After 27 years of traveling, I’ve finally found my favorite food destination, Canggu! Whether you’re vegan, paleo, gluten free, dairy free, or anything health related, there’s a cafe in Canggu that is perfect for you. While I’m slightly embarrassed that my favorite food destination features “western” food (aka food from home), after 8 months of traveling in Southeast Asia, fresh food (especially vegan food) was screaming my name!

There is a huge push in Canggu for healthy meals and veggie foods, but you can definitely find meats and fried goodies everywhere too. And everything is delicious! Even the healthy stuff…

Canggu offers a balanced mix of traditional Indonesian dishes (so you’re not lacking on that cultural experience) as well as food from all over the world. And just so you know, the traditional Indonesian dishes are amazing!

Traditional Indonesian Dishes

Gado Gado – Lightly boiled vegetables, sprouts, potatoes, tofu/tempeh, and a hardboiled egg covered in peanut sauce. “Gado gado” means mix mix.
Nasi Goreng – Fried rice, usually served with a fried egg on top. “Nasi” means rice, so anytime you see it, you’ll know it’s a rice dish.
Mie Goreng – Fried noodles. “Mie” is a type of noodle, so anytime you see it, you’ll know it’s noodle.s
Satay – Grilled meat skewers with peanut sauce (veggie options available).
Beef Rendang – Similar to beef curry but without the broth. I haven’t tried it but I’ve heard it’s amazing and slow cooked to make the beef super tender.
Sambal – Hot and spicy chili sauce (made w/ shrimp paste).
Soto – Soup made of broth, meat, and vegetables. It is served in a wide range of variations depending on the region and main ingredient.
Ketupat – Crackers similar to rice cakes (some made w/ shrimp).
Sweet Martabak – The Indonesian version of a pancake, stuffed with chocolate, cheese or peanuts. Yum!

Traditional Gado Gado at Warung Murah

A Few Tips…

Cheap food can be found at any place labeled “warung.” Warungs serve meals in the 15,000-35,000 IDR price range ($1-3 USD). Some warungs look like food carts with temporary seating, others look like normal restaurants.
Regular restaurants are where you’ll find the fresh, amazing dishes you see posted on Instagram such as refreshing smoothie bowls and huge healthy salads. These meals typically start at 50,000 IDR ($3.76 USD).
At the time of writing this post, $1 USD is equal to 13,300 Indonesia Rupiah (IDR).
“Thank you” is “tarima kasih” (pronounced ter-e-ma ka-see).

Best Places to Eat in Canggu

I eat primarily vegetarian/vegan so some of my restaurant selections might be skewed, but almost all of these have meat options too! Canggu is the first city where I felt like I had options. Lots of options. Too many options. More options than I ever had at home. Normally I look at a menu and have 1-2 veggie options, but in Canggu, there are restaurants which are entirely vegan! Mind blown.

Batu Bolong Area:

