Restaurant in Ubud, Indonesia
Ubud's best babi guling, no booking needed.
Ibu Oka is a walk-in warung in Mas, Ubud, specialising in babi guling — Balinese spit-roasted pork. Ranked on the Opinionated About Dining Casual in Asia list three consecutive years (2023–2025), it is one of the most critically noted casual venues in the region. Open daily 11 am–6 pm; arrive early for the best selection and freshest preparation.
Getting a seat at Ibu Oka is direct — no reservation system, no booking window to stress over. You walk in, you queue if needed, and you eat. That accessibility is part of the appeal, but it also means the experience is shaped by timing. Arrive early in the lunch window and you get the leading of what's on offer; show up closer to closing and selection narrows. The honest version of the booking question is less about securing a table and more about knowing when to show up.
Ibu Oka is a Balinese warung in Mas, just south of Ubud's centre, built around babi guling — the ceremonial spit-roasted pork that anchors Balinese feast cooking. This is not a restaurant with a refined menu and a wine list. It is a specialist operation open seven days a week, 11 am to 6 pm, serving one thing done well. The room is casual and communal; energy runs high at peak lunch hours, with a noise level that reflects a working kitchen and a crowd that knows why it came. The atmosphere is purposeful rather than ambient , functional tables, direct service, a crowd that moves quickly. If you are looking for a quiet, unhurried meal, the setting will not deliver that. If you are looking for one of Bali's most discussed versions of a specific dish, it will.
The credentials are worth noting. Ibu Oka has appeared on the Opinionated About Dining Casual in Asia list three consecutive years running: ranked 42nd in 2023, 57th in 2024, and 92nd in 2025. A three-year presence on that list signals consistency rather than a flash of attention , it also signals a slight softening of its position relative to peers, which is worth factoring into expectations. The 4.1 rating across 1,293 Google reviews is solid for a casual warung-format operation, where expectations and contexts vary widely across a large reviewer base.
Ibu Oka does not serve dinner. Hours run 11 am to 6 pm every day, which makes this a lunch venue by default , but the timing still matters within that window. Midday is when the kitchen is at full output: the most complete selection of babi guling components, the freshest preparation, and the full energy of the room. By mid-afternoon, popular items can sell out and the crowd thins. For the leading version of the experience, aim for arrival between 11:30 am and 1 pm. If you are visiting Ubud for a special occasion or a meaningful meal, treat this as a lunch anchor rather than a casual stop , go early, go hungry, and do not expect a long table experience. The format is quick, generous, and direct.
The honest answer: yes, if the occasion centres on food and place rather than ceremony and setting. Ibu Oka is not the venue for a milestone dinner with candles and a tasting menu. For that, Mozaic or Apéritif Restaurant & Bar are the appropriate choices in the Ubud orbit. But if the occasion is about eating something genuinely specific to Bali , a preparation with ceremonial roots, executed at scale with real craft, recognised by serious food critics , then Ibu Oka carries its own kind of weight. It is the kind of meal you plan rather than stumble into, even if the booking process requires no planning at all.
Against Nusantara By Locavore and Locavore NXT, Ibu Oka occupies a completely different tier of formality and ambition. Those venues offer curated Indonesian cooking with tasting-menu architecture; Ibu Oka offers a single traditional preparation in a no-frills room. They are not competing for the same meal slot. Against other babi guling options in Ubud and wider Bali, Ibu Oka's OAD recognition gives it a verifiable edge , though its 2025 ranking drop to 92nd suggests the gap with competitors may be narrowing. If Balinese cuisine is the focus of your trip, see also Moksa in Bali and Sarong Bali in Canggu for broader-menu alternatives.
Ibu Oka is located at Jl. Raya Mas No.191, Mas, Ubud. Open daily 11 am to 6 pm. No reservations required or available , walk-in only. Arrive early for the leading selection. Price range data is not published; expect warung-level pricing consistent with casual Balinese dining. No website or phone contact is listed. For broader planning, see our full Ubud restaurants guide, Ubud hotels guide, Ubud bars guide, Ubud experiences guide, and Ubud wineries guide.
Quick reference: Walk-in only, open daily 11 am–6 pm, warung pricing, casual dress, Mas/Ubud location.
