs, and ceiling fans — but the food is what the city actually runs on.

The Pasar Malam Jl. Veteran stretches to life from around 6 PM and runs until midnight. Dozens of family-run stalls serve pallubasa (a rich offal soup, cousin to coto), pisang epe (grilled banana pressed flat and doused with palm sugar sauce), and various rice dishes. A full meal with a cold Es Jeruk costs Rp 25,000–35,000. The banana vendors near the entrance press their pisang epe on cast-iron plates right in front of you — the caramelised palm sugar hisses and bubbles before they fold it into a paper cone.

Warung Ibu Ratna on Jl. Andalas has been feeding office workers since 2011. It opens at 7 AM and typically runs out of its best dishes by 11:30 AM. The nasi campur here comes with a choice of five or six curries ladled over rice — point at what you want, same as any Padang-style warung. The ayam masak hitam (chicken cooked in dark spiced sauce) is consistently good. A full plate costs Rp 28,000–38,000 depending on what you pile on.

Friday lunch around the Masjid Raya Al-Markaz area sees dozens of temporary food sellers set up outside the mosque after Jumu’ah prayer. These are some of the cheapest and most locally authentic eating moments in the city — most sellers are home cooks, not professional vendors, and the variety is high.

Coto Makassar and Konro: The City’s Signature Dishes

Any food article about Makassar that skips to general dining without addressing these two dishes is doing you a disservice. Coto Makassar and konro are the city’s culinary identity, and knowing where to eat them properly matters more than at any other restaurant decision you’ll make here.

Coto Makassar

Coto is a dark, aromatic broth made from beef offal and meat, simmered for hours with toasted spices, peanuts, and lemongrass. It is served with ketupat (rice cakes) and a side of sambal tauco (fermented soybean chilli paste). The broth at a good coto shop is deep brown, thick with ground peanuts, and has a warmth from the spices that builds slowly rather than hitting you immediately.

Coto Nusantara on Jl. Nusantara is the name most locals give when asked. It has been operating since the 1960s and still fills up before 9 AM on weekdays — coto is a breakfast dish, not a dinner one. A bowl runs Rp 38,000–45,000 in 2026. Get there by 7:30 AM if you want a seat without waiting.

Coto Daeng Sarro near the Karebosi Link area is the other strong contender. The broth here has a slightly smokier profile — some say they char the spices more aggressively — and the portion sizes are generous. Around Rp 40,000 per bowl.

Konro

Konro is beef rib soup, either served in a dark, clove-heavy broth (konro berkuah) or grilled over charcoal (konro bakar). The braised version is what you want first. The ribs are cooked until the meat pulls away from the bone, in a broth that carries black kluwek nut — the same ingredient that makes rawon from East Java so darkly complex.

Konro Karebosi near the old Karebosi field is the most famous address for this dish in the entire country. It is busy every day, all day. Prices in 2026 sit around Rp 75,000–95,000 for a full konro serving. The queue moves faster than it looks — the staff have been running this operation for decades.

Seafood: Which Areas Deliver and Which Disappoint

Makassar sits on a strait, and the seafood supply chain is short. But not every seafood restaurant in the city deserves your money equally. The key distinction is between restaurants that source daily from the Paotere Harbour fishing community in the north and those that rely on middlemen and cold storage.

The most reliable seafood eating in Makassar clusters around Jl. Rajawali and the TPI Paotere area itself. Several warungs operate right at the harbour. You can see the boats unloading in the morning, and by lunchtime the catch is on the grill. The setting is no-frills — plastic tables, salt air, occasional cat. The seafood is excellent. A grilled whole kakap (snapper) for two with rice and sambal costs around Rp 120,000–160,000 total.

Seafood 99 Rajawali on Jl. Rajawali is a step up in comfort without losing the freshness advantage. It has been a local institution for over a decade. The kepiting saus tiram (crab in oyster sauce) is the order here — the shells crack under the weight of thick, glossy sauce, and the flesh pulls out sweet and firm. Expect to spend Rp 150,000–250,000 per person depending on what you order.

Avoid the high-gloss seafood restaurants at the very southern end of Losari unless price is no object. Several of them charge Jakarta hotel prices for seafood that has been sitting in a tank for days.

Mid-Range Restaurants Worth the Money

There is a tier of Makassar dining between the warung and the hotel restaurant that delivers genuinely well-executed food in air-conditioned comfort — ideal for lunch in the heat of the day or a longer sit-down evening meal.

Lae-Lae Restaurant on Jl. Metro Tanjung Bunga serves a broad menu of South Sulawesi dishes alongside some Indonesian Chinese options. The pallu mara — a sour, turmeric-rich fish soup — is one of the better versions in the city. The dining room is quiet enough to have a conversation, which is rarer than it sounds in Makassar. Budget Rp 90,000–160,000 per person with drinks.

Restoran Bambuden near the Trans-Studio Mall area pulls a mixed crowd of families and business lunches. It focuses on Makassar-Bugis home cooking elevated slightly for restaurant service: beef rendang Makassar-style (drier and spicier than the Padang version), ayam bakar rica-rica, and a strong selection of fresh fruit juices from the south Sulawesi highlands. Prices sit at Rp 80,000–140,000 per person.

Warung Makan Sentosa on Jl. Sulawesi is the kind of mid-range spot that flies under the radar because it doesn’t have a social media presence. It serves a rotating daily menu chalked on a board — whatever the cook decided to prepare that morning. The food is consistently honest: sambal goreng, gulai, and whatever fish came in fresh. Around Rp 45,000–70,000 per person.

