Green cafes in Bali
Local. Sustainable. Green. Organic. Fair. Clean. We take our tastebuds to try a tantalising selection of Bali’s established and newbie green cafes that serve up good, clean, fair and healthy food.
Watercress Cafe, Batu Belig
Break from the chaos of Seminyak and hit Watercress café on trendy Batu Belig. The warung-style display teases with plenty of eye candy: Mediterranean salads, sprouted goodies, golden falafel and fresh dips to grilled frittatas, vegetarian lasagna, and fish kebabs. Or try the all-day rustic breakfast inspired by the owner’s hometown of Byron Bay, Australia. There are perfectly poached eggs over crunchy chat potatoes, crispy sweet corn fritters, chunky avocado salsa, and of course, grilled bacon. Need a caffeine hit? Watercress delivers with a special house blend of 100% Arabica grounds from around Indonesia. Their milk even comes from expat Australian cows living in Java, but most importantly, every coffee is poured as a double ristretto. Translation: pure crema goodness full of oils, aroma, richness, and taste that a single shot won’t give.
Watercress Café, Jl Batu Belig #21a, Batu Belig, Bali, Indonesia 80361, p. +62 (0)361 7808030. Open Mon-Sun 730am-5pm.
Earth Café, Seminyak
This uber-funky macrobiotic, vegan resto, healthfood store, and general wellness Mecca offers something for every waning part of your body. Feast on a Wheatberry Sprout salad, a Mediterranean platter extraordinaire, a chilled raw soup, or one of the bone-building, energy-giving, fertility-treating, protein-enhancing shakes and concoctions – complete with extra wide eco-friendly glass straw so you can slam it down fast. Save space for dessert and try the raw chocolate mousse cupcake, homemade bounty bars, or choose one of Earth’s many power balls made from ingredients like raw cacao, peanut butter, coconut, goji berries, dates, oats, and other superfoods.
Earth Café, Jl Lasmana #99, Oberoi, Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia 80361, p. +62 (0)361 736645. Open Mon-Sun 8am-12pm.
Clear Café, Ubud
Clear: it’s an organic, raw, vegan, and seafood oasis. Standouts include the Bali Tataki – cocoa and cayenne seared tuna with daikon and beets in a mangosteen sauce; Rainbow Salad – jackfruit, mango, red peppers, basil and mint with almond butter dressing, and the most virtuous tuna burger in history complete healthy fries and onion rings! Bottoms up with Clear’s blended tonics and elixirs like the Energizer with maca root and ginger, and the Chocolate Butterfly with peanut butter, fresh banana, honey, vanilla bean. Can’t get enough in one sitting? Take away some of Clear’s yummy snacks, chocolates,flavoured nuts, and raw crackers from the convenient shop out front!
Clear Cafe, Jl Hanoman #8, Padang Tegal Kaye, Ubud, Bali, Indonsesia, p. +62 (0)3618894437. Open Mon-Sun 8am-10pm.
Betelnut Café, Canggu
Canggu fave, Betelnut, delivers a quirky fusion of Indo-healthy-tastiness with a side of local sustainability. Sitting pretty amongst tranquil rice fields, bright-eyed Aussie couple, Gypsy and Justin’s dream café has a captive (and salivating) audience. Generous servings of fiercely nutritious food, like The Big Betelnut Salad, combining four house salads including red rice, coconut, raisins, roasted pumpkin, feta, sundried tommies, and cashews are some of the cult faves along with vividly-coloured juices and shakes. With as much organic produce as possible from the lush mountains of Bedugal and everything else sourced from local suppliers (like the delish French patisserie next door!) – Betelnut really delivers on both the healthy body and healthy conscience angle.
Betelnut Café, Jl Batu Bolong, Canggu, Bali, Indonesia 80361, p. +62 (0) 821 46807233. Open Tue-Sun 7am-11pm.
glow at COMO Shambhala Estate, Ubud
A contemporary, Ikebuchi-designed restaurant, glow features easy dishes from the famous COMO Shambhala cuisine—including salads, energising juices and blends rich in living enzymes, vitamins, and minerals. The cuisine is also organic, sourced locally, and delivered from field to table with minimum delay and creative plating worthy of a Michelin star.
glow at COMO Shambhala, Banjar Begawan, Desa Melingghih Kelod, Payangan Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia 80571, p. +62 (0)361 978888. Open Mon-Sun 630am-11pm (room service for in-house guests is 24hours).
Top image: glow at COMO Shambhala