Best Ubud Restaurants

Another of Ubud favorites is  ARY`S WARUNG  , a stylish side-walk bistro in the center of town with creative oriental/international cuisine and a choice of interesting vegetarian dishes. The Tasting Menu for lunch includes four dishes for 150,000 or 190,000  Rupiah with one glass of wine, the Dinner Tasting Menu six dishes for 240,000 or 280,000 Rupiah with two glasses of wine, always plus tax & service. Expect delicacies such as Lobster Wonton, Tuna Parfait with caviar and Wasabi cream, Seared Sea Scallops, Sautéed Green Peppercorn Pate with green papaya salad, Carpaccio of Venison, Steamed Snapper with red chili butter, Jumbo River Prawns sautéed with chili, garlic and ginger, deboned Quail, Rack of Lamb with chili mint sauce, and Roasted Veal Cutlets with Wasabi butter. The desserts are equally creative; try the Durian Crème Brule! The wine list offers a good choice of Australian and French wines starting around 300,000 Rupiah, and the service is friendly AND professional.

For many years rather popular is  DIRTY DUCK  or  BEBEK BENGIL  in Padang Tegal about one kilometer south of Ubud`s main street. Forget their special “Crispy Duck” which is very dry and sometimes rather tough. Their range of other Indonesian and Western dishes, however, is quite tasty, the garden setting very pleasant, and the live background music in the evenings creates a nearly magic atmosphere.

The more elegant  BRIDGE CAFE  cascades also down over several levels – right opposite on the other side of the river – and offers creative `Pacific Rim` cuisine i.e. tasty culinary creations with influences from Thailand, India, China and Japan as well as local specialties, salads and vegetarian dishes. Try the Szechuan Pancakes filled with deep fried duck, the Thai Chicken Pizza, or the Chilly Prawns. Here you will find very pleasant atmosphere and good service.

CAFE LOTUS  has been an institution for many years. Located in the center of Ubud between the main street and a large, beautiful lotus pond in front of a temple (designed by the famous artist I Gusti Nyoman Lempad) this pleasant open-air restaurant serves a variety of Italian pasta dishes, some Asian and local specialties such as the Balinese duck `Bebek Betutu`, and a good choice of cakes and fruit juices. Although the prices here are quite steep for Ubud standards, CAFE LOTUS is busy the whole day.

Nearly across the road is CASA LUNA offering a number of Balinese and Mediterranean dishes , which look very interesting on the menu but can be a bit disappointing. Also a branch of the well-known RYOSHI serving good Sushi, Sashimi and Tempura until midnight at rather low prices.

On the way to Sayan between the  Campuan Hotel and the Pita Maha Resort is the  INDUS  Restaurant operated by the same owner as Casa Luna. Well-spaced tables on two levels offer a beautiful view over the Campuhan river valley, the service is very friendly, and they serve a wide range of health food. You can choose Italian pizza, ravioli and fettuccini, Middle Eastern mezze, Chinese spring rolls, Thai Thom Kha Kai soup, and Indonesian Nasi Campur, Gado Gado, and even a Balinese “Smoked Duck Feast” for only 120,000 Rupiah for two. There are many seafood and vegetarian dishes, various interesting fresh fruit juices such as apple with mint juice or carrot, spinach, parsley & celery juice (to clean your blood and for detoxification), lassi, herbal teas and special coffees. If all this sounds too healthy, there are also delicious sweets, a (disappointingly) small selection of wines, but an acceptable choice of cocktails.

