Where to Eat in Makassar

Ratu Gurih
Bright, clean, contemporary and inviting, with an impressive selection of seafood cooked up in an exotic range of sauces, this is a Makassarese favourite on Saturday nights – and, a relative rarity in this city, has beer on the menu too. The cockles in Padang sauce are to die for, the giant prawns are succulent and delicious, and the fish is fresh as can be: come early in the evening to get your hands on mussels, cockles and crab.
9 Jalan Lamadukelling, facebook.com/ratugurih/

Coto Gagak
It would be wrong to visit Makassar without trying coto Makassar, the city’s signature beef offal soup. Bu Suharni, a mother of 18, has been cooking coto on Jalan Gagak for 40 years now, and her rich, dark, offal-y broth is phenomenal. Choose between plain beef coto, mixed (with all organs), or combine your preferred options of stomach, heart, liver, kidneys, intestines and meat. Spice coto to taste with lime, sambal, salt and/or kecap, crack the palm leaf parcels to access the blocky rice ketupat dumplings, and dip both spoon and rice in the soup to eat like a local. Drinks are limited to bottled tea and water, but the coffee stand across the road serves excellent Arabica.
27 Jalan Gagak

Coto Nusantara
On the fringes of the red light – we’re sorry, KTV! – district, Coto Nusantara is undoubtedly the most famous coto joint in Makassar. The ketupat – rice dumplings wrapped in palm leaf – are excellent, as is the iced tea (which comes in sugar-free versions without a quibble). Bule who are timid about organs might appreciate the lighter, though still very savoury, broth served here, although I must confess I prefer Coto Gagak’s: if you don’t look Indonesian and you want the proper mixed-organ coto, be sure to request campur.
32 Jalan Nusantara.

Sop Ubi Datu Museng
Look for the orange sign by the narrow alley opposite Lae Lae on Datu Museng, and follow the alley to the end to discover a Buginese classic, sop ubi (cassava soup). It’s a light beef broth served with beef pieces, glass noodles, beansprouts, fried cassava and a hard-boiled egg (though the friendly nyonya will make it without any of these ingredients should you wish). Mix with fresh lime or vinegar, sambal, salt or kecap, and add plenty of peanuts from the bags in the jars. This bright, simple little place typically closes around 8pm, while drink options are limited to water and bottled tea.
Jalan Datu Museng

RM Makassar Seafoodku
For aesthetics and views, this is by far Makassar’s best seafood restaurant, eight storeys up above the bustling Butung garment market. With 360º views over the port and the city, and out to the offshore islands and karst hills, the sunsets can be astonishing. Bu Loli majors on reinventing classic dishes in a lighter, healthier style: coto is made with fish, not meat, while her fish-head curry reinterprets the Penang favourite with 33 different spices, and arrives in a whole pumpkin. Fans of es cendol and halo halo will love the cincau dessert, with palm sugar, young coconut and natural jelly, while the menu includes fresh juices.
75-77 Jalan Butung, facebook.com/RmMakassarSeafoodku

Lae Lae
Probably Makassar’s best-known seafood joint, this authentically grimy and substantial affair packs in locals and tourists year-in, year-out, for the ikan bakar (grilled fish) prepared on the grill at the door. The dabu-dabu sauce, a tangy sambal based on a mix of green and red tomatoes, is to die for – but stick to ikan bakar rather than fancier seafood, and check prices when ordering at the grill to avoid unpleasant surprises. The soft drink range is extensive by local standards. It takes its name from the nearby island where the owners come from.
8 Jalan Datu Museng

Timor Pangsit
If you’re gagging for beer and porky goodness, head straight for this quintessentially Chinese Indonesian warung on Jalan Timor. The owner is Cantonese, which means the mie pangsit – noodles with wonton – is more Chinese style than Makassar-style (but, seriously, who wants chicken in their dumplings?!). I love the pangsit kuah (wonton soup) here, but the mie pangsit is great too – the perfect way to set yourself up for a hectic day. Pop in of an evening and you’re bound to make new friends over a beer or ten.
Jalan Timor

