Bebek Bengil

The restaurant is within walking distance of the Sacred Monkey Forest and Ubud's main market area, just before the turn toward the Monkey Forest. Bebek bengil means muddy duck in Indonesian. The restaurant's own story is that the founder had chosen neither a name nor a signature dish when a flock of muddy ducks walked across the building site, settling both questions at once.

Half a duck is the order almost everyone makes. It is steamed with Balinese spices and then fried at high heat, so the meat stays soft while the skin turns crisp. The plate comes with rice, three kinds of sambal and urap, a Balinese salad of vegetables and grated coconut. The 2025 to 2026 menu listed the crispy duck set at about Rp 125,000.

The kitchen also makes bebek betutu, a smoked duck slow-cooked in spices. It has to be ordered a day ahead, so call +62 361 975 489 if you want it.

Seating is spread over open pavilions at the back of the property, looking toward the paddy, and children are welcome. The restaurant says it serves hundreds of ducks on an ordinary day and many more at weekends and on holidays, so it is busy most of the time.

Bebek Bengil is open daily from 10:00 to 22:00, and one guide gives 22:30 as the close. Reservations are recommended, especially for large groups. An early lunch is the best time to get a pavilion at the back while the room is still quiet. If you are sensitive to chilli, ask for the sambal on the side.

The brand grew beyond Ubud. By 2009 it had two outlets in Ubud and had opened a two-floor, 140-seat branch in Menteng, Central Jakarta. The original crispy duck has remained the signature dish since 1990.

Sources: The Jakarta Post, 2009. Facts checked November 2026.