We finally found time to put together a list of the restaurants from this year's trip.
For accomodation, we started at Heliconia in Seminyak, which were beautiful, 7 nights at Tjampuhan in Ubud , great as usual, followed by 4 nights at Tirta Ayu in Tirtagangga, which was superb, and so relaxing, then back to Kuta, and Satriya Cottages, perfect location, and a good room.
We took it fairly slowly this year, but did manage to find a few new places & things to do.
It was good staying in Seminyak, getting to really explore that area (& the restaurants)
Our highlights (apart from eating & drinking) were, the drive to Bunut Bolong & the Holey tree, where the road runs through a huge Banyan tree. We did about 200kms through some great countryside, and the roughest roads we have driven on. To avoid driving back through Tabanan and the traffic,we ended up taking the "short cut" through Munduk, Candi Kuning and Batunya.
The rice paddy walk in Ubud, passing Sari Organic was brilliant, we even bought a beautiful painting of Herons from an artist along the way, It is amazing, white herons with gold leaf background.
Our stay at Tirta Ayu was brilliant, as was the 4 hour walk through the local area, rice fields, villages etc., and the climb up to Pura Lempuyang (1800 steps to the top temple with great views)
The drive up to Pura Pasar Agung was awesome, 1st gear all the way, and an eerie sight of fog and mist at the top.
We ate, played, and drank very well this year, these are our impressions of the restaurants, with our ratings out of 10.
Feel free to agree or disagree,they are just our views.
I also posted some photos at http://traveldotweb shotsdotcom/album/580575757NMOWsz
Cheers, Rodger & Lia
Bali Restaurant Reviews June 2011
(D=Dinner - L= Lunch)
Rumours (D) Jl Laksmana Seminyak 470K (9/10)
2 Black Mushroom Steaks, tossed green beans , wedges
1 Two Islands Shiraz, 2 Bintang
Excellent steaks,vegetables cooked well, very buzzy place, loved it.
Bistro Batu Kali (L) Jl Laksmana 192K (7/10)
2 Soto Ayam w/- glass noodles, 1 Sate Ayam, 2 Bintang
Just had lunch, but menu looks good. Location is great.
Passagard (D) Jl Dhyana Pura Seminyak 402K (9/10)
Kashke Badenjam, mashed eggplant with mint and a white herb sauce
With flat breads. Special Kebabs (chicken, beef & beef mince) and Cello (rice w/- butter) & a Shisha pipe of strawberry & mint. 2 Bintang , BYO wine
A real find, loved it all. The best rice I have eaten anywhere.
The kebabs were good, the eggplant entree superb
Delicious Onion (L) Jl Drupadi Seminyak 400K (9/10)
Crispy Pork Belly w/- soup & Pandan rice, Pork ribs & Garlic rice
2 Bintang, Pineapple Margarita, which was brilliant.
We had heard the crispy pork belly here was great, it was, but the ribs were equally as good. A small place, easy to miss,but so glad we tried it.
Cafe Jemme (D) Jl Petitenget Kerobokan 784K (9.5/10)
Prawn Cocktail w/- gazpacho Salsa, Rare Tuna on a Nicoise Salad
Tempura Prawns, Pork belly w/- chilli caramel & ginger crackiling
Dessert tasting platter - 1 Two Islands Shiraz, 1 Bintang
Loved it,superb dining in a great setting, not cheap, but well worth it.
Naughty Nuris (L) Batubelig 373K (9/10)
2 Rare Tuna Steaks, 1 Pork ribs, 'Porn Corn' & salad, 2 Bintang
The Tuna was done to perfection and the ribs as good as the Ubud version.
Met Eva & Bruno the owners, who have done a great job, we will be back.
Ultimo
Can't rate this one. We had booked a table 3 days before, but were shoved down the back, next to loud speakers, and ignored for 35 minutes, so we walked out. They may be a victim of their own popularity, a pity, as we had wanted to eat here for a while, maybe next time ?
Trattoria (D) Jl Laksmana 500K (7/10)
2 Pizzas, Capriciosa & Eduardo, with prosciutto & Rocket.
Two Islands Cab/Merlot, 2 Bintang
A huge contrast to next door, great table, good pizzas, nice friendly service.
