Where to Eat in Timor-Leste

Agora Food Studio

Comoro, near Timor Plaza, Dili

Timorese · International

The restaurant of the Timor-Leste Food Lab, a social enterprise that cooks with Timorese ingredients and trains young local chefs. Plant-forward, seasonal and one of the best places to taste modern Timorese food.

• Social enterprise
• Vegetarian-friendly
• Serves alcohol

Dilicious

Rua D. Fernando, central Dili

Timorese

A popular, good-value Timorese restaurant with big portions of curries, grilled fish and home-style dishes. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options are clearly labelled.

• Vegetarian-friendly

MLO Restaurant

Estrada de Bidau, Dili

Timorese

A traditional Timorese restaurant on Estrada de Bidau with generous portions of local dishes, attentive service and a large, airy dining room.

Uma Lafatik

Avenida Almirante Américo Tomás, Dili

Timorese

A simple restaurant serving Timorese mains at local prices. Staff are friendly, but some menu items are often unavailable and the kitchen can be slow.

Casa Música Klabis

Avenida Presidente Nicolau Lobato, Dili

Timorese · Portuguese

A relaxed café-restaurant with an affordable menu of Timorese and Portuguese comfort food, such as bitoque (steak with egg and chips), from breakfast to dinner.

• Breakfast

Sol e Mar

Areia Branca, Dili

Seafood · Timorese · Portuguese

A casual seafood place in the Areia Branca beach area, grilling prawns, whole fish and octopus, with Timorese and Portuguese dishes and cold beer.

• Serves alcohol

El Legendario

Bidau Lecidere, Dili

Seafood · International

A restaurant in Lecidere serving Timorese and international dishes, best known for seafood: reviewers single out the octopus salad, grilled fish and house bread.

Nha Casa

Avenida de Metiaut, Dili

Seafood · Timorese · Portuguese · International

A beachfront restaurant in Metiaut run by its chef-owner, with Timorese, Portuguese, Italian and African dishes. Grilled fish and the desserts get the most praise.

• Beachfront
• Sea view

Castaway Bar

Waterfront, Dili

International

A long-running bar and restaurant overlooking Dili's bay, popular with expats for cocktails, beer and a full food menu, with live music on some nights.

• Sea view
• Serves alcohol
• Breakfast

Caz Bar

Areia Branca beach, Dili

International

A shaded beach bar and restaurant on Areia Branca, with a varied menu from burgers to guacamole, cold beer and fresh coconuts. Staff speak English and Portuguese.

• Beachfront
• Sea view
• Serves alcohol

Panorama Restaurant & Sky Bar

Timor Plaza Hotel, Comoro, Dili

International · Timorese

The rooftop restaurant and bar of the Timor Plaza Hotel in Comoro, with views across Dili and the sea. Timorese and international dishes all day, and an early-evening happy hour at the Sky Bar.

• Rooftop
• Sea view
• Serves alcohol

Osteria Italiana

Avenida de Portugal, Dili

Italian · Pizza

An Italian restaurant on the waterfront road with handmade pasta, wood-fired pizza and a wine list, with indoor and outdoor seating.

• Serves alcohol

Naris Korean Restaurant

Rua Marconi, Dili

Korean

A small Korean restaurant with a focused menu of bibimbap, bulgogi, kimchi and other classics, with traditional décor and fair prices.

Great Wall Restaurant

Rua José Maria Marques, Dili

Chinese

An established, family-run Chinese restaurant with a long menu of southern Chinese dishes and familiar favourites. Air-conditioned and often busy.

• Air-conditioned

New 88 Restaurant

Central Dili

Chinese · Malaysian

A long-running Chinese and Malaysian restaurant with a big menu, a weekday lunch buffet and home delivery. The entrance is easy to miss and parking is tight.

• Buffet
• Delivery

Little Pattaya

Metiaut waterfront, Dili

Thai · International

A waterfront Thai restaurant in Metiaut that also cooks Lebanese and Mediterranean dishes, with vegan options, sea views and cold beer.

• Sea view
• Vegetarian-friendly
• Serves alcohol

Lahori Kabab

Rua Santo António de Motael, Dili

Pakistani

A Pakistani restaurant serving charcoal-grilled kebabs and well-spiced curries in generous portions.

