The 5 best fine dining restaurants in Bali

The 5 best fine dining restaurants in Bali

The 5 best fine dining restaurants in Bali

Bali is known for its stretched sandy beaches, luscious rice fields, friendly people and a culture that breathes spiritual beauty in every detail. It’s no wonder that the island is nicknamed “island of the gods”. It gets pretty close to my kind of paradise. Sidenote: with this I do not mean the crowded tourist areas (avoid, avoid), but the diversity of the Balinese landscape and the true Balinese culture.

In my kind of paradise, food and drinks are an important topic. I just can’t deal with cheap drinks (not pricewise, but quality wise) and badly prepared food. I love local cuisine and I do indulge happily on some street food from time to time, but as a princess-like luxury lover, my heart skips a beat when I find a gastronomic experience that combines the best aspects of a country’s cuisine with a luxurious vibe.

In Bali I found 5 restaurants that fit the latter criteria. Here’s a list of the best fine dining restaurants in Bali. Perfect if you’re looking for a Balinese gastronomic experience!

Mozaic

With his restaurant Mozaic, Chef Chris Salan perfectly blends French Cuisine with Balinese ingredients and flavors. In full, the name of the restaurant is Mozaic Restaurant Gastronomique. And with good reason. This culinary heaven offers everything gastronomy stands for. Before you start your dinner, your host shows you a plate with the local ingredients used in your upcoming dishes. You can see, smell, touch and taste them, contributing to the fine dining experience. The only downside is that their wines aren’t spectacular. They do their absolute best in their wine-pairings and the wine and food fuses nicely, but many of their wines are available in Western supermarkets. Of course, the cost to import exclusive wines would be tremendous, so I understand their choices when it comes to value for money.

Tip: Do NOT skip the bread. Their bread is too good. We had way too much of it. Prepare for some carbs.

Tip: Bring out the deet! Mosquitos just love those legs under the fine dining tables.

  • Food: 5/5 (Balinese heaven)
  • Drinks: 3/5 (Not the most spectacular wines, but they pair well with the dishes)
  • Ambiance: 5/5 (Doesn’t get much dreamier than this lush garden setting)
  • Value for money: 5/5 (Perfect)

Jalan Raya Sanggingan, Kedewatan | Ubud | https://mozaic-bali.com/ 

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Métis

This elegant establishment in the heart of Seminyak hides a restaurant with unparalleled beauty. It combines an impressive art gallery, trendy lounge, lush tropical garden and U-shaped patio with outdoor areas. As such, it allows for a romantic under-the-stars setting and marvellous views of the garden. The architecture is suberb, with natural timber, glass walls and a foundation of wood and bamboo. Métis is run by culinary legend Nicolas Tourneville and art lover Said Alem. Their menu offers an excellent interpretation of French cuisine with a Mediterranean twist. Fine dining at its finest!

Tip: Start with cocktails in the lounge!

  • Food: 5/5 (impeccable and a feast for the eyes)
  • Drinks: 4/5 (excellent pairing and heavenly cocktails)
  • Ambiance: 5/5 (architectural perfection)
  • Value for money: 5/5 (worth every cent)

Jalan Petitenget No. 6 | Seminyak | www.metisbali.com

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Locavore

Locavore doesn’t have the elegant fine dining setting you’d expect, nor the classic menu you’d expect. What they do have is a revised view on gastronomy with an ingredient-driven menu celebrating local farmers, fishers and food artisans. As such, they are able to present the freshest ingredients and ethically fed and kept animals. By working closely with the community, they support sustainability. Their dishes offer some brand new flavours, creating unique, contemporary European dishes. Every dish is presented beautifully, eye candy pur sang. The restaurant doesn’t use wines, but cocktails to pair with the food. For us, this was a little step too far, as the drinks sometimes seemed to dominate flavour-wise. However, bonus points for the brand new and bold approach. I’m pretty confident there are many connoisseurs out there who jump for joy when hearing about a food-cocktail pairing!

Tip: if there’s a dish with egg yolk, go for it! The egg yolk is cooked to perfection.

  • Food: 4/5 (some dishes great, some a bit too ‘new’ for me)
  • Drinks: 3/5 (some great cocktails, some too dominant to be paired with the dishes)
  • Ambiance: 4/5 (contemporary design)
  • Value for money: 4/5 (worth it)

10 Jalan Dewi Sita | Ubud | www.locavore.co.id

best fine dining restaurants bali

Teatro Gastroteque

Teatro Gastroteque is located amidst the tourist area in Seminyak and if you don’t know there’s a gorgeous restaurant hidden inside, you might walk right past it. This small boutique restaurant offers a sophisticated twist on French Cuisine by famous chef Mandif M. Warokka. Expect local ingredients, authentic flavours and a bold, alluring presentation of your dishes. The restaurant focuses on “theatre” as their culinary team performs their passion: love of gastronomy, presented impeccably by their butlers. The wine list is impressive and so are the food-wine pairings. The venue is small, which means you get the undivided attention of the excellent staff, while dining in a cosy, stylish setting.

Tip: order the discovery menu with a wine pairing!

  • Food: 5/5 (beautiful presentation, beautiful flavours)
  • Drinks: 4/5 (impressive wine list)
  • Ambiance: 4/5 (boutique with a luxury vibe)
  • Value for money: 4/5 (worth it)

Jalan Kayu Aya Blok C No.1-2 | Seminyak | http://teatrobali.com/

best fine dining restaurants bali

Sarong

Sarong is a restaurant, lounge and bar in one. The design of a restaurant doesn’t get more authentic than this. When stepping inside, you feel like you step right inside a Balinese fairy tale. It has a romantic and even somewhat mysterious ambiance, with a leafy garden surrounding two pavilions. You can either dine in the lounge or in the main dining area. The dishes are all inspired by the flavours of South-East Asia. Expect a local experience, where street food gets turned into flavoursome dishes that make you crave for more. There are good wines to choose from and the team is kind and helpful. The presentation of the food is pretty straightforward, but the flavours are impeccable.

Tip: have a cocktail at the bar! (I loved the Coconut Passion fruit & Pineapple Daiquiri)

Tip: order several small dishes and share them so you can try as many delicious flavours as possible!

  • Food: 5/5 (street food turned into fine dining)
  • Drinks: 4/5 (good wines, good cocktails)
  • Ambiance: 5/5 (a Balinese fairy tale)
  • Value for money: 5/5 (you feel like you’re robbing the place)

Jl. Petitenget No.19x, Kerobokan Kelod |Seminyak | www.sarongbali.com

best fine dining restaurants bali

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