Eat + Drink

ON THIS PAGE: EATING | COFFEE + DRINKS

Dili’s food and drink scene is expanding as the city develops. A burgeoning local fusion movement is elevating Timor’s coastal and mountain staples to bring more expats to Timorese cuisine. There are, of course, plenty of international food options as well.

This page separates Eating and Coffee + Drinks establishments below, though in reality many restaurants also have great coffee/drinks, and some listings under Coffee + Drinks also serve food. A few common-sense notes on dining out in Dili are included below the restaurant list, which is broken into Timorese, Southeast Asia +, South Asia/Chinese, and Western/International.

Information on location, menu, etc. can be hard to find for some establishments. Facebook and Google Maps are your best bets (Dili Guide generally chooses not to link to business info), and the Exploring Timor website has put together a helpful restaurant location map. As with everything in Timor, approach your restaurant experiences with flexibility and a sense of adventure, and you’ll have a good time.

---

EATING

Casual: Laid-back, let the kids run around
Normal: Standard Dili eatery
Formal: A little upscale

F Dili Guide fave
V Vegetarian outstanding

♦ TIMORESE ♦

Agora Food Studio Local fusion | Normal F V
Airy garden café tucked into Timor Plaza’s back corner. Local fusion dishes, well-presented, plus a brunch/snacks menu. Aussie-started, now locally owned. Great coffee. DG Tip: Try the tamarind turmeric drink.

Ahi Matan Timorese | Normal F V
Homey place with well-imagined dishes of the day (meat and veg options) written on blackboard walls. Great place for a tasty local-food lunch. Does cooking classes.

Da Terra Timorese/Portuguese | Casual
Better known for their hillside farm in Baucau, Portuguese-owned Da Terra emphasizes local food, and it’s delicious. A Bebonuk-area Dili hostel serves family-style meals on the front porch. Ordering ahead is a must.

Dilicious Local fusion | Normal F
Maun Cesar, executive chef, is Dili’s pioneering local food entrepreneur. The place to experience Timorese fusion, if you are new in town or have visitors. Ravioli is also ‘dilicious.’

Ha Ha Cafe Local fusion/International | Casual by day, formal by night
Ha Ha started as a coffee shop then added a breakfast/brunch and lunch menu. It’s an expat fave for those want to sit and work and for those with toddlers, since it has a small play area. Offers fine dining experiences weekend evenings for pre-booked groups.

New Lilli’s Timorese/Indonesian | Normal
Indonesian-style warung that’s slightly more upscale than most. Good place to try this kind of local point-and-eat style place. Delicious sweet iced tea served in beer-style mugs.

Timor Plaza Food Court Timorese/Indonesian | Casual
Dili’s mall food court has a variety of point-and-eat stalls serving reliable local lunch food. Fill a plate with rice and a few dishes for around $5.

Uma Lafatik Timorese | Normal
Tasty Timorese dishes for lunch; sometimes frequented by Jose Ramos Horta. Don’t get there late, as they can run out of menu items.

Uma Saudavel Local fusion | Casual
A slightly ramshackle building behind the Motael church belies what’s inside – this place has good food! This relative newcomer serves Timorese food with a twist, in the vein of Agora and Ahi Matan. Pick your main plate, then add a meat or veg accompaniment. DG Tip: If they have the creamy pumpkin pasta, order it.

♦ SOUTHEAST ASIA + ♦

Kamesan Japanese/International | Normal
Authentic Japanese food in a brightly-lit, open-sided second floor overlooking the sea. Has sushi specials when fresh fish is available; also serves Western standards.

Little Pattaya Thai | Casual
Thai food and international dishes in a casual setting on the Metiaut coast. DG Tip: Try the Pad Thai.

Little Saigon Vietnamese | Casual
Vietnamese and other dishes on the Metiaut coastal strip of eateries.

Nari’s Korean | Formal F
One of Timor’s top restaurants for flavor, consistency, and service. Features delicious Korean standards such as bibimbap, tasty lunch specials, homemade tofu, and (arguably) Dili’s best cheesecake.

Ocean View Asian | Casual
Airy pavilion directly on the beach near the Comoro River, great for a sunset drink. Known for seafood. Chat up the Malaysian owner/manager to access unlisted special dishes. DG Tip: Try the tofu appetizer.

Restaurant Bidau Asian | Normal
Authentic Thai and Taiwanese dishes in a small indoor AC dining room.

