We spent 9 days from our month on Bali in Kuta and Legian. These 2 neighbouring beach towns on the west coast of Bali are popular surf spots. So that’s what we did there: learning how to surf. And believe me, that makes you hungry! So below, we’ve listed some of the best restaurants in Kuta and Legian, in our opinion. (There are a couple of no-go’s too.)
Note that we visited Bali in December 2015. Prices mentioned below are the ones we paid at the time, meaning they’re probably slighty raised by now. We do try to keep this post up-to-date, checking if these restaurants are still open. If they are, it’s a confirmation they’re serving good food!
Know before you eat in Bali
In most restaurants in Bali the prices in the menu are not the ones you’ll end up paying. They don’t include the tax and/or service charge that’s added on the check. That explains the weird prices you’ll see mentioned below. So read the small print in the menu to avoid surprises upon paying!
Did you know? Warung is Indonesian for restaurant.
Where to eat in Kuta
We spent our first 5 days on Bali in Kuta, famous for its beach and nightlife. Our accommodation, Coco Beach Hostel, wasn’t located in the backpackers’ area, but even there Kuta had quite a touristy feel. There are tons of “souvenir shops” selling things like plates with obscene sentences, targeting a certain group of tourists. Luckily we were able to find some nice restaurants in Kuta between all those sunglasses and Bintang shirts.
Something for everyone at Hungry Pirates Food Court
We arrived late in the hostel, tired from the flight. Still in the food court mood from our visit to Singapore, we decided to try out the Hungry Pirates Food Court at Lippo Mall, a stone’s throw from the hostel. There’s a lot of choice and it’s not expensive, so we ended up returning for a second meal.
The first time we tried the special fried noodles (44,000 IDR ~ $3.10 ~ €2.75), which were good, and the shoarma chicken (44,000 IDR ~ $3.10 ~ €2.75), which we wouldn’t recommend. Our second visit was during lunch. Brecht had the “uitsmijter” (49,000 IDR ~ $3.50 ~ €3), bread with ham and eggs sunny side up, not bad. I chose a cheese omelet with salad (39,000 IDR ~ $2.75 ~ €2.45), because it looked delicious on the menu and I do love cheese. In real life it looked nothing like the picture however, and it didn’t taste that good either. A bit of hit or miss at Hungry Pirates.
It’s been a while since we ate at the Hungry Pirates Food Court. We couldn’t find much information on it online, so aren’t sure if it’s still open. Have you been more recently? Let us know in the comments!
Lunch with a beach view at Pantai Restaurant
Our first lunch in Kuta was a success however! We ate at Pantai Restaurant, situated on the beach with a nice view and a cool breeze. Both of us ordered a curry, Brecht chicken curry (57,750 IDR ~ $4.10 ~ €3.60), me vegetable curry (51,975 IDR ~ $3.70 ~ €3.25), both delicious!
We returned a couple of days later for some more curry, or at least I did. Brecht was with me of course, but ordered grilled fish with rice (69,300 IDR ~ $4.90 ~ €4.35). He should have gone with the curry though! Oh, and I really liked their lemon juice (28,875 IDR ~ $2.05 ~ €1.80).
Note that the check at Pantai Restaurant includes a 15% tax and service charge, which is not included in the prices in the menu.
A little splurge at Kafe Batan Waru
Next up, our favourite restaurant in Kuta: Kafe Batan Waru. On our first dinner here, Brecht ordered an Indonesian classic: Rendang Sapi (141,240 IDR ~ $10 ~ €8.85), a kind of beef stew. I had Ikan Bakar Bali (123,585 IDR ~ $8.75 ~ €7.75), some kind of white fish with rice. Both dishes were delicious, so we decided to return for our Christmas dinner.
On our second time at Kafe Batan Waru we went with Western instead of Balinese dishes. I had Penne Limone (88,275 IDR ~ $6.25 ~ €5.50), pasta with chicken in creamy lemon sauce. Brecht ordered Tenderloin Steak (176,550 IDR ~ $12.50 ~ €11.05). Both of us preferred the Balinese dishes from our first visit though.
On both occasions we had delicious (international) desserts as well: Apple Strudel (58,850 IDR ~ $4.15 ~ €3.65), Key Lime Pie (52,965 IDR ~ $3.75 ~ €3.30), and Klappertart (52,965 IDR ~ $3.75 ~ €3.30). The Crème Brulée (34,133 IDR ~ $2.40 ~ €2.15) was not that good in our opinion.
