What traditional Balinese food should you try and where to find it?
Based on 1 discussion with 3 participants · Last activity: 24 days ago
TL;DR
Must-try Balinese dishes include fried chicken (ayam goreng), duck (bebek), and ribs — all served with rice and local sauces at street warungs. Most tourists skip local food in favor of Western cafes.
What the community said
The Renaissance Bali hotel breakfast stands out: blue and white mold cheeses, a huge fruit selection (pomegranates, pineapples, dragon fruit), freshly squeezed juices in large glasses from any fruit or vegetable combination, plus Chinese and Indian hot dishes, soups, and meat on the bone.
24 days ago Renaissance Bali — breakfast buffet
The Novotel Bali offers a solid hot meal spread: soups, meat mains, sides, and salads. Noteworthy for quality dairy (real butter, not margarine), good coffee, and a dietary menu including gluten-free and sugar-free pastries. Indian food options are also recommended.
24 days ago Novotel Bali — hot meals & dietary menu
Authentic Balinese street food is simple: fried chicken with rice, duck with rice and salad, ribs with rice — all served with two or three traditional sauces. Fried dough balls are also common. Find these at open-air warung stalls and street food carts.
24 days ago Street warungs — ayam goreng, bebek, ribs with rice
Traditional Balinese drinks worth trying: iced green tea, fresh sugarcane juice, and young coconut water — all widely available from street vendors at low prices.
24 days ago Street drinks — sugarcane juice, coconut, iced green tea
Most tourists in Bali skip local food entirely and stick to Western-style cafes. To eat authentic Balinese cuisine, look for small warungs — simple open-air eateries with tarp roofs — rather than restaurants in tourist areas.
24 days ago Warungs — local open-air eateries