Best restaurants in Bali

If you’re finding it hard to drag yourself away from the beautiful Balinese beaches, we totally understand and have the perfect solution for you: Breeze. Not only is it situated right on the beach-front where you can watch the sunset as the waves crash in, Breeze specialises in delicious, fresh seafood. Start off with some warm oysters or an on-ice, chilled seafood platter which includes oysters, octopus, salmon, and king prawns, then move along to squid ink risotto or fillet of snapper. If you’re not a seafood fan, there’s plenty of meat and veggie dishes to keep you going. With delicious food, a romantic setting, and lovely staff, this is one of the best restaurants in Bali to relax and indulge.

Set near the stunning Kayumanis Jimbaran Villas, in the middle of a coconut grove, Cuca is a restaurant that focuses on its food. The layout and decor are simple but the food is anything but simple. Husband and wife team, Kevin and Virginia, use local ingredients to create modern dishes at a Michelin star quality. (Kevin has worked at multiple Michelin-starred restaurants around the world before opening his own venue.) Focusing on small plates, the menu is designed to be shared and you can choose from Harvested (vegetarian), Hooked (seafood), and Farmed (meats). To compliment the dishes, the team have also created a gorgeous cocktail menu that includes the best of local produce, including the iced rose which comes with hibiscus ice and blush which has the added twist of rosemary perfume. There’s even a chef’s tasting menu, carefully curated by the culinary team if you’re feeling a little more flush.

Sick of the sun but not quite ready to hide indoors yet? Mozaic is your ideal spot. A completely unique setting, Mozaic is a cross between fine dining and a wild jungle. (Think a verrrrrry classy version of The Rainforest Cafe.) Entering through a classic Balinese doorway, you’re greeted by a beautiful dining room, festooned in greenery. The food is focused around local produce and menus include a six or eight course feast with delicious meats and seafood or A Trip Around the World with a “marriage of the world’s best ingredients and local flavours.” For the wine drinkers among you, this is one of the best restaurants in Bali to visit as their sommeliers and chefs work together to create the perfect wine list and are more than happy to make recommendations based on your menu choices.

We’ve focused on some great fine dining spots and now we’re going somewhere a little more chilled out. Locavore is a rustic restaurant and deli ran by chefs, Ray and Eelke, who create contemporary European dishes from local ingredients. They’re the only restaurant that made Asia’s Best 50 restaurants, coming in at #22, so you know you’re in for a treat. You’ll still find fine-dining meals here but the high-beamed ceilings, polished, rustic wood tables and open-plan kitchen make it somewhere you can simply sit and enjoy your food in a relaxed atmosphere. There’s a herbivore and a carnivore menu and you can even purchase some of the stunning local produce from their deli counter. Loved the experience so much you don’t want to go home? Hang out til the early hours in Night Rooster, their cocktail bar. The experienced mixologists will whip you up some gorgeous drinks or you can try some of the local ciders and beers. Otherwise, check out their sister restaurant, Nusantara by Locavore if you can’t get a table at this insanely popular spot.

Another venue that makes use of the stunning Bali coastline, Ku De Ta is one of the best restaurants in Bali to watch the sun set in the famous Seminyak area. They describe themselves as “Bali’s original sunset destination” and it’s easy to see why. Hosting a collective of international artists year round, Ku De Ta is a fun, hip place to hang out as the day draws to a close. Choose all-day dining with a selection of sushi or delicious pizzas or line your stomach for the night’s dancing with a full a la carte menu. There’s a selection of traditional Balinese food with some stunning fish dishes on display or go for something like steak or lamb shoulder to fill you up. By visiting Ku De Ta, you’ll even be doing a good deed while having a great time: 10% of some of their dishes goes to “I’m An Angel”, a charity that helps disadvantaged communities in Bali. Of course there’s an extensive cocktail menu too if you want to let your hair down. (Go on, you’re on holiday!)

A gorgeous venue, overlooking the lovely Bali beach front, Seminyak Italian Food is one of the best restaurants in Bali for relaxing and just enjoying lovely food. It’s a modern-style trattoria, at the Double Six Hotel, right in the middle of the popular Seminyak area. Perfect at any time of the day, you can get breakfast, lunch and dinner at Seminyak Italian Food, starting the day with classic Italian meals like bruschetta or a focaccia pressed sandwich and ending it with handmade pasta and fresh seafood.

If you pictured “Balinese restaurant” in your mind, most of you would visualise something like Merah Putih. An indoor garden with beautifully high ceilings, it has been designed to be as eco-friendly as possible. The columns that make up the roof capture rainwater and channel it into a water-flow system, meaning they don’t use precious ground-water reserves. UV filters make sure that the greenery inside the venue stays healthy, while the heat is kept out. Traditional Indonesian food like crispy squid legs and char-grilled oxtail sit alongside more modern dishes like bamboo lobster dumplings. Following the traditional Balinese ways of eating, sharing is encouraged and the plates are small. There’s even an extensive vegetarian menu for the herbivores in the group.