The food at Kafe Batan Waru is more expensive than most other restaurants in Kuta and Legian. We think it’s worth it though!
Note that a 17.7% government and service charge will be added to your bill at Kafe Batan Waru. This surcharge is not included in the prices on the menu.
Cheap, but good at Warung Bakul
Update: We read on TripAdvisor the owner passed away in 2018, and the restaurant unfortunately doesn’t exist anymore.
We had passed Warung Bakul, situated in the street next to our hostel, quite a few times before we decided to have lunch there. The welcome greeting and the waitress taking our order were a bit awkward, but the food turned out to be good and very cheap! We went with standard dishes: Nasi and Mie Goreng, both 20,000 IDR( ~ $1.40 ~ €1.25).
Western food at Stakz Bar & Grill
After an exhausting afternoon on our surfboard, trying to catch a wave every now and then, we went over to Stakz Bar & Grill for a Western dinner. Brecht had the Stakz Whopper (89,000 IDR ~ $6.30 ~ €5.60), me the Spaghetti Bolognese (79,000 IDR ~ $5.60 ~ €4.95). We both were very pleased with our choices and returned home exhausted but satisfied.
Stakz Bar & Grill has an extensive menu, serving a whole range of Western food, but a bunch of local Balinese dishes too. Something for everyone!
Risoles and a drink at MM Juice Restaurant
Admittedly, at times we were lazy or plain tired from trying to surf, so we wouldn’t go much further than the Lippo Mall around our corner for food. One of those times we ate at MM Juice Restaurant, situated on the same level as the cinema where we went to see “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. We had to order and pay at the bar, got a number and waited to be served at our table.
We loved the Risoles (15,000 IDR ~ $1.05 ~ €0.95 for two), a popular Indonesian appetizer, which can be described as a vegetable croquette. Really yum! The main dishes on the other hand, where not that great. The Mie Siram Ayam (29,000 IDR ~ $2.05 ~ €1.80) had a weird texture and the Nasi Goreng Seafood (39,000 IDR ~ $2.75 ~ €2.45) was simply not that good. It was cheap, but we recommend you to skip this restaurant, or just go for the risoles and a drink.
Fancy dinner at Jamie’s Italian
We had our last dinner at Jamie’s Italian, before heading over to Ubud the next day. This fancy dinner was a Christmas gift from our family. We reserved a table online, as it tends to be a popular dining spot.
Jamie’s Italian is now Jamie Oliver Kitchen, but still on the same location.
We took a cab over there and were stuck in the horrible traffic jam that’s a daily pain in the ass in Kuta when you’re driving a car instead of a motorbike. If we went on foot from the start, we probably would have arrived at the same time and saved some money. Learn from our mistakes!
Now over to the food experience. For starters we had the Crab Arancini (102,850 IDR ~ $7.30 ~ €6.45) and the Ricotta Bruschetta (90,750 IDR ~ $6.45 ~ €5.70). Brecht ordered a special for the main course, Chicken Pesto Tagliatelle (223,850 IDR ~ $15.85 ~ €14), while I went with a classic, Rigatoni Pomodoro (199,650 IDR ~ $14.15 ~ €12.50).
For dessert we had the Lemon Meringue Cheesecake (108,900 IDR ~ $7.70 ~ €6.80) and the Epic Brownie (114,950 IDR ~ $8.15 ~ €7.20). Everything was delicious; we wouldn’t expect less from Jamie. Except for the epic brownie, which had a little too much dark chocolate for my taste. I was surprised too that there could be something like “too much chocolate”!
Take a cooking class in Kuta
If you want to enjoy some of that delicious Balinese food back home as well, you can join a Balinese cooking class in Kuta. One that comes highly rated on Cookly is a cooking class by (professional) Chef Bagus, combined with a market tour. It has a vegetarian option as well.
Unfortunately we didn’t think of this great way to experience local food during our stay in Kuta and Legian, but we’d love to read about it in the comments if you did!
Where to eat in Legian
After 5 days in Kuta, we moved to another guesthouse in Legian, somewhat closer to our surf instructor. We stayed for 4 nights at Arca Bungalow, before heading over to a fancy hotel in Ubud to celebrate New Year’s Eve.
Legian is just north of Kuta and kind of the same: beach, bars, surfers, and “souvenir shops”. It felt less crowded though, or at least the area close to our guesthouse did.
