Over the years, Bali has evolved with each wave of travellers and is now becoming a first-class dining destination where ones can enjoy numerous International dishes with its authenticity and rustic charm right in place. Whether you are looking for a fine dining venue to celebrate a special evening or looking to revel in a friendly place with mates, this island gives you umpteen options to conclude your culinary journey with a sinful delight.
Each high-end restaurant on this island is unique, but all share a few common characteristics. With precise attention to detail, perfect execution and exceptional service, every high-end restaurant aims for a top-notch experience. And while today’s fine dining has evolved into an eclectic blend of cuisines and concepts, many aspects of the high-end experience remain the same.
There has been a real explosion of top-quality boutique restaurants down in the south of the island, and all of them compete to be the best in the region. They offer a great range of cuisine in terms of region and sophistication, from Western to Eastern, right through to contemporary Indonesian cuisine. Some of the restaurants feature unique locations with awe-inspiring views and artistic interiors.
Here, in this article, I personally tried to compile the best high-end restaurants on the island. However, these restaurants are considered as high-end or fancy not only because of their pricing but also the taste and surroundings they try to keep up to deliver the best culinary journey. Be rest assured the dishes served on the table are where the magic and mystery lie.
ULUWATU
di Mare
Dedicated to local ingredients and traditional Balinese cooking, this signature restaurant at Karma Kandara delivers an American-Asian style where ones can feast on the incredible views. The scenery on the hill, overlooking the best angle of the Indian Ocean, is truly wondrous, spotting the restaurant as one of the world’s most beautiful restaurants. Carrying a vision to always keep up quality to the highest level, the restaurant has become one of the most essential fine dining establishments in Bali. The Executive Chef, Joseph Antonishek, has revamped the resort’s dining offerings, drawing upon their culinary influences to create bold flavours highlighted by the best in local produce.
Ju-Ma-Na
Blessed with a phenomenal location atop Bali’s southernmost cliff, Ju-Ma-Na offers a unique culinary experience of French Cuisine with a Japanese twist. The spectacular view of the Indian Ocean blends perfectly with the elegant touch of Moroccan-inspired interior design, something that will make you fall in love with the restaurant much too easy. Focusing on seafood as the spotlight in the restaurant, every dish is created using French cooking techniques with a touch of Japanese taste.
Sundara
Dining at Sundara is truly reflecting Jimbaran’s heritage as a hundred-year-old fishing village. As one of the most exclusive dining destinations in the area, this restaurant highlights the panoramic view of the exotic curve of the Jimbaran Bay coastline. This area is very famous for its nightly ritual of fresh seafood dinners with coconut husk BBQs along the beach.
Ah Yat Abalone Seafood Restaurant
For a Chinese splash in an intimate environment, the Asia-wide Ah Yat Abalone at Rimba is a must-visit if you are in Jimbaran. The restaurant embodies old-world Chinese hospitality and cuisine, in a modern, stylish setting. An eclectic mix of custom-made furniture and artworks contrasts with traditional Chinese table settings, matched by impeccable service from waitresses in bright cheongsam dresses.
Reflecting Ah Yat’s Cantonese heritage, the extensive menu features traditional delicacies alongside popular dishes that cater for a wider range of taste buds. Each dish prepared by the culinary team is a work of art, presented with delicate craftsmanship and beautiful creativity.
Balique
To be considered a cosy and homey restaurant, the interior of this restaurant is mixing French and African styles, which blends perfectly with the location of the restaurant among the outstanding world-class resorts and villas. Looking humble under its whirring fan-open style roof with high-ceilinged open space, feast your eyes on the antiques and artefacts sourced from around the Indonesian archipelago.
