Food & Drink

Babi Guling (suckling pig) is Bali's signature dish — and on a Hindu island in a predominantly Muslim country, also a culinary statement of identity. A whole piglet is stuffed with a paste of turmeric, coriander seeds, lemongrass, garlic, shallots, ginger, galangal, chili, and long pepper and rotated for hours over coconut shell charcoal until the skin is glossy and crispy and the meat is butter-tender.

The result is served in several components: crispy skin (Kulit), juicy meat, Lawar (chopped meat with coconut, spices, and sometimes fresh blood), Urutan (sausage filling), and rice. A complete Babi Guling set in a warung costs 30,000-50,000 IDR (1.70-2.80€) — and is one of the best meals you will ever have for under 3 euros.

The most famous Babi Guling warungs:

• Ibu Oka (Ubud) — Made famous by Anthony Bourdain, always crowded, always good. Nasi Babi Guling from 50,000 IDR.
• Warung Babi Guling Chandra (Denpasar) — Where the Balinese themselves eat. Huge portions, even lower prices.
• Pak Malen (Seminyak) — Perfect for tourists staying in South Bali.

Nasi Campur (literally: "mixed rice") is Bali's everyday meal — a plate of steamed rice with a selection of small side dishes: fried chicken or fish, tempeh, tofu, vegetables in coconut milk (Sayur Urap), sambal, peanuts, and krupuk (crackers). Every warung makes its own Nasi Campur, and no plate is the same — that's the charm.

Price: 15,000-30,000 IDR (0.85-1.70€) in local warungs, 40,000-80,000 IDR in tourist restaurants.

Nasi Goreng (fried rice) and Mie Goreng (fried noodles) are the comfort food classics: Wok-fried with Kecap Manis (sweet soy sauce), garlic, shallots, egg, and vegetables, garnished with a fried egg, satay skewers, and krupuk. Simple, filling, available everywhere — the Indonesian equivalent to pizza or kebab.

Sate (satay skewers) can be found everywhere in Bali — from street carts to gourmet restaurants. The Balinese version differs from the well-known Malaysian-Thai version:

• Sate Lilit — This is the "real" Balinese sate: minced meat (often fish, chicken, or pork), mixed with grated coconut, lemongrass, shallots, kaffir lime leaves, and spices, wrapped around lemongrass stalks or flat bamboo skewers and grilled over coconut shell charcoal. Incredibly aromatic.
• Sate Ayam — Chicken skewers with peanut sauce, the "international" version
• Sate Babi — Pork skewers, only in Bali (due to the Hindu background)
• Sate Plecing — Fish sate with spicy tomato-chili sauce

Price: From 15,000 IDR for 10 skewers at a street stand.

Lawar is a unique Balinese dish: finely chopped meat (pork, chicken, or duck) mixed with grated coconut, green beans, jackfruit, spices, and — in the traditional version — fresh animal blood (Lawar Merah). The "bloodless" version (Lawar Putih) is equally delicious. Lawar is a festive dish prepared for ceremonies but also available in good warungs.

Other Specialties

• Bebek Betutu — Duck stuffed with spice paste, wrapped in banana leaves, and cooked over charcoal for up to 12 hours. Butter-tender meat that falls off the bone. Bali's most elaborate dish — the most famous Bebek restaurant is Bebek Bengil ("Dirty Duck Diner") in Ubud.
• Ayam Betutu — The same principle with chicken, equally delicious
• Tipat Cantok — Rice cakes in banana leaves with peanut sauce and steamed vegetables. Bali's vegetarian soul food.
• Jaje Bali — Balinese cakes and sweets made from rice flour, palm sugar, and coconut milk in bright colors
• Bubur Injin — Black sticky rice pudding with coconut milk — the most popular dessert

Jamu is the traditional Indonesian "healing drink" — an infusion of turmeric, ginger, tamarind, palm sugar, and other herbs and spices, considered a cure-all for centuries. In Bali, Jamu is drunk for breakfast, against colds, for digestion, or simply as an energy boost. In recent years, Jamu has experienced a renaissance — trendy cafes in Canggu and Ubud serve it in pretty glass bottles as "Indonesian superfood".

