10 (+1) places to eat in Ubud, Bali

I recently went to a yoga and surf retreat in Bali. The retreat was in Uluwatu, on the south-western tip of the Bukit Peninsula. Home to the Pura Luhur Uluwatu Temple, Uluwatu is nowadays famous for its world class surfing spots. On the other hand, inland Ubud is widely considered the Mecca of yoga. Because of this, I headed there for a few days after the retreat. As well as doing (more) yoga and visiting the town’s main sights, I discovered many nice places to eat in Ubud.

Over the next few months, I’m planning to share a lot of tips about Bali and the places I’ve visited during my trip. Today, I’m recommending 10 places to eat in Ubud.

Yoga Barn

The Yoga Barn is probably the most famous yoga centre in Bali. It is within walking distance from the Monkey Forest, one of Ubud’s main tourist attractions. After a morning power yoga class at the Yoga Barn, I had breakfast at their 3-level café restaurant. I then set off to explore Ubud.

Suka Espresso

Not far from the Yoga Barn, there’s Suka Espresso, a modern, Australian style café. It is one of my favourite places to eat in Ubud, specifically brunch. I had a dragon fruit smoothie bowl and a Monkey Business smoothie. There are two more locations: in Uluwatu and Canggu. All are popular, so be prepared to queue.

Pison

Also close to the Yoga Barn, there’s Pison – Coffee, Eatery and Music. It’s about 5 minutes’ walk from the Monkey Forest. As well as hundreds of monkeys, the Monkey Forest is also home to three Hindu temples, well-worth a visit.

Alchemy

Alchemy is a vegan café-restaurant located close to the Gunung Lebah Temple, another one of Ubud’s main sights. As well as a place to eat, drink or work remotely, Alchemy is also a place to do yoga and meditate, an alternative to the Yoga Barn.  As well as the Ubud location, there is a second one in Uluwatu, near the Bingin Beach.

Ary’s book cafe

About 10 minutes’ walk from the Gunung Lebah Temple, there’s the Saraswati Temple (Pura Taman Saraswati), also known as the Ubud Water Palace. Opposite, there’s Ary’s book café, which opens up to a hidden, tranquil garden. I went there to have a coffee, but I also ordered coconut pancakes. Easily one of my favourite places to eat in Ubud.

Sayuri Healing Food

Also in Ubud’s town centre, there is Sayuri Healing Food. This is another vegan café restaurant, a great place to eat, drink, attend courses (i.e. Japanese) or work remotely in Ubud. I had coffee, as well as a slice of the banana dream pie.

Omma Day Club

There are many waterfalls in Bali. Of those, I visited Tegenungan, on the outskirts of Ubud. Unfortunately, there were a lot of tourists, some of whom littered the place. Afterwards, I had a drink at Omma Day Club against a spectacular backdrop. On the one hand, there was the Tegenungan waterfall, whereas on the other, a smaller one at the back. Fortunately, Omma Day Club was much less crowded than the waterfall.

For lunch, I would recommend Bebek Joni and Bale Udang. Although the food did not excite me, their stunning locations did.

Bebek Joni

Bebek Joni is a large restaurant located on the outskirts of Ubud, next to paddy fields. Since bebek means duck in Indonesian, I chose one of the several duck dishes.

Bale Udang

Bale Udang is another large restaurant on the outskirts of Ubud. We sat in a gazebo over a pond. I had nasi goreng, one of Indonesia’s five national dishes (along with soto, sate, rendang and gado-gado). It consists of fried rice, egg, meat and vegetables. Indonesians often eat it for breakfast.

For dinner, I would recommend Clear Cafe. I really wanted to also try Hujon Locale, but unfortunately it was fully booked every time I tried.

Clear Cafe

Clear Café is a beautiful restaurant located in the centre of Ubud (there is also a second one in Canggu). I had nasi campur, a traditional Indonesian dish served around steamed rice. I had the seafood version, with tuna sate with peanut dipping sauce, fried tuna and shrimp with sweet and sour sauce, potato cake and Bali curry soup.

Gelato Secrets

Last but not least, I have to mention Gelato Secrets, which I visited several times, trying different flavours. Among those, I tried durian, dragon fruit, passion fruit and bamboo charcoal. There are multiple locations in Ubud and elsewhere in Bali (and beyond).

Where to stay in Ubud

I stayed at the Grand Sehati & Spa. It is a couple of minutes’ walk from the Monkey Forest and within walking distance from many of Ubud’s sights.

Health information

To reduce the likelihood of experiencing the notorious ‘Bali belly’, I had the Hepatitis A and Typhoid vaccines 1-2 weeks prior to my departure. A week prior to my departure, I started taking probiotics, which I continued during my stay in Bali. Whilst in Bali, I exercised caution and avoided drinking tap water, eating raw vegetables and buying food from street vendors. As a result, I was fortunate enough not to experience any gastrointestinal symptoms. Moreover, I went to a pharmacy in Ubud, where I bought activated carbon tablets, which can alleviate gastrointestinal discomfort.

Further reading

To better prepare for my trip to Bali, I used the Lonely Planet Pocket Bali.

Alex

(the Traveling Psychiatrist)