When you think of Batam, your mind would most likely wander over to the affordable spas, massages, and shopping – but these are not all it has in store for you. Other than these popular activities to do in Batam, there is an increasing trend for visitors to visit the best looking café and try the yummiest local food.
Food Court
Batam has quite a few food courts, most of which are only open at night. In the local food courts of Batam, several hawker-style outlets participate in serving plates full of deliciousness to people. These food courts are economical and usually located near a mall, which gives easy access to some affordable spas and shopping stores nearby. If you are looking for a place where you can enjoy a genial meal with a group of four to five without having to burn a hole in your pocket, food courts are a place you don’t want to miss out on.
1. A2 Foodcourt
Whether you’re looking for local flavours or missing Singapore food, A2 Food Court has over 30 cooked food stalls and a wet market. It is basically both an indoor and outdoor hawker centre just beside Batam City Square (BCS) Mall.
Along with the traditional dishes of Batam like Mookata (BBQ Pan Pork), Nasi Ayam (Hainanese Chicken Rice) and Sio Bak (Crispy Roast Pork), A2 food court serves multiple cuisines and Batam’s very own delectable seafood.
Address: A2 Foodcourt, Batu Selicin, Kec. Lubuk Baja, Kota Batam Operational hours: 18.00 – 00.00
2. Windsor Foodcourt
Windsor Food Court is famous for its variant menu option which features seafood dishes along with traditional dishes like Ba Kut Teh and Chicken Rice. Do try out the Sambal Stingray fish recipe, more popularly known as Ikan Bakar in the native language. The place feels lively at night with family and friends sharing a comfortable and delicious meal listening to people sing at the Karaoke Stage.
Address: Kompleks Windsor Central, Jl. Imam Bonjol, Lubuk Baja Kota, Kec. Lubuk Baja, Kota Batam Operational hours: 17.00 – 01.00
3. Nagoya Foodcourt
Newly opened on the 6 th January 2020, Nagoya Foodcourt is here to fulfill the people’s culinary needs. With its strategic location and easy access, the foodcourt promises to provide a clean and comfy enviroment for family, friends and businessman to interact with each other while relaxing and enjoying quality food.
The foodcourt can even fit up to 1.500 people. The foodcourt serves a variety of culinary choices starting from traditional indonesian, western, japanese and also chinese food. Not to mention, there is also free parking around the area.
Address: Jl. Imam Bonjol-Komplek Nagoya Newtown, Lubuk Baja Kota, Kec. Lubuk Baja, Kota Batam Operational hours: 06.30 – 01.00
Seafood
Batam Seafood is a must for many visitors when they consider what to eat during their visit. The most popular seafood offerings here include chilli crabs, king prawns and the unique gong gong sea snails, which can only be found in the waters of Batam and the neighbouring Bintan. It’s hard to recommend just a few good places for seafood because there are so many available and they’re all just as good – but you can be sure that wherever you go, you will find nothing but delicious, fresh seafood at extremely reasonable prices.
1. Harbour Bay Seafood
Harbour Bay is different from the kelongs as the live seafood are in tanks rather than nets in the sea. You do though get a good view of the live seafood which helps you choose. Beside that, you can enjoy the sunset while enjoying the delicious food. It’s worth pointing out that the location of Harbour Bay for seafood is ideal if you’re in the Nagoya area as it’s quite close.
Address: The Promenade Blok 8E, Harbour Bay Downtown Jl. Duyung Sei Jodoh, Sungai Jodoh, Kec. Batu Ampar Operational hours: 10.30 – 10.30
2. Barelang Seafood
Located around 30 - 40mins drive away from the main Nagoya city center in Batam. This restaurant is quite popular, mainly for the view overlooking the iconic Barelang Bridge and four other islands in the horizon. But also the staffs are very attentive and the price is reasonable. This is an ideal location to take your dinner a little earlier than usual so that you can watch the beautiful sunset as it sets.
Address: Jalan Trans Barelang City, Tembesi, Kec. Sagulung, Kota Batam Operational hours: 09.30 – 20.00
3. Kopak Jaya 007 Kelong Seafood Restaurant
Kopak Jaya restaurant has quickly gained an amazing reputation for good quality but reasonably priced seafood choices. The restaurant is a floating restaurant which is strategically located close to the Barelang bridge, which makes its view alone a must visit. They have a variety of menu served and all of the seafood are very fresh.
