In no other country did we visit restaurants as often as we did in Bali. I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said that we ate out every day. This was due to two main factors: firstly, the food was genuinely delicious, made with local, fresh ingredients; and secondly, the prices were very affordable.

It’s also worth mentioning that most restaurant staff speak English, which made communication much easier. In more local ‘warungs’ (small, family-run restaurants), it was a bit trickier, but compared to Thailand or Japan, communicating in Bali was significantly easier. This encouraged us to dine out more frequently.

One of our first experiences with Balinese cuisine was at the Ganesh Lodge restaurant in Candidasa. In the photo, you can see us enjoying fish curry and the traditional Nasi Campur.

        Photo: All of us at the Ganesh Lodge restaurant, eating curry and Nasi Campur

We visited Bali right after spending a month in Thailand and immediately noticed that the dishes served here weren’t as spicy as in Thailand. There, if we forgot to mention at least two or three times that we didn’t want the food to be spicy, the meals could end up being too hot for us. In Bali, that wasn’t the case – even if we forgot to ask for a mild dish, it was often perfectly seasoned, or even ideal for my taste. However, it’s still important to keep this in mind when ordering food for children.

Photo: Fish curry at the Ganesh Lodge restaurant in Candidasa

Photo: A variation of Nasi Campur

Our favourite snack was fruit. We bought it locally, usually stopping at roadside stalls. The selection was huge, and everything was incredibly tasty and fresh. My top pick was papaya, while the children loved mangosteen and dragon fruit. For two full bags of fresh fruit, weighing several kilos, we paid just under £20. That was enough to last us for a few days. However, be cautious with imported fruits, like apples or some melons, as they are much more expensive and not as tasty. With so many delicious local fruits available, there’s no need to buy imported ones.

Photo: Buying fruits at a roadside stall in Lovina

In Bali, it’s common for breakfast to be included in the cost of accommodation. In such cases, the caretakers of the house we rented used our kitchen to prepare it. In our villa in Ubud, we could choose between traditional fruit with eggs and pancakes or a sweet Balinese breakfast.

Photo: Sweet Balinese breakfast at our villa in Ubud

Meal prices in Bali range between £1.50 and £5 depending on the location. In local *warungs*, where the food is simple but just as tasty (as seen in the photo below), we paid around £1.50 – £2 for noodles with an omelette.

Photo: Noodles with an omelette at a local warung in Bali

In restaurants geared towards tourists or those offering something special, like organic food, prices were higher – usually around £4 – £5. For example, the curry in the photo cost about £4. Occasionally, we came across dishes priced up to £7.

Photo: Coconut curry at Mana restaurant in Ubud

There are also places that fall somewhere between these two categories. These are usually *warungs*, like Warung 3D in Lovina, which cater to tourists and promote themselves online, relying on customer reviews. Here, the fish, as shown in the photo below, cost around £3.

Photo: Fish at Warung 3D in Lovina

We also loved stopping by the roadside, like this spot near the Tamblingan and Buyan Lakes during our trip from Banjar to Lovina. We joked that we were served instant noodles, but they were delicious and cost around £1.50 per portion.

Photo: Eating “instant noodles” near the Ulun Danu Temple

However, nothing won me over like fresh coconut, perfectly chilled for Bali’s hot and sunny weather, with medium-soft flesh. It was my go-to dessert and often served as a light meal on its own. Coconuts typically cost between £1 and £1.50.

Photo: Enjoying chilled coconuts at a local warung

The children often opted for smoothies or freshly squeezed juice. When ordering, it’s worth asking if they dilute the juice with water. If they do, you can ask them not to, or offer to pay a little more for a full-strength juice.

Photo: Dragon fruit smoothie

To sum up, there’s plenty of tasty, healthy, fresh, and affordable food in Bali to enjoy!