The most popular Jamu: Jamu Kunyit Asam (turmeric-tamarind) — bright yellow, sweet-sour-spicy, and surprisingly refreshing.

Coffee in Bali

Bali produces excellent Arabica coffee, especially in the highland regions around Kintamani (on the edge of the Batur volcano). Kintamani coffee has a Geographical Indication (comparable to a designation of origin) and is characterized by fruity citrus notes and low bitterness — a result of the volcanic soil and unique cultivation among citrus trees.

Traditional Balinese coffee (Kopi Bali) is prepared simply: Very finely ground coffee powder is added directly to the cup, poured over with hot water, and sweetened with sugar. The grounds are not drunk — they remain at the bottom. The result is surprisingly good.

Kopi Luwak is the most expensive coffee in the world (up to 300€/kg) — and one of the most ethically questionable. The principle: The Luwak (Asian palm civet, Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) eats ripe coffee cherries, ferments the beans in its digestive tract, and excretes them. The "passed-through" beans are collected, washed, roasted, and sold as luxury coffee.

In the wild, this would be a fascinating niche process — but the reality in Bali is shocking: Most "Kopi Luwak farms" keep the nocturnal, solitary animals in tiny wire cages, force-feed them coffee cherries, and expose them to extreme stress. Undercover investigations (including by the BBC) have documented horrific conditions: distressed animals self-harming, diseases, and early death.

Additionally: Most Kopi Luwak tastings at the "coffee plantations" along tourist routes are pure tourist traps. The supposed Luwak coffee is often regular coffee with a fake label, and the free "plantation tour" ends in an aggressive sales shop.

The most important culinary lesson in Bali: A warung is almost always better and cheaper than a restaurant — and the more authentic experience.

A warung (pronounced: Wa-rung) is a simple food stall: often just a few plastic tables, a counter with bowls full of prepared dishes (Nasi Campur style), and a kitchen behind a curtain. The menu is limited (or nonexistent — you point to what you want), the food fresh and authentic, the prices local: 15,000-35,000 IDR (0.85-2€) for a complete meal.

Warungs serve the breakfast and lunch of the Balinese — many close in the early afternoon when the prepared dishes are sold out. In the evening, they cook fresh to order (pesan).

Restaurants in tourist areas (Seminyak, Canggu, Ubud) offer international cuisine, pretty ambiance, and Instagram-worthy presentation — at prices 3-10 times higher than in a warung. Many are excellent (Bali's upscale dining scene is world-class), but for authentic Balinese food, warungs are unbeatable.

Bali — especially Ubud and Canggu — is one of the best destinations in the world for vegans and vegetarians. The density of plant-based restaurants, raw food cafes, smoothie bowl bars, and vegan bakeries is higher than in Berlin or Portland.

This is due to the combination of the traditionally vegetable-rich Balinese cuisine (tempeh, tofu, jackfruit, and coconut milk are staples) and the yoga/wellness community that has made Ubud and Canggu centers of the global "healthy living" movement since the 2000s.

Highlights for plant eaters:

• Sage (Ubud) — Farm-to-table, vegan, stunning rice field location. One of the best vegan restaurants in Asia.
• Alchemy (Ubud) — Raw food buffet with over 40 dishes, smoothie bar, and vegan ice cream made from coconut milk.
• The Shady Shack (Canggu) — Vegan bowls, burgers, and smoothies in a tropical garden setting.
• Peloton Supershop (Canggu) — Smoothie bowls, cold-pressed juices, and vegan snacks.

Even in traditional warungs, you can find vegetarian options: Nasi Campur sayur (with vegetable side dishes), Gado-Gado (vegetables with peanut sauce), Tipat Cantok, and fried tempeh. Just say "tanpa daging, tanpa ikan" (without meat, without fish).