Bali Bites: Where To Eat In Canggu, Gili Trawagan & Uluwatu
- Darcie Moore
- Jul 16
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 22
A semi-spontaneous trip to Bali in June came about for a couple of reasons: the first being my solution for escaping the winter in search of some much-missed sun rays. The second? I'd been going through serious withdrawals for 9 months and, like any old cracky, I desperately needed a hit of holiday to keep the addiction at bay.
And though the word spontaneous was used, there’s one thing that will always be true for me: where I eat will not be. Before I'd even booked accommodation, I was already digging through my saved folders, pulling up every place I’d seen and saved and dreamed about going to and began building the glossary of 101 spots to somehow cram into the itinerary.
Travelling with six other friends could have made things difficult, but luckily, they're the most easy-going people you could ask for. The laid-back, let's-do-whatever energy to my overly-anxious-to-plan self. Bonus points that they love food just as much as I do, and were more than happy to hand the reins over if it meant they'd get mouthwatering meals in return.
But! Let it be known that I didn't choose every place. A few of the friends we met over there had lived in Bali, or were living there at the time, so every now and then I got spoilt with an absolute gem without having to lift a finger.
Here's a mix of both. Where to eat in Bali, from my friends and I, to you.
CANGGU
First night fever = well and truly cured. A modern Italian restaurant with freshly made pastas and a cool vibe. I had the Vodka Pasta, obviously, but ended up the slightest bit envious of my bestie's Miso Cacio e Pepe. Our waitress was the friendliest gal in all the land, which made the whole experience even better. She even stopped us from accidentally buying a $400 bottle of wine. Oops. (Told you we had first night fever, ok?)
Freds Chicken
I was, in fact, mildly drunk when I ate this, but I just had to add it anyway because as a fried chicken enthusiast, Fred's knew what they were doing. Gojek or Grab it. I don't even know if they have a physical store.
Been here, done that, will go every single time I'm back in Canggu because it just doesn't miss. Great coffee, great treats, all the usual suspects. There are a few locations, so you have no excuse but to visit this place.
A firm contender for top spot. I had it written down, but my eagerness to go turned up a notch when a friend confirmed it as a must-eat (recs from the people you love, always). We weren't overly starving on our visit but still managed to put a few plates away. The menu is different and unexpected, which gives little ol' me a bit of a thrill. I loved the Stracciatella and the Ricotta Toast. And the cocktails may have been the best of the whole trip.
Another absolute banger. We went for breakfast, but I've heard lunch and dinner are just as good. Skip the bacon and eggs for once and get something a little different, a little niche. You've got choices like green eggs and ham, blistered tomato avocado toast, baba ganoush sourdough, and so much more.
An unexpected beauty, only because French cuisine wouldn't usually be my first choice. But it was girls' night, we wanted somewhere vibey, and the food turned out to be a more-than-pleasant surprise. The presentation was Michelin-level, and every dish was flavoursome and quite frankly almost too good-looking to eat. We shared a bunch of plates. Standouts for me were the strawberry and tomato stracciatella, the truffle toast, and the fried chicken. We were also kindly gifted desserts, which just solidified our love for this place. Oh, and it most definitely helped that it turned into a European-inspired dancefloor as the sun went down. Dinner and a boogie? Yes please.
I'm sure you've heard about this one, or seen the snaps all over Instagram. This time around I only Grabbed it back to our villa, but it was just as delicious as I remembered. I love that you can get savoury and sweet at the same time, so I don't look like a fiend eyeing off the dessert menu or treat cabinet before I've even finished my meal.
A homey, beautifully decorated Korean restaurant where we sat on a cushion, folded up our legs, and shoved them under the table. It felt like we were in someone's home. We were surrounded by trees, but getting eaten alive by mosquitos couldn't even deter us. We were all clearly in the mood for fried chicken (you may sense a pattern here), because our orders were all the same. And so were our satisfied 'mmmmm's. I swear my stomach audibly grumbled when I spotted my other favourite Korean dish on the menu: tteokbokki. Though this is mostly a food log, I have to mention their plum iced tea. I had to restrain myself from necking the entire thing before my food was even close to coming out.
Delivered in little woven bamboo boxes lined with banana leaves was the most impressive, picture perfect Nasi Goreng. The second we undid the string and opened the box, the smell hit our noses and we just knew, before we even took a bite, that this was going to be fecking delicious. We demolished the little boxes' contents within minutes and all kinda sat there in complete and utter satisfaction. Record-breaking times, record-breaking Grab meal, I'd say.
We were getting ready to catch our flight on the last day and just wanted something easy and close by, Italian was always going to be a goer when I'm around. Everyone was shocked when I admitted I hadn't eaten at Luigi's yet ('Darcie?! Hasn't eaten?! At one of the most talked-about spots?!'). Of course we had to rectify the matter. We shared a garlic focaccia and a very yummy vodka pasta topped with an asian chilli crisp and were very content with our last supper.
GILI T
Sometimes the universe has to literally shove you in the right direction. Even if it takes a bit longer because you're a control freak who gets dangerously close to a meltdown when things don't go to plan. This warung was my reminder of that. There are better things waiting for you. In this case, "better" meant a warung we stumbled across because the one I'd planned to take everyone to was closed. The Bintangs were cold, the nasi was to die for, and the night felt full of anticipation for a holiday-well-spent.
Pasir Putih Restaurant (in front of Gili Eco Villas)
Coconuts, sunbeds, nasi, frozen daiquiris, and very attentive, kind staff made our day. This beach bar was another happy accident, we just plopped down for the day, and even though the planner in me secretly worried it'd be a flop, it ended up being everything we needed. I even sneakily checked the ratings after we'd ordered drinks and people were starting to order food. Somewhere in the 4s. I could breathe a little easier. Then the food came out, and it was classic, delicious, and left everyone with a full belly.
I only had coffee here, but it earns a mention because, as a bit of a coffee snob, it can be hard to find a good one on an island. Friends of ours were impressed with the breakfast too.
ULUWATU
Warung Lagong (Outside of Ulu)
When you're travelling with a friend who's lived in and out of Bali half his life, and he tells your driver to stop at a little warung on the highway en route to your next destination, you listen. The best nasi of the trip, surrounded by rice fields, with a wall of famous surfers who'd visited over the years. Couldn't get much better, really. Food so good I didn't even wait to take a picture.
When they say breakfast is served, this is what they mean. A menu bigger than a novella can be daunting, but with a table of six who all have different tastes, it couldn't have been more perfect. Everything we ordered was a delight. Would recommend, would go back, especially to try the pancakes I watched sitting at another table, eyeing me off after I'd already demolished a full breakfast.
Kala Greek ★★★★★
And finally, dun dun dunnnnnnn: KALA! Everyone's favourite meal of the entire trip. We discussed everything we ate in detail and couldn't fault anything. We were blown away by everything that came out. The freshness, the flavours, the simplicity of good quality ingredients and talented chefs made this the standout. We ordered almost the entire menu, and everything, down to the bread, was groan-inducing. A few favourites of mine: the fried halloumi, wrapped feta, chicken, and the tahini dip. Honestly, I don't think you could order a bad thing off their menu. Highly recommend. Would go back again and again.
Hopefully this little trip down what-i-ate-in-bali lane leaves you with a few things to think about. Like changing your entire holiday so you can try each of these places and every dish I mentioned. No pressure of course. Just something to think about, I said.
Anyway, off to start the next glossary of 101 food places, mwah! xo
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