KAFE

KAFE has been a fixture of Jalan Hanoman since late 2004, so it has now been serving Ubud for more than two decades. It describes itself as a casual local hangout serving home-cooked, healthy comfort food, and its organically inspired menu draws on flavours from around the world rather than any single cuisine.

Ingredients are central to the approach. KAFE uses locally sourced, natural and organic produce where possible, and most of its vegetables come from Yogi's Garden, a partner farm in Payangan just north of Ubud. In the kitchen it cooks with butter, coconut oil and olive oil and avoids seed oils and preservatives. The menu caters for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and keto diets, which makes it a safe choice for groups with different needs.

Breakfast runs from juices, smoothies and coffee to avocado toast, pancakes and fruit and vegetable bowls. At lunch there are sandwiches, wraps, Asian curries, soups, mezze plates, burritos and salads, and the dinner menu adds grilled steak, chicken and fish, pastas, roast chicken and Indonesian specials. Regulars mention the red rice nasi goreng and the raw vegan cheesecake, and recent menus have also featured buckwheat pancakes, broccoli pesto soup, kitcheree and detox juices, with raw and macrobiotic choices as well. Daily specials make use of what the farm has produced.

KAFE is open every day from 7am to 11pm, with last orders at 10pm, so it is useful for an early breakfast before sightseeing as well as for a relaxed dinner. Reservations, catering and questions are handled by WhatsApp, and there is a separate home delivery service that runs from 7.30am to 9.30pm. Orders can also be placed online. The setting sits somewhere between a tropical canteen and a city bistro, set slightly back from the street.

KAFE suits solo travellers, families and anyone wanting a healthy meal without fuss. Allow 45 minutes to an hour. Jalan Hanoman runs south from Jalan Raya Ubud, so the café is within walking distance of the town centre, and several other cafés and restaurants on the same street, including Clear Café and Bebek Bengil, make it an easy place to graze.