Vegan Guide to Bali

OCTOBER 2022: Due to COVID we were unable to travel for nearly two years, which means it’s been impossible to update our vegan travel guides. Therefore we cannot be sure if the below restaurants are still open, so please contact them directly to check. As travel has now restarted we will be updating guides accordingly, but in the meantime please check out the excellent HappyCow, which you can find via the link at the bottom of this vegan guide.

Published July 2018

Culture, beauty, beaches, temples, rice fields, volcanoes, surf, snorkelling, amazing vegan food and more; Bali is one of those places that really does have something for everyone. Find your scene (there are many going on here) and fall in love, we hope our Vegan Guide to Bali helps you on your way!

Festivals in Bali

Visiting Bali during a festival gives a great insight into the culture of this unique part of Indonesia where the population is mainly Hindu. We’ve been lucky enough to experience many festivals in Bali from intriguing funeral processions to Balinese new year, which is followed by Nyepi or silent day. Colourful and noisy processions of ogoh ogoh followed by a day of quiet reflection (and no use of electrical equipment, no cooking, no music). Watch as women balance huge boxes of offerings on their head, marvel at the decorations made from bamboo (said to be finest in artistic Ubud) but be aware that some places may be closed for the holidays.

Vegan Food in Kuta and Seminyak

Just a stones throw from the airport, Kuta and Seminyak aren’t really our scene, but if you find yourself here there are a few places you should visit especially in the Seminyak area. Here are some of our favourite places for vegan food in Kuta and Seminyak.

De Ra Sa Vegetarian

De Ra Sa Vegetarian
Jalan By Pass Ngurah Rai No 88C
Kuta
Bali 80361

Opening Times: 8am-9pm every day

Located on the bypass road and very close to the airport is De Ra Sa Vegetarian. It is a 100% vegan restaurant serving Indonesian classics with a menu full of tempe, tofu and mock meat too. It’s cheap, clean and cheerful.

Johnny Tacos

Johnny Tacos
Jalan Kartika Plaza No.21
Kuta
Bali 80361

Opening Times: 9am-10pm closed Monday

Check out this compact little taco bar just off the main strip in Kuta called Johnny Tacos. They whip up some the meanest vegan tacos we’ve eaten in Southeast Asia. Packed full of vegetables, flavour and heaps of sliced avocado and guacamole, means these bad boys are not to be missed.

Divine Earth

Divine Earth
Jalan Raya Basangkasa
Seminyak

Opening Times: 7am-11pm every day

These guys have got it going on in Bali with multiple outlets across the island. Our visit to Divine Earth in Seminyak was very pleasant indeed and we enjoyed the relaxed and chilled vibe. Our vegan seitan hot dog was very good (although the bread was a little sweet for us) and the raw tempe chips with hummus and dips offered a perfect accompaniment.

It’s not the cheapest option for sure but the food and ingredients seem to be of a very high quality, well worth checking out…

Tasty Vegan

Tasty Vegan
Jalan Raya Basangkasa
Seminyak
Bali

Opening Times: 9am-9pm every day

Set within a walled garden just off the main road, Tasty Vegan Seminyak is as you would guess from the name, an all vegan restaurant. The well designed menu is somewhat limited but we were more than happy with our mock meat satay and mixed vegetable, tempe and tofu dish. Service was friendly and efficient making this a decent option if you’re in Seminyak and want to enjoy vegan versions of traditional Indonesian dishes.

Zula Vegetarian Paradise

Zula Vegetarian Paradise
Jalan Dhyana Pura 5
Seminyak
Bali

Opening Times: 7am-11pm every day

We’ve eaten here before and liked the varied vegetarian menu which has a number of vegan options. This visit was for dessert only and we shared a raw chocolate mousse pudding which was just OK. From memory, the savoury food was great and we would certainly return although this time our selection was not that inspiring.

Here is a review of our previous visit to Zula Bali in Seminyak when we loved the falafel sandwich and salad that we ordered.

Vegan Food in Sanur

We didn’t stay in Sanur but asked our taxi to take this route between Ubud and The Bukit. We are glad we did as not only did we get to visit the health food store on the main bypass but also enjoyed a delicious vegan lunch at Gopal’s Cafe. There is also a Zula outlet in Sanur which as with all of their restaurants has an extensive vegetarian menu with many vegan dishes to choose from.