NUSA DUA
L’Atelier by Cyril Kongo
Ideally situated on the highest floor of the resort with a magnificent view of the ocean and tropical gardens, L’Atelier is the exclusive studio of Cyril Kongo where he will transform his vision into an Haute space, modern-contemporary gallery and much more. This Asian-French artist will transform the 144 sqm space into an iconic, bold and artistic atelier. Inspired by the unity in diversity of this majestic resort, Cyril Kongo has discovered the perfect stage to bring his art and effortless savoir-faire to Indonesia. His passion is to create bridges between universes: between the know-how and culture of Indonesia and his know-how and multicultural background. Cyril Kongo is one of the world’s leading artists in the graffiti art scene who has made headlines in the art world with his collaborations with Hermès, Richard Mille, Daum, La Cornue and Chanel.
Kayuputi
Settling in the romantic dining setup, you will be cooled by a soft ocean breeze as you breathe in the unobstructed panoramic views of the stunning golden sands of Nusa Dua, which is only a few meters away from your eyes. The restaurant is elegantly dressed in immaculate linens and perfectly polished tableware, matching Kayuputi’s fresh modern décor and sophisticated ambience. With such impeccable attention to detail lavished on everything, Kayuputi delivers a luxury dining experience a cut above the rest.
SEMINYAK
Sanje Restaurant & Lounge
An oasis of tranquillity in the heart of Seminyak, Sanje Restaurant & Lounge is a haven for those seeking a stylish dining experience with a spectacular view. Imagine sitting at a table overlooking the panoramic views of the Indian Ocean, watching the sun sink into the water as you enjoy delectable Mediterranean fare fused with local flavours as piquant as Bali’s culture. A rich selection of wines, cocktails and spirits are also available to complement your meal. This is not just any restaurant: It’s a culinary experience that you don’t want to miss! Please note that the dress code is smart casual with opening hours staring 12PM to 10PM
FIRE Restaurant
Helmed by Chef Norberto Palacios, this restaurant features a dramatic open kitchen that awakens guests’ senses to experience the culinary journey. Step into FIRE where the space is illuminated by bold colours of white, black, red and yellow, inspired by Balinese influence. The checkered pattern can be seen in the marble decorating the show kitchen. The centrepiece is the Kecak fireball-inspired chandelier, which radiates from the ceiling made of burnt timber strips. Draperies are hemmed in the Balinese traditional double Ikat weaving style, which can only be created in a single village in Bali.
From the meat grilled to the flexitarian dishes, FIRE offers a different kind of dine-in experience from breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. The must-see breakfast buffet offers everything from eggs, and fresh sashimi, to congee and freshly baked goods. While the casual grill restaurant has a menu of fire-cooked prime meats, fresh seafood for lunch and dinner and a flexitarian menu to keep guests coming back time and again.
Jemme Restaurant & lounge
Combining food, wine, lights and music, Jemme is an elegant and intimate dining space with a modern Baroque style decorated the interior. Draped, sheer curtains, large silver and white candle holders sparkling lights, small silk table lamps as well as pearled tablemats add to the sheer beauty of this venue. The restaurant’s extensive list of imported wines and glamorous environment make this restaurant one of the most elegant dining spots in Seminyak.
VIN+ Seminyak
Inspired by traditional Balinese architectural influences, VIN+ Seminyak features sky-high roof lines, and extensive use of bamboo, local timbers and stone in its construction. The open layout dining and lounge areas are lined with vintage Balinese décor. You will find a pair of dining rooms concealed behind the glass-encased premium wine cellar. The overall architecture of this place is amazingly designed to give a larger-than-life appeal. The retail wine store is popular among customers who select from over 300 varieties and an in-house stock of over 18,000 bottles. VIN+ also stocks premium spirits and an impressive range of sake.
Canggu
IWA Restaurant
Featuring an extensive menu of authentic Indonesian cuisine made with passed down recipes done with a contemporary approach, this restaurant at Hotel Tugu Bali is adding Canggu’s hip destination for culinary aficionados by complementing addition to the eccentric mix. The dining experience, fusing gourmet delights with age-old cultural and ceremonial rituals, is arranged in historically themed, atmosphere-charged chambers or manicured landscapes reconstructed in the hotel’s areas. Some are more theatrical than the other, but this truly embodies an Indonesian culinary experience like no other, involving aspects of traditional rituals, presentation, and history—and an endless choice of delicious food!
