Vegetarian and Vegan Food in Bali 2026: Where to Eat and What to Order Safely
Short answer: Bali is one of the easiest places in Asia to eat plant-based, and one of the easiest to eat meat by accident. There are whole neighbourhoods of vegetarian cafés, every warung has a vegetable curry, and the local dishes are often plant-based to begin with. The catch is that "vegetarian" in Indonesia is not a kitchen category — many kitchens use one wok and one ladle for everything, so the risk is contamination rather than the menu.
This guide is honest about both sides: the food scene is genuinely excellent, and the safety question is real and worth five minutes of reading.
The dishes that are already plant-based
You do not need a restaurant to eat well in Bali. A large part of the local cuisine was vegetarian before it was anything else, because a large part of the population is:
| Dish | What it is | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sayur (vegetable curry) | Jackfruit, long beans, eggplant and potato in a coconut spice base | The everyday vegetable dish; ask for "sayur" |
| Nasi campur | Rice with a little of everything | Ask for the vegetable version; see the warning below |
| Lawar | Green beans, coconut and spices | Often contains dried shrimp — ask for "tanpa udang" (without shrimp) |
| Gado-gado | Blanched vegetables, fried tofu and tempeh, peanut sauce | The most reliable vegetarian order in the country |
| Sayur urap | Vegetables with coconut and dried shrimp | Ask for the version without shrimp |
| Jaffles | Shredded young jackfruit, fried crisp | A local favourite, and plant-based |
| Tempeh and tofu | Everywhere, in every price range | The backbone of Indonesian vegetarian food |
| Nasi goreng | Fried rice | Say "tanpa daging" (without meat); ask for no egg too if needed |
The four things to watch for
1. "Vegetarian" does not mean what you think
Indonesia's vegetarian dishes are not a restaurant category — they are just dishes, and they sit next to pork on the same menu and in the same wok. A "vegetarian nasi campur" ordered at a warung may be cooked in the same pan as the pork.
How to handle it: at a warung, order a dish that is cooked to order and is vegetarian by nature rather than by request — vegetable curry, gado-gado, lawar without shrimp, or tempeh. At a restaurant with a separate vegetarian kitchen, you can ask.
2. Babi guling and sate lilit contain pork
This is the big one and it catches people every year. Babi guling is pig. Sate lilit is usually pork. They look like they could be anything, and they are the two most popular dishes on the island. If you are vegetarian or vegan, say so clearly and early — in a warung, the cook will usually switch to a clean pan if you explain, but they will not switch automatically.
3. Dried shrimp (udang) hides in vegetable dishes
A lot of Balinese vegetable dishes are finished with dried shrimp, which is not vegetarian and is not vegan. Lawar and sayur urap are the usual culprits. "Tanpa udang" (without shrimp) is the phrase to learn, and it works everywhere.
4. Sugar, not eggs, is the baking issue
Indonesian and Balinese sweet things are almost never egg-based: cakes, fried snacks and desserts are usually made with coconut milk and palm sugar. That makes vegan baking the easy case — the difficult case is honey, which appears in some drinks and desserts.
Where it is easy
Ubud is the centre of it. There are whole streets of plant-based cafés, and the town has one of the largest vegan communities in Asia — not as a tourist niche but as a lifestyle, with vegan bakeries, vegan cooking classes and plant-based versions of Indonesian food done properly rather than as an afterthought. Our Ubud food guide has the neighbourhoods.
Outside Ubud it is harder but not impossible. Seminyak, Canggu and Sanur have a handful of dedicated plant-based kitchens. Villas and hotels in those areas almost always have a plant-based menu, and warungs in any town will cook a vegetable curry if you ask.
In the villages and the north — the food is what it is, and the warungs are pork-heavy. That is not a problem to solve, it is a fact to plan around: if you are strictly vegan or vegetarian, eat in Ubud, eat at your accommodation, or cook with it.