If you want coffee culture with your meal, the Jl. Penghibur café strip behind Losari has expanded considerably in 2025–2026. Third-wave coffee shops now share space with light meal menus. Prices are city-standard: Rp 35,000–55,000 for a specialty coffee drink, Rp 50,000–90,000 for food.

2026 Budget Reality: What Eating in Makassar Actually Costs

Makassar is still one of the more affordable major Indonesian cities for food, but the gap has narrowed since 2023. Here is an honest breakdown of what to expect in 2026.

Budget Tier (under Rp 40,000 per meal)

• Warung rice dishes (nasi campur, nasi rames): Rp 22,000–38,000
• Coto Makassar at a traditional shop: Rp 38,000–45,000 (including ketupat)
• Street snacks — pisang epe, sate, fried tofu: Rp 5,000–18,000 per item
• Pasar malam full meal with drink: Rp 25,000–40,000

Mid-Range Tier (Rp 60,000–160,000 per person)

• Sit-down restaurants with full menu and AC: Rp 80,000–160,000
• Grilled seafood at harbour-adjacent spots: Rp 120,000–180,000
• Konro Karebosi (famous rib soup): Rp 75,000–95,000 per serving
• Café meals with specialty coffee: Rp 80,000–130,000

Comfortable Tier (Rp 200,000+ per person)

• Upscale seafood restaurants on Losari: Rp 200,000–400,000
• Hotel restaurants (Claro, Four Points): Rp 250,000–500,000+ per person
• Premium crab and lobster at Rajawali seafood houses: Rp 300,000–600,000 depending on market weight

Tap water is not drinkable anywhere in Makassar. A 600ml bottle of mineral water costs Rp 5,000–8,000 at warungs, up to Rp 15,000–20,000 at tourist-facing restaurants. Budget accordingly if you are eating multiple meals out per day.

Practical Notes for Eating Your Way Around Makassar

Makassar does not have a central food precinct you can walk between — the city is spread out and made for motorcycles. The 2024–2025 Pete-Pete (shared minivan) route rationalisations reduced some useful inner-city routes. In 2026, the most practical way to move between the Losari strip, Karebosi, Paotere, and Jl. Andalas is by Gojek or Grab motorcycle taxi. Rides between most inner-city food spots cost Rp 8,000–20,000.

Eating hours in Makassar follow South Sulawesi rhythms. Coto and pallubasa shops are open from around 6 AM and close when the pot is empty — often by 11 AM. Seafood restaurants peak at lunch (noon–2 PM) and again at dinner (6–9 PM). Pasar malam spots generally only operate from late afternoon onwards. If you arrive at a famous coto spot at 1 PM expecting lunch, you will leave disappointed.

Halal dining is effectively the city standard in Makassar. Non-halal restaurants exist but are limited to a small number of Indonesian Chinese establishments and a few spots around the hotel districts. If you drink alcohol, options are limited outside of hotel bars — this is not Bali or Lombok.

Most warungs and market stalls are cash-only. Mid-range and upscale restaurants increasingly accept QRIS payment (the Indonesian unified QR system), and most will accept major debit cards. Carry Rp 100,000–200,000 in small notes if you plan to eat across multiple budget tiers in a day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most famous food in Makassar?

Coto Makassar is the city’s most iconic dish — a rich beef and offal soup with toasted spices and peanut broth, served with rice cakes. Konro (beef rib soup) runs a close second. Both are best eaten in the morning or at lunch. Most first-time visitors make Coto Nusantara or Konro Karebosi their first stop.

Is Makassar expensive to eat in compared to Bali or Jakarta?

Makassar is cheaper than Bali and broadly comparable to mid-range Jakarta. Warung meals cost Rp 25,000–40,000. Mid-range restaurant meals run Rp 80,000–160,000 per person. The main increase since 2023 has been at tourist-facing waterfront restaurants — local spots inland have remained relatively stable in 2026.

Are there vegetarian or vegan restaurants in Makassar?

Dedicated vegetarian restaurants are rare in Makassar — the food culture is heavily meat and seafood centred. However, most warung menus include tofu and tempeh dishes, gado-gado, and vegetable curries. A few cafés on the Jl. Penghibur strip offer plant-based options. Telling a cook “tidak makan daging” (I don’t eat meat) generally gets a workable result.

What time do restaurants in Makassar open and close?

Coto and pallubasa shops open from 6–7 AM and often close by 11 AM when the pot empties. Standard warung and restaurant hours run noon to 9–10 PM. Seafood spots and pasar malam vendors start from 5–6 PM and run until around midnight. Planning around these windows is essential — Makassar does not operate a continuous all-day food service culture.

Is it safe to eat street food in Makassar?

Generally yes, with the usual common sense. Busy stalls with high turnover are consistently safer than quiet ones where food sits out. Stick to cooked-to-order items at peak hours. Avoid pre-cut fruit left uncovered in the afternoon heat. Travellers with sensitive stomachs should ease in over the first day rather than hitting four different street stalls on the first evening.

Explore more
Beyond Bali: Discover the Best Places to Visit in Sulawesi
Tana Toraja: Essential Things to Do & See in Sulawesi’s Cultural Heart
Where to Eat in Makassar: Your Ultimate Culinary Guide

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📷 Featured image by Inna Safa on Unsplash.