You can also join their ‘Cultural Evening’ every Thursday to experience your dinner with a live Balinese Dance and Music Performance. This free admission event starts at 7:30 pm onwards and presented on the stage at the majestic Bale Agung, a soaring 15-meter-tall ancient architecture based on the now-extinct sacred hall of Bayung Gede village. Every week, there is a different genuine Balinese dance performance in the most authentic Balinese setting. Guests can treat themselves to a night of theatre to recreate the golden era of Indonesian history.
tuguhotels.com/hotels/bali/dining
SANUR
Spice Sanur
Applying French cooking techniques with locally sourced ingredients, Spice Sanur offers a package of surprising flavours and a culinary experience of Indonesia’s aromatic roots, herbs, and spices. As for the interior, the new venue in Sanur is a combination between the Indonesian archipelago and contemporary artisan styling. Famous as a gastro-bar, Spice is dedicated to providing some of the best drinks in Bali. Creative cocktails are built around fresh ingredients, whole spices, and fine imported spirits. There is also a good selection of wines. The most distinguishing feature of Spice is the concept of ‘Open Kitchen’ which makes the dining experience a lot more interactive and interesting.
UBUD
The Kelusa
This is a culinary gem surrounded by the lush and serene Payangan rainforest. The picturesque forest has become a fixture among pictures uploaded by Bali travellers, making the dining experience at The Kelusa not only satisfy your appetite but also blissful. Their dining experience caters to even the pickiest foodies by offering carefully crafted dishes that are divided into two sections: signatures – modern Indonesian dishes with a twist – and classics.
The serenity from the surrounding forest jungles and natural tropical interiors only adds to the charm of The Kelusa on top of the gourmet dishes that celebrate the rich and diverse culinary history of Indonesian cuisine. All in all, The Kelusa opens its doors, and its goal is to ensure each and every guest experiences an epicurean treat with classic culinary prepared in a modern, sophisticated way.
samsaraubud.com/en/bali/ubud/luxury/resort/villas/dining
BLANCO Par Mandif
This ten-seat-only restaurant serves ultra-fine dining Indonesian cuisine in a refined and intimate setting. Located in Ubud, this award-winning restaurant has a very limited reservations each evening. The concept here is all about degustation. The menus are 7 or 9 courses of exquisite gastronomy, sublimely served, explained and precisely paired with fine wines and cocktails. The man behind this genius is the Indonesian celeb chef Mandif Warokka.
Cascades
Offering jaw-dropping views from the spot on the cosy thatched roof platform, Cascades restaurant sets standards high in Ubud for luxury dining. Lodged in the villa resort of Viceroy Bali, the restaurant’s scenery at the east over the verdant Petanu River Valley is truly spectacular and worth arriving early to experience the ambience before the night devours it. As when the evening greets, the place is illuminated with warm ambient lighting and candles. If you are coming for lunch, you can have the luxury experience of arriving at the restaurant via air using their helicopter pick-up service.
On the menu, the food is engineered with French technique in a modern flare and focuses on the usage of the highest quality of ingredients. Their Degustation – European and Indonesian menus, both are created with the freshest and highest quality produce cooked with the myriad method of cooking, seducing your taste buds with this collection of dishes and enjoying the tranquillity of the emerald green valley setting.
This is by far the best information i could get in a web. Thanks for sharing this info. Those are indeed the best restaurants in bali
i don’t see any restaurants in canggu
Thanks for the feedback. We keep that in mind for our next article.
I really love the restaurant at Karma kandara. the resort is also worth a visit!
I guess only a matter of time before bali gets really packed with commercial business!
some of the restaurants indeed great but not the taste though
Good post! We will be linking to this great article on our site. Keep up the great writing.
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