Prices, style, food presentation, decoration and service you will experience
in Bali vary from restaurant to restaurant and range from very basic to
luxurious and from extremely cheap to expensive. You can still have a tasty meal
at one of the many food stalls (warungs) for less than 5,000 Rupiah, and you can
spend US$150 and more per person (without wine) in Bali's top hotel
restaurants.
Although not cheap, the Balinese dance performances presented during a buffet
dinner in some hotels for about US$80 or more per person are memorable events
you should attend at least once (the open stage at THE OBEROI offers perhaps the
most attractive setting). The adjacent KURA KURA restaurant of THE OBEROI would
be our first choice for "Fine Dining" in Bali.
Regular culinary events, although aimed predominently at the local expat
community, are special dinners at THE CONRAD and THE BVLGARI resort introducing
the products of visiting wine makers and/or guest Chefs and the annual "Wine &
Cigar Dinners" at THE RITZ CARLTON priced at 900,000 Rupiah to 2,600,000 Rupiah
per person, usually including wines.
The monthly lunch meetings of the "Bali Wine Club" (gentlemen only), the
"Bali Champagne Club" (ladies only), the
"Chaine des Rotisseurs"
Black-Tie Dinners and the spectacular Gala Dinners of the BCP (Bali Culinary
Professionals) are for members and their guests only. If you've booked a villa
through
Balivillas.com and are seriously interested in good food and wine, please
ask your butler to arrange your attendance.
If you wish to arrange a special celebration or just want to enjoy a truly
outstanding culinary experience with your family or a group of 8 or more
friends, your top choice in Bali would be to book the Private Chef's Table @
MOZAIC in Ubud. Please visit our
"Ubud Restaurant Guide".
In all restaurants outside the large hotels you can expect to pay from 20,000 to
about 200,000 Rupiah for a main course. A beer adds 8,000 to 40,000 Rupiah to
your bill, and if you really want to live it up and order a bottle of imported
wine or champagne this will set you back at least another 350,000 Rupiah and
more. (WARNING: in hotel restaurants this extravagance carries a very steep
penalty.) Usually 10% service charge is included in your bill. If not, a tip of
5% or a maximum of 10% is appreciated but not necessarily expected. Hotels
always add 21% (11% tax & 10% service) to your bill.
Most restaurants in Bali are open until 10:00 or 11:00 p.m., and a few eateries
in tourist areas keep their kitchens open until 12:00, 1:00 a.m. or even around
the clock. For a late sushi or sashimi dinner you can go to any of the RYOSHI
restaurants (until midnight). LA PORCHETTA and MAMA'S in Kuta stay open 24
hours. Another late night place is SANTA FE in Jalan Dhyana Pura, and there are
quite a number of simple PADANG RESTAURANTS in Kuta, Sanur, and Denpasar which
serve also food around the clock.
Back to Top
Whether you long for an original Austrian Wiener Schnitzel, Chinese
delicacies such as Hong Kong style Dim Sum, Smoked Duck from Szechuan or
Scallops in Black Bean Sauce, German Wurst or Rindsrouladen, Greek Souvlaki,
Indian Tandoori Chicken or Rogan Josh, Italian Lasagna or Pizza, Japanese Sushi,
Yakitori or Shabu-Shabu, Korean Bulgogi Beef and Kimchi, Mexican Enchiladas or
Tacos, Russian Borscht, Spanish Tapas or Paella, Swiss Cheese or Beef Fondue or
a spicy Thai Tom Yam – you can get it in Bali.
Although based on original recipes, the preparation of the dishes is often
adapted to the local taste and the availability of certain ingredients and the
results are not always predictable. However, if you don't insist on comparing
the Balinese version of international delicacies with those prepared in the
country they originate from you can usually expect a rather enjoyable meal.
In addition to restaurants specializing in one type of cuisine you find many
(usually not very trustworthy) places which offer a wide range of Chinese,
Indonesian and Western dishes. For emergencies, there are also branches of
KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN, MACDONALD'S and PIZZA HUT as well as a HARD ROCK CAFE.
These Western fast food outlets have recently become very popular with young
Indonesians.
