Sidewalks are the bigger problem, not the cafes. Outside a handful of main tourist strips, footpaths are narrow, cracked, or simply end without warning, and open drainage channels run along the edge of many streets with covers that are not always level. Motorbikes parked across the path and uneven curb heights often push you onto the road itself, right next to traffic. Even in walkable pockets like parts of Sanur or Ubud's main streets, you will hit a stretch that forces you to fold the stroller and carry your child for a block or two.
Cafes are a mixed bag but usually easier than the street outside them. Newer, open-concept spots built for the remote-work crowd tend to have ground-level seating, wide aisles, and room to park a stroller next to the table. Older buildings and traditional warung-style places are different: a step or two at the entrance, narrow gaps between chairs, and a raised threshold a stroller cannot clear without being lifted. If you want a place that actually works with a baby in tow, start from cafes that already cater to nursing and diaper changes; those same spots tend to think about stroller access too.
Most parents land on carrying two tools: a sturdy stroller with bigger wheels for open ground, and a soft carrier or sling for the moments the sidewalk disappears or you need both hands free. Food courts and markets usually have more open floor space than a typical café. That makes them a reliable fallback when you want to sit down without wrestling a stroller through a doorway, and family-friendly food courts and markets are worth keeping on your list for that reason. Treat the stroller as one option among a few, not the only way to move around.
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