Plant-based guide to Ubud, Bali

On my recent trip to Bali I was lucky enough to spend a few days in the beautiful mountain region of Ubud.

One of the things I love about Ubud is the variety of plant-based cafés and restaurants on offer. I’ve put together a list for you of my favourites.

Are you planning a trip to Bali? You can find my other plant-based guides here: Plant-Based Guide to Canggu and Plant-Based Guide to Seminyak.

My plant-based favourite: Alchemy

A raw, vegan cafe with a build-your-own salad bar and loads of fresh smoothies and juices. I recommend you show up with a big appetite.

• Build your own salad – I love this option because you can really tailor your meal to suit your likes  (see the image at the top of this post).
• Vietnamese spring rolls – Not your average spring rolls. These ones are wrapped using a dehydrated papaya wrap and served with an incredible hoisin sauce (which tasted a lot like satay sauce). It was so delicious that mum and I are considering buying a dehydrator to recreate them at home.
• Raw banoffee pie – This is a dessert to remember. Layers of pie crust, coconut cream, fresh banana and caramel.
• Raspberry lipstick – A smoothie blend of dragon fruit, strawberry, raspberry, fresh coconut and coconut nectar. I learnt the hard way not to wear white shorts when drinking purple drinks.

Address: Jl. Penestanan Kelod No.75
Open: Daily 7:00 – 21:00
Instagram: @AlchemyBali

Kafe

This was the first cafe we ate at when arriving in Ubud and loved it so much we came back the following day.

• Scrambled tofu – Served with red rice. The tofu was bursting with flavour.
• Iced latte with soy milk –  Perfect for those warm mornings.
• Macrobiotic bowl – Served with brown rice and a lemon-tahini dressing. Not your traditional breakfast meal but it left me feeling energised for the day ahead.

Address: Jl. Hanoman No. 44B
Open: Daily 7:30 – 23:00
Instagram: @Kafe_Ubud

Earth Cafe and Market

Vegan versions of all your favourites – burgers, hot dogs, wraps, pizza’s, pancakes, chocolates, and the list goes on. They have a large menu so you’ll want to stop by at least a couple of times. This cafe is also attached to Paradisio, a cinema serving organic vegan food, so definitely check out what movies they are playing.

Address: Jl. Goutama Selatan
Open: Daily 7:00 – 22:00
Instagram: @EarthCafeBali

Casa Luna Cooking School

On Saturdays they have a ‘Food is Medicine’ vegetarian/vegan class and its one of my favourite days we had in Bali. What stood out to me was the huge role the fresh herbs and spices play in the Balinese cooking. All of these were hand-ground into a paste and cooked with the fresh vegetables and tempeh. It was definitely the best traditional Balinese meal we had during our trip. And it tasted so much better since we helped to create it ourselves. If you are heading to Ubud, this is a must-do.

Address: Honeymoon Guesthouses, Jalan Bisma
Open: Check the website for class schedule
Instagram: @CasaLunaUbud and @JanetDeNeefe

Jungle Fish

The no beach…beach club. This place is perfect to spend the entire day relaxing so I suggest you go in the morning and grab yourself a spot by the pool and take a good book. This beautiful pool is situated on the side of a mountain surrounded by the trees and greenery. As for their vegan food options:

• Fresh fruit
• Pomelo salad
• Edamame
• Soy iced latte
• Fruit smoothies and cocktails
• French fries

Address: Jl. Raya Sebali
Open: Daily 7:30 – 22:30
Instagram: @JungleFishBali

The Elephant

Not only does The Elephant have amazing food, but it also has a stunning view. Go just before sunset and enjoy a drink on the couch before dinner. I highly recommend:

• Pad Thai – Home made tom yum paste, tofu, bean sprouts and chives. Ask for no egg. Very satisfying.
• Rice paper rolls – Filled with tofu, rice noodles and vegetables with mint, peanut sauce & nahm jin. I order rice paper rolls everywhere I go and these ones were definitely up there. So delish.
• A side of greens – Full of flavour – steamed broccoli, snow peas, baby beans with olive oil, preserved lemon & toasted almonds.
• Chocolate brownie – Even if you are full from dinner, take one of these home for later. Trust me. They have a gluten free version also.
• Chocolate chip cookie – Add this to your take home box, along with the brownie. Dessert sorted.

Address: Hotel Taman Indrakila, Jl. Raya Sanggingan
Open: Daily 8:00 – 21:30
Instagram: @The_Elephant_Ubud

I want to hear from you

Comment below: Have you been to Ubud? I’d love to know where your favourite places are.

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