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Sarong Restaurant Asian Fusion As one of the most popular new restaurants to arrive in Bali in recent years, Sarong restaurant is one of our favourite restaurants in Bali. Located in the heart of Seminyak’s vibrant restaurant and nightlife scene, this contemporary restaurant is furnished in a chic and luxurious style with plush lounges and armchairs, dark mahogany wooden tables, and sheer, flowing grey curtains to create a cosy dining experience. Sarong is headed by award-winning Australian chef Will Meyrick, formerly the head of Jimmy Liks restaurant in Sydney, who works with Indian, Balinese, Thai, Sumatran, Vietnamese, and Malaysian flavors to create a distinct modern menu of gourmet street food. House specialties include doughy-thin roti canai with chicken gravy and lamb shank twice cooked in western Sumatran spices with sambal dabu dabu, along with the salt and pepper cuttlefish with its potently tangy dipping sauce. Don’t miss their deliciously inventive Asian-inspired cocktails. Bookings essential. $$
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Metis Restaurant European With polished dark wood floors, cream armchairs, Indonesian batik fabrics, and a dimly-lit, spacious terrace overlooking a rice paddy field, Metis is one of the hottest upscale dining spots in Bali. Acclaimed French chef, Nicolas Tourneville, has created a truly special dining experience against the backdrop of Balinese rice paddies, where diners can enjoy a globally-inspired menu featuring appetizers such as Tourneville’s signature pan-seared foie gras served hot with raspberry vinegar sauce, moroccan lamb rack mechoui served with pumpkin couscous, and fresh scallops and prawns provençal with baby roasted potato, asparagus, and Shimeji mushrooms. The international wine list is also well orchestrated with some of the best french vineyards represented - a real treat in Bali. Metis also offers a foie gras-focused degustation menu for the ultimate indulgence, and a to-die-for sweet shop selling truffles, macarons and chocolates. Bookings advised. $$$
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Ku De Ta International More than just a beautiful beachside restaurant with breathtaking sunset views, Ku De Ta is a local Balinese institution overlooking the beach. With both indoor and outdoor tables, a beachside freshwater shower, a cigar menu with coveted Cubans, a dipping pool, grassy terraces and pavilions, rooftop lounge, and three bars, choose from La Luciola’s daytime grazing menu of small tapas-style fish (sushi, sashimi) and exotic Australian fare (with noticeable Thai and Vietnamese influences). The dinner menu offers treats such as baby lobster risotto with braised fennel, sugar snap peas, confit garlic, chili and lemon. As one of the most popular places in Bali for pre- and post dinner drinks, don’t miss their light and refreshing nightfall martini with vodka, muddled with fresh raspberries, crème de cassis and pinot noir, along with their lengthy selection of international wines. As the night wears on, the space morphs into a late-night party scene to the sounds of local DJs. $$
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Made’s Warung Seminyak Indonesian Sheltered from the roadside bustle in the chic neighborhood of Seminyak, there is now a better location for this longtime Bali institution, which in 1969 had originally opened as a roadside “warung” (eating house). A very popular destination with expats and visitors alike, Made’s restaurant offers affordable and authentic Indonesian food in a vibrant and convivial atmosphere. Specialties include Gado-gado (vegetables, sticky rice, tofu in a spicy peanut sauce), Nasi Campur (red or white rice, topped with vegetables, some chicken, beef, fish, tofu, chili sauce), and a variety of delicious curries made with local ingredients. The restaurant also offers some international options, including Japanese and Italian offerings with some spicy twists. On busy nights, and without a reservation, don’t be surprised to be sardined along a sharing table: however, the potently crafted cocktails (from an extensive list) will no doubt help along your social grace. $
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