Cafe Mendez (L) Penestenan 225K (8.5/10)
Aperitifs - Turmeric,Lime ,Tamarind - Cinnamon, Lemon Grass, Ginger
Rawon Goat Soup, Thai Chicken Soup, Sate Ayam Madura, Lumpia Basah
The Goat soup was amazing, using the Keluwak nut, as was Thai Chicken The best Lumpia we've ever had, fresh crepes filled with superb, fresh ingredients, 2 Bintang, Aperitifs complimentary (they were good)
Hotel Tjampuhan (D) 287K (8.5/10)
Beef Rendang w/- roasted tomato Salsa, Chicken Cap Cay, 2 Bintang
Really good flavours in a beautiful setting, excellent staff.
Gaya Fusion (L) Ubud (Sayan) 227K (8/10)
Mushroom Risotto w/- sautéed Vegetables, Eggplant Raviloi w/-Goats Cheese Bali Tomato sauce & Tapenade.
Tuna& Sesame balls (complimentary)
Ravioli was fantastic (rated 9), Risotto OK (rated 7) So ended up an 8.
Beautiful setting in an imposing building, loved the Gelati bar next door .
Bridges Ubud
Can't rate this either. We booked a table, then were asked if we could change our booking to the next night, what the! We arrived the next night, waited 20 minutes for our table, then were advised the Chicken, beef & fish were not available tonight.
No worries as we both wanted Duck, only to find there was only one left, and that disappeared too. With nothing but Vegetable Terrine
& Pumpkin Rotolo left, we did the same. It's a pity, as I had heard the chef was doing good things, if only he had something left to cook. Hope they get their act together.
Murni's Warung (D) Ubud 460K (6.5/10)
Madras Beef, Thai Chicken Curry, Two Islands Shiraz, 2 Bintang
An old institution in a great location, reliable food.
Indian Delites (D) Ubud 440K (8/10)
Chicken Khati rolls, Vegetable Samosas,Roghan Gosht, Butter Chicken Tikka Pulau Rice, Raita, Garlic Naan, 2 Bintang, BYO wine.
Nice setting, good meal, the Roghan Gosht, and Khati rolls the best.
Pundi Pundi (L) Ubud 271K (7/10)
Lumpia, Soto Ayam, Grilled Prawns, 2 Bintang. A nice setting overlooking the Lotus pond, good food, nothing amazing, but we only had lunch.
Mozaic (D) Ubud 3,345K (10/10)
Discovery menu with wines. Our favourite restaurant in Bali (or anywhere) did not disappoint. The food, service & setting cannot be faulted, it's reflected in the price, but it is worth it. A must every trip!
Coco Bistro (L) Ubud 196K (8/10)
Calzone, Kway Teow, 2 Bintang. Good food & service in a perfect spot for lunch & 'people watching', like it's sister restaurant Tropical round the corner.
Nacho Mama (D) Ubud 286K (5/10)
Beef Chimichanga & Beef Burrito, 1 Margarita, 1 Bintang
Not really impressed. The staff seemed uninterested, and the food was
nowhere near as good as TJ's. Maybe an off night.
Cinta Inn (L) Ubud 294K (8/10)
Tuna Panino melt (tuna, cheese, pickle), Classic Club Sandwich. 2 Mojitos
Good location, very good food, nice friendly staff, what more do you want?
Cafe Havana (D) Ubud 784K (7/10)
Smoked Pork Loin w/- Beetroot & rocket Salad on Cassava, Beef Mole stew w/- Chocolate Chilli & mashed Potatoes. 2 Mojitos, 1 Two Island Shiraz -several Bintangs & cocktails downstairs with the music.
'Castro's Table' is beautifully decorated with balconies to the street.
The food was good, not great, but the music of 'Los Infidels' was brilliant, the staff get everyone doing the salsa, and it is a great fun night.
The 1963 Chevy Biscayne they will pick you up in is a real hoot. Recommended
Cafe Bayu (L) Penestenan 170K (7/10)
2 Soto Ayam, Spring Rolls, Fried Tofu & Vegetables.
A small pleasant spot with simple, but very fresh food, relaxing
Warung Mendez (D) Penestenan 340K (8.5/10)
Lumpia, Roast Goat leg w/- Javanese spice paste, 2 Bintang, BYO wine.
