Strap yourselves in. This will be a good one.
Ubud is a vegan's paradise. Whether you're exploring around Hanoman Street, Monkey Forest Road, Ubud Main Road, or even the nearby village of Penestanan, vegan restaurants can be found at almost every corner. In line with the yoga-hippie vibe Ubud emits, most vegan and vegetarian restaurants focus on healthy foods, though there were many local Balinese and Western-oriented restaurants as well.
As there are so many options to choose from, after thirty days in Ubud, here are the restaurants we visited and we feel like we barely scratched the surface! The list is in no particular order.
No shortage of these signs in Ubud! ("Warung" translates to restaurant).
The Veggie Table
Nasi campur ("mixed rice") at the Veggie Table.
This is a great place to grab a meal if you're not looking to break the bank. They have an extensive Balinese vegan menu - offering up nasi campur, nasi goreng, and more. We got the turmeric rice dish and nasi campur, for 35,000 and 50,000 rupiah respectively. Best of all, the staff are lovely, and unlike most restaurants in Ubud, there is no tax or service charge added to your bill.
Juice Ja Cafe
Unsurprisingly, Juice Ja has a large selection of juices, though they were fairly pricey so we opted just to order food. The "large" salad (42k rupiah) was quite small, lacking vegetables, and had a very oily dressing, though the Indonesian tempe curry (35k rupiah) was absolutely delicious. The staff are unfortunately pretty cold here. We were cameraless the night we went here, so unfortunately cannot share what we had!
Down To Earth Cafe:
The dragon bargain (macro bowl, pumpkin soup, GF rotee) and tempeh reuben sandwich at Down To Earth.
One of our favourites in Ubud, Down To Earth is a fully vegan restaurant, part of the Zula Vegetarian-Earth Cafe chain found in Seminyak and Ubud. Down To Earth is located upstairs, above their health food store and raw food cafe. It has a very, very, very (almost too) large menu. We came here quite a bit - our favourite menu items were the Dragon Bargain (69k rupiah) and the black bean veggie burger (69k rupiah). The prices are a bit steep, but totally worth it.
The black-bean veggie burger with fries and homemade ketchup from Down To Earth
Bali Buda:
The tempeh pumpkin sandwich at Bali Buda.
A very popular spot among the typical Ubud yogi crowd, Bali Buda is a great place for vegan eats. Unfortunately, the menu does have some meat options and the staff aren't great. The tempe pumpkin sandwich (53k rupiah) was phenomenal, and the macrobiotic plate (55k) was good value. For cheaper options - try the Indonesian dishes. The nasi goreng at 31k rupiah is a huge portion for a good price. Unfortunately, we had a negative experience with the staff and which items were vegan/non-vegan, but aside from the initial confusion, Bali Buda has good food.
Salad (with limited dressing options for us) at Bali Buda.
Blossom Cafe:
Blossom Cafe's infamous soy-milk soft-serve ice cream - for only 25k rupiah!
I came here many times for one thing, and one thing only...vegan soft-serve ice cream! Their soy ice cream is incredible - a great treat to cool down in the Bali heat. The small size is plenty for one person (or even to share) and is only 25k rupiah.
Klear Cafe Express:
A vegan chocolate brownie bought at Klear Express, enjoyed here beside the pool of our villa!
Klear Cafe Express is at the location of the former Klear Cafe on Hanoman which unfortunately burnt down recently. They now sell some snacks here for if you're on the go. Best of all, you can sample all of the options before choosing which snacks to get. We found ourselves visiting Klear Express just to sample everything! There are lots of vegan options (warning, some products have eggs). Our favourites were the the chocolate brownie (20k rupiah) and raw goji lime cookies (30k rupiah).
Paradiso:
Paradiso is home to super fast wifi and an awesome raw chocolate cake & gelato
Paradiso is a raw vegan cafe in the same building as Earth Cafe and their health foods store. They offer movie nights, vegan popcorn, and great raw treats, most of which are chocolate. My favourite was the almond dessert for 28k rupiah. Good tip: Paradiso has the fastest wifi I experienced in Ubud other than Hubud, so is a great place to spend a few hours to grab a snack and get some work done.
The raw almond chocolate square from Paradiso
Prima Warung:
Nasi campur from Prima Warung - the cheapest vegan restaurant in Ubud!
