This is my pick of Bali’s best restaurants, and where to eat in Bali in 2023.
From Lunch Overlooking a Rice Field to Sophisticated Steaks, and great coffee, This is my pick of Bali’s best restaurants, and where to eat in Bali in 2023.
This is my personal list I made for my friends who keep asking where to eat in Bali. From Bali’s best degustation to casual lunches and fabulous coffee shops, I’ve eaten at all of these restaurants. And all are listed here based on their own merits.
Bali has always had fabulous, affordable places to eat, but from casual bites to upscale dining there are some newcomers that will surprise you.
Bali has draconian laws when it comes to alcohol taxes which mean cocktails are everywhere, and wine is expensive. And there are a lot of two for 1 happy hours (known as one for one in Bali) which provide affordable, fun drinking options.
Innovative wine makers have shipped grapes in from Australia for foreign locals to then them make into wine-but I’m unfortunately yet to try one I actually like.
There are many imported foreign bottles of wine available at prices 30-60% above what you would pay in Australia or Europe-and often they are poor quality. Wines you might pay $15 Australian for in Chile are on sale for $60 Australian.
Bottles of red wine are all kept chilled in the fridge to keep them from going off in the humidity, but it is annoying unless you enjoy chilled Shiraz.
I recommend bringing in as many bottles as your party can carry for your own consumption at Bali restaurants whilst on holiday – and some restaurants will allow you to bring them in with minimal or no corkage.
Five star hotels also seem to have good selections of foreign wines.
Huge Restaurant, Kerobokan, Bali
Summary: Upscale interiors to wow any traveller, with sophisticated seafood dishes.
Who For: Adults who are craving upscale European/fusion delights
Think oysters, tuna tartare, burrata, gazpacho and bouillabaisse – this is sophisticated, gastronomic fusion cuisine in a spectacularly modern setting rich with colours, textures and art, perfect for instagram. The menu has over 43 items, and this is one of the few Bali restaurants you might want to dress up for.
Everything about Huge has a designer feel from the plates to the furnishings, colour scheme and food. There are 13 curated cocktails and 15 different kinds of sushi. Fresh produce is a focus as is an imported alcohol list as well as flawless food presentation. Service is excellent.
To top it off, the restaurant has a sustainable outlook and has a waste free approach to production. This is a great night out – but book ahead.
API Jiwa, Ubud, Bali
Summary: Creative, high end degustation in a luxe setting.
Who For: Grown Ups Only.
Inspired by the sanskrit word meaning fire to the soul, this degustation offers some of the best restaurant dining in Bali, served up by Italian chef Nico Russo.
Guests can sit at the open Robatayaki grill, where they will be entertained by chefs cooking live in front of them all night. Api Jiwa serves up world class fusion food in an upscale setting at Capella Ubud, one of the island’s most luxurious five star properties to stay in.
Food becomes art as colour, design and taste sensations combine to create an epic, once in a lifetime culinary adventure. Click here for a full review.
Kong Bali: Canggu, Bali
Summary: Asian Fusion fine dining in an elegant bistro style setting
Who For: Adults
Located on the main road into Canggu, the interiors of Kong are elegant and instagrammable. Think rich greens with gold highlights, timber, mirrors and artworks .
The feel is bistro-chic and the menu is gourmet Asian fusion. Lobster ravioli with pickled jalapeno and ricotta cheese, crispy Spanish pork belly with apple onion jam and roasted vegetables, an Australian lamb rack, and wagyu striploin as well as baked camembert are some of the delicious dishes on offer.
There are several tasting menus available to really indulge, and there are several delicious desserts.
Cocktails are super creative such as rosemary and kaffir lime infused vodka shaken with vanilla liquer, and there is an Australian sparkling wine on offer by the glass as well as wines. Great for lunch or dinner. Well priced.
The Grumpy Butcher: Seminyak, Bali
Summary: Sophisticated steaks overlooking a rice field
Who for: grown ups
The cement floors and towering ceilings overlooking the rice paddies give this fabulous restaurant in Bali a very slick and Australian feel, with open space and plenty of light.
The menu is a meat lover’s delight with much of the meat smoked on a roaring open fire.
There are home made sausages, American style brisket, a BBQ board with an assortment of corn, sausages, beef and slaw, and an Australian 500g steak that is sensational. Desserts are also good – the chocolate mousse is excellent.
The prices are very reasonable – $30 Singapore for a 200g steak.
There is a solid wine list but if you want a red with your steak ask for it to be taken out of the fridge the moment you arrive.
La Lucciola: Seminyak, Bali
Summary: Sophisticated, Elegant oceanfront Italian dining
Who For: Couples but caters to families
This is one Bali’s oldest but most elegant restaurants, and it has truly stood the test of time. Most call it a Bali institution.
Sitting on the beachfront overlooking the beach and palm trees, with the ocean breeze flowing through, the food is excellent fresh, clean Italian, with great cocktails and wine to match. La Lucciola is the perfect venue for a long, slow dinner or lunch overlooking the beach.
There are home made pastas including home made potato gnocchi, with roast cherry tomato sugo and crisp panacetta, fettucini con funghi with porcini, garlic and parsely, but plenty of no carb options including a salad of Balinese braised duck, grilled yellow fin tuna and roast chicken breast.
The dessert tasting plate is a must.
There is apparently an online booking system, but in my experience you must need a need a secret code to unlock it as I have never been able to book in 5 years of trying, but they do take walk-ins and a bar upstairs is perfect to pass the time if you have to wait.
