Why do I keep returning to Bali? It always comes back to the Bali food. The food in Bali is honestly one of the biggest draws for me every time I land in Indonesia’s most popular holiday destination. There is something about those bold flavours, fresh ingredients, and layers of spice that makes every meal feel exciting.
From street eats to beachfront dining, Bali food has this way of keeping you constantly wanting more. While you’ll find similarities across Southeast Asia, the food in Bali has its own unique twist, where familiar dishes are elevated with deeper, more aromatic flavours that make them completely addictive.
Next time you are relaxing in Bali, you simply must try all ten of these.
1. Pisang Goreng
Let’s start with dessert. Because nothing is sweeter than my all-time favourite Bali food –fried bananas. Bali has such a variety of bananas, from the small, sweet varieties to the large ones that look like a weapon. The different types make fried bananas a treat each time. Served with honey or palm sugar syrup, a little bit of flaked coconut, or vanilla ice cream or just plain from the roadside stalls, nothing is better than Pisang Goreng. You’ll pay $1 for a small bag of pisang goreng from the stall.
2. Nasi Goreng
A classic food in Bali – fried rice often served with vegetables and a choice of chicken, shrimp, or pork. Sometimes it is served with a fried egg on top, chicken sate sticks, prawn crackers, and peanut sauce. Oh, and don’t forget the pickled vegetables. This is the most popular staple of the Balinese. They literally eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Rice is grown all over Bali, so there’s no shortage of this grain. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad Nasi Goreng in Bali – every chef knows how to do it justice, from the 5-star resorts to the roadside stalls. So simple yet so delicious. My favourite!
Preparing Nasi Goreng – approx $1.30 AUD
3. Sate
Unlike its Malaysian counterpart, Indonesian sate is not satay. Mashed chicken is blended with an array of spices, melded onto a stick (usually lemongrass) and barbequed. Unless written on the menu, it probably won’t include peanut sauce, so make sure you ask for it. While we prefer the chicken sate (sate ayam), Indonesia specialises in fish sate (lilit ikan) and you can get beef and pork also.
4. Mie Goreng
A classic Indonesian staple of fried noodles. Like Nasi Goreng, it can be served with egg, prawn crackers and pickled veggies. My daughter’s favourite Bali food.
5. Babi Guling
Beware when ordering this – it’s nose-to-tail dining, so you might receive some interesting pork on your plate. Bali’s most famed dish – the suckling pig. Pork is rubbed with turmeric, stuffed with a spice paste (usually coriander seeds, lemongrass, lime leaves, salam leaves, chillies, black pepper, garlic, red shallots, ginger and lesser galangal) and then roasted on a spit over coconut husks or wood until super tender.
Credit: @FoodFunTravel
6. Nasi Campur
A local favourite, Nasi Campur means “mixed rice” and usually consists of small portions of vegetables, fish or meat with a mound of steamed rice. There’s no 1 “right” combination of flavours, so it’s rarely the same. That is what makes it so fun – you never know exactly what you’re going to get. Think of it as an Indonesian antipasto.
Credit: @FoodFunTravel
7. Bebek Betutu
Smoked duck is probably one of the more unique dishes in Bali. The duck is rubbed and stuffed with a mix of spices, wrapped in an areca palm leaf or betel nut bark and smoked with the embers of rice husks. Most restaurants require one day’s notice since cooking takes around 12 hours. We got to make this at a hotel in Legian!
Credit: @FoodFunTravel
8. Mini Rijsttafel
A mini rijstafel is a meal to be shared. My first was with my best friend in Kuta many years ago. Rijsttafel is a Dutch word that literally means “rice table”, a name that has stuck since colonial times. Depending where you order, it usually comes out all at the same time and contains a mixed selection of Balinese and Indonesian delicacies like Bebek betutu (smoked duck), chicken with sambal, prawns, pork & chicken sates, sayur urap (mixed Bali vegetables), potato croquettes, tempeh, tofu and yellow nasi tumpeng (rice cone). A great way to try everything.
Ate it too fast, so here’s a photo of a Balinese preparing sate
9. Lumpia
Who doesn’t love crispy spring rolls? Filled with mixed vegetables and minced chicken, served with a peanut sauce or a sweet chilli sauce. A winner every time. I’ve noticed multiple restaurants offering vegetarian options, as well as other types. I tried a Tandori Chicken one in Bali!
10. Gado-Gado
“Mix-mix” is one of Indonesian’s best-known dishes. Essentially it is a vegetable salad bathed in a classic peanut sauce. While it’s a cold salad, I think it would taste awesome warm too. At its base are boiled long beans, spinach, potato, corn, egg and bean sprouts coupled with cucumber, tofu and tempeh. Served in most buffets, it’s a Bali foods must!
Printable Bali Eating List
Must-Try Bali Food & Food in Bali Guide
Bali is one of those places where planning meals becomes part of the adventure. Every café, warung, and beachside spot offers something worth trying, from fresh tropical flavours to rich, spice-filled classics that define the island’s food scene.
This Bali eating list is designed to make your trip easier, so you can focus on enjoying every bite instead of overthinking where to go next. Think of it as your ready-to-go guide for must-try dishes and iconic food experiences across the island.
Save this image before you fly. Keep it on your phone and tick off each one as you go. It’s your simple checklist for eating your way through Bali, one unforgettable meal at a time.
Explore With Erin Food in Bali Wrap Up
Whatever you do in Bali, make sure you tick all of these off your Bali food list. The beauty of the food in Bali is that you can experience these dishes anywhere, from budget warungs and roadside vendors to upscale restaurants and luxury hotels.
Bali food is easy to fall in love with. Most ingredients are locally sourced, incredibly fresh, and prepared with care. Traditional spice pastes are made by hand, giving the food in Bali its rich, authentic depth without relying on processed ingredients.
Hopefully, you discover a new favourite along the way. Either way, once you have worked your way through this Bali food list, your taste buds will be in for something special.
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Try the absolutely amazing fruits as well. Snakefruit, Durian , Mangosteens ,Rambutans, Jack fruit, dragon fruit to name a few. Don’t be afraid to eat at local Warungs which are family run eateries. Pick the ones with a good turnover of people. The food is hot, fresh, tasty & cheap with a main meal & drink costing less than $3AUD. We ate for a tick over $15 AUD a day , which included breakfast, lunch & dinner & drinks . Add spending money & accommodation & the total cost per day was $75 AUD . We had budgeted for $150 per day! Over 15 days , this was an incredibly cheap break.
I like duck so I’m very intrigued about that one. I love that you starred with dessert. You only live once, right? ?