Queen Tundriee Restaurant

Central Dili

Pakistani

A plain but clean South Asian restaurant serving Pakistani and Bangladeshi food, with affordable vegetarian dishes and quick, friendly service.

• Vegetarian-friendly

Everest Coffee House

Pateo, Rua D. Fernando, Dili

Nepali

A small couple-run Nepali and Indian café in the Pateo compound, serving momos, biryani, thukpa, curries and lassis.

• Vegetarian-friendly

Turkish Café Istanbul

Central Dili

Turkish

A casual Turkish café serving kebabs and grilled dishes, one of the few places in Timor-Leste for Turkish food.

Rolls & Bowls

West Dili

Vietnamese · Coffee

A Vietnamese café specialising in pho made with a long-simmered beef stock, hand-rolled spring rolls and Vietnamese baguettes, plus specialty coffee.

Suji's Grill & Sushi

Pantai Kelapa, Dili

Japanese · Korean

A Japanese and Korean bar-restaurant at Pantai Kelapa serving sushi, ramen, doenjang jjigae and gimbap.

• Serves alcohol

Prato Steak House

Pateo, Rua D. Fernando, Dili

Steakhouse

A steakhouse in the Pateo compound, known for ribeye and picanha, and one of Dili's choices for a special dinner.

• Serves alcohol

Spooners Bar and Grill

Avenida Praia dos Coqueiros, Dili

International · Burgers

A sociable sports-bar-style grill popular with expats, with cold beer, burgers, chicken and lamb chops.

• Serves alcohol

Dili Club and Pizza

Comoro, Dili

Pizza · International

A casual pizza place and social club with wood-fired pizzas and cold drinks.

• Serves alcohol

Jeitu Burguer

Central Dili

Burgers

A tiny burger joint grilling simple, well-made burgers with fries. With only a couple of tables, expect a wait at lunchtime.

Linivon Restaurant

Rua Humberto da Cruz, Dili

Indonesian

A casual restaurant serving Indonesian-style dishes, rojak fruit salad and iced desserts at modest prices, with a large dining room.

Pro-Ema Restaurant School

Bidau Lecidere, Dili

International · Desserts

A training restaurant where young Timorese women learn to cook and serve. Affordable lunches with Italian and French influences, and some of the best desserts in Dili.

• Social enterprise

Aroma Café

Bidau Lecidere, Dili

International

A vegetarian café with an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet that includes dessert and tea or coffee. It supports local training and works with a programme that helps survivors of violence.

• Vegetarian-friendly
• Buffet
• Social enterprise

Água de Coco

Central Dili

International

A family-run restaurant with simple, well-cooked food and live music on Friday nights.

• Live music

Letefoho Specialty Coffee Roaster

Central Dili

Coffee

Dili's best-known specialty coffee house, roasting single-origin beans from the Letefoho highlands on site. The essential stop for Timorese coffee.

Kafé Atsabe (Fomento)

Rua Fomento II, Comoro, Dili

Coffee

A three-storey neighbourhood café serving single-origin coffee from the owner's own farm, with snacks, juices and covered rooftop seating. The coffee is the point here, not the food.

• Rooftop

Kafé Atsabe (Cristo Rei)

Cristo Rei, Dili

Coffee · Timorese

A friendly café near Cristo Rei serving highland coffee from Atsabe and simple dishes: a handy stop before or after the climb to the statue.

• Breakfast

Heyday Coffee

Central Dili

Coffee

A small specialty roaster and café near Dili's local markets, known for carefully brewed Timorese coffee.

Peace Coffee

Central Dili

Coffee · Pizza

A local coffee shop making Timorese coffee on a proper espresso machine, with air-conditioned seating upstairs, pizza and English-speaking staff.

• Air-conditioned

Aroma Timor

Central Dili

Coffee

A café and shop for Timorese coffee and local products, a good place to taste coffee and buy beans and artisan goods to take home.

• Coffee beans to buy

Ha-Ha Kafé

Central Dili

Coffee · Bakery

A well-liked neighbourhood café with good coffee, fresh baked goods and light meals, open daily from 7 am.

• Breakfast

Aru Bakery & Café

Pantai Kelapa, Dili

Bakery · Coffee

A popular bakery making fresh bread, pastries and cakes daily, with coffee and light meals. A go-to for breakfast and afternoon treats.

• Breakfast

Mehi Cafeteria & Gelateria

Central Dili

Desserts · Coffee

Artisan gelato and specialty coffee in a relaxed, modern café, with some locally inspired flavours.