Best curry at Warung Padmasari
Warung Padmasari was the first restaurant we tried in Legian. There was no one else in the restaurant when we arrived. So first we walked past it, asking ourselves if we should risk it or not. Risk it is probably an overstatement, but people always say you should choose the crowded restaurants over the empty ones. We decided to stick with the plan and just go for it.
The staff was really friendly and we got a bowl of vegetable chips with our drinks, yum! We both ordered a curry: Brecht Green Chicken Curry (41,000 IDR ~ $2.90 ~ €2.55), me Vegetable Curry (31,000 IDR ~ $2.20 ~ €1.95). Brecht his food was good, mine delicious. Without a doubt one of the best curries I had so far! While we were eating, other people started arriving. By the time we were finished they had to refuse people, apologizing for the lack of space. Not sure if we were just early or our food looked so delicious everyone wanted to try it.
Sandwiches and chips at The Naughty Duck
While surfing we met a solo travelling Danish girl. She invited us to join her for lunch at her favourite spot: The Naughty Duck. It’s a sandwich bar close to Popo's surfing point, selling burgers, breakfast, and fresh and delicious juices. It’s run by an Australian guy.
Brecht ordered The Big Duck Sandwich (45,000 IDR ~ $3.20 ~ €2.80), I went with the Chicken Salad Sandwich (50,000 IDR ~ $3.55 ~ €3.15) and a Strawberry Juice (25,000 IDR ~ $1.75 ~ €1.55). The baguettes were delicious and I could smell the fresh strawberries in my juice, yum!
A couple of days later we returned, me ordering the same, Brecht trying the Ham Cheese Tomato Sandwich (35,000 IDR ~ $2.50 ~ €2.20), which was good as well. It takes quite some time for the sandwiches to be ready (even if there’s no one else around), but be patient, they are really good.
Pasta at Mozzarella Restaurant
We both love Italian food, so decided to give Mozzarella Restaurant a try. They have a whole range of delicious sounding pastas on their menu. The restaurant is a bit fancier (more expensive) than other restaurants in the neighbourhood, with a nice interior and friendly staff.
Brecht ordered the Spinach Salmon Cream Sauce Pasta, I had the Spaghetti Carbonara (both 98,000 IDR ~ $6.95 ~ €6.15). The pastas were not bad, but they weren’t worth the money we had to pay for them. I promise, Brecht makes a much better pasta carbonara for a lot less money! Maybe we should start a restaurant?
Tiny and local at Warung Yogya
After wasting some money at Mozzarella Restaurant, we lunched at very cheap restaurant: Warung Yogya. The menu was more limited, but the food was better.
Brecht made a safe choice and ordered Nasi Goreng, while I tried something new and ordered Nasi Pecel (both 22,000 IDR ~ $1.55 ~ €1.40). I didn’t really know what to expect, but it turns out to be a vegetarian rice dish with tofu and Balinese vegetables. The peanut sauce that came with it was delicious!
WiFi and milkshakes at The Caffeine Coffee Shop
As the WiFi at Arca Bungalow was frustratingly slow, Brecht went in search for a better spot to get some work done. We ended up at The Caffeine Coffee Shop, where we had a Strawberry Smoothie (18,000 IDR ~ $1.30 ~ €1.15) and Banana Milkshake (20,000 IDR ~ $1.40 ~ €1.25) while working.
Although the smoothie was good, I would have ordered a milkshake as well if I were able to go back in time. The interior at The Caffeine Coffee Shop is nice, and the internet connection is pretty fast.
Music and food at Indo National Bar & Restaurant
Update: Apparently the restaurant is closed now.
One of the last restaurants we tried in Legian was Indo National Bar & Restaurant. Every time we passed the place was crowded and music was playing.
Brecht ordered Rendang Sapi (110,000 IDR ~ $7.80 ~ €6.90), his new favourite dish, I had the BBQ chicken pizza (75,000 IDR ~ $5.30 ~ €4.70). The food was OK, but not great; we wouldn’t come back here. That’s how we learned not to don’t put too much trust in the crowd level of restaurants.
We had a lot of good food in Kuta and Legian, some quite expensive, some very cheap. We definitely recommend Kafe Batan Waru in Kuta, worth the splurge, and Warung Padmasari in Legian, delicious and cheap! For a good Western sandwich to get a break from tanning on the beach or (trying) to catch some waves, go to The Naughty Duck. Enjoy!
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