Balinese cuisine stands apart within the Indonesian family. The Balinese — alone in the archipelago — eat pork, thanks to their Hindu tradition. Pig is „sacred by taste" and appears in the island's number-one dish.
Iconic dishes — must-tries
- Babi guling — a whole suckling pig roasted on a spit for 5 hours, stuffed with a paste of 20+ spices (turmeric, ginger, galangal, coriander, lemongrass). The most famous address is Warung Ibu Oka in Ubud.
- Bebek betutu — duck stuffed with paste, wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked in embers for 12 hours. A ceremonial Balinese dish.
- Ayam betutu — the chicken version, more common and cheaper.
- Sate lilit — minced meat (pork, fish, chicken) with coconut and spices, moulded around a lemongrass stick and grilled.
- Nasi campur — a bowl of rice with 6–8 small portions: vegetables, egg, tempeh, tofu, meat, sambal. The everyday lunch.
- Nasi goreng / mie goreng — fried rice or noodles with egg, mandatory in every warung.
- Gado-gado — a salad of boiled vegetables with peanut sauce. A vegetarian classic.
- Lawar — minced meat with coconut, chilli and blood (not always — the „lawar putih" version is blood-free).
Sambal — the omnipresent sauce
Bali uses 6+ kinds of sambal: sambal matah (raw lemongrass + shallots + chilli), sambal ulek (ground chilli), sambal terasi (with shrimp paste). It's never off the table.
Drinks
- Kopi Bali — strong coffee brewed with the grounds, sweetened
- Kopi Luwak — civet coffee (Bali is the main producer, but many „farms" abuse the animals — buy only certified ethical)
- Arak — local rice spirit, 30–40%, for ceremonial occasions
- Bintang — the local beer, market-dominating
- Fresh coconut water — kelapa muda, sold on beaches for 20,000 IDR
Warungs — how to eat cheap
A warung is a local eatery where locals eat. A meal costs 15,000–40,000 IDR (€1–2.50). The best warungs are the ones with locals' motorbikes parked outside and a queue at 12:30 (lunch). Hygiene is usually safe, but avoid ice from questionable sources.
Vegetarians and vegans
Ubud is one of the world's best cities for vegans. Traditional warungs offer gado-gado, nasi sayur, tempeh, tofu. Plus a network of modern plant-based restaurants (Sage, Zest, Ubud Raw).