Bali Local Food Guide: What to Eat & Where to Try

A Bali vacation is simply incomplete if you miss out on trying its finest delicacies. Apart from exploring this island’s phenomenal beaches, sacred temples with ancient heritage, pulsating night party scenes, and engaging in other ‘Instagram-famous’ things to do, we believe that good food scenes are what will truly keep you coming back, long after the tan fades and the photos are forgotten. If not this, then surely the aspect where food lovers will find their ultimate sensory escape, where every bite becomes the memory and celebration of the spice-infused island itself. 

The bold, tantalizing, and super-spicy flavors do more than just awaken your senses; they surprise you with how each bite can be super delicious and taste better than the last, making you want more and more! 

Below is a detailed Bali food guide, crafted by experts, to help you discover the famous dishes to try and the top spots to visit! Save this guide and be ready for your upcoming Bali trip- a journey wrapped in spice, smoke, and infinite flavors! Let’s begin.

Bali Local Food Scenes: A Feast for the Taste Buds & Souls

Here’s your perfect Bali food guide, with the list of all the must-try dishes and where you are going to find them. Be ready for a superb gastronomic sojourn and leave this stunning island with amazing food memories. 

What to Eat in Bali

Wondering which dishes to try in Bali, which to skip? No worries, we are here for you! The dishes listed below are the top picks, loved by locals and tourists alike. Your ultimate Bali food adventure begins here. 

Nasi Campur

Nasi Campur is a famous, heartily enjoyed Indonesian dish, packed with drooling flavors and aroma. This dish is also a top choice and most ordered Balinese cuisine, celebrated for its texture, flavor, and tradition in a single plate. Nasi Campur, which literally means “mixed rice,” is a generous scoop of plain, steamed rice in the middle, surrounded by a mix of perfectly cooked and arranged meats, vegetables, and sambals.

And you know what’s the unique part about this dish? No two plates will have the same look & feel, as each plate is personally served and rooted in the kitchen that prepares it. Nasi Campur is not a dish to be savored and left; it’s to be admired first for its careful balance of preparation and artistry, then enjoyed slowly and mindfully, letting you savor the combination of flavors with every bite. 

And if we go a little deeper, Nasi Campur is a vibrant and inviting dish, with golden rice, glistening meats, pops of red sambal, and fresh greens creating a colorful mosaic. The flavor is bold yet balanced: savory, spicy, slightly sweet, and deeply comforting. This should definitely be the first dish to try when you are in Bali. 

Suggested Read: Bali Visa Guide for Indians: VOA, Fees & Entry Rules.

Ayam Betutu

Now comes the second dish of your local food in Bali: Ayam Betutu, one of the most treasured traditional dishes, usually prepared for special gatherings and sacred celebrations. Ayam Betutu is an expression of patience and tradition, and every bite is a feast for the soul. 

This delicious dish consists of a whole chicken, generously coated in a rich spice paste called bumbu betutu, and cooked with utmost patience until the meat is super soft and tender, exuding loads of irresistible aroma. 

Preparation is not as easy as it seems to be, and it simply demands a time-honored skill. The highlight of the dish is the paste, bumbu betutu, made with finely ground garlic, shallots, turmeric, candlenuts, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, and chilies, which is coated onto the chicken so deeply that it reaches every crevice. 

As the final cooking step, the chicken is gently wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked or steamed, allowing the spices to melt into the meat. Ayam Betutu is a bold, aromatic, and comforting dish that should not be missed at any cost, especially for food lovers and culture enthusiasts. 

Babi Guling (Suckling Pig)

This Balinese cuisine is one of the island’s most iconic and ceremonial dishes, which is definitely a must-try for travelers. Babi Guling, also known as Suckling Pig, is a traditional dish that is usually served during temple festivals and family celebrations, as it represents abundance, community, and craftsmanship. 

Babi Guling is a delicate preparation, wrapped in rituals passed down through generations and perfected over glowing embers and fragrant spices. The young pig is richly stuffed and rubbed with a carefully crafted, fragrant spice blend of coriander, turmeric, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, and chilies. Talking about the taste, it has a dense, smoky, savory, and richly spiced flavor with a subtle hint of sweetness. 

The dish’s appearance itself, of the golden, crackling skin which glistens under the light, will instantly make your mouth wet, waiting for the moment it reaches your plate. In the Babi Guling dish, the tenderly prepared meat is served with a generous side of steamed rice, crisp vegetables, and spicy sambal, creating a beautifully balanced plate.

Sate Lilit

This Bali street food will definitely bless your taste buds! Sate Lilit is one of Bali’s most beloved snacks, receiving rave reviews for its special combination of spices, aromas, and textures. Unlike your average satay, where chunks of meat are threaded onto sticks, Sate Lilit uses a much finer mince. 

Typically, Sate Lilit is fish or chicken mixed with shredded coconut, a bit of lime leaves, some garlic, shallots, and the distinctive spices of Bali. The meat mixture gets wrapped gently around some bamboo sticks or lemongrass stalks, the ‘liliting’ process, which gives the dish its name and its very distinctive shape.