This is one of Bali’s best dining experiences, and one not to miss.
Mason Bali, Canggu
Summary: Perfectly cooked high end meat and seafood on a woodfired grill with excellent cocktails
Who For: Sophisticated diners
This relaxed, modern restaurant would work in any location in the world – it feels international both in terms of the interiors and the food.
There is a cocktail list packed with international ingredients and offerings, including a four pillars olive leaf dirty martini and Monkey 47 gin and tonic to name jut two.
Mason boasts plenty of shared dishes including flavour filled home made breads and dips as well as small plates of tuna carpaccio, BBQ zucchini and fried quail to start. All are hand curated and homemade, and all are high quality food.
A range of meats including wood roasted lamb shoulder, 48 hour cooked slow ribs, and charcoal chicken can be shared or eaten solo, with a choice of no less than 9 sides which include green beans with garlic and roasted hazelnuts, and creamed corn which can make decision making difficult here.
Prices are on the high side in terms of Balinese value for money, particularly drinks, but it is still worth going.
Kilo Bali, Seminyak
Summary: Solid fusion food in a minimalist setting, great cocktails and warm staff.
Who For: Grown Up Diners
The cocktails, setting and the staff are what makes this restaurant in Seminyak a great lunch or dinner out. The floors are cement and there is plenty of glass to allow in natural light.
Staff are super kind and attentive and noticed if we weren’t eating or drinking something and wanted to know why and offered to change it.
The cocktail menu is excellent and the 8 or so signature cocktails were very flavoursome and sweet. A one for one daily happy hour was fun too.
Food is diverse and includes tempura eggplant, octopus nam jim, prawn salad, squid ink rice, bbq pork ribs and more. Prices are very affordable given the setting and service is excellent and restaurant rather than cafe style.
The chocolate lava cake was a favourite.
Jemme jewellery and dining
Summary: Old fashioned European setting with extraordinary roast meals.
Who For: Anyone who enjoys a top quality roast meal.
This restaurant is left field to say the least – but like a lotus flower, it gradually opens as the experience goes on and continues to surprise. Decorated in 1950’s British style with carpet, high back chairs, table cloths great air conditioning and four walls, it doesn’t feel particularly Balinese. But that is the point.
The menu has some of the best roasts in Indonesia including beef, lamb, pork and chicken which arrive with small pots of perfectly cooked vegetables and a mountain of chips which ensures people return in droves.
An irresistible dessert selection means guests linger long, and often enjoy a cocktail or two – and they have dessert cocktails available.
The large jewellery store at the front is gorgeous and has cabinets packed with designer jewellery at reasonable prices in gold and silver.
It’s a unique concept, but the food is excellent.
More Casual Dining Options in Bali:
Nook, Seminyak
Summary: Relaxed cafe in a striking setting overlooking rice fields.
Who For: Families and everyone
This gorgeously relaxed restaurant has two massive sections, and is open air with no walls. It sits on the edge of a rice paddy, which offers gorgeous views over the rice fields and fresh tropical, Balinese air.
The vast menu includes brunch/breakfast options like eggs with sides. There are many Indonesian favourites, well made burgers with fries, gourmet cocktails and so much more. The dessert menu is large and creative.
Food quality is excellent, but service is disappointingly slow. Go with lots of time and a camera for instagram snaps in the rice paddies whilst you wait and you will enjoy it. It is definitely still worth going for brunch or lunch.
Milk and Madu: Multiple Locations.
Summary: Solid cafe/restaurant food in a romantic setting
Who for: All age groups.
Milk and Madu is an affordable, high energy Bali chain (don’t let that put you off) with a diverse menu the whole family can enjoy. Service is excellent and staff have mini microphones to ensure they can speak to the kitchen to have condiments or things attended to quickly. (If only more Balinese restaurants would adopt this method, dinin gout would me much more seamless).
Home made meat balls, calamari, fabulous wood fired pizzas, fresh salads and great wines – even by the glass- make this a fantastic casual dining experience for the whole family.
For non-carb eaters there is a selection of delicious, creative protein dishes including grilled barramundi with veg and steak with salad.
The setting is upscale but casual, with trendy oversized bamboo light shades, large timber tables, fairy lights and palm trees.
Sea Circus: Seminyak
Summary: Relaxed Fun vibe with Mexican and western style food to match.
Who For: For the family
This classic Bali restaurant is a favourite amongst kids and teens and has a brilliant cocktail list for adults.
The interiors are decorated like a circus tent, with navy, red and white and loads of natural light. So this is an instagrammer’s dream.
The fun menu changes from breakfast to lunch and dinner, but dinner is packed with items which appeal to kids of all ages from tacos to burgers, smoothie bowls and incredibly creative desserts like hot churros with dark chocolate dipping sauce and warm fudgy chocolate brownie.
Sisterfields, Seminyak
Summary: A piece of Melbourne in the heart of Bali. Great coffee, bites and a top notch patisserie.
Who for: For the whole family
I ate at Sisterfields most days and the food is hit and miss, however the overall concept is excellent and worth a visit for brunch. The interiors are pleasantly air conditioned and the place is always packed so has an energetic vibe.
Think great cocktails, fresh pastries (there is a new pastry shop next door, Straight Up owned by the same group) fresh salads one with lamb, eggs cooked your way, avocado on toast and fabulous coffee.
Prices are cheap, service is hit and miss, but it would likely be anywhere in the world given the numbers that move in and out.
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