Club Sehat Bali

Club Sehat Bali
Jalan By Pass Ngurah Rai 234
Sanur
Bali

Opening Times: 9am-7pm (closes at 3pm Friday and closed all day Saturday)

We stopped at this health food shop when passing through Sanur as always food to know what’s available. There were a wide range of ingredients for cooking, dried products and also a selection of essential oils which were well priced. There was no fresh food to eat (shame) but there were juices and kombuchas. Club Sehat Bali would be great if you’re based in the area with access to a kitchen.

Gopal’s Cafe

Gopal’s Cafe
Jalan Danau Tamblingan 105
Sanur
Bali

Opening Times: 8am-9.30pm every day

Gopal’s Cafe is part of Maha Laksmi Boutique Hotel, located on the ground floor and serving all vegetarian food with many vegan options. The waiter fully understood the difference between veggie and vegan which was reassuring and he was very helpful in adapting our choices accordingly.

The rijstaffel was delicious and is kind of like a nasi campur which is rice with a selection of other dishes. The panneer sate was swapped for tofu and our plate included tempe, vegetables and crackers with a spicy sambal. We also ordered a burrito which was delicious and packed with beans, salad and avocado, drizzled with a coconut milk mayo. Both dishes were very filling and very good, we are so happy that we found this place…

Vegan Food in The Bukit

Back in 2014 when we first visited Bali we spent a bit of time exploring The Bukit, the southernmost bit of Bali where all the surfers hang out to catch the world famous waves. Back then we loved the laid back beach vibes but didn’t have that much to say about the food, roll on 4 years and the times they are a changin’…

Gone were the laid back beach vibes, replaced by stress inducing levels of traffic conjestion and an influx of busloads of tourists, but thankfully the vegan food in The Bukit had got much better!

Cacao Flow

Cacao Flow
Jalan Pantai Balangan
Jimbaran
Bali

Opening Times: 9am-6pm every day

We loved Cacao Flow!

This is a very good new option in Southern Bali and should be on your list if you’re in the area for sure. They have a limited menu of all raw dishes, and upon chatting with the staff we ordered the pizza and the wrap, both were amazing and!

The wrap was ‘double wrapped’ with a raw zucchini layer and a raw papaya layer, it was packed with crunchy coleslaw, raw meatballs and a cashew mayo; there was a coconut syrup drizzle and a nut Parmesan crumble OMG it was amazing!!! The raw pizza was also very good, both dishes looked great, tasted even better and were very filling indeed. We still found room for raw chocolate mousse though which was divine.

Bali Buda

Bali Buda
Jalan Raya Uluwatu
Bali

Opening Times: 7am-9pm every day

This small shop and cafe also has delivery options which could be good if you’re staying nearby.

Whilst not as big as their store in Ubud it has a varied range of products for sale. We particularly liked the dried nuts and nutritional yeast by the weight and that you could refill your water bottles for 5000IDR.

Ghiridari Vegan & Vegetarian

Ghiridari Vegan & Vegetarian
Jalan Raya Uluwatu Simpangan 7
Jimbaran
Bali

Opening Times: 8am-8pm every day

We stopped here for a couple of snacks as had already enjoyed lunch elsewhere. We are so glad we did and would go back for sure as not only was the food tasty but the owner was very friendly. She is vegetarian as are her staff and this all veggie local warung has so many options for local Balinese food, she fully understands the difference between veggie and vegan so you will have no problem ordering when here.

They offer cooking classes for 300k which we would have joined if we had time as they focus on how to make your own mock meat from flour! This is a great opportunity to up your mock meat game and one we wished we’d had the chance to experience.

Smoothie Shop

Smoothie Shop
Mandala Village
Jalan Pantai Balangan
Jimbaran
Bali

Opening Times: 8am-3pm every day

Don’t be misled by the name. Yes, this place does (awesome) smoothies but also has an extensive menu of veggie and vegan food. We visited for breakfast and ordered tofu scramble on whole grain toast and vegan buckwheat pancakes served with fruit and whipped coconut cream! Very, very good indeed but make sure you order the vegan buckwheat pancakes with NO honey as they are normally served with honey…

Cafe la Pasion

Cafe la Pasion
Jalan Pantai Balangan
Jimbaran
Bali

Opening Times: 8am-midnight every day

Excited to find this near where we were staying as they had vegan specials on the chalk board and lots of vegan options on the menu. Sadly, upon further questioning many items were not vegan. In fairness, the super helpful chef explained clearly what we could and couldn’t eat which suffered dramatically from what the menu actually said.

