Top gastronomy in the island’s cultural hub in central Bali:

Ubud is not only Bali’s cultural heart but also its culinary hotspot. There is quite a number of (casual) fine dining restaurants here that are a must for every foodie. During my recent stay in Ubud in central Bali I had dinner at some of the best gourmet dining spots. And I made some really mind-blowing gastronomic experiences. Which, I have to admit, was something that I did not think was possible. Although I knew that there were culinary gems around.

On an earlier trip, my husband and I accidentally passed the town’s current culinary showpiece, Restaurant Locavore. And this was six months after its opening in November 2013, when its future success was not forseeable. We thought it made a good impression, went in and got a reservation for the following day. We were thrilled by the dinner at the time! Less so, when we wanted to return two years later, and it was fully booked months in advance. So, we had to wait until last November to dine here again. And it was once again incredible! More later.

Before coming to the individual restaurants, a quick look at Bali’s gourmet restaurant scene.

Bali’s fine dining scene

While there is the one or another gourmet spot on the island outside of Ubud, the place to go as serious foodie is definitely this town in central Bali. The pioneer of Ubud’s fine dining scene is chef Chris Salans with his Mozaic Restaurant, opened in 2001. The American French chef has skillfully combined local ingredients with western technique in a nice tropical setting ever since. I personally have not dined here yet. On our recent stay, the dining spot was still closed due to the pandemic. Chris Salans reopened it in December, partnering with a younger ex-associate chef.

In the aftermath of the early bird of Mozaic, there was the already mentioned Restaurant Locavore that formed the scene. Since then, there has been quite a development in terms of the arrival of other promising (casual) fine dining spots. I name here chef Will Goldfarb with its Restaurant Room4Dessert and chef Nic Vanderbeeken with its Restaurant CasCades at Hotel Viceroy, both opened in 2014.

In 2015, Restaurant Blanco Par Mandif by chef Mandif Warokka followed, at the same time as Restaurant Kubu at Hotel Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, by chef Bayu Retno Timur. I have been to all of the newer establishments except for Nic Vanderbeeken’s place (who changed to the new Restaurant Apéritif at Hotel Viceroy in 2019). So, I can let you know about what to expect at them. I find it amazing how the former fine dining backwater was able to turn into a vibrant culinary hotspot! And hence, there is no Michelin Guide for Bali, your best source probably are the lists at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants site.

5 top Ubud (casual) fine dining restaurants

I start with four of the best (casual) fine dining spots in Ubud (respectively Bali). From which, I visited three on my recent 2022 stay in Bali and one on an earlier occasion in 2016. Furthermore, there is one more, a second restaurant of a big name here. And it is a place that is a bit more down to earth than the others.

Restaurant Locavore

A wild ride through the most ingenious creations made by two enterprising chefs using local produce only

Locavore is the local gastronomic showpiece. It is definitely the place to go for a foodie if you have only one dinner in Ubud. But make sure to book well in advance as it is very popular. This is especially the case at the moment as the restaurant is coming to an end as one knows it. That does not mean that the busy team behind Locavore retires from Ubud’s culinary scene. Quite the opposite, it just enters a new phase. There is a new project under construction and opening in the second quarter of 2023 (see more). Until this happens, you still can enjoy the creations at the “old” Locavore. Precisely, you can taste their favorite fifty dishes from nine years of restaurant history, and this in the form of three different menus over the next time.

My husband and I had the pleasure of being served Exhibition Menu No 2, and this on the restaurant’s ninth birthday on the third of November 2022! Wow, what an experience! You get here, as the name says it, local produce. Chefs Eelke Plasmeijer (a born Dutchman) and Ray Adriansyah (from Jakarta) know how to enchant their clientele. They bring diners on a journey of discovery of the unknown. A series of dishes are served that surprise at every bite!

The 18-course menu costs 84 SFR/US$ and is divided into four explorations. You can include a drinks pairing for additional 33 SFR/US$, which I recommend. You get creative drinks, some with alcohol, others not (but no wine). And it really takes the dinner to a whole new level. The ambiance at Locavore was relaxed, the staff was friendly and knowledgeable, the service was adequately fast (we spent three hours and a quarter here).

Restaurant Room4Dessert

A discovery trip through Will Goldfarb’s sweet world (which also includes savory snacks for a start) in three parts

When my husband and I walked by the Restaurant Room4Dessert in Ubud’s outskirts in 2016, I thought that it would be nice to eat here. I had heard about Will Goldfarb’s place (opened in 2014), but I did not want to drag my husband to a dessert-only meal (he has not such a sweet tooth as I). Much has changed since then! The property of the American born pastry chef grew from a 100 sqm venue to a 1,000 sqm one with a garden that has 300 different plants and 100 types of trees! They all flow in his recipes in some way or the other. And Will Goldfarb was named The World’s Best Pastry Chef at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards in 2021!

When checking out the dining spot for dinner in November 2022, I found out that the experience was now different. You are in for a meal in three parts. After a tour through the garden you get seven savory snacks at the bar, seven desserts in the dining room and seven petit fours in the garden.

On our visit, it was up to Season 13 Part 2, The Golden Age.

The menu amounted to 77 SFR/US$ including spirits (for the second part), which we had. Alternatively, you can choose it with a spiritless tasting (65 SFR/US$) or without any drinks (53 SFR/US$).

There is young team of amiable and laid-back locals that takes care of you, overseen by the impressive personality of Will Goldfarb. The pastry chef is present wherever needed, has a word with a staff member or with his guests. I found his performance admirable! The same is true for the food. Already the snacks were persuasive. Yet the sweet treats were simply amazing! They started light and and became gradually richer. The treat is really worth it, even my husband was blown away! And the meal was paced just right, we were here three hours and a quarter.

