Best Cocktail Bars in Ubud: A Local's Guide

Ubud is many things at once: rice terraces at dawn, incense smoke drifting through temple gates, and — once the sun dips behind the jungle canopy — a surprisingly lively place to drink. The best cocktail bars in Ubud lean into their setting, pairing craft drinks with views that most cities can only dream of. Whether you are spending the day exploring Ubud and want somewhere to wind down, or you are planning a full evening out on Bali, this guide covers where to go and how to make the most of your night.

What Makes a Great Cocktail Bar in Ubud

Ubud’s bar scene is not about neon lights and queues. The places worth visiting tend to share a few qualities: genuine craft behind the bar, a setting that takes advantage of Bali’s natural beauty, and a relaxed atmosphere that does not feel manufactured. The best spots also offer mocktails or alcohol-free options — useful in a town that attracts a mix of yogis, surfers, families, and party travellers.

When you are picking where to go, think about what kind of evening you want. A quiet terrace overlooking the Ayung River is a very different experience from a rooftop with a DJ, and Ubud has both.

Bars Worth Seeking Out in Ubud

Jungle Terraces and Garden Settings

Several bars in and around Ubud are built directly into the landscape. Expect open-air seating, tropical planting, and cocktails that use local ingredients like lemongrass, coconut, pandan, and fresh citrus. These venues tend to be quieter and are popular with couples and small groups who want atmosphere over noise.

Drinks are generally priced in the mid-range by Bali standards. Mocktails are almost always available and often just as creative as the alcoholic menu.

Rooftop and View Bars

A handful of venues in central Ubud and the surrounding area sit high enough to offer genuine panoramas — paddy fields stretching out below, the occasional distant volcano on a clear night. These spots fill up fast around sunset, so arriving early is worth it if you want a good table.

Copper Kitchen and Bar, perched above the jungle at Bisma Eight Hotel, is one of the more well-known options. The views of the Campuhan valley are hard to argue with. Drinks are on the premium side, but the setting justifies it.

Cultural Crossover Bars

Some of Ubud’s most interesting drinking spots are attached to cultural venues or built around Balinese aesthetics. Arma Museum and Resort hosts traditional performances alongside its food and beverage offering, making it a good option if you want to combine cocktails with a kecak or legong performance. Pura Dalem Ubud and Ubud Palace also run evening performances that pair well with a pre-show drink nearby.

These are not late-night venues, but they offer a quality of experience you will not find in a generic bar anywhere else.

Ubud Night Market and Street Drinking

For something more casual, the Ubud Night Market on Jalan Raya Ubud is a dependable stop. It is not a cocktail bar in the traditional sense, but arak-based local drinks, cold Bintang, and fresh-cut fruit are easy to find and easy on the wallet. The food — satay, nasi goreng, babi guling — makes it a good pre-bar option.

Street-side warungs around Jalan Monkey Forest and Jalan Hanoman also tend to stay open into the evening and are genuinely local in atmosphere.

A Different Kind of Cocktail Experience: Tikibus

If you have already done the bar circuit in Ubud and want something genuinely different for your evening, Tikibus takes a different approach entirely. Rather than going to a bar, the bar comes to you — and then takes you sightseeing.

Tikibus is a mobile cocktail bar built on a bus, based in Berawa, Canggu. An onboard mixologist serves craft cocktails and mocktails throughout a roughly 90-minute evening ride. Up to 10 guests per bus, departures nightly at 18:00, 20:00, 22:00, 00:00, and 02:00. You can explore Bali’s coastal roads and lit-up streets with a cocktail in hand rather than sitting still at a table.

There are two ways to join. The À La Carte package is $10 admission with a two-drink minimum, drinks paid as you order. The All-Inclusive package is $34 and covers unlimited cocktails, mocktails, snacks, the sound system, and free WiFi on board. Payment is cash or Visa, on the spot. Booking is through WhatsApp.

It is a good option if you spent the day in Ubud — hiking Campuhan Ridge Walk, wandering the Ubud Art Market, or visiting the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary — and want an evening that feels active rather than just sitting on another bar stool.

For more on what to expect from the experience, see the ultimate Ubud nightlife guide and our full breakdown of Ubud nightlife bars and beyond.

Practical Tips for Drinking in Ubud

Get there early for sunset spots. Popular rooftop and terrace bars fill up from around 17:30 onward during high season. If you have a specific place in mind, arrive before the golden hour rush.

Cash is useful everywhere. Most mid-range and upscale bars accept Visa, but smaller and more local venues often prefer cash. Having a mix covers most situations.

Mocktails are not an afterthought here. Ubud has a large wellness-focused visitor demographic, so non-alcoholic options at most bars are genuinely good — not just a juice rebadged as a mocktail.

The vibe shifts after 22:00. Ubud is not a late-night city in the way Canggu or Seminyak are. Most bars begin to wind down around 23:00. If you want to keep going into the early hours, Canggu is the better base — and Tikibus runs tours until 2 AM for exactly that crowd.

How to Build Your Ideal Ubud Evening

A solid evening in Ubud often looks something like this: spend the afternoon at Tegallalang Rice Terrace or along Campuhan Ridge Walk, head into town for an early dinner, then catch a traditional dance performance at Ubud Palace or Pura Dalem before drinks. If you are based in Canggu, ending the night on Tikibus gives you the cocktails and the ride without having to find a taxi home from Ubud at midnight.

The best cocktail bars in Ubud reward a bit of planning. None of them require a reservation weeks in advance, but showing up with a rough idea of what you want — views, culture, a quiet garden, or something you can tell stories about later — makes the difference between a good drink and a genuinely memorable night.