Back to Top
Indonesian home cooking can be excellent, but finding a restaurant serving
good local Indonesian food in pleasant and comfortable surroundings is
difficult. Some tiny food stalls and "Warungs" offer one or two excellently
prepared local specialties but the primitive surroundings easily spoil the
experience for many visitors. On the other hand, Indonesian food served in
well-decorated and comfortable Western-style restaurants is often specially
prepared for foreigners and has not much similarity with the authentic version.
The centerpiece of any Indonesian meal is steamed or boiled rice. Accompanying
dishes include various preparations of chicken, duck, beef, (in Bali also pork),
goat, all kinds of seafood and vegetables, either steamed, boiled, braised, stir
or deep fried, roasted or grilled over coconut husks. Other ingredients used to
give Indonesian food its unique flavours are chillies, coconut, peanuts, garlic,
ginger, saffron, basil, cardamon, lemon grass, lime, nutmeg, pepper, shallots,
soy sauce, tamarind, turmeric and several kinds of shrimp paste. (They weren't
called the Spice Islands for nothing, you know.) The result is usually very
tasty but not unbearably hot – as long as you avoid the small green chillies and
different kinds of 'Sambal' which are often served together with your meal.
Indonesian delicacies served in many restaurants and hotels include 'Sate'
(charcoal-grilled skewers with small pieces of chicken, beef, pork, prawns or
minced seafood) served with a peanut sauce, 'Gado-Gado' (a half-boiled
combination of various vegetables with peanut sauce) and 'Nasi Goreng', tasty
fried rice with either meat or shrimps.
For Indonesian "High Cuisine" – not to be confused with local home cooking –
visit the restaurant KETUPAT in Kuta. For a down-to-earth experience of
Indonesian food you should visit the night markets and/or the food halls in or
adjacent to some shopping centers (e.g. Tiara Dewata) in Denpasar. For a dollar
or so you can try "Bakso", different "Sate" (including the Balinese "Sate Lilit"
made from minced seafood), and many other local delicacies.
Back to Top
In every Balinese town you will see a number of very simple restaurants which display 10 or 15 different plates and bowls with cooked food in a glass box next to the entrance. Chicken, beef, fish, liver, eggs and different vegetables are prepared in the style of Padang, a major city in Sumatra. When you sit down at a table, the waiter brings a plate of rice and one plate of every single dish to your table. You eat whatever you like, and you will be charged when you leave only for the food you've eaten. Usually a meal with many different dishes is two or three US dollars. Many Nasi Padang Restaurants in South Bali i.e. Sanur, Jimbaran, or the Kuta area are open 24 hours a day.
There are two traditional Balinese dishes you should not miss: It's a must to
try the
Babi Guling, the crispy skin and pieces of grilled suckling pig which is
a specialty of the town of Gianyar, and the
Bebek Betutu, a delicious duck specialty, slowly baked in banana leaves
together with many different herbs and spices. To try "Babi Guling" watch out
for signboards at small restaurants which specialize in this dish. The "Bebek"
you should try in MURNI'S WARUNG next to the bridge in Campuhan, Ubud.
The best place to experience a whole range of authentic Balinese dishes
including
Sate Lilit made from minced prawns and fish, a delicious
grilled marinated fish, and
Nasi Kuning, yellow rice often served at celebrations, is the BUMBU BALI
Restaurant in Tanjung Benoa adjacent to Nusa Dua (Jalan Pratama, Gang Nusa No.
5B). This unique and comfortable restaurant was opened in December 1997 by Heinz
von Holzen, the author (and photographer) of "The Food of Bali" – a book which
is a must for everybody interested in exotic cuisines. Heinz is the former food
guru of the Grand Hyatt Bali and the Ritz Carlton hotel, and his restaurant is a
temple devoted to traditional Balinese cuisine.
Inside the nearby RUMAH BALI Heinz opened in March 2006 the BALINESE VILLAGE
CENTER – a carefully designed compound to stage cultural shows for up to 340
guests, art exhibitions, theme parties or private dinners. In various
traditional pavillions the preparation of rice, vegetable and meat dishes is
demonstrated, and you can also watch the destillation of and taste the home-made
Arak and Rice Wine. Moreover, during most mornings the VILLAGE CENTER is the
venue of Heinz' popular
Balinese Cooking School for visitors. (If you
book
certain villas through Balivillas.com, you enjoy FREE participation in the
cooking classes conducted by Heinz. Don't miss it!