LAMAK  Restaurant & Bar is another of Ubud`s top eateries. It was opened in February 2002 and is located on Monkey Forest Road a bit south of the soccer field next to SAI SAI bar. The unique design is by Made Wijaya (Australian Michael White), and the restaurant is operated by the German Chef Roland Lickert. The tempting menus (different for lunch and dinner) include Asian, international and vegetarian dishes such as Seaweed Salad with Balinese Satay Lilit, various fried noodles with Spiced Szechuan Chicken, with Asian Greens and Glazed Tofu or with Black Bean Fish, Stir-fried Scallops on Green Tea Noodles and Bruschetta with Salmon Tartar. There is a great Shitake Mushroom Cappuccino soup and a unique Balinese Bouillabaisse, Escargots with delicious Cafe de Paris Butter or seared Foie Gras. For your main course you can choose Crispy Salmon, Balsamic Glazed Beef Steak, Quail Saltimbocca, Pancetta-wrapped Pork Fillet, Lamb Cutlets, Duck Breast with Red Pepper Pesto and Seafood Pasta. Delicious sweets include Orange & Ginger Crème Brule, Fried Forest Berry Ice Cream on Baileys Cream and a Chilled Pina Colada Soufflé. Too difficult to decide what to chose from their Asian Fusion cuisine? Just order the 5-course Tasting Menu for only 275,000 Rupiah++! Gourmets may be impressed, wine lovers will certainly be delighted: you can choose from 8 wines by the glass from 60,000 to 85,000 Rupiah and from nearly 50 bottled wines from France, Italy, Australia and California starting at 380,000 Rupiah . There is also a choice of Cuban cigars. The reasonable prices for food and wine help to relax in the open-air lounge and cocktail bar downstairs, in the upstairs dining area or in the air-conditioned section on the upper floor. LAMAK is open every day from 11:00 in the morning to 11:00 p.m. Roland runs also WARUNG ENAK in Pengosekan (south of Ubud) where he serves tasty specialties from Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Lombok, Bali and other islands of Indonesia in pleasant surroundings and at reasonable prices.

MOZAIC  opened in 2001 on Jalan Raya Sanggingan, the road from Campuan to Sayan, and is run by Franco-American Chef Chris Salans (ex Thomas Keller`s French Laundry in Napa valley). It offers very pleasant out-door and in-door seating, excellent service and attractive presentation of Chris` creative cuisine. The menu changes daily and depends on the availability of fresh ingredients. You can choose one of the Chef’s Tasting Menus: Each consists of six courses and there are three choices: the “Classic” Menu Degustation, a “Vegetarian” or an “Experimental” version offering delicious surprises with every single course. The Tasting Menus are equally priced and at 550,000 Rupiah per person (895,000 Rupiah++ including matching wines) a real bargain. If you prefer to bring your own wine, they charge 75,000 Rupiah++ corkage per bottle. On the well-chosen wine list you find 16 open wines, and bottles start around 350,000 Rupiah++. We always enjoy the truly outstanding food – probably the best you can find in Indonesia. (MOZAIC is one of only two restaurants in South East Asia to be recognized by “Grande Tables du Monde” – the second is  LE NORMANDIE  on top of the old wing of Bangkok’s legendary Mandarin Oriental Hotel – and has also received the “Award of Excellence” by Wine Spectator for its wine cellar.) A meal at MOZAIC is a fine dining experience you won’t forget; don’t miss it! The restaurant is closed on Mondays, all other days reservations are required. Please call 975768.

For total culinary indulgence together with your family, a group of gourmets or special friends, book the Private Chef’s Table @ MOZAIC. Chris Salans prepares and serves a Tasting Menu of his Signature Dishes in the privacy of “The Workshop”, a separate venue at the back of the restaurant garden with an open state-of-the-art demo kitchen, a comfortable lounge and the elegant dining area accommodating up to 14 guests. Prices range from US$120++ to US$200++ per person, (depending on dishes selected and the accompanying wines) and include canapés with Champagne and/or Signature Cocktails before dinner.

An individually created Special Chef’s Table Tasting Menu prepared by Chris Salans, matching wines with each course and coffee or tea. The possibility of direct interaction between Chef Salans and the guests during the meal, as well as during the preparation of each course, can make this not only an unforgettable experience but also a very personalized cooking class for some or all of the participants! Eight guests (or a minimum spending of US$1,000) are required for the exclusive booking of “The Workshop”. During the day there are also various recreational and professional cooking classes offered teaching traditional as well as modern cutting-edge technologies for individuals and groups. Call 975768 for inquiries and bookings.

Evenings you used to meet many foreign residents in  NAUGHTY NURI’S  Warung on the same road to Sayan. Boston-born Brian, Nuri`s husband,  buys fresh tuna every Thursday in Benoa,  and they serve on Thursday nights delicious tuna Sashimi, tuna steaks, and tuna satay. Daily fare includes various Indonesian dishes, steaks, lamb chops, and large slabs of ribs which are barbecued on a long charcoal grill in front of the place. But better go easy on their excellent Martinis – after a few of these you won’t mind the price of 65,000 R upiah per drink or the somewhat uncomfortable, often very smokey and extremely “local” surroundings, and the next day you might even not remember how you got home or where you’ve been the night before! However, recently they have started to accept reservations for busloads of Asian tourist, and many local expats are looking for other places to spend their time.