Balinese cuisine is extremely tasty and satisfying to the taste buds and also tummy.
The delicious Balinese flavour is further enhanced by the tangy freshness of the dish, be it meat, seafood or vegetables. Balinese cooking is tender on the taste buds without being bland; colourful without excess of spiciness; and appetising yet filling.
A taste of some traditional Balinese dishes will surely have you coming back for seconds, then thirds, and lot more! Although Bali is but a little, the diversity and different styles of cooking all come together to make Bali a culinary adventure hard to resist. So traipse around the island to your heart’s and tummy’s content
| Most of the places in Denpasar cater for locals, Indonesians visitors and immigrants, so you’ll be sure of a good selection of authentic Balinese fare and reasonable prices. Naturally, the cheapest places around are the warung at the bemo terminals, and the food stalls at the Pasar Kumbasari and Pasar Burung markets.A place for typical Asian Chinese food is the Restaurant Atoom Baru. Dishes can be gotten for 7,000 rp to 12,000rp. The classy Restaurant Hong Kong, across the road, boasts an inordinately wide range of Chinese and Indonesia cuisine, but at high prices. You’d find far better value for money at Mie 88, although the menu may not be quite that extensive. Prices, however, are very reasonable, from 4,500rp to 6,500rp. not much choice is offered in Renon, but Pondok Melati has good seafood, even if setting is noisy.
Denpasar’s better places include Kak Man restaurant and Ayam Goreng Taliwag. For the uninitiated and culinary cowards, various shopping centers have upstairs eateries, and most have fast food outlets like MacDonald’s, KFC and Pizza Hut, to start you off on your culinary adventure of superb Balinese food. |
| Place to eat in Kuta are really countless. There are tiny hawker’s carts, gourmet hotel restaurants and well-known fast food outlets. Kuta also offers international and multicultural cuisine. you could stay in Kuta for a whole month, eat in a different place for every meal and still wouldn’t eat the same thing twice!If budget is a concern, try places catering to local workers, like food stalls or warungs along Legian Beach in afternoon, and opposite Hard Rock Cafe’ in Kuta. These place serve filing yet delicious fare and you’ll be assured of your money’s worth. Another option is to buy food from local supermarket like the Matahari shopping centres and from markets.
Poppies is one of oldest and most popular restaurant in Kuta. It is located in a tine lane between Jalan Legian and the beach; and prices are quite high for the well prepared food. But the place seems to thrive on reputation alone. TJ’s is the deservedly popular Mexican restaurant, with good ambience and mouth-watering main courses. Made’s Warung, in the same area, is popular with meals from 10,000rp to 15,000rp; while the Nusa Indah Bar & Restaurant is the perfect place for succulent seafood at a very reasonable 6,000rp, in a friendly atmosphere. The quaint Bamboo Corner is another good place to try seafood special. service is friendly at Bali Asi, and lunchtime pizza only 5,000rp. There are almost endless possibilities along Jln Legian. Sushi Bar Kunti has an authentic japanese set menu for 25,000rp; the Expresso Bar & Pizzaria serves hearty pizza in a pleasant setting; and the Gemini continues to get good reviews for fragrant Chinese food, despite its bare appearance. Or visit the incongruous Bounty II, a replica of the famous ship, for some thing different and enjoy good-value buffets. Aroma Cafe’ is a mid-priced vegetarian restaurant with tantalizing food in a delightful garden setting. Or check out the Mama Lucia Italian restaurant if you can shoulder the expensive 15,000-22,000rp for the dish. But Legian warung Kopi is well regarded for its varied menu of European, Asian and vegetarian dishes, hearty breakfast and sinful desserts. Or drop by Taman Garden for its very popular and delicious meals, decent happy hours and effusive staff. This is one places which honestly attracts lots of repeat business. Other good places are the popular but pricey Orchid garden Restaurant; and the Garden Restaurant with excellent happy hour and cheap breakfasts. Joni Sunken Bar & Restaurant offers the unique experience of eating and drinking while semi-immersed in a swimming pool. There is also live music and good-value buffet breakfasts for 8,50rp. Further north thing get more expensive but standards get higher too – fashionable end of town. Some of the Bali’s most interesting places are Mexican restaurant Poco Loco and Topi Koko Restaurant, with pretty good French meals. Swiss Restaurant is adjacent to the Swiss consul, so should have some credibility. |
