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Food tours in Bali: what to eat and which tour to book
Balinese food is Hindu island cooking in a Muslim-majority country, so pork and duck dishes you will not find elsewhere in Indonesia are central here: babi guling (spit-roast pig), bebek and ayam betutu (spiced, slow-cooked duck or chicken), lawar and sate lilit, all built on base genep, the island's spice paste. The everyday version is nasi campur from a warung, a plate of rice with small portions of several dishes. Alongside it you get Javanese and Padang food sold to workers, and in Seminyak and Canggu a large café and restaurant scene aimed at visitors.
Use this page to work out what to eat and where: Ubud and Gianyar for Balinese specialities, Denpasar for markets and night stalls used by locals, Seminyak for restaurants. The tours listed are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as seen when we checked; confirm current details on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Bali
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spit-roast suckling pig babi guling | Whole pig stuffed with base genep, turmeric and cassava leaves, roasted on a spit until the skin cracks. Served with rice, crackling, lawar, sausage and a spicy soup. | Specialist warung in Ubud and especially Gianyar; most sell out by early afternoon. | roughly 40,000–80,000 IDR (about €2.30–4.60) a plate |
| Mixed rice plate nasi campur Bali | Rice with small portions of several dishes: shredded chicken, sate lilit, vegetables, egg, peanuts and sambal. Each warung has its own mix. | Warung all over the island; Denpasar and Ubud have many local ones. | about 25,000–60,000 IDR (about €1.40–3.50) |
| Minced satay sate lilit | Minced fish, chicken or pork mixed with grated coconut and spices, wrapped around lemongrass stalks or bamboo sticks and grilled. | Warung, night markets and as part of nasi campur; fish sate lilit is common on the coast. | about 2,000–5,000 IDR a stick, or 25,000–50,000 IDR a plate |
| Slow-cooked spiced duck or chicken bebek betutu / ayam betutu | Whole duck or chicken rubbed with base genep, wrapped in banana leaves and cooked slowly for hours until falling apart; spicy and rich. | Specialist restaurants in Ubud and Gilimanuk-style ayam betutu warung across the island; some need ordering a day ahead. | roughly 50,000–150,000 IDR (about €3–9) a portion; whole duck more |
| Lawar | Chopped green beans or young jackfruit mixed with grated coconut, spices and minced meat; red lawar includes fresh pig's blood. | Babi guling warung and ceremonial meals. Ask for white lawar (lawar putih) if you want to avoid the blood version. | usually part of a plate; about 15,000–30,000 IDR on its own |
| Small wrapped rice packet nasi jinggo | A small portion of rice with shredded chicken, noodles, tempeh and sambal wrapped in a banana leaf; cheap night food. | Roadside sellers in Denpasar at night, especially around markets and Jalan Gajah Mada. | about 5,000–10,000 IDR (well under €1) a packet |
| Balinese sweets jaje Bali | Rice-flour and coconut cakes in many colours, often with palm sugar (gula Bali); also bubur injin, a black rice pudding with coconut milk. | Morning markets such as Pasar Ubud and Pasar Badung, sold from baskets. | about 2,000–5,000 IDR a piece; bubur injin 10,000–25,000 IDR |
| Raw sambal sambal matah | Uncooked relish of shallots, chilli, lemongrass, lime leaf and coconut oil, served on the side of grilled fish and meat. | Everywhere; good at seafood grills in Jimbaran. | comes with the dish |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Ubud Market (Pasar Ubud)
Central Ubud market, rebuilt in recent years. The lower and back sections sell produce, offerings and jaje Bali early in the day; the upper floors are mostly souvenirs. Several babi guling warung are within walking distance.
Gianyar Night Market (Pasar Senggol Gianyar)
Local night market in the town of Gianyar, about 30 minutes from Ubud, known for babi guling, sate, martabak and sweets. Mostly Balinese customers.
Badung Market (Pasar Badung), Denpasar
Denpasar's main traditional market by the Badung river, rebuilt after a fire. Produce, spices, offerings, sweets and food stalls used by locals; Kumbasari market across the river is mostly handicrafts.
Kereneng Night Market, Denpasar
Car-park market that turns into a night food market: sate, nasi campur, martabak, soups and sweets at local prices.
Seminyak (Jalan Kayu Aya / Petitenget)
Restaurant strip with modern Indonesian, international and beach-club dining; higher prices, but some good Balinese and Indonesian restaurants too.
Jimbaran Bay seafood grills
Beach restaurants that grill fish, prawns and squid over coconut husks with sambal matah, eaten on the sand at sunset. Popular with groups.
Food tours in Bali compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bali: Private Balinese Cooking Class in a Family Home | 6 hours | from €44 per person | private | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Bali: Authentic Culinary Street Food Experience Tour | 8 hours | from €45 per person | — | First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go. | Check dates |
| Denpasar: Night Street Food Walking Tour | 4 hours | from €46 per person | — | Evening eaters who want dinner and drinks rolled into one, plus the city after dark. | Check dates |
| Denpasar: Museum, Traditional Market and Food Tasting Tour | 5 hours | from €46 per person | — | Morning people who want to see where locals shop and taste produce at the source. | Check dates |
Bali: Private Balinese Cooking Class in a Family Home
On GetYourGuide · run by Trip Gotik - Bali Tours
- Length
- 6 hours
- Price
- from €44 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 94 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- private
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
Bali: Authentic Culinary Street Food Experience Tour
On GetYourGuide · run by Trip Gotik - Bali Tours
- Length
- 8 hours
- Price
- from €45 per person
- Rating
- 4.6 ★ from 108 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go.
