Things to Do in Kota Lama (Old Town), Surabaya

Atmosphere

Uneasily romantic - like a film set that forgot to call 'cut' thirty years ago

Price Level

$$

Safety

good

Kembang Jepun Overpass

The 1920s railway bridge still hauls freight trains inches above Chinatown roofs. Diesel fumes blend with temple incense while steel wheels screech and the whole structure shudders beneath your feet.

Tip: Position yourself on the east side at 3pm when trains from Tanjung Perak cut the sharpest silhouettes against the dying light

De Javasche Bank Building

Marble floors split by decades of tropical heat form a cracked mosaic beneath your shoes, while ceiling fans click their steady rhythm above dusty teller cages. The scent of old paper and brass polish hangs heavy in the empty vaults.

Tip: The security guard at the side entrance pockets 20,000 IDR to slip you up to the rooftop for sunset views over the harbor

House of Sampoerna

Women roll clove cigarettes with mechanical precision, fingers stained deep amber from years of tobacco work. The sweet-spicy smell seeps into everything, backed by scratchy 1940s keroncong music.

Tip: Show up at 8:30am sharp to catch the morning shift change—it's when the hand-rolling rhythm turns hypnotic

Jalan Pabean Fish Market

Concrete floors shine with fish scales under harsh fluorescent lights while auctioneers rattle rapid Javanese. Salt spray mingles with diesel fumes as boats dump their night's haul.

Tip: Pack a handkerchief—the drying squid stench peaks by 10am, but that's when tuna prices hit their daily low

Cak Durasim Mosque

Art Deco minarets shoot up between shophouses, their geometric lines throwing sharp shadows. The call to prayer bounces off corrugated iron roofs, creating a sound found nowhere else in Java.

Tip: Scale the minaret stairs at 5am—the muezzin's dawn call drifts across sleeping Kota Lama with startling clarity

Warung Tahu Tek Pak Karim

Street food stall

Specialty: Tahu tek with petis sauce—deep fried tofu drowning in fermented shrimp paste, topped with bean sprouts and crackers (15,000 IDR)

Toko Oen

Colonial-era café

Specialty: Steak with black pepper sauce served on 1930s china, paired with ice cream soda in vintage metal cups (mid-range)

Depot Bu Rudy

Chinatown canteen

Specialty: Rawon with quail eggs—thick black beef soup heavy with keluak nuts, served with rice and sambal (25,000 IDR)

Kedai Kopi Klotok

Traditional coffee shop

Specialty: Kopi tubruk brewed in brass pots, served with kue putu steaming from bamboo tubes (5,000 IDR per cup)

Rujak Cingur Bu Nur

Warung

Specialty: Cingur salad with cow snout, tropical fruits and black shrimp paste—sounds strange, tastes oddly addictive (18,000 IDR)

De Soemendra

Old Dutch warehouse converted to beer garden where weathered sailors trade tales over Bintang longnecks

Retired dock workers, live dangdut

Kong Djie Coffee

Three generations of Hokkien Chinese have pulled espresso shots here since 1940, doors stay open until midnight

Old Hokchia men, clacking tiles

Gubeng Station Food Court

Night market appears after 8pm beneath the train tracks, grilling sate until 3am

Students, cheap beer, loud laughter