Where to eat and drink in Canggu, Bali
My Bali is a world favourite tourist destination, and for good reason. Being from Perth, I’ve been lucky to visit Bali on a number of occasions thanks to a 3 hour flight and the same timezone.
My first time back in ten years (and post pandemic) it’s changed a lot, it’s no longer a cheap and cheerful holiday, prices are much closer to the Aussie dollar on average, but quality of the dining and shopping has also improved and honestly the food is world-class.
A proper girls trip, tainted only by unexpected rain during dry season, meant we ate like queens at the all the hottest spots right now in Canggu.
Canggu is a world-class food scene, with chefs hailing from across the globe and a range of exotic influences, but made better with the freshness of the fertile volcanic soils of bali produce.
Here’s a list of my favoruite bars, restaurants and cafes that are ready to be instagrammed and taste amazing!
B R E A K F A S T
LUSA
Industrial chic, excellent coffee, fresh produce and mimosas for breakfast? They have a mantra of passion for the good things in life. Fresh food, full flavours and good vibes; best shared with friends.
CRATE CAFE
Some of the best looking food on the island, with health freak smoothies and a very cool vibe. Would not recommend coming here with a hangover, as the early morning will be featuring a DJ- a loud one. But it will be the prettiest smoothie you ever did see.
MYLK
Mylk has a two locations in Canguu, we visited both. I prefer the larger one which had the nice outdoor/indoor vibe that bali does so well. The fresh fruit here is sensational and oh so instagramable.
WOODS
This spot was like a tree house and the lost boys hide away in Peter Pan and so stylish. It was my favoutie place, the interior design was impeccable, the coffee the best I’ve had in Bali, and the food was so beautifully presented as well as delicious.
The menus were incredibly detailed and featured a long list of herbal teas and all their properties (proper-teas?)
L U N C H
WARUNG LOCAL
The cheapest and most authenitcally Indonesian meal we had. This cute local cafe serves all the best Indonesian cuisine, from favourites Gado Gado, Mi goreng, Nasi groreng, tempure and satay to name a few of the classics. It is always packed and has a take-away option if you want to head back to your hotel for a chilled meal.
KOAST
Tucked down a side street, we say outside in this light breezy gazebo, there was a small pool with some kids playing and digital nomads chipping away at their work. Fresh and healthy, western style salad bowl with the flavor and colour of indonesian spices and freshness.
MOTION CAFE- health food.
This cafe was a health-freak haven. Power smoothies, organic superfoods and breakfast for any time of day, a fresh smoothie bowl was doing our insides some good! Wear some vibrant activeware and carry a yoga mat and you’ll fit right in.
D I N N E R
SHELTER
This evening destination is beautifully romantic, candles stacked in amongst the lush gardens. The grill style food here was perfect for shared tapas amongst a group or couple, fresh seafood packed with flavour is a must on the menu. Try to get a variety of dishes to sample it all.
SANTANERA
Brazillian is perhaps not a usual cuisine to find in the indonesian Islands, but this feast was phenomenal. Once again a unique blend of different south american flavours and the freshness of Bali’s produce.
The desert was also so delicious that we ordered extra. The ambiance of this building is very striking too, quite grand by Bali standards, the arcitecture was bold and daring.
https://www.santanerabali.com/
LOLA’S
Worth booking in advance for a dinner reservation as this place gets busy! Its situated ontop of the rice patties, with open air dining, trendy neon lights, this mexican food will be sure to please. Not to mention the tequila shots and margaritas can do some damage - in a good way.
MASONS
Masons has both indoor and outdoor seating which can be a good option if you’re stuck with wet weather like us.
B A R S + C L U B S
LA BRISA
Ok you have to go to La Brisa, its just an epic place all round. Pirates of the Carribean meets Tarzans treehouse with a few pools, fun cocktails and pizzas on demand. This beach side venue is perfect for a chilled afternoon, date night, or when there’s an even on, an absolute banger of a party. Choose your vibe and go enjoy because you will.
THE LAWN
The Lawn is more laid back unless there is a specific event happening. This is a great spot for a sunset beverage if you want a chilled evening, but keep an eye on events happening duirng your stay and this place can get pretty up beat.
FINNS BEACH CLUB
Rated one of the best beach clubs in the world, its easy to see why. While this is not my usual scene I’m glad I went. We had such a rowdy fun evening, way too many cocktails, constant bangers from the DJ and made a lot of good memories. It’s a little bit posy, a little bit tacky but lean into it and perch yourself on a pool bed, order the day package and have too many cocktails cos you only live once.
OLD MANS
Is the place to be for a flip flops and tank top party, with a younger crowd despite the name . This casual venue draws a huge crowd with DJ sets and live bands and is open till the late hours of the night.
EXTRA FOODIE THINGS
Paon bali - Ubud cooking class
If you want to continue the foodie tour outside of Canggu, I cannot recommend enough the cooking class we did in Ubud. We left early morning for an hours drive up to the mountain town.
(PSA - choose a spot slightly out of town when you want to be picked up by your driver as the Ubud traffic is hectic. Walk the extra mile and you will save yourself up to a few hours!)
We opted to do the market tour before the class, which was a great opportunity to see where the locals get their fresh groceries, with farmers brining their fresh produce into town daily. The colourful array of fruits and vegetables, some familiar some unique and bazar was the authentic culture hit we needed after touristy Canggu.
We then travelled to a traditional Balinese home, and met the charismatic, cheeky and delightful hostess Madu.
The fresh vegetables, herbs and spices we’d seen at the market were on display at the cooking class, presented on banana leaves.
We made four courses using traditional Bali cooking methods including the mortar and pestle, coconut shell coal fired satay, and banana leaf to wrap fish and rice to steam it.
This was a trip highlight for me, and the best meal I had the whole time I was there, it was also the second time I had done the class though ten years earlier and it was just as good as I remembered if not better!