Address: Kampung Tua Tiangwangkang Tembesi Sagulung 300m before 1st bridge of, Barelang, Tembesi, Kec. Sagulung Operational hours: 09.00 – 19.00
Cafes
The once quiet fishing village is now quickly becoming a hot spot for some pretty great cafes that we guarantee will look amazing on Instagram. These chic cafes are trendy among the youngsters of Batam as they are trendy, have an extremely well-designed interior decor and a menu of classic snacks and beverages to choose from. These are the perfect café choces to hangout in on a hot day.
1. Anchor Café & Roastery
Inspired by the Americans who like southern foods, you can expect to find classic brunch here. From their most famous Anchor Eggs Benedict to the perfectly roasted coffee beans (which are roasted on site), this place is the perfect place to hangout. And also, since they are serving in American style, which means the food portion also comes in American size aka HUGE, so make sure to come with an empty stomach so you can savour more of their deliciousness.
Address: Ruko Dermaga Culinary Paradise Blok RF No.11 Kota Batam Operational hours: 08.00 – 18.00 (Tue – Thu), 08.00 – 20.00 (Fri – Sun) & Closed on Mondays
2. Chemistree Café
Get all your Instagram shots here at Chemistree Cafe, where the decoration will surely leave your feed looking amazing! With high ceilings, lots of windows, and artsy wood banisters spread out over two floors, Chemistree Café is considered to be one of the best cafes in Batam to get some amazing aesthetic shots. Apart from those Instagrammable shots, you can also get your daily dose of caffeine here too. Don’t miss out on the live band if you’re planning to come here at night!
Address: Jl. Raja H. Fisabilillah No.12B, Tlk. Tering, Batam Kota, Kota Batam Operational hours: 12.00 – 22.00 (Mon – Fri) & 09.00 – 23.00 (Sat – Sun)
3. Lee’s Café & Bar
Wanting to visit a themed café with a reasonable price? Get affordable food at this adorable cafe filled with TONS of Teddy Bears! Lee’s Cafe & Bar mainly serves food of Western and Korean Cuisine. Over here, you can find the best of both worlds: Amazing food and Instagram-Worthy Shots! A super cute teddy bear café with a great food and drinks selection? No wonder Lee’s Café & Bar is considered to be one of the best cafes in Batam.
Address: Jalan Pembangunan, Jl. Komp. Penuin Centre Block JA No.1- 2, Batu Selicin, Kec. Lubuk Baja, Kota Batam Operational hours: 11.00 – 01.00 (Sun – Fri) & 11.00 – 02.00 (Sun)
Street Food
When you think of Batam, your mind would most likely wander over to shopping. But what most people don’t know is that Batam also has a very strong food culture, which you can find along the streets offering a huge variety of options to choose from. These are some of the famous street food stalls if you are into discovering the food in Batam on foot.
1. Ayam Bakar Chaniago
Ayam bakar / roasted chicken is a common menu that can be found almost anywhere, but Ayam Bakar Chaniago is different from what you have tasted. For around Rp 20.000 you can taste their signature ayam bakar served with rice and sambal.
Uniquely, the chickens are all roasted on an open-air grill which you can savour with your eyes. And also it despite BBQed in large batches, the tasted and quality was top notch. The chicken is very tender and very juicy accompanied by the charcoal smell, which is superb. Everything about this dish spells E-X-C-E-L-L-E-N-T!
Address: Perum Bengkong Jaya A No.1, Bengkong Laut, Bengkong, Kota Batam Operational hours: 16.00 – 00.00
2. Martabak 818
These martabak may be the best martabak you can find in Batam. Their martabak are very rich and filling that will surely make you drool over just from looking at it. Apart from traditional flavours like peanut butter and chocolate that is the cheapest for around Rp 25.000, but you can also find a lot more flavours such as Nutella, Toblerone, Ovaltine and even a special 8 flavour martabak for around Rp 190.000. These martabaks are a must try.
Address: Komplek Batam Park Blok B no. 19, Lubuk Baja Kota, Lubuk Baja, Kota Batam Operational hours: 15.00 – 22.30
3. Miso Ajo Selat Panjang
If you’re looking for a place to have a unique dinner, this place has you covered. Offering one of the most famous Indonesian classics such as Indomie goreng, Nasi goreng and Miso. The highlight here is of course the Miso, which are behoon (rice noodles) cooked in chicken broth. And adding the flavour are some shredded chicken, chopped chives, chopped eggs and also you cha kueh (chinese fried breadstick) making it one of the must try food in Batam.
Address: Lubuk Baja Kota, Lubuk Baja, Kota Batam Operational hours: 18.00 – 00.00