Crate – This is arguably the most popular breakfast place in Canggu! Enjoy a lazy morning indulging in a filling breakfast at a cheap price! Every dish here is absolutely amazing, and it’ll be tough to pick just one off the giant menu board! Fortunately, you won’t break the bank if you pick two, as prices are around 40,000-50,000 IDR. You cannot miss this place!
Betelnut – This is another local favorite. Dine upstairs in the “treehouse” and people-watch as patrons pass on the street below. Open later than most places, this is the perfect place to grab a late lunch or dinner. The menu is extensive and includes amazing salads, bowls, wraps, and more!
Roti Canai – If you’re in the mood for roti, this place has some of the best I’ve ever tried! It’s right next door to Betelnut. Can’t miss!
Poke Poke – Aloha! Right next to Betelnut and Roti Canai, you can enjoy a fresh ahi tuna bowl and other Hawaii-inspired dishes.
Monsieur Spoon – In the mood for French food? This place boasts a slightly more sophisticated vibe and serves some of the best pastries in the area. Grab a coffee, warm croissant, and relax with a book in the garden.
Shady Shack – This is a vegetarian’s dream come true! An amazing menu and food so good that you’ll be shocked to hear how healthy it is!
Motion Cafe – A health foodies dream come true. Everything is not only healthy, its highly customizable. They have vegan-specific dishes, protein-packed paleo dishes, and every protein waffles! Yes, waffles! The worst thing about this place is figuring out what to eat, there are so many choices! Oh yeah, there’s a happy hour everyday from 2-5pm serving huge protein shakes (vegan included) for 30,000 IDR (thats super cheap).
Warung Canteen – Words can’t describe my feeling for Canteen. It’s super cheap compared to “normal restaurants” and the food is out of this world. Come for breakfast or lunch, or brunch after a long night out (that’s what we did!).
Ithaka – The menu is extensive and includes Indonesian favorites, western foods, and a make your own burger/sandwich section. If you make it here, the eggplant balls are out of this world!
Warung Dandelion – Delicious local food. This place is a little out of the way, but the short drive is totally worth it. Relax and enjoy the moment while eating traditional Indonesian food in a beautiful open air garden. As an added bonus, you’ll see bunnies hopping around too!
Old Mans – While I don’t think the food is the best, Old Mans is perfect for sunset. Grab a beer and relax on the beach.
Deus Ex Machina – Don’t miss Tacos + Tatts Tuesdays where patrons have the chance to get a free tattoo with the purchase of a taco. Not your thing? I’ve heard the burgers are great too! My favorite though is the free wine tasting on Thursdays from 7-8pm.
La Baracca – Arguably the best pizza in Canggu. Prepared to be dazzled by the romantic ambiance and amazing food. We went as a large group and all 22 of us loved our meals. Expect to dine on a variety of gourmet pizzas, pastas, calzones, and antipastos. Yum!

* Restaurants are popping up faster in Canggu that I can possibly add. I’m came back here in 2018 and there are so many more amazing places to try. I’ll keep updating the list but add your favorites in the comments below!

Berawa Area:

Bali Bowls & Smoothies – This is my all-time favorite place to eat in Canggu! The only reason it’s not at the top of every blog is because they just opened in April 2017. Expect to see this restaurant rise to the top very soon. The atmosphere is adorable– two stories, open air, and bamboo everywhere. It’s clean, modern, trendy, yet still has that beach vibe. The menu is well priced with options such 2 slices of thick avocado toast w/ poached egg for 45,000 IDR and decadent smoothie bowls for 75,000 IDR. While their smoothie bowls are priced slightly higher than some of it’s competitors, they cannot be missed! They are insanely thick and almost overwhelming to eat! My favorite, the Green Giant Smoothie Bowl.
Ruko – This trendy, urban, hipster restaurant is the perfect place to refuel and relax after surfing at Berawa Beach. Come for breakfast or lunch (they close at 4pm) and enjoy a cup of freshly brewed coffee with breakfast favorites like avocado toast and pancakes, healthy smoothie bowls, and sandwiches for lunch. I’ve heard their eggs Benedict with pulled pork is out of this world!
Cinta – Come during the day (even though they are also open at night) because the view is what sets this place apart. It is gorgeous! Dine in the back of the restaurant and enjoy the zen, Bali-style moment while overlooking beautiful rice patty fields.
Satu Satu – While I didn’t have the chance to dine here, I’ve heard they have great breakfast and lunch options as well as some of the best coffee in Canggu!
Milk and Madu – Milk and Madu is a favorite among locals in Canggu and it has the menu to prove it. While they are known for a fabulous brunch (featuring Revolver coffee, yum!), their menu also features delicious dishes such as lava stone baked pizza ! And as an added bonus, there’s a Nalu Bowls counter on site!
Nude – While they claim to keep things simple here, the menu is anything but! Expect to find clean ingredients, healthy dishes, and a menu that fits anybody’s delight.
Matcha – If you love matcha, then this cafe is for you. From match coffees to match cookies, theres so matcha to love! I’m not a big match fan and I even enjoyed everything I tried.

Echo Area:

Nalu Bowls – Known for their amazing smoothie blows, Nalu Bowls gives Bali Bowls & Smoothies som stiff competition. With multiple locations around Bali, people really love these bowls. The menu is large and the vibe is chill. You can’t come to Canggu without giving one of these bowls a try.