To learn more about Balinse specialties and how to prepare them, please visit
our
Balinese Recipes pages providing over 70 recipes for traditional
Balinese food preparations.
Back to Top
In restaurants you'll pay for a large bottle of local beer between 12,000 and
80,000 Rupiah (plus 21% tax and service charge in hotels). A small glass of
mediocre Australian table wine costs 50,000 to 80,000 Rupiah ++. Prices for a
bottle of any better wine start between 280,000 Rupiah and 600,000 Rupiah,
depending on where you are. Prices for wine and champagne in many hotels are
outrageous compared with Western countries.
The good news is that the choice of available wines from Australia, California,
Chile, France, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal and South Africa has recently
increased. If you think the prices of these imports are too high, you should at
least try the HATTEN wines, one rosé wine and two types of white wine made from
grapes grown in North Bali and sold in restaurants for 120,000 to 180,000 Rupiah
and in hotels for sometimes 450,000 Rupiah ++ per bottle. The same company is
producing also a rosé sparkling wine named "JEPUN" with a refreshing fruity
taste. "JEPUN" is about 50% to 100% more expensive than HATTEN Rosé. HATTEN's
newer white sparkling wine named "TANJUNG" is also getting quite popular.
"Wine of the Gods" is a company which produces wines in Bali from grape juice
imported from the Margaret River region in Western Australia. Their "Premium
Chardonnay" and "Shiraz" are quite drinkable. The winery is open six days a week
from 9 am to 5 pm for tours and tastings and is located at No. 885, Jalan
By-Pass, Sanur, near the Benoa harbour turn-off.
Most foreigners like the local BINTANG beer. Many restaurants and pubs also
serve BINTANG "draft". Other locally produced beers are ANKER, CARLSBERG, SAN
MIGUEL and the less popular BALI HAI beer. In hotels and supermarkets you can
also find well-known brands imported from Australia, Germany, Japan, and even
China (Tsing Tao).
Beer is available in all supermarkets and many smaller shops. Wine is very
expensive in supermarkets but nowadays there is a number of specialized wine
shops where you can find a good choice of imported wines at more reasonable
prices. Have a look at the WINE HOUSE at Jalan Kerobokan opposite KAFE WARISAN,
the BALI WINE SHOP, Jalan By-Pass 546 in Sanur, BALI DELI in Jalan Kunti and the
BALI LIQUOR STORE, Jalan Kunti No. 18 in Seminyak, and at BEST WINES & SPIRITS,
Jalan Tangkuban Peradu No. 15D, Kerobokan. The best source to buy Cuban
cigars is CIGARS & CIGARS at Kuta Poleng Mall B-5, Jalan Setiabudhi near the
DFS circle at Jalan By-Pass in Kuta.
Some religious (Moslem) groups are trying to make the consumption of alcoholic
beverages illegal in Indonesia, and there is a possibility that in future
alcoholic drinks will either not be available at all or can only be served in
international hotels and only to foreigners.
This is really bad news for all Balinese who have enjoyed Arak, Tuak, and Brem
as long as anybody can remember. It is a tradition that in all villages the men
meet in the evening in "drinking clubs" where they discuss the news of the day
and get slowly stoned on their rather potent home brews.
Tuak (about 5% alcohol) is a sweet palm wine made from the juice of the
coconut palm flower which is stored for about one month for fermentation.
Brem is made from black glutinous rice and coconut milk; the alcohol content
is about 7% to 9% after three days fermentation. Most popular with foreigners is
Arak: a colorless, sugarless spirit distilled from either Brem or Tuak
with 20% to 50% alcohol content. A whole bottle costs about Rupiah 40,000, and
it is usually served 'on the rocks' as "Arak Attack" or "Arak Madu" (Arak, lemon
or orange juice, and honey). You should try it at least once. There is no
hang-over as long as you don't mix your drinks, and many visitors don't order
anything else after they have discovered Arak.