street food Nusa Penida chicken curry — Warung Surabaya, it doesn't look like much but it has the best chicken curry in Bali

Nusa Penida has plenty of restaurants with Western-style food but if you want to eat like a local and not break the bank, here is a small selection of our favourite street stalls/ small local warungs in Nusa Penida.

There are of course plenty more. Remember a lot of these places do not look like much but with a quick turnover, you can be sure food is always fresh from the day. If the stall caters to locals it cannot afford to sell bad food or it would go out of business right away!

In all of the establishments listed below, expect to pay between 10,000 IDR and 35,000 IDR for a normal portion of food for one person. They all offer takeaway options, called ' bungkus': food will be wrapped up in greaseproof paper.

Nasi Kuning for breakfast in Sampalan

Nasi Kuning is one of the tastiest Indonesian foods, it's turmeric and spices flavoured rice usually served with shredded chicken: 'ayam sisit' and some other goodies such as tempe manis(sweet tempe/soybean patty), fried shallots, a serving of fried noddles and peanuts. People have this for breakfast so understandably Nasi Kuning is hard to find after 8.30 in the morning. Samplan has a great street stall selling it by the side of the road on the opposite side of the road from Samplan Market and 'Sari Yoga Mart'. If you are up early make sure to sample this delicious breakfast option.

The night market in Sampalan: lots of choices and a truly local experience

The small square in the middle of Sampalan market welcomes a dozen food stalls as soon as the sun comes down. Expect 'soto ayam' chicken soup with noodles, 'Bakso' (unidentified meatballs and noddles soup), 'sate ayam' ( chicken skewers with peanut sauce served with white rice) 'Nasi/mi goreng' ( fried rice/noodles) and 'Martabak' (thick pancakes served with egg or cheese and chocolate sauce – yes, cheese and chocolate together is an Indonesian dessert favourite). There are a few simple wooden tables covered with lino and you can buy drinks. No one will mind if your group of friends all buy from different stalls but all sit together. To be polite bring your bowl and cutlery back to your chosen stall when you're done.

The Nasi campur warungs opposite Ped temple.

Opposite the famous Pura Dalam Ped temple are a selection of simple but tasty nasi campur warungs. They usually cater to the pilgrims coming to the temple so you can expect freshly made food and fast replishment. You can select from the display of several plates of food. Expect noodles, tempe manis, fish in banana leaf (pepes ikan), ayam sisit, peanuts, shredded coconut, plus some leafy greens.

Warung Surabaya in Toyapakeh

The best chicken curry in Bali if you ask me. The lovely owner cooks the curry in a huge boiling vat all day long. She also sells delicious ayam bakar ( grilled chicken), Ayam Goreng (deep-fried chicken), a mean soto ayam ( chicken noodle soup) and much more. Under her blue tarp tent of a stall, the atmosphere is friendly and the food is delicious. Expect a queue, this place is very popular.

masakan Padang Nusa Penida best food street stall — Warung Pusako, get there early or all the best stuff will already be sold out.

Warung Pusako ( Masakan Padang/ Minang food) in Toyapkeh

Indonesia is famous for its Sumatran food. In the southwest of Sumatra, the local cuisine is 'Masakan Padang' / Minang food (named after the Minang Kabau tribe who cook it). They are the inventors of the famous 'sapi rendang' and their cuisine is considered (one of) the tastiest in Nusantara. They will usually also have the mouth-watering 'kare buah nangka' ( jackfruit curry) and a selection of fried food like deep-fried corn/potato patties. Food gets eaten up pretty fast during the day, so for the best selection go for lunch or very early dinner. Even if the food is left out on display all day, is it so fresh and all sold out before the day is done that you needn't worry about Bali belly.

Best fried chicken in town.

After a thoroughly researched survey of all the fried chicken options between Toyapekeh and Samplana, our team voted the fried chicken cart "only-open-at-night-on-the-left-at-the-bottom-of-hill-as-you-are-exiting-Toyapakeh-going-towards-Crystal Bay" the best on the island. This cart only opens after dark and is usually open quite late by Penida standards ( so till 10.30 at night :)). They have a limited supply of chicken so it's always super fresh and they double deep fry it to get that perfect crispiness. They have an awning and some tables you can sit at. Their 'sambal merah' (red spicy sauce) is delicious and you'll probably end up chatting to some locals whilst you are waiting/eating.