The phrases that get you a plate
| Indonesian | English |
|---|---|
| Tanpa daging | Without meat |
| Tanpa udang | Without shrimp |
| Tanpa telur | Without egg |
| Vegetarian | Vegetarian |
| Sayur saja | Vegetables only |
| Boleh, tidak pedas? | Is it okay if it is not spicy? |
Point at the food and say "tanpa daging, tanpa udang" and you will be understood in any warung in the country.
What a day of eating plant-based in Ubud looks like
- Breakfast at a café in Penestangan or Campuhan — the usual options are pancakes, fruit bowls, smoothie bowls and tofu scrambles.
- Lunch at a warung: a vegetable curry with rice, or gado-gado. Ask "tanpa daging, tanpa udang" and check the wok situation if you are strict.
- Afternoon coffee and cake at any of the vegan bakeries in the centre.
- Dinner at a dedicated plant-based restaurant in the centre or Penestangan — this is where the scene is properly good, and where the Indonesian food is reinterpreted rather than adapted.
- A cooking class — Ubud runs plant-based and vegan versions of the classic Indonesian courses, which is a good way to learn what the food is supposed to taste like.
The honest part: what you cannot have
- Babi guling. There is no plant-based version that anyone is serious about, and pretending otherwise would be a disservice.
- The pork crackling at every warung. It is on the same menu, cooked in the same place, and sometimes in the same oven as the vegetables.
- Certain warung breakfasts, where the pancakes come with a side of pork.
- Some "vegetable" curries in a warung, where the stock is pork bone.
None of this makes Bali bad for vegetarians — the cafés are genuinely among the best in Asia. It makes the difference between eating in Ubud and eating at a roadside warung in a village, and it is worth knowing which one you are in.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bali good for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes — one of the best destinations in Asia for it, particularly in Ubud, where there is a genuine plant-based scene rather than a token menu. The risk is cross-contamination in small kitchens, not the lack of options.
Can vegetarians eat at a Balinese warung?
Yes, if you order a dish that is vegetarian by nature — vegetable curry, gado-gado, lawar without shrimp — and say "tanpa daging, tanpa udang". At a small warung, ask whether they can use a clean pan.
What is the best vegetarian dish in Bali?
Gado-gado if you want something dependable and everywhere, vegetable curry (sayur) if you want something local, and jaffles if you want the most interesting thing. Lawar without shrimp is the most Balinese of the four.
Is there vegan food in Ubud?
More than in most places, with dedicated vegan cafés and bakeries in the centre, Penestangan and Campuhan. Our Ubud food guide covers where the neighbourhoods are.
Is babi guling vegetarian or vegan?
No — it is suckling pig. It is also the dish most people assume is the safe one to try, which is how people end up with pork after a careful day of ordering vegetables. It is worth checking what you are being served.
How do I avoid shrimp in Balinese food?
Say "tanpa udang". Dried shrimp is standard in lawar, sayur urap and some vegetable curries, and it is the most common non-vegetarian ingredient in an otherwise vegetable dish.
Do I need to be strict about cross-contamination?
Only if you are. Many vegetarians eat at Balinese warungs without any problem — but if you are strict, stick to dedicated plant-based kitchens in Ubud, and eat dishes cooked to order rather than from a display.
Are there plant-based options on our tours?
Lunch on the rice terrace trek and the ATV rides is rice with vegetables and sides, and you can ask for the plant-based version in advance — just tell us when you book. The temple tour lunch is a set menu, so we can arrange a vegetarian one with notice. WhatsApp us at +62 851-7516-3718.
Eat well, whatever your diet
Tell us what you eat and we will make sure the food on the day works — it is a small thing to arrange and it is the kind of detail that decides whether a day goes well. Message us on WhatsApp at +62 851-7516-3718.
- Rice terrace trekking at Jatiluwih — lunch included, vegetarian on request
- ATV rides — lunch included, vegetarian on request
- Tirta Empul spiritual tour — set-menu lunch, vegetarian with notice
- Bali Swing — buffet lunch
- Jeep tour to Mount Batur — breakfast, with plant-based options
Related reading: What to Eat in Bali, Ubud food guide, and Bali halal tourism guide.