Between all the surfing, swimming and sun tanning, Bali has no shortage of places to fill your belly (or lack thereof, judging by all the ripped six- and eight-packs everyone’s been shamelessly flaunting). If you’re looking for Bali’s best eats, look no further than our latest list of recs that we’ve tried and tasted ourselves.
From local Indonesian cuisine to Japanese, Italian, French and Asian, here are some of Bali’s hottest tables to book now:
Japanese: Takumi
Helmed by the talented and affable chef Daijiro Horikoshi, an Osaka-native who’s lived in Bali since 2012, Takumi serves up Japanese Kaiseki menus and omakase dining right in the heart of Seminyak. Available in six- or nine-course degustation menus, Japanese culinary techniques are applied on local ingredients sourced from Bali and Indonesia to recreate an authentic Japanese fine dining experience.
For the kaiseki menu, indulge in dishes like seasonal seafood sashimi, clam chawanmushi, assorted nigiri, organic vegetables plucked from the farm, duck shabu-shabu, Wagyu sumiyaki with truffle egg yolk and foie gras daikon. Vegan kaiseki menus are also available.
LUXE tip: Although the resto is closed on Mondays and Tuesday, head upstairs for rare sakes, whiskies and wines paired with artistic small bites.
takumibali.com, open 6 pm-12am, closed Mon and Tues
French: Leon Brasserie
Created by the same people behind Bali’s famed (but now closed) Métis Restaurant, Lounge and Gallery, Leon is a new and elegant French brasserie located in the quieter Umalas neighbourhood. Walking in, the bar takes centre stage in the dimly lit and intimate restaurant, where you can order signature cocktails alongside new and experimental tipples for a multi-sensorial experience.
Menu-wise, expect classic French bistro dishes such as charcuterie and cheese platters, plump escargots on juicy roasted mushrooms, two-ways duck (duck leg confit with pan-seared duck breast) and scallops and prawns Provençal. Don’t miss the salted caramel butter millefeuille and giant profiterole for dessert!
LUXE tip: Ask for expert bartender Kadek Wana to make you a fiery concoction tableside.
leonbali.com, open from 5:30pm daily
Italian: DaMaria
Hip and modern, DaMaria brings the vibes of Capri and the Amalfi Coast to Seminyak with all its deliciousness. Keeping it simple with a blue and white, geometric design with high ceilings and a courtyard feel, the setting is perfect for date night, group dining or fun for the entire fam. By night, DaMaria fires up the tunes for nights of revelry and dancing.
Order the marinated olives and suppli al telefono to start – deep-fried rice balls with tomato and mozzarella – and continue the feast with one of DaMaria’s signature lava-oven fired pizzas (we recommend the Calabrese with a side of anchovies). For pasta, the raviolini with ricotta and spinach is light on the palette but packed with flavour, and for dessert, don’t miss the classic tiramisu.
LUXE tip: If you like fruity cocktails, order the N147 – a mix of vodka, coconut, passion fruit, falernum, pineapple, lime, and bitters.
damariabali.com, open from 5pm daily
Asian Fusion: MamaSan Supper Club
Head upstairs from the iconic Mama San Bali to the brand new Mama San Supper Club, the latest offering from chef Will Meyrick with an ever-changing menu of seasonal dishes. Expect dishes like tuna carpaccio, seared scallops with kombu miso butter and XO sauce, and giant scallop and prawn-stuffed tempura zucchini flowers alongside cuts robata-grilled lamb, dry-aged BBQ duck breast and wood-fire chicken.
Drinks-wise, the Supper Club has a great selection of premium wines and cocktails – we recommend the tropical Passions Tempest, a mix of spiced rum, passionfruit, mint and Angostura bitters.
LUXE tip: The charred pumpkin with paneer and spicy tomato sauce is a must.
mamasanbali.com, open 5:30pm to 10:30pm, Tues to Saturday
Indonesian: John Hardy Long Table
Bring the whole gang to John Hardy’s glittering boutique in Seminyak for a tasty trip across the Indonesian archipelago. The ever-changing menu features dishes like Bebek Tangkap (Aceh), local duck fried with crispy pandan, curry laksa and lime leaves; Ikan Belacan (Medan), smoked Mackerel sauteed with sweet corn, leek, and chilli and prawn paste; Sop Bobor (West Java), organic spinach and sweet corn cooked with duck broth; and Nasi Timbungan (Bali), organic rice with Medanese anchovies.
Our fave part of the meal was the Es Campur, a traditional Indonesian dessert with freshly shaved ice and local toppings such as steamed cassava, red bean, nata de coco and condensed milk.
johnhardy.com, open 11am-7pm daily
LUXE tip: Feeling adventurous? Try the Jamu Temulawak cocktail, which is served with a raw Kampung egg and chunk of honeycomb on the side. Benefits include better stamina, muscular pain relief and improved digestion!
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