Dare Memorial Museum & Café

Dare, in the hills above Dili

Coffee

A café at the Dare memorial museum in the hills above Dili, which remembers the Australian soldiers and Timorese who fought together in the Second World War. Panoramic views over the city.

• Sea view

Corner Coffee, Resto & Local Products

Metinaro, on the coast road east of Dili

Coffee · Timorese

A café, restaurant and local-products shop in Metinaro on the coast road east of Dili, with freshly roasted Timorese coffee and souvenirs: a good stop on the drive to Baucau.

• Coffee beans to buy

Manucoco Rek

Vila Maumeta, Atauro

Italian · Timorese

An Italian-run guesthouse and restaurant in Vila, the island's main village, serving Italian and Timorese food: the place for fresh pasta on Atauro.

• Breakfast

Mirepa

Beloi, Atauro

Timorese

A small owner-run restaurant in Beloi with a short daily menu that depends on the vegetables available. Vegetarian dishes on request, at local prices.

• Vegetarian-friendly

Hatulela Local Food

Makili, Atauro

Timorese

A community dining project in Makili, where women from eleven households cook local and traditional Atauro food for visitors.

• Social enterprise

Projeto Montanha

Aileu

Timorese · International

A community restaurant project in the hills of Aileu, on the road between Dili and Maubisse, cooking with fresh local produce: one of the best lunch stops in the highlands.

Sara's Restaurant

Maubisse

Timorese · International

The restaurant of Sara's Guesthouse in Maubisse, popular with trekkers heading for Mount Ramelau, with hearty meals in the cool mountain air.

Café Maubisse

Maubisse

Coffee · Timorese

A small mountain café and guesthouse in Maubisse serving highland coffee and Timorese food.

Restaurante Amizade

Maubisse

Timorese

A friendly local restaurant in Maubisse serving traditional Timorese dishes, useful as a meal stop on the road between Dili and Ainaro.

Restaurante Amália

Baucau

Timorese · Indonesian

Baucau's most-visited restaurant, serving Timorese and Indonesian home-style cooking from breakfast to late evening: a reliable stop on the road east.

• Breakfast

Restaurante Vitória Mok

Baucau

Timorese

A well-regarded Baucau restaurant with friendly service and generous portions of local food.

Luz Marter Restaurant & Bakery

Baucau

Bakery · Timorese

A restaurant and bakery in Baucau with fresh bread and local dishes, convenient for travellers on the north coast road.

• Breakfast

Restaurante Belun

Lospalos

Timorese · Indonesian

A popular Lospalos restaurant and homestay known for ayam bakar (grilled chicken) and fried chicken, with generous, clean local dishes.

Restaurante Cinta Rasa

Lospalos

Indonesian · Timorese

A reliable Lospalos restaurant serving Indonesian and Timorese dishes, practical for travellers heading to the far east.

Valu beach stalls (Walu Sere)

Valu beach, near Tutuala

Seafood

Simple beachside stalls at Valu near Tutuala selling fruit, snacks and drinks. Boatmen here run trips to Jaco Island and can arrange a grilled-fish picnic.

• Beachfront

Lauhata Beach Escape

Lauhata, Liquiçá

Seafood · Timorese

A beach restaurant and getaway on the Liquiçá coast west of Dili, with fresh grilled fish and relaxed seaside tables.

• Beachfront
• Sea view

Tasi Café

Maubara

Timorese

A clean, family-run beachfront café opposite Maubara Fort serving fresh juices and simple meals. Some English is spoken.

• Beachfront
• Sea view

Maubara Fort Restaurant

Maubara

Timorese · International

A restaurant beside the historic fort at Maubara, overlooking the coast, serving local food in a heritage setting.

• Sea view

Balibo Fort Hotel Restaurant

Balibo

International · Timorese

The restaurant inside the Balibo Fort Hotel, a community social enterprise. You eat within the old Portuguese fort walls, with views across the border to Indonesia.

• Social enterprise

Dominican Café

Pante Macassar, Oecusse

Coffee

A small café in a green garden beside the Dominican church in Pante Macassar, close to the beach. Food is limited, but the juices and coffee are good.

Restaurante Lacmeta Oan

Pante Macassar, Oecusse

Timorese

A local restaurant in Pante Macassar serving Timorese food, open daily.