It is possible to dine very well on a budget in Sanur, Bali. You can splurge on a big night out but often the food won’t be any better than the local fare. The choice is yours. I like to mix it up a bit, making my travel dollar go further, especially when staying here for a month or so. I love eating at warungs, local family owned cafes selling simple food, and I often prefer these to the glitzy restaurants on the main drag, Jalan Danau Tamblingan. There are also many tourist warungs, mostly thatched or tin huts, which spread side by side along the beach at the southern end of Sanur, accessed by the street, Jalan Kesumasari. The menus and prices are much the same along this strip and the food is simple, fresh and good. They also sell Bintang beer and cocktails, coffee and soft drinks but no wine.
Once you have established a relationship with the owners of one warung, it becomes hard to venture further afield. Little extra treats start appearing- roti bawang- garlic bread or kacang- peanuts to go with your beer. The first meal we have in Sanur is at Warung Kak Udong. The order is always the same- a grilled mahi- mahi fish fillet with vegetables and rice, or cumi pedas , stir fried squid and vegetable dish with chilli and rice. Nasi Goreng or Mie goreng ( fried rice or fried noodles) are lovely cheaper options at 25,000 rupiah ( $2.50 AU/€1.80).
The fish is freshly caught and the portion size is large, making it a substantial meal for 50,000 rupiah or $5 AU/€3.6 per person. All up, a lovely fish meal by the sea, with a large Bintang beer for two, (30,000 rupiah) sets us back $13 AU. This is our middle of the range budget meal- we have cheaper options away from the beach with more exciting options but no sea view and more expensive options for western styled meals in big tourist restaurants.
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