Prima Warung is located in Penestanan, a few hundred metres further down the road from Alchemy. It is the cheapest all-vegan restaurant we could find in Ubud, as the nasi campur is only 25k rupiah. The portion size is good - the menu changes day to day, and Prima, the owner, is a gem - be sure to check this place out.
Sopa Warung:
The nasi campur and sushi from Sopa
Sopa is good place to get decent wifi and a nice nasi campur. Unfortunately over the month we were in Ubud, the nasi campur options never changed, but we still came here four times because it was so good! It is 6k rupiah for rice and 8k rupiah for each item - my favourites were the tempe manis, Balinese curry, tofu farafel ball, and samosa. They also have a great pumpkin soup (35k for a large) and kitcheree (35k) you can order off the menu.
Kitcheree with coconut milk - a must-have from Sopa
Wayan's Juice Bar:
Medium-sized green juice from Wayan's Juice Bar in Penestanan
Go here for juices! It is very affordable and delicious - located in Penestanan a few hundred metres before Alchemy if coming from Ubud centre. The staff are great and the juices are awesome! A large coconut water goes for 30k rupiah, a shot of wheatgrass for 18k, and a medium green juice for 55k. There is a very extensive menu of both fruit and vegetable juices. Vic enjoyed coming here for lunch sometimes, where she would splurge and get a large green juice for 110k!
A fresh large coconut water from Wayan's
Alchemy:
Vic's pick from the salad bar at Alchemy!
What would Ubud be without Alchemy. Alchemy was a 5 minute walk from our villa , so we were no strangers here. The salad bar is great - 47k rupiah for a large portion of salad with your choice of four toppings and a dressing.
Vic making her breakfast bowl at Alchemy.
Only two dressings are vegan as all others have honey, but were great nonetheless. We also went for breakfast, which is the same price as the salad bar. The breakfast bar is a great idea, as there are vegan cashew-based yogurts and milk, tons of fruits, lots of oatmeals.
Fresh cashew milk and breakfast fruits/oats from Alchemy
Living Food Lab:
Our choice from the inexpensive salad bar at LFL overlooking the rice paddies
Living Food Lab was an all-raw-vegan spot during our time in Ubud, though I heard they recently introduced sandwiches with cheese (?) to appeal to the non-vegans. Hubud is a great place to get work done with the fastest internet in Ubud, and Living Food Lab was perfect to re-energize with a custom-made salad. Like Alchemy, you can pick your own toppings, though you can pick up to 7 toppings for only 40k rupiah. The food is not as gourmet and more basic in comparison to Alchemy, but still tasty and recommended!
Sari Organik
Tempe with fresh veggies at Sari Organik
Sari Organik has a great view in the rice fields off of Ubud Main Road. It is a short walk through the fields from the main road, but if you have scooter can zig-zag all the way there. Unfortunately, there are meat options on the menu, but luckily, it is very vegan-friendly. We loved our dishes - super delicious and the presentation was first-class. We came here to celebrate Vic's birthday, and got the tempe with fresh veggies and curry sauce and the longton (banana leaf cooked rice in a curry soup) for 50k each. What we liked most about Sari is the veggies used in the dishes are grown in the organic garden in front of the restaurant, so the food is extra fresh.
The birthday girl celebrating with banana leaf-cooked rice and curry at Sari Organik!
Kafe
Warning to vegans - do not go here!!! Kafe is a very popular spot on Hanoman with apparently fast wifi, but the staff here informed us that in fact, Nothing on their menu is vegan! The staff said their soups and salad dressings are actually made using a broth that uses butter to sauté onions and garlic. So even menu items that claim they are vegan are actually not. The only for sure vegan option at Kafe is the raw vegan option of the day. We opted out of eating here.
Sharashwaty Indian Vegetarian
Vegetable curry masal at Sharashwaty
Located across from Wayan's Coconut Juice Bar in Penestanan, Sharashwaty is owned by a really nice lady who cooks incredible vegetarian Indian food. She understands what "vegan" means and is happy to use coconut milk and no ghee to accommodate. The food was delicious and reminded me of what I was missing in India. There is a nice sitting area upstairs with low tables. My favourite was the vegetable curry masala (35k plus 5k for rice), such in-depth flavours and a tad spicy. Everything is made fresh so it takes a while to arrive at your table, but it definitely worth the wait!
