All the best “non-warung” places to eat in Ubud.
Zest
Zest is the new kid on the block in Ubud, having just opened up earlier this year. However, it’s quickly becoming a local favorite and an Ubudian institution. The atmosphere, the architecture, and the service are incredible. But it’s the food that will keep you coming back again and again. As weird as this may sound, my #1 recommendation on the menu is the sweet potato moringa soup – not because everything else isn’t amazing, but because this cup is soup is just hands-down the best cup of soup I’ve ever had! Also, be sure to try one of their sacred elixirs (with or without alcohol).
Locavore
Voted one of the world’s 50 best restaurants in 2019, I’d be an idiot not to include this one! All the ingredients are local and you simply choose either the vegetarian menu or the “carnivore” menu. Each option comes with 5-7 dishes. I’ve only had the vegetarian option, but I can honestly say it was phenomenal!
La Pacha Mamma
This is one of the few Mexican food restaurants you’ll ever hear me recommend and that’s mainly because the head chef – Alejandro – is Mexican. That’s right, no pathetic attempts at one of my favorite cuisines here. The food is as legitimate as it’s possible to make Mexican food on the literal other side of the world (obviously some ingredients aren’t as fresh or even possible to get affordably). If you want genuinely delicious Mexican food in Bali, this is a must. My favorites are the sharing platter and the buffalo cauliflower wings (not technically Mexican but they’re the BEST I’ve had anywhere, not just in Bali).
The Elephant
The furniture is eclectic, the location is ideal, and the views are stunning (you can see the Campuhan ridgewalk from the restaurant). I’ve never ordered anything here I didn’t like, but my absolute favorite is the pesto gnocchi, with the coconut noodle soup being a strong runner-up!
Sage
This restaurant is mostly popular as a dinner spot when the staff primarily use candles to light the restaurant giving it the most beautiful, romantic lighting. However, my favorite item on the menu is the breakfast burrito. The first time I ordered it, it was so good that I had a hard time believing it was vegan. I had to ask the staff just to make sure. But sure enough, it was scrambled tofu not scrambled egg. That’s just how good the cooks at this local Ubud favorite are. Be sure to order it with extra sauce as their chipotle cashew sauce is going to make you wish they sold bottles of it to take home as a souvenir!
Clear Cafe
The perfect place to grab lunch when you’re in Ubud center, this cafe is absolutely beautiful and it has something for everyone – it serves dishes from all around the world: asia, middle east, latin america, western dishes. You name it. If you’re craving something, chances are they’ll have it. Walk through a beautifully carved hobbit door and enter into a small sanctuary hidden away from the chaos of the streets outside. My personal favorite thing on the menu is the tuna filet burger… and for dessert, the vegan brownie with coconut ice cream! *Be sure to slide down the fireman’s pole that’s located in the restaurant before you leave haha
Sayuri
This cafe is one of my FAVORITES in Ubud. I used to go here almost every single day when I lived in Ubud, so trying to pick a favorite dish here is like trying to pick a favorite child. That being said… I totally believe parents have favorites, so let’s do this: If you’re there on a Thursday, ABSOLUTELY get their nacho bowl! Oh my god the vegan cheese on that thing is INSANELY good. Their smoothie bowls are the best because you can get them with these cinnamon coconut chips that literally taste like cinnamon toast crunch (if you loved this as a kid as much as I did, you NEED to try this). And if you’re there any day that isn’t a Thursday, then I definitely recommend their vegan lasagna. It’s a lot better than you think it’ll be – trust me, it blew me outta the water when I first had it!
Alchemy
There is only one item I go to Alchemy for. Alchemy has an amazing smoothie bowl bar, and my friends have told me that their vegan burger is really good and their salads are amazing – and I believe them. But that’s not what I go to Alchemy for. The only thing I ever order here – because it’s SO DAMN GOOD – is the raw mushroom pizza with extra arugula on top (gotta get that extra arugula). I’ve been to Italy 5 different times, and I’ve been obsessed with pizza since before I could even spell the word. But if I had to choose between the best “regular” pizza I’ve ever eaten and this veggie-heavy raw pizza, I would choose this one EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. If you can just get past the fact that the crust isn’t fluffy, you’ll be blown away by just how amazing and fresh all of the flavors are. My mouth is salivating right now just thinking about it. Get this pizza. You won’t regret it. (surprisingly, their Hawaiian pizza isn’t as good hahahaha go figure?)
Milk & Madu
Even though this restaurant isn’t unique to Ubud (there’s also one in Canggu), it’s still one of my favorites to go to in Ubud. And best part? For those of you that aren’t vegan or vegetarian you’ll be happy to hear that this restaurant (although they definitely have vegan/vegetarian options) serves meat and cheese and lots of it! When I’m craving meat, I come here for their falafel and lamb or their classic cheese burger!
Yellow Flower Cafe
Yellow flower cafe was one of the first cafes I ate at in Ubud – and honestly, all that goes to show you is what an incredible introduction I had to this beautiful mountain town! All of the local dishes at this small cafe are amazing because it’s owned and run by a local balinese family, but I also really love their smoothie bowls, especially the energy smoothie bowl!
*Bonus: Tukie’s Coconut Ice Cream
The best coconut ice cream I’ve ever had in Southeast Asia. This ice cream shop is located right across from the Ubud market on the main street, and although you can choose from several different dessert options, I recommend getting just a classic scoop of their coconut ice cream with all the toppings: fresh young coconut, crunchy coconut flakes, and sweet coconut sugar!
acaligirlinbali.travel.blog 