Rolls and Bowls Vietnamese | Casual
Vietnamese stall in the Timor Plaza food court with fried rice, noodles, pho, banh mi, fresh spring rolls. Excellent Vietnamese-style coffee; sells their own Timorese coffee beans, in season.

Thai Herb Thai | Casual V
Slightly shabby garden restaurant serving surprisingly good Thai standards.

Timor Thai Thai | Normal V
Walled, green garden with the usual curries, noodles, soups, and entrees from Thailand. Good for takeaway.

Uma Knua Asian/International | Casual
Pleasant courtyard on a street corner in Farol with multiple food stalls. Try Thai, Timorese, Indonesian, and more – depending on who is open the day you visit.

Wabi Sabi Asian | Formal
Sit-down sushi and Japanese food restaurant on the outer edge of the main Timor Plaza mall area.

♦ SOUTH ASIA / CHINESE ♦

Early Sun Chinese | Normal
Early on the Metiaut coastal strip as you head out from town, serves delicious Chinese food on a recently-renovated patio next to the sea. DG Tip: Try the fried long bean appetizer, with just the right amount of heat, salt, fat, and basil.

Eastern Burger Chinese | Casual
Though the name says “burger,” this is really a Chinese-style eatery. Casual atmosphere with an extensive menu.

Everest Coffee House Nepalese | Normal V
Himalayan-inspired food such as dhaal, curries, momos, and other specialties, in a small cafe in the Pateo compound.

Great Wall Chinese | Formal
Upscale Chinese restaurant also serving Western dishes. Good place for a sit-down lunch or dinner, can be quite busy at peak times.

Hari’s Indian | Normal F V
Mr. Hari is a Dili institution, with a kitchen well known for turning out mouth-watering North Indian curries and flatbreads. Great for takeaway, order in advance.

Jade Garden Chinese | Normal
Chinese restaurant with generous portions, close to Timor Plaza.

Lahori Kebab Pakistani | Normal
Pakistani-owned restaurant featuring a standard menu of curries and flatbreads, plus some dishes with a Western-inspired twist.

Queen Tundriee Bangladeshi | Normal
Near the Presidential Palace, this Bangladeshi/Indian place can be located by the storefront rotisserie chicken machine. Consistently recommended by the South Asian community in Dili.

Tanha Minha Indian/Bangladeshi | Normal
Small dining room open to the street-side, with a comprehensive list of tasty Indian dishes and flatbreads. Includes some South Indian plates, such as dosas. DG Tip: The nicely spiced masala tea is worth a try.

♦ WESTERN / INTERNATIONAL ♦

Agua de Coco Portuguese/Timorese | Casual
One of several ‘downtown’ garden restaurants serving Portuguese standards the Timorese way. Entree plates are arranged: protein, fries, salad, rice. DG Tip: The yogurt and fruit bowl makes a great breakfast.

Arriba Mexican | Normal
The one Mexican place in town, featuring quesadillas, burritos, nachos, and other standards. In the same compound with Osteria and Bistro.

Aroma Cafe and Restaurant Brazilian | Formal
South American cuisine from a well-known Brazilian expat, Chef Helder. Lunch is often a buffet, dinner by menu. Amazing feijoada offered on special days, and sometimes has sushi nights. DG Tip: Follow your meal with a cheesecake slice or a red velvet cupcake.

Aru Asian/Western | Normal
Short list of Asian and western specialties in a wooden lodge that used to be Dili’s Norwegian Embassy. Breezy porch for coffee or drinks. DG Tip: BEST CROISSANTS IN DILI! (Sorry for the shouting, but, you know, we just had to.)

Aubergine Asian/Western | Normal
Oceanside patio makes for delightful evening snacks, drinks or dinner. Sometime party venue on the weekends. DG Tip: Get the eggplant frites.

Beachside Australian/European | Casual
Legendary Aussie-run lodging and eatery on a slice of white-sand beach out toward Cristo Rei. The kind of place to sit on the sand and sip a fresh, chilled coconut. The place to be seen for weekend brunch. Shows outdoor movies on weekend evenings.

Bistro Western vegetarian | Formal V
Tucked behind Osteria is Dili’s only Western vegetarian restaurant. Rotating selection of nicely-plated veg favorites; delicious caipirinhas on request. Good for business lunches. Typically open only on weekdays.