Soma:
The infamous Tower of Power at Soma Restaurant
Soma was among our top restaurants in Ubud. The food is very gourmet, and we love it because they really highlight vegetables, rather than relying on a veggie-protein. It's too bad they charge a 17% surcharge on the bill, but the extra charge is worth it! It's around 60k rupiah for a main dish - we recommend the Tower of Power and the raw live pad Thai. Though the portions are small and will leave you wanting more, the flavours and presentation are to die for. Saturdays at lunch time there is a chanting circle among the yogi crowd - an interesting place to people watch.
Live raw pad thai at Soma - you'll be licking your plate the pad thai sauce is so good
Seeds of Life:
The raw lasagna from Seeds of Life - each layer gets tastier and tastier
Seeds of Life is our favourite fully raw vegan place in Ubud. The lasagna is incredible, and the burrito isn't too shabby too. Mains are around 55k rupiah, but don't skip out on dessert! They offer a great raw chocolate tart for 45k.
The raw chocolate torte cake!
Elephant:
The tofu larb at the Elephant - perfectly seasoned
The Elephant was probably our favourite restaurant in Ubud. A bit of a walk from Ubud's centre, it is located just past the Bintang Supermarket near Penestanan. It is vegetarian, but vegan menu items are clearly marked. The decor is more modern-Western than Balinese, but the view overlooking the rice fields and palm trees is spectacular.
Coconut noodle soup at The Elephant, very heavy but full of flavour!
The food is perfect - we were lucky enough to try the Vietnamese pancake (65k), Rabbit Salad (55k), Larb (45k), and Coconut Noodle Soup (55k). The flavours really hop off the plate and if there is one place in Ubud you have to try - it's here!
The Rabbit Salad
Holy Basil:
All of this was only 38k rupiah ($3.80)!
Located next to the Delta Supermarket in Ubud, Holy Basil has a really cool concept. Every day the menu is different - Monday is Thai, Tuesday is Indian, Wednesday is Indonesia, Thursday is Malay, etc. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are all vegan. 38k rupiah gets you a huge, I mean MASSIVE, platter of food. I went on Indian day and got spicy pineapple, hashbrowns, pancake, tempeh skewers, tofu-mock meat skewers, rice, salad with cashew dressing, and a huge bowl of Indian curry. Damn! Really good value. It is the only restaurant in Ubud I have really felt full after eating at.
Kokolato:
The moringa mint chocolate and raw cacao maca flavours from Kokolato
Kokolato is owned by and located beneath Bali Buda. It offers 528 mHz charged vegan ice cream with "soul" (whatever that means!). The base ingredients to all flavours are coconut oil, young coconut, mature coconut, coconut sugar, crystal essences, and Irish moss. We had moringa mint chocolate chip, raw cacao maca, coffee espresso, key lime pie, vanilla bean, black rice pudding, and carrot cake flavours! Prices are reasonable at 30k per scoop, (5k extra if you want a cone, 10k extra for a chocolate cone). Tip: if you only order one scoop, you can get half and half of two flavours for the 30k.
Garden Kafe:
Our dishes from the Yoga Barn's Garden Kafe
It is located inside the Yoga Barn complex and is always busy when yoga classes end. This is the "un-vegan-friendly Kafe's" sister restaurant...that happens to be very vegan-friendly!! There is a huge raw vegan menu, and lots of cooked vegan items as well. We tried the macro bowl and Balinese pumpkin tempe curry, both were great at around 50k rupiah each.
Nine Heaven:
Tofu soup at Nine Heaven Vegan Korean restaurant in Ubud
Found on Ubud Main Road just past the road Bali Buda is on, Nine Heaven is a great, small place serving up surprisingly tasty all-vegan Korean food. We tried to go here two or three times before we actually ate here, but they were randomly closed - so be prepared to try hard to finally eat here! The place is run by a one-woman show; she cleans, takes your order, cooks, and serves. Love it! The bibimbap, tofu soup, and fried kimchi and tofu were the dishes we ordered and we were very happy with them. Prices are all around the 50k rupiah range. Perfect place if you're looking for something different in Ubud.
Fried kimchi and tofu dish from Nine Heaven