Quick Answer
Bali is excellent for vegans and vegetarians. Ubud is the plant-based capital, with the island's deepest vegan scene, while Canggu and Seminyak have plenty of healthy cafes. Traditional Balinese food also offers naturally vegetarian dishes like gado-gado, urap, and tempeh and tofu in spice paste. The main things to watch are shrimp paste (terasi) and fish in sambal and sauces, so learn a couple of phrases and ask.
Plant-Based Bali at a Glance
- Best area: Ubud, the vegan and vegetarian capital
- Also strong: Canggu, Berawa, Seminyak (healthy cafes)
- Traditional veg dishes: Gado-gado, urap, tempeh, tofu, nasi campur sayur
- Watch for: Shrimp paste (terasi), fish sauce, fish in sambal
- Useful phrase: "Saya vegetarian / vegan" and "tanpa terasi" (without shrimp paste)
- Cost: From cheap warung plates to mid-range cafes (to confirm)
- Availability: Easy island-wide, easiest in Ubud
Why Bali Is Easy for Plant-Based Eating
Two things make Bali a plant-based haven. First, the international wellness scene, centered on Ubud, has built a dense network of vegan, raw, and vegetarian restaurants over the past decade. Second, traditional Balinese and Indonesian food already leans heavily on vegetables, tempeh, tofu, and rice, so naturally meat-free dishes are everywhere, including at humble warungs. You can eat a creative vegan tasting plate one day and a one-dollar vegetable nasi campur the next.
Traditional Balinese Dishes That Are (Often) Veg
Gado-gado. Steamed and raw vegetables with a peanut sauce, an Indonesian classic and reliably vegetarian (check the sauce).
Urap. Vegetables tossed with grated, spiced coconut. A Balinese staple, usually vegan.
Tempeh and tahu (tofu). Fermented soybean and tofu, fried or cooked in spice paste, on almost every menu. Tempeh is a genuine Indonesian original and excellent here.
Nasi campur sayur. The vegetable version of the everyday rice plate, a spread of vegetable sides around rice. Ask for "sayur" (vegetable) and check there is no meat or fish stock.
Sayur urab and jukut. Various cooked-vegetable dishes, especially in the north and in villages. See what to eat in Bali for the wider food picture.
The Catches to Watch
Bali is easy, not foolproof. Two ingredients trip up the unwary:
- Terasi (shrimp paste) is in many sambals and some vegetable dishes. Ask for "tanpa terasi" (without shrimp paste).
- Fish and fish sauce can appear in otherwise vegetable dishes and in sambal. At warungs especially, ask.
Learning "saya vegetarian" or "saya vegan" and "tanpa terasi, tanpa ikan" (without shrimp paste, without fish) covers most situations. Dedicated vegan restaurants, common in Ubud, remove the guesswork entirely.
Where to Eat by Area
Ubud. The clear leader, with the island's largest concentration of vegan, raw, and vegetarian restaurants, many farm-to-table. The detail is in where to eat in Ubud (to confirm).
Canggu and Berawa. A strong healthy-cafe scene, smoothie bowls, plant-based brunch, and surf-town wellness food.
Seminyak. Plenty of healthy and vegan-friendly options alongside the international restaurants.
The north. Quieter, with fewer dedicated vegan restaurants, but warungs everywhere serve naturally vegetarian dishes (urap, tempeh, gado-gado, vegetable nasi campur). See best warungs in north Bali.
Practical Notes
Specifics change. Confirm locally.
- Easiest base: Ubud for dedicated vegan and vegetarian restaurants
- Key phrases: "Saya vegan/vegetarian," "tanpa terasi," "tanpa ikan"
- Watch: Shrimp paste and fish in sambal and sauces
- Best value: Vegetable nasi campur and warung sides
- Cost: Cheap at warungs, mid-range at cafes (to confirm)
FAQ
Is Bali good for vegans and vegetarians? Very. It is one of the easiest places in the world to eat plant-based, thanks to Ubud's vegan scene and the naturally vegetable-heavy traditional food found even at warungs.
Where is the best vegan food in Bali? Ubud, the island's plant-based capital, with the deepest concentration of vegan, raw, and vegetarian restaurants. Canggu and Seminyak are also strong.
What traditional Balinese dishes are vegetarian? Gado-gado, urap (spiced coconut vegetables), tempeh and tofu dishes, and nasi campur sayur (the vegetable rice plate), among others. Check for shrimp paste and fish.
What do I need to watch for as a vegetarian in Bali? Shrimp paste (terasi) in sambal and vegetable dishes, and fish or fish sauce in otherwise meat-free dishes. Learn "tanpa terasi" and "tanpa ikan" and ask at warungs.
Is vegan food expensive in Bali? Dedicated vegan cafes are mid-range but still below Western prices (to confirm), and naturally vegetarian warung dishes are very cheap.
Can you eat vegan in north Bali? Yes, though with fewer dedicated restaurants than Ubud. Warungs across the north serve naturally vegetarian dishes, and cafes around Lovina and Munduk cater to plant-based diets.
Eating plant-based up north? Message Northbound on WhatsApp. North Bali is the home ground here.