If you’re on vacation in Bali and want to try more local cuisine, your culinary journey doesn’t have to stop in Seminyak, Canggu, Ubud, or Kuta. Occasionally, try venturing a bit to Tabanan. One interesting place to visit is Babi Guling Malam, a simple eatery offering various choices of babi guling at very affordable prices.
As the name suggests, this place is known as one of the options for enjoying babi guling in Tabanan, especially for those looking for local food with an atmosphere far from tourist restaurant concepts.
There is one very important thing before coming: Babi Guling Malam is only open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. So don’t just show up without checking the day first.
For travelers exploring another side of Bali and who love hunting for local food, this place can be an interesting culinary destination to add to your itinerary.
Babi Guling with a Local Eatery Atmosphere
Bali has many famous babi guling places. Some have even become culinary tourism destinations with long queues and visitors from various countries.
Babi Guling Malam offers a slightly different experience.
The place feels more like a local eatery intended for people who want to eat well without worrying too much about fancy ambiance or Instagrammable decor. The menu is displayed simply, and the food choices are quite numerous.
It’s precisely this kind of atmosphere that is appealing if you’re looking for a more authentic Balinese culinary experience.
You just come, choose the babi guling rice according to your taste, add extra side dishes if it’s not enough, order a cold drink, and eat leisurely like a local.
Babi Guling Prices Start from Rp10,000
One of the things that immediately catches your attention at Babi Guling Malam is the price.
Based on the menu available when we saw it, the regular babi guling package is priced at Rp10,000, while the special package is available for Rp15,000.
There are also several other package options, such as:
- Regular – Rp10,000
- Special – Rp15,000
- Separate side dish – Rp25,000
- Double skin – Rp20,000
- Kids’ portion – Rp10,000
With prices like this, Babi Guling Malam can be an attractive choice for backpackers, budget travelers, and tourists who want to try many culinary delights while in Bali without spending a large budget for one meal.
If you’re a fan of crispy pork skin, the double skin option might be the most interesting menu to try.
Prices may change at any time, so it’s best to check the latest menu when you arrive.
You Can Add Meat, Lawar, and Offal
If one portion still feels insufficient, there are also various additional side dishes that can be ordered separately.
From the available menu, you can find lawar for Rp5,000, babi guling meat for Rp20,000, mixed meat for Rp15,000, and fried offal for Rp10,000.
Options like this are quite enjoyable because you can customize your meal according to your taste.
For example, if you want more meat, just order extra babi guling meat. If you prefer savory offal with a stronger texture, you can try fried offal.
There’s also lawar, one of Bali’s typical foods often served as a companion to babi guling rice. Lawar usually provides a savory and spice-rich combination that makes a portion of rice feel much more complete.
Don’t Miss the Kikil Soup
Besides babi guling rice, one menu that looks quite interesting is kikil soup.
A portion is priced around Rp15,000 based on the available menu.
This dish is served as a soup with pieces of kikil and seasoning that looks quite rich. If the night is a bit cold or you come after a day of exploring Bali, this soupy food can be a perfect companion to babi guling rice.
You can also order it as an addition to enjoy together if you come with friends.
Drink Options Are Also Cheap
Not only the food, but the drink prices at Babi Guling Malam are also very friendly.
The simplest options like iced pandan sugar and iced cocopandan sugar are available for around Rp3,000. There are also iced sweet tea, iced orange, hot tea, hot orange, and packaged drinks.
If you want something more refreshing, there’s iced young coconut for around Rp12,000.
The juice options are also quite numerous. You can find avocado, melon, watermelon, wani, mango, and dragon fruit juices ranging from Rp10,000 to Rp12,000.
There’s also Pop Ice in chocolate, strawberry, vanilla blue, and durian flavors for around Rp5,000.
So even if you come with a budget of around Rp20,000–Rp30,000 per person, you already have quite a few food and drink combinations to choose from.
Suitable for Travelers Exploring Tabanan
Babi Guling Malam is located at Gang IV No. 15, Delod Peken, Tabanan District, Tabanan Regency, Bali.
Its location makes this place more suitable to visit when you are indeed in the Tabanan area or on a trip passing through that region.
For example, after exploring the Tabanan area, visiting tourist attractions in western or northern Bali, or on the way back to southern Bali.
Instead of always eating at restaurants made for tourists, stopping by a local eatery like this can provide a quite different experience.
You can see what the daily eating places of local residents look like while also trying one of Bali’s typical foods at local prices.
Check Opening Days Before Coming
This might be the most important information about Babi Guling Malam.
This eatery is not open every day.
Its opening schedule is only:
Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Because this schedule is quite different from most restaurants in Bali, it’s best not to come spontaneously without checking first.
If you want to include this place in your vacation itinerary, schedule your visit on one of those three days. You can also open Google Maps before leaving to check the latest operational information.
Especially for travelers coming from areas like Canggu, Seminyak, Kuta, or Ubud, the journey to Tabanan takes time. It’s safer to make sure the place is open before departing.
Tips Before Eating at Babi Guling Malam
For foreign tourists trying babi guling for the first time, it’s important to know that the menu here uses pork and is not halal food.
If you can consume pork, the regular or special package can be an easy choice for your first visit.
After that, if you’re still hungry, add side dishes according to your taste. Skin lovers can choose double skin, while those wanting to try more parts of the pig can add mixed meat or fried offal.
It’s also advisable to prepare cash in small denominations. Although payment methods at local Balinese eateries are increasingly diverse, bringing cash remains a practical choice when hunting for food in places like this.
And because prices and menu availability can change, treat the prices listed in this article as a reference, not an absolute benchmark.
Is It Worth Trying?
If you’re looking for a fancy restaurant with beautiful interiors and resort-style service, Babi Guling Malam might not be the place you’re looking for.
But if your goal is to find simple, cheap, and characterful local Balinese cuisine, this place is actually interesting.
With babi guling packages starting from around Rp10,000, quite a variety of additional side dishes, kikil soup, lawar, offal, and various cheap drinks, you can enjoy a typical local dinner without draining your travel budget.
Most importantly, remember the schedule: only Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
So if you happen to be in Tabanan on one of those days and want to try a Balinese culinary experience slightly different from mainstream tourist spots, Babi Guling Malam is worth adding to your list of places to eat.