Boca Doce Portuguese/Timorese | Normal
Pleasant garden restaurant serving Portuguese/Timorese standards. Known for their bitoque (a dish of lesser-cut, fatty steak served with fries and topped with a fried egg – oh, my heart!).

Burger King Western | Casual
One of two recognizable international chains in Dili, serves up American-style burgers and other fast food.

Castaways Australian/Western | Casual F V
Dili’s premier pub-style restaurant, overlooking the ocean above Dive Timor’s dive shop and hotel. Kids love the milkshakes. DG Tip: A Bintang draft and a burger with fries go down well after work.

Caz Bar International | Casual F V
The other expat-focused restaurant on Areia Branca (local name for Metiaut’s white-sand beach). Good place for a sunset drink or weekend family brunch. DG Tip: Kids (and adults) love the crepes and quesadillas.

City 8 International | Casual
City 8 is a planned, gated neighborhood rising at the edge of the hills and the Comoro. It has Alfresco Restaurant and some snack shops. Sit atop the shipping-container buildings for a nice mountain view.

City Café European | Casual
Portuguese-influenced point-and-eat stall in Timor Plaza’s food court. Tasty dishes served with rice, generous portions. DG Tip: Try the eggplant and the pork belly.

Dili Club International | Casual
Open-storefront eatery in a small ‘strip mall’ across the main road from Timor Plaza. Their banner advertises “Pizza, Burgers, Thai” – add “Breakfast” and you’ll get the basics of the eclectic menu.

Doce Tentacao Portuguese/Timorese | Casual
Timorese-influenced Portuguese food in a grassy courtyard shared with the Benfica sport court. A favorite of Portuguese families, with plenty of space for the kids to play.

El Legendario International | Normal
An airy and well-designed pavilion next to the sea, attached to the Novo Turismo hotel just across the street. Comfy couches for an afternoon coffee or sunset drink, with inventively-designed entrees.

ETDA International | Normal
Restaurant school training Timorese hospitality workers. Serves a delicious plate-of-the-day set menu for lunch only, plus a variety of coffee drinks.

Hotel Esplanada
Esplanada reopened in mid-2023 as a boutique hotel with a pleasant second floor restaurant overlooking the beach road and the sea. Not bad for a sundowner, or brunch on the weekends.

Hotel Timor International | Formal
Hotel Timor has a rich history, and Dili’s elite often gather in the lobby restaurant for coffee or a meal. Serves Portuguese-influenced cuisine in a stylish sit-down atmosphere.

Jeitu Burguers Western | Casual
Local open-air burger joint with basic but tasty burgers.

Kwer Sunset Lounge International | Casual
This seaside patio aims for a relaxed, young-and-hip, enjoy-the-sunset vibe. Menu has a variety of international offerings such as steak, seafood, pizza, nasi goreng, and more. Look for DJs or live music on the weekends.

Mehi Cafeteria and Gelateria International | Casual
This spinoff from ProEma’s hospitality school has great coffee and cafe drinks. But it’s listed under “Eating” because the main attraction is the locally made gelato, chocolates, and desserts. Take the kids! Also serves a variety of lunch plates and snacks. DG Tip: The salted caramel latte looks and tastes lovely.

Mike’s Chicken Western | Casual
Chicken and burger counter with a variety of sauces. Located in the Pateo compound, good for takeaway/delivery.

Nha Casa International | Formal
West African chef presents a variety of international dishes in shabby chic surroundings along the Metiaut coastline.

Ole Tapas European | Normal
Spanish-style menu in an artsy roofed patio. Rumored to be a croc in a cage, somewhere on the grounds.

Osteria Italian | Normal
Dili’s premier Italian restaurant, with a large menu featuring pasta, pizza, and mains. Nice for sit-in or delivery.

Panorama International | Formal
Sensible Asian and Western food, well-presented and tasty, in an open-wall fifth floor featuring views of mountains and ocean. Closest you’ll get to a rooftop bar in Dili. Get there on Timor Plaza’s glass elevator.

Pateo Supermarket Portuguese | Casual
Front counter serves a variety of deli-style sandwiches, pastries, desserts, and coffee for a quick lunch. Outdoor tables fill with locals and Portuguese having a cigarette with their espresso.

Pau de Canela International | Normal V
Flavorful lunch specials served quickly, with a glass case featuring savory pastries and sweets. Also sells homemade yogurt and yogurt-like products.