Denpasar: Night Street Food Walking Tour
On GetYourGuide · run by Trip Gotik - Bali Tours
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €46 per person
- Rating
- 4.6 ★ from 70 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- Evening eaters who want dinner and drinks rolled into one, plus the city after dark.
Denpasar: Museum, Traditional Market and Food Tasting Tour
On GetYourGuide · run by Trip Gotik - Bali Tours
- Length
- 5 hours
- Price
- from €46 per person
- Rating
- 4.6 ★ from 38 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- Morning people who want to see where locals shop and taste produce at the source.
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan earns a small commission — the price you pay is exactly the same.
Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Balinese street food is the warung and the night market. Warung serve nasi campur and specialities from morning to early afternoon; night markets in Gianyar and Denpasar bring out sate, martabak and soups. It is very cheap and mostly Balinese-run. In Seminyak and Canggu, street food is thinner on the ground, so it is worth going inland or to Denpasar.
Sit-down meals
Sit-down eating ranges from family warung with a few tables to restaurants in Ubud and Seminyak serving refined Balinese and Indonesian cooking. Tourist-area restaurants usually add roughly 15–21% for tax and service, shown as '++'. Some betutu and whole-pig dishes have to be ordered a day ahead.
Cooking classes
Cooking classes are common around Ubud, often at family compounds or farms, starting with a morning market visit and covering base genep, sate lilit, a curry, vegetables and a sweet. Most include pick-up from Ubud hotels. Good for understanding the spice pastes that run through all Balinese food.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | 150,000–250,000 IDR (about €9–15): warung meals and night markets |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | 400,000–800,000 IDR (about €23–46): one café and one sit-down restaurant |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | 1,500,000+ IDR (about €85+): tasting menu in Ubud or Seminyak with drinks |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Easy in Ubud and Canggu, which have many vegetarian and vegan cafés. In traditional warung, tempeh, tofu, gado-gado, vegetable lawar (without meat or blood) and jackfruit curry (gulai nangka) are options, but shrimp paste (terasi) is in most sambals; ask for 'tanpa terasi'.
Halal: Bali is mostly Hindu and pork is common, unlike the rest of Indonesia. Halal food is still widely available: look for Muslim-run warung (often Javanese or Padang food) and halal-certified restaurants, especially in Denpasar and Kuta. Avoid babi (pork) dishes and lawar unless you know what is in it.
Gluten-free: Rice, rice noodles and most sambals are gluten-free, but sweet soy sauce (kecap manis), some fried batters and noodles contain wheat. Tourist areas have gluten-free cafés; in warung, explain clearly or stick to grilled meat and rice.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Jimbaran seafood sold by weight with the price per 100 g quoted vaguely, then a large bill once the fish is cooked. Choose the fish, have it weighed in front of you, and agree the total price, including sides and tax, before it goes on the grill.
- Cheap arak (local spirit) or cocktails made with bootleg alcohol; methanol poisoning cases involving visitors have been reported in Bali. Drink arak only from licensed producers or reputable bars, avoid unusually cheap spirit-based drinks, and seek medical help fast if vision blurs after drinking.
- Coffee plantation stops selling 'kopi luwak' tastings, often linked to caged civets and with heavy sales pressure. Skip the luwak tasting if animal welfare matters to you; ordinary Balinese coffee is cheap and good. Do not let a driver choose the stop.
- Drivers taking you to restaurants that pay them commission, with inflated prices. Choose your own restaurant and tell the driver where to go; pay for meals separately from transport.
- Stomach upsets ('Bali belly') from tap water, ice of unknown origin and uncooked salads. Drink bottled or refill-station water, eat busy, freshly cooked food, and be careful with raw salads at cheap places.
Top tours & activities in Bali
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
Where should I go for traditional Balinese food?
Inland. Ubud and the Gianyar area are the centre for babi guling, betutu and Balinese warung cooking, and Gianyar has a busy local night market. In Denpasar, Pasar Badung in the morning and Kereneng night market in the evening show how locals eat. Seminyak and Canggu are better for restaurants and cafés than for traditional food.
Is street food in Bali safe?
Usually, if you choose busy places where food is freshly cooked. Most stomach trouble comes from water, ice and raw salads rather than hot food. Drink bottled or filtered water, and be careful with uncooked dishes such as red lawar, which contains raw blood. Wash or sanitise hands before eating with your fingers.
Do I need to tip?
Not at warung or market stalls. Many restaurants in tourist areas already add tax and service, roughly 15–21% in total. Where no service charge is added, leaving 5–10% or rounding up is appreciated. Guides and cooking-class hosts appreciate around 50,000–100,000 IDR per person if you enjoyed it.
How much should I budget for food per day?
Eating mostly in warung and night markets, about 150,000–250,000 IDR (roughly €9–15) per person covers three meals. With one café and one sit-down dinner in Ubud or Seminyak, plan on 400,000–800,000 IDR. Imported wine and cocktails are expensive because of import taxes; local Bintang beer is cheaper.
When do babi guling warung open?
Most open in the morning and serve until the pig runs out, often by early afternoon. Go for lunch rather than dinner. Some close on major Hindu ceremony days, and on Nyepi (the Day of Silence, usually in March) almost everything on the island closes, including restaurants, so check the date if you travel in spring.
Are cooking classes in Bali worth it?
Yes, if you want to understand the spice pastes that most Balinese dishes start from. Classes around Ubud usually include a morning market visit, hotel pick-up and five to eight dishes eaten together at the end. Check whether the market visit is real or a short stop, and ask in advance for vegetarian or pork-free menus.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.