Bali’s thriving and expanding Russian community has brought to the island something they treasure most – Russian food. To know a culture through food is a beautiful journey, one anyone can embark on in a tropical setting, right in Bali!
If you’re curious what people could possibly eat in such an enigmatic country surrounded by stereotypes and with freezing temperatures, here are the best Russian restaurants in Bali you should try.
Quick Note On Russian Food Upfront
Westerners often mix up Ukrainian, Georgian, Armenian, Belarusian, Russian and other cuisines from the Eastern Bloc.
You will find delicious “hashbrowns” in Belarusian cafes, cheese boats (aka khachapuri) in Georgian restaurants, and famous borsch soup or cottage cheese pancakes (syrniki) in a Ukrainian place.
In Bali, when you see a “Russian restaurant”, it may serve a mix of Eastern European cuisines.
Classic Russian & Slavic Food To Try
- Pelmeni – dumplings with meat, usually a mix of beef and pork.
- Vareniki – sweet or savoury dumpling with popular fillings being cottage cheese, cherry, and potatoes.
- Chebureki – deep-fried meat pies with ground beef and onions.
- Pirozhki – hand pies, baked or fried with a variety of fillings like fish and rice, green onions and eggs, ground meat, mashed potatoes with onions, cabbage, and so on.
- Herring salad “Shuba”. Shuba is a layered salad with hering, mayo, beets, eggs, pickles, and potatoes.
- Aspic. It may sound weird, but it is a classic Soviet appetiser. It is basically a collagen-rich savoury jelly.
- Soups are important in Russian cuisine as all older generations used to be obsessed over the health benefits of the soups, so you will find a wild variety of soups, going from cold summer soups like Okroshka to veggie-based soups like sorel or cabbage soups, to really hearty ones with meat, grains, and potatoes like rassolnik, solyanka, or famous borcsh, which is in fact Ukrainian dish, although deeply culturaly ingrained in Russian culture, too.
- Crepes or toasts with butter or sour cream and red caviar.
Our Favourite Russian Restaurants In Bali
Usha
Usha is an iconic Russian cafe and bakery in Bali, famous for its cakes, desserts, and comfort food that tastes like grandma’s cooking. Approved by Russians!
Everything on the menu is delicious, but if you want to try something authentic and unique, order crepes with caviar, aspic, Shuba salad, beef stroganoff with buckwheat, and one of the soups: cold okroshka if it is a really hot day, or solyanka, if you need to cure a hangover.
Do not skip the sweets. The OG desserts are filled with boiled condensed milk (little balls or waffles tubes), cakes, Napoleon layered creamy dessert with puff pastry, Birdsmilk with mousse, and honey cake.
Where Is It?
- Canggu: Jl. Bumbak Dauh No.167, Kerobokan, Kec. Kuta Utara, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia
- Uluwatu: Uluwatu St No.88, Ungasan, South Kuta, Badung Regency, Bali 80362, Indonesia
- Ubud: No Jl. Raya Pengosekan No.2013, Mas, Ubud, Gianyar Regency, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Online: Instagram
Vkusno, Nusa Dua
We have known Vkusno since their first location in Seminyak – the food is homemade and delicious. They make Eastern European food with an absolute highlight being their signature thick syrniki, borsch, and shashlik (meat skewers).
All portions are generous, and mains come with condiments. Another huge advantage is the price; the food at Vkusno stays affordable, as some places will charge you almost double for syrniki.
Where Is It? Inside Food Park Silicon, Jl. Siligita Jl. Raya Nusa Dua Selatan No.3, Benoa, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia
Online: Instagram
Papa Sauce, Pererenan
Papa Sauce is a great spot to get takeaway on your way home or order food on a rainy day.
Some of our favourites here are chebureki (deep-fried meat pies) and stuffed crepes with mushrooms or with minced beef.