Casual is the standard here. Ibu Oka is a warung-format operation , no dress code, no formality. Light, comfortable clothes suited to Bali's climate are appropriate. This is not a venue where appearance signals commitment to the experience; the food does that work instead.
With difficulty. Babi guling is a pork-centred dish, and Ibu Oka specialises in exactly that. Diners who do not eat pork will find very limited options here. No menu details are published, and there is no website or phone contact listed to verify alternatives in advance. If dietary restrictions are a concern, Herbivore by Locavore or Moksa in Bali are more accommodating choices.
It depends on what the occasion means to you. If the goal is to eat something ceremonially significant to Balinese culture, recognised by serious food critics three years running on the OAD Casual Asia list, then yes , it carries genuine meaning. If the occasion requires a formal setting, wine service, or a tasting menu, book Mozaic or Apéritif instead.
Ibu Oka is lunch only , open 11 am to 6 pm daily, with no dinner service. Within that window, earlier is better. The kitchen is fully stocked and freshest in the first two hours of service. Aim for 11:30 am to 1 pm for the most complete experience.
Ibu Oka is a warung, not a bar-format venue. Seating is communal table-style. There is no bar counter or bar menu. If you want a drink-led casual experience in Ubud, see our full Ubud bars guide for appropriate alternatives.
For Indonesian cooking with more formality and range, Nusantara By Locavore and Locavore NXT are the clearest alternatives , both OAD-recognised and more structured in format. For French-influenced fine dining, Mozaic is the reference point in Ubud. For plant-based dining, Moksa in Bali is worth considering. None of these replicate the babi guling focus , they serve a different kind of meal entirely.
No booking is required or possible , Ibu Oka is walk-in only. The relevant planning question is timing within the day: arrive in the first two hours of service (11 am–1 pm) to get the leading selection and freshest preparation. No reservation system exists, so there is no booking window to manage.
Groups can eat at Ibu Oka , the communal, warung-style seating is naturally suited to casual gatherings. However, large groups arriving together at peak lunch hours may face a wait as seating is first-come. No phone contact or reservation system is available to coordinate in advance. For groups requiring private dining or pre-arranged seating, a formal restaurant like Apéritif is a more manageable choice.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ibu Oka | Opinionated About Dining Casual in Asia Ranked #92 (2025); Opinionated About Dining Casual in Asia Ranked #57 (2024); Opinionated About Dining Casual in Asia Ranked #42 (2023) | — | |
| Nusantara By Locavore | — | ||
| Mozaic | — | ||
| Room 4 Dessert | — | ||
| Locavore NXT | World's 50 Best | — | |
| Herbivore by Locavore | — |
A quick look at how Ibu Oka measures up.
Casual clothes are entirely appropriate — this is a warung, not a formal dining room. Light, breathable clothing suits the open-air setting in Mas, Ubud. No dress code applies.
Practically speaking, no. Ibu Oka is built around babi guling — spit-roasted pork — which is the centrepiece of every plate. Vegetarians, those avoiding pork, or guests with complex dietary needs should look elsewhere; Herbivore by Locavore is the more practical choice for plant-based eating in Ubud.
Yes, if the occasion is about eating something genuinely important to Balinese food culture rather than a formal dining experience. Ibu Oka has ranked on the Opinionated About Dining Casual in Asia list every year from 2023 to 2025, which gives it credibility as a destination meal. For a milestone dinner with ceremony and service, Mozaic or Locavore NXT will suit better.
Lunch is your only option — Ibu Oka closes at 6pm every day and does not serve dinner. Within those hours, arriving early (close to 11am) typically means shorter queues and the full range of cuts still available.
Ibu Oka is a warung-style venue, not a bar-centric space — there is no bar counter in the conventional sense. Seating is communal and informal; you sit where space is available.
For a completely different register, Mozaic offers a formal tasting menu and Nusantara By Locavore takes a curated approach to Indonesian cuisine with reservations. If you want another OAD-recognised casual option, Room 4 Dessert and Herbivore by Locavore are both in Ubud's broader dining orbit. None of them replicate babi guling — Ibu Oka holds that position on its own.
No booking is required or possible — Ibu Oka is walk-in only. The practical planning question is timing, not lead time: arriving closer to opening at 11am reduces queue time and improves your chances of getting every cut.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