For example, the vegan burger has a bun that is not vegan and the pasta is all made with egg so also not vegan. The vegan Mexican options would all be very meagre once the cheese and sour cream were removed with nothing being added as an alternative. That said, with help from the chef we had a very good pizza with no cheese and a generous bowl of guacamole which was vegan and delicious!

Vegan Food in North Bali

North Bali is the place to go if you wish to escape the crowds, we’ve spent time in Pemuteran, Amed and Lovina which all offer the type of escapism we often desire.

Our favourite place to stay in North Bali (and probably the most vegan friendly luxury resort in Bali) is the exceptional Puri Ganesha. The food is the best we’ve tasted in a long while and entirely unique, making use of local flavours, herbs, edible flowers and making healthy and living versions of traditional Balinese fare. Make a reservation to stay in one of the 4 beautiful villas and lose yourself in the total peace and tranquility of this extraordinary property. If you can, find the time to take a cooking class with the chef, it’s a food education that you really won’t get anywhere else.

This place is absolutely not to be missed.

En route to North Bali you may well pass through Munduk, if you do then be sure to check out Ngiring Ngewedang who not only boast awesome views but offer some great options for the hungry vegan traveller!

Ngiring Ngewedang

Ngiring Ngewedang
Tamblingan
Munduk
Buleleng
Bali 81152

Opening Times: 9am-6pm every day

The perfect place to stop after sitting in a taxi for 2 hours is Ngiring Ngewedang. You can enjoy the far reaching and stunning views whilst waiting for your lunch; ours consisted of a tempe and tofu packed vegan curry and also a de constutced gado gado salad that was delicious.

Akar Cafe

Akar Cafe
Jalan Binaria
Lovina
Bali

Opening Times: 7am-10pm every day

Cool little veggie food spot with vegan options including wraps, falafels and juices. The menu has traditional Indonesian food and also Western style food too. Check out the selection of salads, also the vegan pancakes and vegan waffles…

Amed and Jemeluk

Amed and Jemeluk offer some of the best snorkelling from the beach we’ve ever experienced during our travels in Southeast Asia. You can also enjoy awesome views of the sunrise across the bay with Mount Agung in the distance.

Since we were last in Amed there are now 2 all vegetarian restaurants which are both listed on Happy Cow. When we visited we had to find restaurants and warungs that understood our request for vegan food but rest assured we did not go hungry and we loved Amed and also nearby Jemeluk Bay. We had a very good meal at Sails Restaurant and also picked up some snacks at a small health food store whilst en route. Next time we are in Bali we plan to return for sure, in the meantime here are the details for the 2 veggie restaurants for you to check out.

For those of you looking for a change from tempe and sambal then maybe this all vegetarian Indian restaurant might be for you? Nad Brahma is open during high season only until 10.30pm but closed on Monday. Also listed on Happy Cow is Aiona which is also on the main beach road and may be worth a visit. Please let us know if you have any updated info for Amed and Jemeluk?

Vegan Food in Ubud

We have a love hate relationship with Ubud; there are elements of Ubud that we adore and other elements which really don’t float our boat. However, because the vegan food scene is good, there are some gorgeous places to stay and it’s home to the lovely Radiantly Alive yoga studio we still save a little place in our hearts for it. You might just have to take a deep breath to ignore the crowds and the traffic and some of the overpriced and underwhelming vegan food. Prepare yourself to meet all kinds of weird and wonderful people and let this famous little town work its magic on you.

The vegan food in Ubud is very good with so many options that we’ve published a seperate Vegan Guide to Ubud which highlights our experiences; it’s by no means conclusive but lists a few of our favourite spots including the wonderful Moksa which you can also read about below.

Moksa

Moksa
Puskesmas Ubud II
Sayan
Ubud
Bali

Opening Times: 10am-9pm every day

Moksa is a “Plant Based Cuisine &; Permaculture Garden” situated on the outskirts of town providing the perfect escape from the fast growing and super busy Ubud. The location and tranquil setting is a great place to enjoy the incredible food that is created at Moksa. Beautifully presented and thoughtfully created vegan food that is packed full of flavour is the order of the day means we would highly recommend Moksa to anyone who is in the area.

Other Vegan Guides to Bali

Bali is considered to be one of the number one locations in the world for vegan travel and rightly so, our guide is far from extensive but there are many other guides online including from the team at Vegan Travel who have a bunch of useful posts on their website which you can access here, another one worth checking out is from  The Nomadic Vegan.

If you have your own guide that you would like us to link to here please let us know, and of course, Happy Cow is your friend as a travelling vegan so here’s their Bali page.