Where to Eat in Dili

Good to know

• Carry small US dollar notes. Many cafés and warungs do not take cards.
• Drink bottled or filtered water, not tap water.
• Hours change often and some places close without notice: check the Google Maps listing or message the restaurant before a special trip.

At a glance

All places to eat in Dili

• Restaurant

  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

  Mon–Thu 07:30–21:00; Fri–Sat 08:00–22:00; Sun 16:00–21:00

• Restaurant

  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

  Daily 08:00–22:30

• Restaurant

  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.

  Daily 08:00–22:30

• Restaurant

  $ ($ · local prices)

  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.

  Mon 12:00–21:30; Tue–Sat 09:00–17:00; Sun closed

• Café

  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

  Mon–Fri 07:30–22:00; Sat 08:00–21:30; Sun closed

• Restaurant

  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

  Mon–Sat 10:00–22:00; Sun 10:00–20:30

• Restaurant

  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.

  Daily 09:00–23:00

• Restaurant

  $$$ ($$$ · upper)

  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

  Daily 11:30–23:30

• Bar and restaurant

  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

  Daily 06:30–00:00

• Bar and restaurant

  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

  Daily 10:30–21:00

• Restaurant

  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

  Check hours before you go

• Restaurant

  $$ ($$ · mid-range)

  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

  Daily 08:00–00:00

• Restaurant

  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.

  Mon–Fri 12:00–15:00, 18:00–22:00; Sat 12:00–22:00; Sun closed

• Restaurant

  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

  Check hours before you go

• Restaurant

  $$ ($$ · mid-range)

  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

  Daily 07:00–22:00

• Restaurant

  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

  Daily 10:30–22:30

• Restaurant

  Lahori Kabab

  Rua Santo António de Motael, Dili

  Pakistani

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

  Daily 11:00–22:00

• Restaurant

  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

  Daily 09:00–23:00

• Café

  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

  Mon–Sat 10:00–21:00; Sun closed

• Café

  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.

  Check hours before you go

• Café

  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.

  Mon–Sat 07:30–21:30; Sun 09:00–21:30

• Bar and restaurant

  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

  Mon–Sat 10:30–22:00; Sun closed

• Restaurant

  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

  Check hours before you go

• Bar and restaurant

  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

  Daily 11:00–23:00

• Bar and restaurant

  Dili Club and Pizza

  Comoro, Dili

  Pizza · International

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

  • Serves alcohol

  Daily 10:00–23:00

• Restaurant

  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.

  Mon 12:00–21:00; Tue closed; Wed–Thu 12:00–21:00; Fri–Sat 12:00–22:00; Sun 12:00–21:00

• Restaurant

  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.

  Mon–Sat 09:00–21:00; Sun 09:30–18:00

• Restaurant

  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

  Check hours before you go

• Café

  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

  Mon–Thu 09:00–16:00; Fri 09:00–22:00; Sat 09:00–16:00; Sun closed

• Café

  Água de Coco

  Central Dili

  International

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

  • Live music

  Mon–Sat 07:00–00:00; Sun closed

• Café

  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.

  Check hours before you go

• Café

  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

  Mon–Sat 07:00–23:30; Sun 12:30–23:30

• Café

  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

  Mon–Tue 07:30–23:50; Wed 07:30–21:30; Thu–Sun 07:30–23:50

• Café

  Heyday Coffee

  Central Dili

  Coffee

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

  Daily 07:00–21:00

• Café

  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

  Mon–Sat 08:00–18:00; Sun 10:00–18:00

• Café

  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

  Mon–Sat 07:30–20:00; Sun closed

• Café

  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

  Daily 07:00–21:00

• Bakery

  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

  Daily 08:00–22:00

• Café

  Mehi Cafeteria & Gelateria

  Central Dili

  Desserts · Coffee

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

  Mon 08:00–17:00; Tue–Sat 08:00–21:00; Sun 11:00–21:00

• Café

  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

  Mon–Sat 09:00–21:00; Sun 09:00–22:00

• Café

  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

  Check hours before you go

Not sure what to order? Read our guide to Timorese dishes to try. Looking for a bed? See where to stay in Dili.