Restaurant Blanco Par Mandif

Haute Indonesian degustation menus with a twist in an elegant, intimate setting

If you look for a fine dining restaurant that radiates classical elegance and an intimate feel, then this it.

Of course, food is a highlight too, you get here a modern take on Indonesian cuisine. And you clearly note that chef Mandif Warokka also drew inspiration from his stays abroad. After his first restaurant, Teatro Gastroteque serving French cuisine with a Japanese twist, he opened his current one inside the Blanco Renaissance Museum complex in 2015. It is small, with only 20 seats, boasting views of the Tjampuhan river.

This was the most expensive meal we had in Ubud. There are four menus to choose from, all with seven courses except the fourth one. First, Degustation (Adiboga), with seafood and meat, costing 116 SFR/US$. Second, Vegetarian (Giriloka) for 73 SFR SFRf/US$. Third, Pescatarian (Tirtaloka), with seafood, that amounts to 110 SFR/US$. Finally, there is Hakkaisan, a Sake dinner menu, with seafood and meat, paired with Sake, available for 134 SFR/US$. My husband and I had opted for the degustation menu, we had to make our choice already at the time of our booking.

As to the food, it was immaculate, in every aspect, and inventive too. The ambiance inhere was very quiet, almost serene. The hand-washing ritual that the a staff member performed with us at the start of the meal contributed to this impression. Staff was very polite and attentive. There were not many diners around on our visit, we had booked “the first slot” right after the restaurant opened. Luckily, I have to say, because after the fifth course, we heard a loud bang. And then the electricity went out and never came back until we left. They were able to provide the two remaining dishes and the petit fours, but of course the experience was compromised. What a pity! Yet it happens.

Restaurant Kubu at Hotel Mandapa

Well-made Mediterranean-European cuisine in bamboo dining cocoons

Our dinner at the signature restaurant at Hotel Mandapa, a Ritz Carlton Reserve, dates back to 2016, so my impressions may be somewhat blurred. I well remember that I was not so enthusiastic about our table in one of the nine private dining cocoons just by the Ayung river. Although this is supposed to be a popular seating, I would have preferred a regular table. It was a hot and humid evening so that I considered the cocoon as a bit constricting with no wind coming in. Anyway, these huts are an original idea for sure!

Another thing that I did not forget that it was pitch dark in these cocoons. We could almost not make out what we were getting served. This is always a pity, especially when the food is artistically arranged on the plates. And that was definitely the case here! Yet also the food quality and preparation knew how to persuade. Chef Bayu Retno Timur oversees the kitchen here, who looks back at 14 years of experience in the culinary industry within 5-star hotels. You get here well-executed Mediterranean inspired dishes. They are made with premium ingredients and served by accommodative and informative staff.

You can dine here à la carte (starters from 12 to 29 SFR/US$, mains from 17 to 34 SFR/US$, desserts 9 SFR/US$) or opt for one of the two tastings menus (The Gourmet: 7 courses for 76 SFR/US$ / The Essential: 5 courses for 54 SFR/US$). When my husband and I had dinner here in 2016, we had The Essential (then Degustation 6 for 46 SFR/US$), and we liked what we got! One final recommendation for outside guests: arrive early enough to take in the views!

Restaurant Nusantara by Locavore

Contemporary Indonesian family-style dining by the flourishing food empire of Locavore

Locavore – see the dining spot that I mentioned first – is more than just a restaurant. Chef-owners Eelke Plasmeijer and Ray Adriansyah, who are beyond it, have developed it much further. There is the casual dining concept of Locavore To Go, the cocktail bars Night Rooster and Club Soda in Canggu, the Local Parts butcher shop with its Butcher’s Table, the R&D unit of Localab and Agency X, a F&B consultant company. And last but not least, Nusantara is also part of this family.

Nusantara by Locavore was opened in 2016, named after the Javanese word for archipelago. You have to know that Indonesia consists of 17,000 islands. Nusantara has made it its mission to showcase their signature dishes. Each is marked on the menu with its origin and is made with indigenous ingredients. The place is helmed by chef I Putu Dodik Sumarjana, who has worked his way up at Locovore. To prepare for the work here, he and his team travelled to different Indonesian islands to sample dishes and learn to cook them.

While Nusantara is not an actual fine dining restaurant, it is much more than a simple eatery showcasing local food. You get here traditional Indonesian cuisine in a contemporary experience. The menu changes regularly, but some favorites remain just as jukut kelor mesanten, a rich soup of moringa leaves, ground-spice paste and torch ginger cooked in a coconut – they roast the coconut over an open fire in front of the dining spot. It is about family-style dining here, you order a number of dishes and share them with your table companion. They recommend 2-3 small dishes (4-8 SFR/US$), 1-2 big dishes (9-14 SFR/US$), 1 rice (2 SFR/US$) and 1 dessert (3 SFR/US$) for two persons, which I found just right.

Everything we had was delicious! Staff is friendly and helpful. The setting is laid-back and charming with its rattan partitions and Batik prints.

Overall/Looking back

In this post I highlighted some of the best (casual) fine dining restaurants in Ubud. This town’s gastronomic scene has been undergoing a great development in the last decade. Serious foodies coming to Bali are no longer forced to leave this island disappointed, at least when it comes to dining in style. After eating at five of the top restaurants on the Islands of the Gods, I would like to give the remaining ones on my list (Restaurant Mozaic and Restaurant Apéritif) a try on a further trip!

In my Bali mini-series I also wrote about other topics than dining (this is the last post about the island). My first blogpost was about how to get the most out of a trip as demanding traveler (general info and where to go for sights plus luxury hotels). The second went into some of the best (easy) walks on the Island of the Gods. And the third informed about actual accommodations to choose here when longing to stay in style, divided by location.

Last date of stay: November 2022

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