Restoran Dinda
We were recommended this unfussy but spacious warung on Jalan Bali for pallu basa and sate. If you’re not familiar with pallu basa, it’s another of Makassar’s signature soups: a gloriously rich beef blend thickened with grated toasted coconut for a flavour that’s perfect when spiced to taste with lime and sambal. The meat is super-tender. We opted for liver sate over beef sate, which was probably a mistake: the liver was tender and well-flavoured, but we reckon the classic sate would be a better choice.
53 Jalan Bali

Where to Drink in Makassar

Ballarate Bar
Evenings at Kampoeng Popsa may be livelier, but this waterfront deck at the Pantai Gapura hotel is the ultimate place to watch a stunning Makassar sunset, whether with a freshly squeezed juice or an ice-cold Bintang (a cool 84,000++ for a large one). The sun sets directly behind Lae-Lae island, with its striking palm trees, and this spot feels like a real oasis in the city, as you spin between container port and tropical bliss. If you’re after where to drink in Makassar, this makes a great place to start.
Hotel Pantai Gapura, 10 Jalan Pasar Ikan

Kampoeng Popsa
By day, this vaguely Singapore-style hawker court pretty much opposite Fort Rotterdam can feel a little anaemic, despite the waterfront setting and outside deck. By night, when the beers flow across the downstairs bar and live acts play, it draws a friendly, largely local crowd – a great spot to practice your Indonesian and make new friends over a beer or two. There are plenty of juice options if you don’t drink, of course.
4 Jalan Ujung Pandang

eZpresso Coffie
Alongside Rotterdam Coffee, this is one of Makassar’s signature cool coffee shops, with funky typography on the walls and recycled pallet seating. Owner Mabbe, a graphic designer and muso, puts on multimedia events and live music here: ask him about the Musik Hutan festival. The coffee is strong and very good, although not gourmet, and prices are not too far off what you’d pay in a warung.
93 Jalan Hasanuddin

And Don’t Forget to Try…

South Sulawesi sweetcorn, boiled in its husk and served with a tangy salt and chilli dip, is amazing: look out for the miniature versions sold in season, or, for golden, super-sweet cobs, head to the street vendor on the Pantai Losari waterfront just north of Jalan Datu Museng. Datu Museng is also the place to head for pisang epe, Makassar’s other signature dish: grilled and flattened banana served with gloriously sticky palm sugar, or anything from durian to chocolate and cheese. For sarabba, the sticky, spicy yet strangely thirst-quenching ginger beverage, we rate the stall beside the Kayangan boat harbour, right by Fort Rotterdam.

Where to Stay in Makassar

As the largest city in East Indonesia, and an international flight hub, Makassar offers a decent range of places to stay at a range of price points, though ultra-budget tends to the grim side and homestays seem over-priced for what they are. Here’s a selection of places to stay in Makassar at a range of price points.

Budget: Kahyangan Inn

For budget accommodation, we like the Kahyangan Inn, next door to Kampoeng Popsa and actually inside the port for boats to Samalona and Kayangan, with bright, modern rooms, including bathrooms with sinks, and decent wifi from 195,000 IDR. Breakfast is basic – sticky cakes and sweet coffee – but with all that food around town, who cares?
6 Jalan Ujung Pandang

Mid-Range: Favehotel

Favehotel is a reliable chain, and this one benefits from a great location, right off Eat Street, as well as a small pool and decent food and beverage offer. It’s fairly new and rooms are still pristine, making it a solid choice if you’d like a bit of modernity post-Toraja.
Visit site
Check for discount rates on Agoda

High-End: Aston

If you’re in Makassar on business you’ll almost certainly end up at the Aston, a towering modern affair complete with amenities such as pool, spa and sky-high lounge, which means that you’ll find great deals on Agoda at weekends. The location is more business-oriented than tourist-centric, but Makassar is far from short on pedicabs.
Visit site
Check for discount rates on Agoda

Splurge

The Hotel Pantai Gapura has seen better days, but, quite apart from that sunset view from the bar, the ocean-front overwater bungalows are still pretty unique. The feel is a little bit Bali comes to Makassar, although eccentric additions such as a ship bar add a touch of SulSel crazy. We’d recommend nego-ing over the phone – their rack rates are highly flexible — rather than attempting to do anything at all online.
Visit site

Thanks to Andrew Sutherland for his Queensland Mud Crab image, and Ruth Hartnup for Sweetcorn, both on Flickr.com.