You will find mains from Russians’ childhood like cutlets and mashed potatoes, cabbage vareniki (a type of dumpling), and iconic salads like spicy carrot salad (not that spicy), olivier (potato salad with pickles, carrots, and egg with mayo dressing), and more.
Where Is It? Jl. Raya Tumbakbayuh, Pererenan, Kec. Mengwi, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80351, Indonesia
Online: Instagram
Rasgulai, Uluwatu
Rasgulai is a top-rated Russian restaurant on the main road in Uluwatu, open for lunch and dinner.
Start with fermented cabbage as an appetiser (basically, saurkraut, Russians love it!) or a snack board full of different pickled veggies.
If you want something truly Russian, order hering – it is a stereotypical side for vodka, but goes well without alcohol, too.
Among the main dishes, two options stand out: a rice dish called plov made with lamb, which is more of Uzbek cuisine, but very popular in Russia, and shawarma, which is a wrap with grilled meat and veggies. Both are delicious comfort foods.
Where Is It? Jl. Raya Uluwatu Pecatu, Ungasan, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia
Online: Instagram
Warung U Deda, Ungasan
U Deda in Russian means at grandpa’s place. And that’s exactly how you will feel here: authentic homemade Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian food, huge portions, and food keeps coming until you can’t eat anymore!
They serve all the staples, but some dishes they do really well, are iconic layered herring salad (shuba), stuffed bell peppers, and plump, filled to the brim vareniki (dumplings).
Cottage cheese pancakes are very hard to get right, as you need a very good batch of cottage cheese, but here they manage it well, and add a hint of coconut. Delicious.
A nice bonus, that unlike many restaurants in Bali, U Deda doesn’t charge you any extra taxes on top of your bill.
Where Is It? Ungasan, South Kuta, Badung Regency, Bali 80361, Indonesia
Online: N/A
The Community, Nusa Dua
The Community is a modern resto with delicious Russian food and hookah.
The food menu is diverse and covers all the basics. If you want our recommendations, go with crab salad (a popular holiday side dish), toast with smoked salmon, and solyanka soup (a hearty meat soup with tangy flavours).
If you stop by in the morning, try oladi – those are small pancakes that pair best with sour cream or berry jams, or oatmeal porridge – a classic healthy breakfast every Russian remembers.
Here you can also try a unique fermented drink popular in Russia, which is actually very healthy: kefir! It is simply fermented milk with light fizz.
Where Is It? Jl. Palapa No.899, Benoa, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia
Online: Instagram
Word Bali
A rare restaurant featuring Russian cuisine with a lot of vegetarian options, and right in the heart of Canggu, on Batu Bolong street, and in Ubud.
The place to enjoy falafel (not Russian but delicious here), vegan borsch, salads, and Pavlova dessert. Besides Russian food, the menu caters to lovers of the Mediterranean diet, too.
The best part? It is a 24-hour venue, and laptops are welcome.
Where Is It?
- Canggu: Jl. Pantai Batu Bolong No.45, Canggu, Kec. Kuta Utara, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia
- Ubud: Jl. Sukma Kesuma No.49, Peliatan, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Online: Instagram
Easy Cafe, Uluwatu
Easy Cafe is a Russian-approved spot for breakfast and dinner, with comfort food served with style.
The menu is big, and if you follow a diet, you will be pleasantly surprised. They have exact numbers for calories, carbs, and protein for each dish, and no extra taxes.
So what to eat here? Chicken cutlets with buckwheat are great for lunch or dinner, borsch or mushroom cream soup with croutons, and syrniki.
Sweet tooths, you have to try oreshki at least once in your life! It is a sweet treat made with crumbly dough and boiled condensed milk inside. Some recipes also put a walnut in the centre.
Where Is It? Uluwatu St No.88, Ungasan, South Kuta, Badung Regency, Bali 80362, Indonesia
Online: Instagram
Aquamarine, Sanur
Aquamarine is a family-friendly restaurant that kids will love for sure! Why? Because they have a water slide!
