Surabaya Nightlife: Best Nightclubs, Bars and Spas
By
Thibaud (Jakarta100bars)
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I have always enjoyed Surabaya nightlife 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. Few expats live in Surabaya and even fewer tourists visit it. As a result, you may get more attention than usual from the people. If you are a single guy, it is nice to see girls smiling at you in the streets or in the malls. On Tinder and other dating apps , expect to become quite popular. Meeting a normal girl is fairly easy in certain clubs and bars like Desperados, Jimmy's, Eclectic or Colors Pub. In other venues, you may have either a lot of "lady companions" or just younger girls who are part
Kowloon International Palace is a one-stop entertainment complex in Surabaya. It features C-bar (live music), Kowloon (nightclub) and a Chinese restaurant. They also do weddings and concerts in their function hall. It is located on the 5th floor of the mid-class mall Plaza Surabaya. The first time I went there, the taxi dropped me off at the lobby, but there is no lift so I had to walk through the parking to get there. Make sure you get dropped on the 5th floor.
Surabaya nightlife is centered around a few areas: The most strategic one is Tunjungan Plaza, where you have nightclubs like Coyote, Station Top 10, Colours Pub and Kowloon. You can see a full list of nearby properties here: Hotels Near Tunjungan Plaza Surabaya . Another option is to stay near Surabaya Town Square (Sutos) This mall is about 10 minutes away from Tunjungan Plaza by taxi. Inside, there are several nice bars, and particularly Eclectic Pub, one of the most happening in the city. There is also a nightclub called Foreplay popular with students. The Sutos area is more suitable if you are a younger traveler. You can see a full list of nearby properties here: Hotels Near Surabaya Town Square Surabaya .
Jimmy's is the bar/nightclub that replaces Vertical Six in Marriott Hotel in Surabaya. It is more of a live music venue, similar with Colors Pub. I've never seen it completely packed but still, it is one of the most happening bars in town. You can expect to have between 50 and 100 pax every night, a mix of local residents, travelers and expats. There were quite a few girls as well who did not seem to be prostitutes. A few of them were drinking alone at the bar which is a bit suspicious though.
Eclectic Pub and Lounge is a bar located in Surabaya Town Square mall (Sutos). It belongs to the owner of the mall, who also opened Eclectic Pub in Cilandak Town Square (Citos) and Seminyak Town Square. Eclectic is one of the best nightlife venues in Surabaya because it is always crowded. In fact, when I'm in Surabaya I often start a night out in Sutos because I'm always sure to find somewhere happening. Eclectic is my number one choice, but you also have Tiga Tuan , The Light Coffee (TLC) , and Stonehead Café a few meters away. After midnight you can move to the nightclub Foreplay .
Club 360 is part of the Renaissance Royal complex in Royal Plaza in Surabaya. It is next to the massage parlour Celsius and the KTV Rhythm. Everything belongs to the Top Ten Group, the owner of Coyote and Stasiun Disco . The club is not always very crowded. Most often, you only have a few groups of guys drinking with lady companions from the karaoke. If you come without a girl, you may have a GRO (Guest Relation Officer) coming to chat with you. Don't expect to find a normal girl in 360°, only a few are available.
Colors Pub is one of the most famous bars/clubs in Surabaya. Centrally located on Jalan Surabaya (next to the Society Complex), it is part of the same group behind Eclectic and Our Bar. It is mostly a live music venue with a large performance stage and tables all around it. They are opened every day of the week, with the current schedule:
If you are familiar with 5-star hotels in Asia, you know that they are often the best places to find freelance prostitutes in a particular city. Many will have a bar or a nightclub where working girls can offer their services without any problems. They are even encouraged to do so in some venues with free entrance and free drinks. The tolerance of the hotel managers/owners for prostitution activities within their walls may seem surprising. It is actually very logical and it can be explained easily. First, most of the clients in these hotels are male who are traveling alone, usually for business purposes. For them, the availability of (paid) sex is the main reason they will choose a brand over another. Any hotel with a happening pick-up bar is guaranteed a high-level of occupancy. Second, many clients prefer staying in hotels that have in-house bars because it is a sign they will be girl-friendly. They will feel more comfortable bringing a girl back to their room: That'
Despite its kinky name, Club Foreplay is a normal nightclub with a crowd of students and executives. It is actually one of the rare venues in Surabaya where you can meet girls who aren't freelancers or lady companions. It is located inside the popular mall Sutos (Surabaya Town Square), one of the favourite hang-out place for young Surabayans. After midnight, as the cafés become empty (among which Eclectic ), Foreplay gets more crowded. Foreplay is oddly L-shaped, with two massive pillars in the middle. For this reason, you cannot see everything at once inside, which is not usual. It feels more like a bar than a nightclub. The dance floor below the podium is also tiny as most of the space is occupied by tables.
M-One Superclub is one of the most happening nightclubs in Surabaya. It is particularly popular among the Indo-Chinese community and you may see a few expats there as well. There is a fair number of pretty girls but very few are coming alone. There is always several luxury sports cars parked in front of the club (Ferraris and Lamborghinis), but the club itself is not that sophisticated and expensive. It is medium-sized, with 2 floors. Upstairs is the VIP area with sofas from which you can see the dancefloor and the DJ. The lighting and sound system is modern.
Station Top 10 is a nightclub located on the 6th floor of Tunjungan Plaza Mall in Surabaya. Also spelled "Stasiun", it belongs to the same group behind Top 10 Coyote Bar . Station is a middle class venue that most people visit to take drugs. You will normally be offered ecstasy as soon as you enter (price around Rp350,000 for one). The music is fast-paced techno that you won't be able to enjoy unless you are high. The place is quite dark and it has an underground feel. Very few foreigners visit it so you will be an attraction there. You have sexy dancers several times in the evening but they seem to keep their bras on at all time. Many freelance prostitutes available but it can be hard to see what they look like in the dark. Most girls will ask you for ecstasy which can be a bit annoying.
Coyote Club in Surabaya is one of the best party spots in the city. It is owned by the same group behind Ten Club and Karaoke and Stasiun Disco (both in Tunjungan Plaza) and Celsius Spa and 360 club (both in Royal Plaza).