The study explores the significant role of ethnic restaurants in the hospitality industry by preserving cultural heritage while meeting evolving customer demands. It identifies key elements shaping the ethnic dining experience and customer delight, influencing revisit and positive word-of-mouth intentions. Conducted via a quantitative survey with 428 respondents from Sundanese and Balinese ethnic restaurants in Jakarta, the research uses PLS-SEM analysis to confirm the impact of authenticity, ambiance, service encounters, and customer interactions on the dining experience and subsequent customer behaviors. The findings of this study confirm that consumer ethnocentrism does not significantly moderate the effect of ethnic food authenticity on ethnic dining experience but significantly moderates the effect of ethnic ambiance on ethnic dining experience. Similarly, the variables of ethnic food authenticity, ethnic ambiance, service encounter, and customer interaction significantly affect the ethnic dining experience. The ethnic dining experience variable has a significant effect on customer delight and the customer delight variable significantly impacts revisit intention and PEWOM intention. The findings provide valuable academic contributions and managerial implications for ethnic restaurant managers in their marketing efforts to retain customers and encourage repeat visits.