Prato Portuguese | Formal
Basically a steakhouse, this is probably where the Portuguese ambassador would take important guests from home. Pricey and delicious with good service – don’t expect many vegetables.

ProEma European | Formal F V
Dili’s best date-night restaurant, the ProEma organization trains young adults in the hospitality industry. Follow your generous entree with an amazingly plated dessert. Great for business lunches during the week or formal dinners Thursday-Saturday. Reservations are a must.

Qlina Western | Normal
Qlina Supermarket in Timor Plaza presents a deli case with ready-to-eat lunch creations, plus a well-crafted plate of the day. Also has a Cha Time bubble tea drinks counter.

Spooners Australian | Normal
Timor’s one and only Aussie-style sports bar, this place rocked cheering the Matilda’s during the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Pub food and beer served with the occasional Aussie footy match. DG Tip: Loaded fries look heart-rendingly delicious, literally.

Tavirense Portuguese | Normal F
Tasty Portuguese dishes in an often-packed AC dining room. Don’t try to practice your Tetum – menus and waiter-conversation are in Portuguese!

The Spa Cafe Western | Casual V
Fresh and flavorful lunch food including wraps, pitas, and toasted sandwiches. Get a haircut, massage, or manicure at the attached spa, then enjoy a coffee or healthy smoothie.

Tito’s Portuguese | Formal
A Portuguese-cuisine institution on Metiaut’s coastal strip. Good cocktails, steak, and seafood.

Trattoria & Pizzeria Valentino Italian | Casual
Pizza and pasta place in Lecidere with thin crust pies some argue is the best in town. Clean indoor dining room has AC; also good for takeaway or delivery. DG Tip: Try the caprese salad – it comes with rocket!

Turkish Ottoman Restaurant Turkish | Casual
Sidewalk cafe outside the Benfica sporting venue, with hummus, falafel, kebab wraps, etc. When the meat is sizzling, it smells amazing. DG Tip: Look for the fresh bread that’s baked a couple days a week.

Venture Cafe International | Normal F
Well-done Western dishes, fresh juice, brunch food, and coffee in the pleasant green courtyard of a compound that doubles as a hotel and headquarters for a locally invested business.

87 Burgers Western | Normal
Serves a variety of fast-food-style, better-than-fast-food burgers – with nice crispy fries, of course. Operates within the Osteria Italian restaurant.

Notes on eating out in Timor

• English or Portuguese will get you by in Dili’s restaurants, but quickly learning some simple restaurant Tetum is best. Some menus will be in Bahasa Indonesia.
• Customer service and food service can be slow. Need a quick lunch? Choose carefully. When traveling outside Dili, it’s best to order dinner ahead.
• Listed menus can be more aspirational than actual (especially for fresh juice). Sometimes you’ll need to start by asking, “What do you have today?” (“Ita iha saida?”) It’s also good to know the words “la iha” (don’t have) and “hotu” (finished), as it’s not unusual for menu items to be unavailable.
• Dishes usually come out of the kitchen when ready, not in a carefully orchestrated manner.
• Substitutions and off-menu orders can cause confusion, with possibly dubious results.
• Sometimes there are one or two experienced waiters who take orders from customers, and other less experienced waiters/trainees who deliver food. Don’t try to order from the trainees.
• Vegetarians do ok in Timor, and understanding vegetarianism is becoming more common in Dili. But still, you might have some explaining to do (“Ha’u vegetariano – la han na’an, la han ikan”). At Timorese places, look for tempe or tofu, but be ready to eat a lot of rice, sweet potato, and salad. Portuguese eatery? Good luck. Indian and Thai are reliable veg-friendly cuisines.
• Vegans will have a hard time eating out in Dili, or anywhere else in the country.
• Watch out for MSG and other allergens. Explaining allergies can be tricky.
• When it comes time to pay, most restaurants expect you to go up to the counter to take care of the bill. A big plus of Dili dining here – if you’re going out with friends, you can usually pay individually rather than having to split a complicated bill amongst yourselves.
• Finally, help reduce plastic waste by bringing a filled, reusable water bottle with you when you eat out. Then you don’t have to buy single-use plastic bottles! Consider carrying your own leftover containers as well, and encourage restaurateurs to use environmentally friendly takeaway packaging.

