Bali’s culinary scene has exploded over the past few years and it seems that every chef worth his weight in spice has a restaurant or three there. You could eat at a different restaurant in Bali every day for a year and you still wouldn’t have ticked them all off your list. And that’s just the proper restaurants! You also have all of your warungs that specialise in a particular dish or ingredient or even cuisine from a particular region. The list is almost endless.  

I try to mix it up each trip by eating at some of my favourite restaurants, and some that I haven’t been to before. This trip was no exception. 

I’d seen Ukelan on instagram and loved the interior so wanted to try it. All the reviews were good so I booked it for lunch. We all had something different and we all loved our food. I had nasi campur to die for. With a Bintang (local beer) it was AUD9.00. The interior design of the restaurant was a huge plus too. It’s beautiful. And the toilet is air conditioned!

Chez Gado Gado has been around for many years and is one of my favourite places to eat. Our escapes always begin with welcome dinner of Indonesian tapas to share. That way we get to try a little of everything. The service is outstanding and it’s position on the beach makes it one of the best places for sunset drinks and dinner.

Another favourite is Nook. Good, cheap food that never disappoints. I love that the menu stays the same, no changes (or very few), so that eating there is like putting on an old pair of comfortable jeans.  

​Batik was a restaurant that I ate at twice on this trip, that’s how good it is. Excellent Balinese food in a very pretty colonial style space. The stairs are a feature of the restaurant with the different batik styles from the different regions on the step face. 

​Last, but by no means least is Indus​. The position of this restaurant gives wonderful views into to river valley below. I could sit and stare all day. On the other ridge is the famous campuhan ridge walk. The restaurant is owned by Janet de Neefe who has been living and cooking in Bali for over 30 years. She is the author of a number of books that combine Balinese life with recipes. The food at Indus is simple and fresh and the serenity is calming. At lunch, there are no loud noises to interfere with the birds and the muted sounds of Ubud life. It’s a restaurant with serious zen. 

Part two, and I suspect parts three and four, maybe even more will be written later. I don’t want to overwhelm you all at once 

Til next time  

Enak sekali 

Leanne

xx