Preparation of Sate Lilit is pretty straightforward but has a certain soul. You make the seasoned mince by hand, then grill it very slowly over an open flame. As you cook it, the coconut starts to caramelize, and when it does, it releases a lovely, light smokiness that just draws people in. Each skewer is turned over with a little care to get that golden, slightly crisp exterior while keeping the inside soft and juicy.

When you look at Sate Lilit, the first thing that strikes you is just how rustic and inviting it looks. With those golden brown spirals clinging to the bamboo sticks and served up with a side of rice and a bit of bright sambal. And the taste? It’s got just a bit of spice, a bit of sweetness, and a load of that really distinctive Balinese aroma.

Lawar

This Bali street food is one of the island’s most culturally significant dishes, with great textures and flavors. Lawar is both part of the daily routines of people in Bali and prepared for temple festivals and family celebrations. The process of making the dish is as rich as the dish itself. It’s prepared through a careful, hands-on process that ensures the dish maintains its rich traditional form. 

Its preparation includes finely chopped vegetables such as long beans and jackfruit, which are mixed with grated coconut, aromatic herbs, and minced meat, all seasoned with a balanced spice blend of turmeric, galangal, shallots, garlic, and chilies.

The most notable aspect of the dish is that a hint of fresh blood is added during preparation to deepen the flavor and color. However, some modern, tourist-friendly versions do not include blood. One popular variation is white lawar, which is made without blood and focuses more on coconut, herbs, and spices while still preserving the dish’s authentic taste and cultural essence.

Now, it’s time we shift the focus from spices and bold flavors to something sweet and delicious! Bali has a sweeter side to it as well. Let’s explore it! 

Dadar Gulung

This is Bali’s most beloved traditional dessert, offering an infinite burst of flavors the moment it reaches your mouth. Dadar Gulung is a sweet dish found usually in local markets or home kitchens, and its striking green color will surely catch your attention! This is more like a rolled pancake, with a delicious filling inside. 

Every step in making the Dadar Gulung is slow and careful, ensuring every bite and roll tastes and feels the same. In general, the thin crepe (outer layer) is made with rice flour, coconut milk, and natural pandan extract, which gives the pancake its soft green hue and subtle floral aroma. Now, the filling is prepared by mixing the freshly grated coconut with palm sugar and cooking it until it turns golden, sticky, and richly caramelized. As the filling comes to room temperature, it’s filled into the crepe and rolled into parcels. 

These slightly soft and sugary rolls are definitely a big hit for those with a sweet tooth! 

Es Campur

This is another most loved and a must-have Balinese cuisine to beat the island’s heat! Es Campur is a colorful, super-refreshing dessert drink that is a joyful blend of textures, flavors, and aromas. This is usually enjoyed as a midday treat after a hearty lunch, with a tall glass of shaved ice topped with a medley of ingredients such as ripe tropical fruits, sweet beans, grass jelly, coconut strips, and soft jellies. The final addition of the rose syrup or palm sugar, along with coconut milk, results in the perfectly creamy, flavorful, and fragrant balance. 

Es Campur is neither too sweet nor too overpowering, making it a perfect treat for those who want to taste the soul of Bali. 

Where to Eat in Bali? 

Now that we’ve learned the signature local dishes to try, it’s time we take a quick look at the places that serve the authentic versions. Here are the top places to add to your wishlist to experience the ultimate local food scenes in Bali: 

Option 1. Warungs (Local Eateries)

The No. 1 place to hunt for Bali street food is at the Warungs, small family-run cafes and restaurants. The Warungs are a significant part of the Bali culture, where tradition lives in simmering pots and handwritten menus. These are usually located at village corners or along busy roads, serving the finest Bali delicacies. 

The food offered at these Warungs is purely home-like, free from flash or overpriced elements. The recipes have been passed down through generations, making it the ultimate spot to try Bali’s local food and authentic flavors. 

Option 2. Cafes & Restaurants

The second option of our Bali food places is the cafes and restaurants, which bring together global influences and local twists! The traditional flavors are complemented by contemporary creativity, resulting in dishes that feel both comforting and exciting. The menus generally provide

 visitors with a feeling that’s both familiar and adventurous at the same time. And not to mention, the soft humming in the background creates a more comforting ambiance for just sitting, relaxing, savoring, and enjoying! 

These cafes and restaurants are the places where travelers pause between explorations, sharing stories over slow breakfasts or candlelit dinners. 

Option 3. Night Markets

This is another of the spectacular and must-visit Bali food places, where there’s intense energy and aromas. The moment the sun sets, the markets come alive with colorful lights and lanterns, strong, smoky, spicy aromas everywhere, vendors calling out warmly, flipping skewers over glowing coals while ladles stir bubbling broths. 

The local food in Bali served at these night markets is fast and packed with a fusion of great flavors, making you want more with every bite.

With this Bali food guide, you are all set for a flavor-driven journey through the heart of the Island. We suggest that you not wait any further and book your perfectly customized Bali Tour Package today. 

Allow our experts to curate a Bali Tour Package that’s a pure slow dance of tastes and tradition!

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