They do Western and Slavic food, with the Slavic menu definitely being their strong side. Cold summer soup okroshka, meat dumplings (pelmeni), Belarusian hasbrowns (draniki), and shawarma are just some examples of delicious food here. You can even get great fresh oysters here.
The menu is large, prices are reasonable; however, service, while friendly, may be on the slower side on busy days.
Where Is It? Jl. Hangtuah III No.3, Sanur, Denpasar Selatan, Kota Denpasar, Bali 80228, Indonesia
Online: Instagram
Draniki
An Eastern European restaurant with the main dish being made with potatoes. Draniki are a Belarusian national dish; the closest we can think of them is a hash brown.
Absolutely delicious thing to try, and they come with an array of different sides, from simple sour cream to salted salmon or sausage.
Besides draniki, the menu has lots of national foods that you probably never heard of, but all are comforting and reasonably priced.
While it is not a Russian cafe, Russians love draniki, and many families make them casually at home.
Where Is It?
- Pererenan: Jl. Pantai Pererenan No.78, Pererenan, Kec. Mengwi, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80351, Indonesia
- Ubud: G76C+33G, Jl. Tirta Tawar, Petulu, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Online: Instagram
Soul Kitchen, Ubud
One of the best Slavic restaurants in Bali, Soul Kitchen is tucked away in Ubud, serving comfort food from Eastern Europe and Russia.
The menu is in English and Russian, so you know the place is legit. Stuffed peppers, dressed mackerel salad, and shashlyk (large chicken, pork, or beef skewers) are a must.
Prices range from 8 to 30 AUD, depending on what main dish you’re going after (beef and salmon are pricier).
Where Is It? Street, 88 Ubud Kecamatan, Sriwedari, Ubud, Gianyar Regency, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Online: Instagram
International Restaurants That Have A Few Russian Dishes
- Hibiscus Restaurant in Seminyak is primarily an Indonesian venue, but they somehow serve beetroot soup (borsch), beetroot and veggies salad (vinegret), chicken or beef-pork dumplings, beef stroganoff, and syrniki (cottage cheese pancakes).
- Eden Hookah Club (Seminyak, Ubud, Uluwatu) is a restaurant with live music and a strong hookah menu, halal food, sushi, Italian (pizza and pasta), and a small Russian menu with just a few dishes: pelmeni (meat dumplings), thin crepes with cream cheese and salmon, and classic mashed potatoes with beef stroganoff.
- Bali Betula in Kerobokan cook what they call Eurasian food. You will find here gyros, shakshuka, plov, and borsch all in one big menu.
- SkaZka is a Russian word that means a fairy tale, and the space in Ubud invites you to explore Slavic and Turkish cuisines under one roof. However, the menu doesn’t really have many Russian dishes.
- Nino and Tiflis. Not Russian, but two restaurants excelling at Caucasian food, loved endlessly by Russians. Well worth trying. Lots of meats, cheese, and appetisers.
FAQs
Are There Lots Of Russians In Bali?
Yes, there are a lot of Russians in Bali due to abundant direct flights and the attractiveness of the island.
Russian tourists and expats in Bali are among the top-5 non-Asian nationalities visiting the Island of Gods, with probably about 150,000 to 200,000 Russians visiting Bali each year.
Is $100,000 A Big Tip In Bali?
As a general rule, tipping about 10% of your check is a good practice in Bali.
However, it would probably be a fine-dining venue where you can spend 1,000,000 + IDR (100 AUD+), so your tip would be 100,000 IDR (10 AUD). Usually, it is a big tip.
Final Thoughts On Best Russian Restaurants, Bali
From hearty soups and meat dumplings to unique sweets and drinks, Russian comfort food will definitely surprise you.
Bali’s dining scene is incredibly diverse, and there are dozens of restaurants serving dishes from Eastern Europe and Russia. So if you want a break from nasi goreng or burgers, give these restaurants a go.
