Surabaya nightlife has greatly improved, even though the options for nightclubs and bars are limited and somewhat provincial.
3 million people live there, making it the second largest city in Indonesia. Compared to Jakarta, it still feels laid-back and unsophisticated. The streets are rather clean, you can walk on the sidewalks and the traffic is not horrible. There are several modern malls, but none of them as chic as Plaza Indonesia or even Grand Indonesia.
You have 4 types of nightlife venues in Surabaya:
- Cheap, student-oriented bars/clubs like Camden or Shelter
- High-end, modern clubs like Vertique, W, Black Owl, or Tiger (all of which targeting groups who book tables)
- Live music pubs, some of which attract foreigners (Our Bar, Colors Pub)
- Clubs with lady companions, drugs, KTVs, and "funkot" music (Ibiza, Paradise)
Continue reading for more information about each of these.
Note:
To stay up-to-date on Surabaya nightlife, you can follow the Tiktok account Anak Malam Surabaya.
Hotels Near Surabaya Nightlife
Surabaya is a huge, spread out city without a clear city center. As you can see on the map above, the most interesting nightlife venues are all near Tunjungan Plaza (Jalan Basuki Rahmat) or near Jalan Sumatra.
All the following hotels are strategically located so you can walk to several bars and nightclubs:
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The Sheraton is located within the new Tunjungan Plaza Mall extension, very near the famous Coyote Top 10 Club. USD 110 per night.
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This is another hotel within the mall Tunjungan Plaza. USD 90 per night.
Midtown Hotel (USD 30 per night) and Swiss Belinn Tunjungan (USD 40 per night) are both walking distance from Tunjungan Plaza.
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If your budget is under 25$ per night, you can try Favehotel Mex.
Best Nightclubs and Bars in Surabaya
A rather large club with a mezzanine, impressive lighting, with EDM DJs. It's best to order a bottle (Rp 1M for a cheap one, Rp 3M for a premium one like Chivas). Check their Instagram for guest DJs (about once every two weeks).
Part of the same group that owns Camden in Cikini. Same concept here: Affordable prices, cool vibe, live music. One of the most happening hangout spots in Surabaya, especially among younger people.
If you like it, you can also check Shamrock.
These two venues, both belonging to HW group, are located just a few minutes from Vertique, on Jalan Basuki Rahmat. Tiger is also an EDM club, attracting rich Surabayans (including many Indonesian Chinese), while W Club focuses on live music.
This stylish lounge/club attracts wealthy Surabayans who come in groups, share a dinner/drinks, and enjoy a DJ or live music performance. It is mainly a restaurant, but it turns into a club when they have special events.
Part of the Top 10 Group, this small club is one of the most happening in Surabaya. Easy to access in Plaza Tunjungan, it features DJs and sexy dancers all night long (including girls from Thailand). Most of the crowd is Indochinese, Singaporean and Malaysian.
It is the most expensive venue in Surabaya with a first drink charge of Rp200,000 on most nights.
EDM club that also has live bands. Great setup and sound, but not so busy. You can check if they have special events before going.
This bar features live rock bands every night. It is not as crowded as it used to be. Decent pub food available.
5 minutes from there, you can also visit Our Bar, a simple pub with live music and a friendly vibe.
Desperados
Desperados is the sports bar of the Shangri-La. It always has some foreigners there, usually above 50. Some girls go there to find a boyfriend (and others to find money). Live music every evening.
Next to Delta Spa, this is a more local nightclub with very loud "funkot", a music style that used to be very popular in North Jakarta in the 90s and 2000s (hence the name, Funky House Kota). It consists of mixes of EDM or pop songs with a very fast beat. I suspect you have to take drugs to enjoy it.
The crowd there is lower-class, more shady.
Maybe the largest nightclub in Surabaya, this is a very local place with deafening music and probably some drugs on sale. It has an upmarket karaoke with lady companions.
I've been to Desperados, it's been fun and nice place.
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