Makassar Food Guide: What to Eat, When and Where

Featured image: Pungkas nurrohman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Makassar food: the dishes to try first

We narrowed a field of 10 commonly listed dishes down to six for a first visit. Local food writers agree on one rule: soups are a morning meal, and snacks suit the evening. Spellings vary by source, so expect to see pallubutung and pallu butung, or es pisang ijo and pisang ijo, on different menus.

• Coto Makassar: thick beef and offal soup with roasted peanuts and spices. Best for a first-timer who wants the signature dish.
• Pallubasa: a richer, creamier cousin of coto. Best for a heavier breakfast.
• Sop saudara: clear beef soup from Pangkep. Best if you want something milder.
• Konro: beef ribs in a dark, spice-rich broth, or grilled with a thick sauce. Best for a long lunch.
• Pisang epe: flattened grilled banana with palm sugar syrup. Best for an evening walk along Losari Beach.
• Es pisang ijo or pallubutung: banana dessert with coconut milk, palm sugar syrup and ice. Best for a hot afternoon.

Coto vs pallubasa vs konro vs sop saudara

All four are beef-based, yet each eats differently. Coto is the safest opening order, since nearly every list ranks it as the city's most iconic dish. Pick by taste: choose sop saudara for light and clear, coto for savory and nutty, pallubasa for rich and creamy, and konro for ribs and spice. Details vary from stall to stall, so confirm locally what goes into each bowl.

A one-day eating plan

Soups come first, because many stalls sell them early and the best bowls can run out. Between meals, pair your eating with sights from our guide to 7 Best Things to Do in Makassar: Sights, Islands & Day Trips. Here is the order we would follow.

• Morning: coto or pallubasa at a market or street stall.
• Midday: sop saudara for something lighter, or konro if you want ribs.
• Afternoon: es pisang ijo or pallubutung to beat the heat.
• Evening: pisang epe along Losari Beach, then a late snack such as songkolo if you find a night stall open.

Sweets and snacks

Evenings suit sweets, and Losari Beach is where pisang epe is most strongly associated. Original versions use only palm sugar syrup, while modern toppings are now common. Barongko is a steamed banana, coconut milk and egg dessert wrapped in banana leaf. Historically, it was reserved for Bugis nobility and special ceremonies. Jalangkote is a fried pastry with a thin skin, served with a spicy-sweet vinegar sauce. Songkolo is black sticky rice with salted fish, egg and sambal, usually found at night markets. After the sweets, our guide to Makassar after dark covers where to go next.

How to order and what to expect

Most soups arrive with rice or rice cakes, plus chili sauce on the side. Add the sauce a little at a time. Portions and sides differ by stall, so point at what a neighbor is eating and confirm locally. Carry cash, since small stalls may not take cards. Basic English or picture menus are reported at some places, but a few Indonesian food words go a long way. If you plan to eat by neighborhood, check our notes on 5 Best Areas for Where to Stay in Makassar by Traveler Type before booking.

Budget and cost trade-offs

We have no sourced IDR prices for 2026, so check current prices at each stall or restaurant. Street stalls are generally the cheapest tier, and sit-down seafood grills usually cost more.

Dietary notes and things to watch

Coto and pallubasa use offal, so skip them if that puts you off. Sop saudara, grilled konro and the desserts are milder choices. Coto is made with roasted peanuts, and one local guide says grilled konro comes with a thick peanut sauce. Anyone with a peanut allergy should confirm locally. Pallubasa may come with a raw egg yolk, so ask before it is added. Heat matters too, so check the forecast from Indonesia's weather agency. Our Best Time to Visit Makassar: Month-by-Month Guide guide covers seasons. Halal status is not covered in our sources, so confirm with each venue.

Common mistakes

Arriving for soup late in the day is the big one, because coto and pallubasa are morning dishes. Another slip is assuming every stall opens at night, so confirm hours locally. Skipping the milder options is a third, since sop saudara and the desserts balance a heavy day. On a short stop, you can still fit two meals. If you land at Makassar's airport, check flight times on the Sultan Hasanuddin Airport site. Our Makassar airport guide helps with the transfer. Eat coto before you leave and pisang epe if time allows. If you are still deciding on the trip, read whether Makassar is worth visiting.