---

COFFEE + DRINKS

Going out for drinks is a top Dili activity, though in this case “drinks” is more likely to mean coffee, a coconut, or a delicious hand-made fresh juice rather than a cocktail. Cocktails are available in some places, though usually basic – a gin and tonic is a good tropical standard. There’s not much variety to the beer; Timor-brewed Bintang from a place that has a draft keg in stock is the best. Small boba tea places pop up (and close) on a regular basis.

Dili has a well-developed coffee shop scene frequented by locals and expats alike. Multiple locally owned cafes serve hand roasted beans derived directly from the owner’s mountain-coffee connection. As the city grows, more coffee shops are opening, staffed by baristas who trained at a better-known place (or even internationally) then struck out on their own. Coffee is one of Timor’s few exports.

If you fancy the full tropical experience, be sure to order some coconut water. It comes in its original green coconut! With the top machete-ed off, for your drinking convenience. When you’re finished, ask your server to split the coconut, and you can eat the meat inside. If you order from a streetside seller, they’ll fashion a little coconut-shell spoon for you.

A3 Coffee House
Located under Kamesan near the beach road Centro, this early 2024 arrival to the Dili coffee scene could actually be described as ‘hip.’ Good music, fun aesthetics, and arguably the most inventive coffee menu in town with syrups, milk alternatives, and ‘adult’ coffees. Has cocktails, mocktails, and a breakfast and lunch food menu.

Abraao and Popo Cafe F
This small storefront cafe in Timor Plaza is Malaysian owned and cozy. Serves coffee (including Vietnamese egg coffee), tea, smoothies. Daily snacks are a treat; the homemade soy-based sauce is spoonably delicious. Owner also runs the children’s play place above the
Timor Plaza Burger King, get there via stairs off the movie theater entryway.

Aroma Timor
Not to be confused with Aroma Cafe and Restaurant, this coffee shop in the Pateo compound also makes baked goods and has a small line of infusion ingredients and other local/natural food items.

Cafe Mozzarello
Good coffee in a lovely garden inside the John Paul II Center compound, off the airport roundabout. The adjacent bakery has led to a rhymey nickname for this nun-run caffeination station – ask an expat old-timer or take a guess.

Dare Cafe F
A 20 minute drive up from Dili reveals a hillside coffee shop with a stunning view of the city. Also serves snacks such as toasties and pizza. DG Tip: Great place for a first venture into the hills, for yourself or visitors.

Fatima Cafe
Down-home coffee shop on the beach road near the Chinese Embassy, with a second floor patio. Sometimes serves cocktails on weekends. Second location is a narrow storefront near the Palacio.

Gloria Jeans
One of a few international chains in Dili, this coffee shop serves up coffee standards and snacks. Two locations: Timor Plaza, and in a small clutch of shops opposite the ferry port.

Ha Ha Cafe F
Family friendly, Western-style coffee shop with a small play area for toddlers. Fave spot for expat meetups or ‘working from home.’ Has a small lunch/brunch menu, and of course good coffee and smoothies. DG Tip: If there’s a fresh cake out of the oven, you just have to try a slice.

Heyday Cafe
On the main Nicolau Lobato thoroughfare, a Chinese-owned coffee organization sources and distributes beans from growers in the mountains.

Kafé Atsabe
A former barista who decided to entrepreneur his own coffee shop serves local, inexpensive brew at a nice storefront on the edge of Farol. Original location on the east bank of the Comoro River, toward the mountains from the “new bridge,” added a 3rd floor rooftop in 2024 with good views, and has a kitchen for simple snacks and juices. Beans come from the owner’s family farm in Atsabe, beyond Letefoho town.

Kaffe U’ut
Down the side street from the lighthouse, Kaffe U’ut brews mountain coffee and sells snacks in a laid-back indoor space.

Letefoho F
One of Dili’s original locally owned, expat-friendly coffee shops, run by a family with a coffee farm in the mountainous Letefoho region. Order downstairs, then kick back on an airy second floor with a sea view.

Peace Coffee
Long-time Timorese coffee shop behind the university in the middle of town, favorite hangout for students.

Ponkys
The original Ponkys is a cocktail patio at the hillside Beloi Hotel on Atauro. After covid they expanded to Dili, with a location in Farol that hosts DJs and other nightlife. One of the few places in Dili with named cocktails. Tiki-style indoor and outdoor spaces.