Warung Susie: Paramaribo's Neighborhood Javanese Warung
A casual David Simonstraat food court where saoto, bami and satay hit exactly the right note
Why Go
Suriname's Javanese warungs are the beating heart of everyday eating in Paramaribo, and Warung Susie (sometimes spelled Suzy's) is one of those unassuming, locals-first spots where you queue at the counter, point at what looks good, and walk out with a plate that could easily beat anything on a hotel restaurant menu. It's the kind of place that never makes the glossy guidebooks but shows up in every taxi driver's shortlist when you ask where they actually eat.
The Experience
Warung Susie sits on David Simonstraat, tucked into a quiet residential stretch of Paramaribo not far from Politie Posthuis 6 and the TropClinic hospital, so the crowd skews to workers on lunch break, families grabbing takeaway on the way home, and the occasional in-the-know traveller. The setup is classic warung: a modest counter, a handful of plastic tables, ceiling fans doing their best against the Suriname humidity, and a bain-marie glowing with the day's rotation of Javanese-Surinamese dishes. You order in Dutch, Sranan Tongo, or by pointing, pay a fraction of what a sit-down restaurant charges, and settle in with an iced dawet or a cold Parbo beer while the aromas of ketjap, garlic and sambal drift out of the kitchen. It is unpretentious, unhurried, and deeply, defiantly local.
What to Try
Start with a bowl of saoto soup, the golden turmeric-chicken broth with crispy fried potato sticks, bean sprouts, boiled egg and shredded chicken that Surinamese families eat morning, noon and night. Follow it with nasi goreng or bami (sweet-savoury noodles glossed with thick ketjap manis) piled with a couple of chicken or kaaiman satay skewers and a generous dollop of pindasaus (peanut sauce). Don't skip the sides: baka bana (deep-fried plantain with peanut dip), telo (fried cassava) or tahoe lontong (tofu with compressed rice cake in coconut sauce) are the little details that separate a good warung from a great one. Finish with a fluorescent-green dawet if it's on: sweet coconut milk, pandan jelly and palm sugar over shaved ice.
Insider Tip
Warungs in Paramaribo run on a cash-and-daylight economy. Bring small SRD notes, come hungry between about 11:30 and 14:00 when the food is freshest and the widest spread is out, and be ready for the popular trays (satay, baka bana) to sell out well before evening. If you want to order like a regular, ask for a bord (a mixed plate) and let them build it from what's cooking ΓÇö you'll eat better and cheaper than anyone reading from a menu.
The Practical Stuff
Address: David Simonstraat, Paramaribo, Suriname (near Politie Posthuis 6 and the TropClinic hospital). Best reached by a short taxi ride or car from the historic centre ΓÇö the location isn't walkable from the Waterkant. Cash only in Surinamese dollars is safest; card acceptance at neighbourhood warungs is unreliable. Takeaway (a huisje) is a big part of the business, so containers are always on hand. It is a casual food courtΓÇôstyle spot, not a reservation restaurant ΓÇö just show up. Hours skew to lunch and early evening; confirm by phone or a quick drive-by, as Paramaribo warungs often close on Mondays or when the pot is empty.
Pair It With
- 101 Suites Guide — A comfortable Paramaribo base within easy taxi distance ΓÇö perfect if you want a proper shower and a nap after a heavy warung lunch before heading back out into the city.
- Aanansi ATV Tours Guide — Book a morning ATV trip into the interior and you'll come back genuinely famished ΓÇö Warung Susie's saoto and a plate of bami is the ideal, cheap, restorative reward afterwards.
- 597SpeedUp Watertubing Guide — A hot afternoon on the river burns serious calories; refuel Suriname-style with satay skewers, baka bana and an ice-cold Parbo on the way back into town.