Bali Street Food Guide: Night Markets, Warungs and Prices

The short answer: where to eat street food in Bali

The best street food in Bali is found at the night markets (pasar malam or pasar senggol), which set up in market car parks and town squares from late afternoon, and at the small family warungs found on almost every street. The three night markets most worth the trip are Sindhu Night Market in Sanur, Gianyar Night Market east of Ubud and Kereneng Night Market in Denpasar. Most dishes cost IDR 10,000 to 30,000 (about US$0.55 to $1.70), and you can eat very well for IDR 50,000 to 100,000 a person.

Bring small notes, go hungry and look for the busiest stalls. Prices are fixed for food, so there is no haggling. This guide focuses on where and how to eat; for the dishes themselves, see what to eat in Bali.

Sindhu Night Market, Sanur

Sanur's night market sits in central Sanur, just off Jalan Danau Tamblingan and a few minutes' walk from Sindhu Beach. By day it is a small neighborhood market; from around 5 p.m., carts and grills take over. Come at 6 or 7 p.m. for the best choice.

It is the easiest night market for first-timers: compact, walkable from most Sanur hotels and used to foreign visitors without feeling touristy. Typical prices from recent visits:

• Sate ayam (chicken satay with peanut sauce): around IDR 20,000 to 30,000
• Nasi campur: around IDR 15,000 to 30,000
• Bakso (meatball soup): around IDR 12,000 to 15,000
• Soto ayam (turmeric chicken soup): around IDR 15,000 to 20,000
• Fresh juices: around IDR 15,000 to 25,000

Look out for sate lilit and martabak, the thick stuffed pancake that comes sweet (chocolate, cheese, peanut) or savory (egg, leek, minced meat). Expect shared plastic tables when it gets busy. Scooter parking is around IDR 2,000.

Gianyar Night Market

If you eat at only one night market, make it Gianyar. In Gianyar town, roughly 20 minutes' drive east of Ubud, this is a local market first and foremost, open every evening from late afternoon until around 10 or 11 p.m. Locals come here for babi guling (spit-roasted pork), with plates from around IDR 30,000, plus lawar, sate, ayam betutu, bakso and Balinese sweets like klepon and laklak. A ride-hailing car from Ubud makes it an easy evening out.

The variety of Balinese dishes is the draw here. Walk the full loop before you order, then share plates so you can try more.

Kereneng Night Market, Denpasar

Kereneng is a busy market and bus terminal area in Denpasar that turns into a food court from late afternoon, getting busiest from around 6 to 11 p.m. This is where Denpasar's students and office workers eat, and prices are the lowest of the three. Try nasi jinggo, a fist-sized parcel of rice with shredded chicken, noodles and sambal wrapped in banana leaf, often from around IDR 5,000 to 10,000, plus tipat cantok (rice cakes and vegetables in peanut sauce), bakso, soto and martabak. It is a short ride from Sanur.

Warungs in Kuta, Seminyak and beyond

Outside the night markets, the warung is Bali's everyday restaurant: a family kitchen with a glass cabinet of dishes and a few tables. A plate of nasi campur, where you point at rice plus four or five dishes, costs around IDR 25,000 to 45,000 (US$1.50 to $2.50) in tourist areas, often less in villages.

In Seminyak and Kuta, the local favorites hold their own among the beach clubs. Warung Eny on Jalan Petitenget is known for nasi campur with roast chicken and spicy pork. Warung Babi Guling Pak Malen is a long-standing stop for crispy roast pork; go before early afternoon, as the good bits sell out. Made's Warung, open since 1969, is a gentler introduction, with Indonesian classics alongside international comfort food. In Kerobokan, the Taman Sari night market on Jalan Tangkuban Perahu serves cheap satay, bakso and nasi goreng into the night. Around Kuta beach, food carts selling grilled corn, satay and bakso gather near the Kuta Art Market from sunset.

How to order at a warung: point at the dishes you want, say pedas if you want it spicy or tidak pedas if not, and pay at the end. Bungkus means takeaway.

Hygiene: how to eat well and avoid Bali Belly

Street food in Bali is generally safe if you choose well. The rules that matter most:

• Follow the crowd. A busy stall turns over food quickly. Nasi campur dishes that have sat in a cabinet all afternoon are the bigger risk.
• Choose food cooked to order and served hot, such as satay off the grill, martabak, fried rice and soups.
• Watch the ice and water. Stick to bottled drinks and fresh coconut at roadside stalls, and skip ice unless you can see the factory-made cylinders with a hole through the middle.
• Peel your own fruit, and be cautious with raw salads and pre-cut fruit.
• Carry hand wipes or sanitizer. Washbasins are rare, and most locals eat nasi campur with their right hand.

If it does catch you out, our Bali Belly guide covers what to do.

Practical tips and prices

• Cash only. Bring IDR 2,000 to 50,000 notes. An IDR 100,000 note goes a long way, but small stalls struggle to break it.
• Timing: most night markets start setting up around 4 or 5 p.m. and are best from 6 to 9 p.m.
• Budget: around IDR 50,000 to 100,000 (US$2.80 to $5.50) per person for a generous night-market feast with a drink.
• Pork and halal: Bali is mostly Hindu, so pork is common. Muslim-run stalls often have halal signs or "Warung Muslim" in their name.
• No tipping needed at stalls and simple warungs. Rounding up is a kind gesture; see our tipping guide.
• Respect the space. Night markets often sit next to temples and are part of village life. Clear your plate when you are done and dress modestly if you visit the morning market.