Javanese Creme Brulee & ice cream
After having lunch here, we had to go back. The Goat was superb,
served on a hot rock, so tender, great BBQ'd flavours & spices.
It's normally only available on Thursdays, but we ordered a couple
of days ahead, and they did It for us on a Monday.
One of the finds of this trip, highly recommended.
They even remembered that we were going to bring a wine (I'd forgotten, and had to duck down to Bintang Supermarket to get one)
Tirta Ayu Tirtagangga (9/10)
We had 4 meals here, as we were staying at the hotel behind it.
The meals were all very good, varying from, Beef Enchilladas (best I have had anywhere), Mahi Mahi w/- Kencur infused Vegetables, Goats Cheese Ravioli, Blackened Chicken w/- eggplant, BBQ sweet chilli Pork Ribs, Beef Rendang, Duck in Banana leaf, and a Coconut cream pie w/- mango coulis, that was worth the trip there alone.
Throw in one of the best views from any restaurant, with a full moon rising over the Water Palace, you could guess that we were really impressed. The staff were super friendly (&funny) too.
Good Karma (L) Tirtagangga 140K (7.5/10)
Nasi Goreng, Green Chicken Curry, 2 Bintang
A nice spot with good simple fresh food and very friendly staff.
Manoko Ryoshi Tirtagangga 240K (7.5/10)
Miso Soup w/- Tofu & greens, 2 Bento boxes (chicken terryaki, eggplant salad rice, tempura vegies, prawns with wasabi and daikon.) 2 Bintang.
A really nice place for lunch, well balanced flavours and a spectacular view.
Legian Beach Hotel (L) Legian 350K (8/10)
2 Hamburgers, 2 Bintangs. Pricey, but good burgers. The new restaurant area is impressive, overlooking the beach. (an improvement on what was there)
TJ's (D) Poppies 1Kuta 328K (8.5/10)
Chimichanga Grande, Combonation Beef & Chicken Taco, Guacamole.
1 Margarita, 2 Bintang. Always enjoy eating at TJ's, the place is buzzy, and the food is always good. One of our regular haunts.
Boardwalk (L) Bali Garden Beach Resort Tuban 248K (6/10)
2 Pizzas, (4 formaggio & seafood) 5 small Bintang
The setting is excellent, right on the beach, the pizzas were just OK.
Mannekepis (D) Seminyak 592K (9.5/10)
2 Duck Confit, Potato Dauphinoise squares w/- rosemary & thyme,
beans bundled in bacon, jus w/- cranberries. Two Islands Cab/ Merlot, 2 Bintangs.
We are so glad we finally ate here, after a few years of 'almost ' getting there.
Simply sensational, the duck so tasty and falling off the bone and the dauphinoise and beans went with it perfectly. The staff were super friendly,they even dragged us into the kitchen for a photo.
Poppies (L) Kuta 238K (8/10)
Lumpia, Fish Chowder w/- snapper, potato & greens, Hungarian goulash soup.
1 Bintang, 1 San Miguel, 1 Squash. We hadn't intended to eat here this year
as we have been here so many times, but it was a nice quiet haven after the frantic last days of shopping. The garden is as peaceful as ever, and the food is, as always, good.
Rosso Vivo (D) Kuta 880K (8.5/10)
2 Carpacchio of Tuna, Lasagne w/- asparagus & Emmenthaler, Angel Hair
pasta w/- smoked salmon, vodka & caviar.
Two islands Cab/ Merlot, 2 glasses Two Islands Chardonnay, 2 Bintang.
A good choice for our last night, a short walk from our hotel and overlooking the sea.(got a table up the back so we could see over that huge new wall)
The tuna was extremely fresh and the citronette sauce went well with it.
Both pasta dishes were beautifully cooked and full of flavour. The tuna was originally off the menu, but the chef came to the rescue, well done.
The staff were friendly and very helpful.
It was fun watching busloads of holidaying Javanese drive past, the buses so full, there were arms, legs and heads hanging out everywhere.