| Bukit Peninsula has served nice beachfront restaurants, including the Mini Restaurant and Mina garden in Benoa village. For atouch of real class, Beluga Marine has some fantastic meals at not so outrageous prices considering thedecor and location. Cafe’ Bagus is away from beach but pretty cheap, about 6,000rp for a buffet breakfast is great value. Rumah Makan Padma too has sensible prices of about 10,000rp for seafood, and amenu in German. Cheaper warung around the entrances to the resorts cater to local hotel staff, and offer best value for money. |
| The cheapest place grab or meal at sanur Bar & Restaurant, with tempting meals and tantalising 3-course set menus while the Puri mango Guest House nearby has a restaurant serving a superb pizzas and value for money 3-course menus. warang Wina, also called Vienna Cafe’, along the northern end of Jalan Danau Tamblingan, offers reasonable prices and will definitely appeal to German-speakers. The Kuri Putih is a hit with its reasonably priced ‘mexi-bali’ food for lunch; and taman Bayu has a range of generous main courses fo about 15,000rp and balinese dancing om most nights.Other appetile-appeasing and budget-satisfying places to try include the friendly Warung Balisun; and Made’s Kitchen, a charming and cheap place to grab some snacks and drinks. Most of the walkway along central Sanur is cluttered with cafes and restaurants like the Mango Bar & Restaurant, Benno’s Corner Cafe’ and Sanur Beach Market & Bar restaurant , all not bad value and very popular. |
| Ubud’s many restaurants probably offer the best and most interesting food on the island. Can get excellent western and Indonesian meals, and authentic balinese dishes will often be on menu as well, including the exotic turtle satay. There are restaurants upon restaurants, warungs upon warungs, but priced are considerably lower in areas where budget travellers normally stay, that is, along the roads heading north of Jalan Raya, and along Jalan Sugriwa, Jalan Hanoman and Jalan Jembawan.Right across the road is the Lotus Cafe’, for a long time, the place to eat. A leisurely meal over their lotus pond is still an Ubud insitution, but will cost. Casa Luna, with its superb international menu, is very popular, not least for its freshly baked bread and cakes. Two extremely popular places along Jalan Suweta are the Coconut Cafe’ and Cafe’ Angkasa, which maybe Ubud’s best coffee house.
Run by endearing Ibu canderi, Canderi’s Warung serves generous portions. The Ibu Rai Bar & Restaurant, Noni orli, Lilies Garden Restaurant and Cafe’ Bali all ahve elegant setting and a worth the aplurge. The Dian Cafe’ has a good range and affordable prices, and so does Jaya Cafe’ and Yogyakarta cafe’. The new Barli Buddha Health Food Shop is a popular place to meet other travellers, and relax with something healthy to eat or drink. Three Brothers Restaurant is one of several good places along Jalan Hanoman. For views, it’shard to beat charming but pricey Murni’s warung or Begger’s Bush Pub. |
| Padang Bai’s seafood is excellent and cheap, with most restaurants located along the beachfront. The Depot Segara is the best place for breakfast, while the Putri Ayu Cafe’ serves seafood specials for about 6,500rp, as does Warung Manggo. The Ozone Cafe’ is an evening gathering place, and The Pandon Restaurant is also relaxed but a little more expensive than others. The restaurant at the Topi Inn is about the fanciest place in Padang Bai. Hotel Puri Rai has town’s one, and only so far, video show. |
