The best places to eat in Pererenan - Canggu, Bali
Food is an important part of traveling. It’s a way of discovering new tastes and eating together is an excellent way of getting to know new friends. Nothing beats a good conversation with delicious food. Arriving in a new country and figuring out where to eat can be a bit tricky, especially if you are not an adventurous eater. If you ever find yourself in Bali, more specifically in Pererenan, Canggu, here is a list of Joyce-approved places to eat.
Where in Bali is Pererenan located?
Most people who know a bit about Bali have heard of Canggu, the Digital Nomad capital of the world. What most people don’t know, myself included, is that Canggu actually consists of three parts, or neighborhoods. On the most eastern part, we have Berawa, the “oldest” part of Canggu. This part of Canggu got developed first, and it’s difficult to find an empty plot or beautiful rice field in this neighborhood. On the other hand, there are a lot of popular and established restaurants and bars here. Next, right in the middle, lies Canggu. There are still some empty plots waiting to develop, but not much, and you’ll pay a hefty price for that prime real estate. This is the neighborhood where you’ll find the most famous digital nomad places and it’s a great place to network with like-minded people. Last but not least, we have Pererenan. This neighborhood is located on the western edge of Canggu. It’s an up-and-coming neighborhood with a good balance of places to stay and eat and beautiful rice fields. There is lots of construction going on though, so it’s only a matter of time before the empty lots of this neighborhood get developed too. Because it’s not as developed as Berawa and Canggu yet, you’ll find more peace and quiet here. All these neighborhoods are just a 10-minute scooter ride away from each other, so it’s easy to explore all three and find out for yourself which one you like the most.
Now, let’s start on that list you were looking for: the best places to eat in Pererenan.
WOODS
The most beautiful place to eat is probably WOODS. Like the name implies, the entire restaurant is made out of wood. Even better (for me, as an ecologist), the place didn’t cut down all the original trees that were on the plot, but chose instead to build around them. The end result is gorgeous: natural woodwork with living trees right in the middle of the restaurant.
WOODS has both a breakfast and lunch menu and a separate dinner menu. Breakfast starts at 8:00 and you can order until 17:00. The kitchen is closed between 17:00 and 18:00 so the kitchen crew can prepare for dinner. The restaurant is still open during this time, but you can only order drinks. Dinner starts at 18:00.
Popular items on the menu include eggs, avocado toast, pancakes, shakshouka, fruit bowls, croissants, burrata and the most delicious pistachio cacio e pepe I’ve ever had. The amount of juices, smoothies, coffees and teas, and spirits is just too much to list. I promise you’ll never go thirsty here. The dinner menu is a bit more fancy and also a bit more expensive. Dishes include carpaccio, sashimi, tartare, lobster ravioli, steak and short ribs.
Arte
Arte is a beautiful Italian restaurant right by the beach. They have the best wood-fired oven pizzas and homemade pasta in town. Being a cheese addict, I love their Fettuccine Crema Formaggi and Pizza 4 Formaggi, although my absolute favorite is actually the Gnocchi Pesto. Either way, whatever you order, you can’t go wrong here. Do keep in mind that you have to reserve a table on Wednesdays because that’s when they have a live jazz band playing and it can get quite busy.
When you enter Arte, you’ll notice two things: the art on the walls and all the books spread out throughout the restaurant. The art is from Bali’s local artists and can be purchased onsite. The books are part of the “Mine is Yours” library, which was conceived during the pandemic. The books are there to connect international travelers over their love of literature. Loaning out a book is free, but the restaurant does ask for a small deposit in case the books don’t make it back to the restaurant.
DEEG
DEEG in Pererenan is not (yet) a sit-down place, but you can order to-go or with any food delivery app. It might not look like much on the outside, but the cinnamon rolls and red velvet cookies are some of the best I’ve ever had. They’re open from 8:00 till 21:00 and perfect for an early morning or late-night sugar fix. Plus, the staff is super friendly and always happy to have a little chat if you want.
Warung Kezia
I’m not a very adventurous eater. Some would even call me a picky eater. But, being in Indonesia, I had to try a local Warung at least once. I was a bit intimidated by all the exotic food and strange names, so I do have to admit I choose a more “western” warung that had an actual menu you could look at. The fact that they had a menu didn’t undermine their excellent Indonesian cooking though, so that’s why this is one of my favorites. If you have trouble finding this warung, look for the big white swans, you can’t miss them.
Their nasi goreng ayam and bami goreng ayam are simply perfect. I especially love the peanut sauce on the chicken satay. They have some beautiful tables that overlook the rice terrace right next to them, but it depends on how busy the place is if you get seated there or at the tables by the street.
Soogie Roll
Soogi Roll was my first time trying Korean food, and they did not disappoint. It was also the first time I had to take my shoes off before entering a restaurant. I’m pretty sure that if I did that in Belgium, I’d be asked to leave. The staff was super friendly and explained to me what the different kinds of dishes were. I tried their vegetable roll and was surprised both by the excellent taste and the amount. The roll is big enough to serve as a complete meal.
Brunch Club
The Brunch Club is quite the institution in Bali. They have three restaurants in Pererenan, Canggu, and Legian. The restaurant is spacious and open with comfortable couches and good background music. They have a brunch menu that includes croissants, fruit plates, egg toasts, a delicious brekkie burger, and a “big brunch breakfast”. After eleven, they also serve burgers, pizza, sandwiches, and salads.
The real crowd-pleaser is the pancakes, better known as porncakes. These pancakes are the fluffiest pancakes I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s basically like eating a cloud. Very light and very sweet. I was a bit confused by the name though, why would you name pancakes porncakes? Well, as it turned out, these pancakes are so light and fluffy that they do a sexy wiggle if you bounce them a little, not unlike when have a big butt and twerk.
