Two decades ago, I spent a year in a remote West Balinese fishing village. I must admit that I struggled with the monotony of local dishes. Yet since then, things have changed massively, as much with the quality and diversity of Balinese/Indonesian dishes as with international cuisine. Wherever you stay on the island, you’ll find a vast selection of well-crafted dishes from all over the world.

You can eat healthily and heartily for less than a pound. Or you can splash out on top-notch culinary masterpieces that would challenge some of the world’s finest chefs – all for a fraction of the price you’d pay in London, New York or Paris.

Best for Balinese food

Bali Asli Restaurant

The only thing that could drag your eyes away from the spellbinding Mount Agung view from the terrace will be the beautifully presented Balinese dishes. The scent of spices coming from the kitchen vies with the tropical flowers and the herb garden. For a chance to sample some local variety, order the nasi campur (a local speciality with four accompaniments). Bali Asli might be located off the beaten track, but this spot is a culinary highlight of any trip to the island.

Area: Karangasem (East Bali)
Price: ££
Reservations: Recommended

Kaum Restaurant

Kaum, at Potato Head, is often considered to be the benchmark against which all other Indonesian fine-dining restaurants on the island are judged. The menu reads like a whistlestop tour taking you right across the world’s biggest island nation. Try babi genyol (a pork dish from Bali), slow-cooked beef rendang (from Sumatra) or, from the extensive vegetarian section, mouth-watering and nutritious moringa leaf broth with young coconut. All ingredients are sourced locally.

Area: Seminyak
Price: £££
Reservations: Essential

Murni’s Warung

Ibu Murni (who claims to have been Ubud’s first woman driver) is perhaps the town’s greatest living legend, and her warung, which recently celebrated its 50th birthday, is located on a semi-open riverside deck opposite the scenic Campuhan Ridge. Try Murni’s tutu ayam (chicken slow-cooked to perfection for at least eight hours) or the bakso ayam (chicken meatball soup). For a refreshing drink after a Campuhan Ridge stroll, go for the fresh apple, turmeric kombucha.

Area: Ubud
Price: ££
Reservations: Recommended 

Rasta Cafe

Dewi and her husband, Rasta, run Bali’s finest warung (local eatery). Travelling foodies and even the island’s culinary superstars drive out to Medewi specifically to learn the secrets of Dewi’s home-cooking. Don’t miss the fish rendang and, for dessert, the luminously coloured (but entirely natural) dadar gulung Balinese pancakes with local palm sugar. The menu changes depending on what the fishermen bring in that morning – and what Rasta is able to source at the market that day.

Area: Medewi, West Bali
Price: £
Reservations: Recommended