Freshbeer Batam Centre

Freshbeer Batam Centre is one of Batam's longest-running brewpubs, a no-frills microbrewery and restaurant tucked into the back of the Hup Seng shophouse complex off Jalan Engku Putri, about five minutes by car from the Batam Centre ferry terminal and Mega Mall. It is not easy to find the first time, but it has built a loyal following among locals, expats and Singaporean weekenders for one simple reason: it brews its own beer on site, in the row of stainless steel tanks that line the wall behind the bar.

The house range covers a light lager, a regular lager, a stronger dark beer and the bar's signature green beer, coloured with spirulina, with up to five beers on offer at any one time. These are fresh, unfiltered-style house brews rather than cutting-edge craft, but they are cold, reasonably priced and a welcome change from the island's standard mass-market lagers. Beer towers are popular for groups, and availability of individual styles can vary, so check what is pouring on arrival.

Food is Chinese-Indonesian and unashamedly adventurous: alongside pork belly, babi rica, grilled fish and fried bee hoon, the menu includes exotic meats such as crocodile, frog and snake. The ground floor is open to the street, while a lift takes you up to a rooftop deck with live music on many nights and a breeze off the nearby coast. It is at its best late in the evening, when much of Batam Centre has closed and Freshbeer is still going strong.