Surabaya Nightlife: Best Nightclubs, Bars and Spas (Updated 2021)

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 locals. I remember being at McDonald's and people were pointing at me as if I was some sort of curiosity.

Since COVID happened, a lot of places have closed down in the city and the opening times may be shorter now. It can be a good idea to make a phone call to the venue you want to visit beforehand.

If you are completely new to Surabaya, the best way to start your night out is to go to a mall like Surabaya Town Square and drink a beer at one of the cafés. You can also try to meet with locals on the dating apps that are the most popular in Indonesia. Finally, below is a list of the best bars and nightclubs in Surabaya. If you think I should add/remove a venue, please let me know in the comments below!

Most nightclubs in Surabaya are targeting a local crowd. The most popular are male-oriented, with lady companions or GROs available. People usually stay around a table and order bottles of alcohol. If people dance, it is between friends and not on the dancefloor.

Top 10 Coyote Bar and Karaoke
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.

Read a full review here: Coyote (Ten Club and Karaoke)

Foreplay
Located just above Eclectic Bar in Surabaya Town Square (Sutos), Foreplay is a popular nightclub with a young student crowd. Contrary to other venues in the city, there are no prostitutes or escorts.

It has events every night of the week and it is recommended on Mondays (Campus Night), Wednesdays (Ladies Night) and on weekends.

Read a full review here: Foreplay Surabaya

Club 360
Owned by the same group behind Coyote, Club 360 is a large, round-shaped nightclub located in Royal Plaza Mall. It is part of a complex featuring a spa and a karaoke. Club 360 is not so busy during the week unless there is a special event.

More information: Club 360 Surabaya

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.

More information: Kowloon

Colors Pub
This bar features live bands, DJs or special shows every night. It is not as crowded as it used to be. Decent pub food available.

Read my article about it: Colors Surabaya

Eclectic Bar
Eclectic Bar is almost always busy, probably because of its location in the entrance of the popular Surabaya Town Square mall. If you need to have a drink during the week, this would be my first recommendation as you can be sure you won't be alone. Near Eclectic are several other bars and cafés.

More information: Eclectic Bar

Desperados
Desperados is the sports bar of the Shangri-La. This is where you'll find the highest concentration of expats and foreigners in the city, mostly guys above 40. Some girls go there to find a boyfriend (and others to find money). Live music every evening.

Full review: Desperados Shangri La

Sobriety

This is a new bar/lounge that seems to be hype at the moment. I haven't visited it but it can be interesting to check their Instagram page and see if they have interesting events. It is located within a few minutes from Colours pub.