Bali Nightlife, Restaurants and Cafes

Bali Restaurants and Cafes

Eating in Bali can be a real pleasure if you are adventurous enough to try the local Balinese and Indonesian fare, which is not unlike the foods of India and Malaysia, which a focus on heavy sauces, rice dishes and chunky, stew-like meat dishes. One of the staple Bali dining institutions is the roving food cart, known locally as kaki lima. These usually brightly colored carts serve up a number of traditional “fast foods”, such as meatball soups and noodle dishes and are most often found along roadsides or near the beach. Another Bali dining tradition is satay, or skewer-cooked meats, which you can try at any number of small roadside cafes or local restaurants.

To try a modern take on traditional Indonesian cuisine in a more upscale atmosphere, head to Mayang Sari (Laguna Resort & Spa; Nusa Dua; +62 361 771 327). Not the typical unsavory hotel food, Mayan Sari serves up dishes typical of an Indonesian household, but with a few modern additions, in elegant surroundings overlooking a lagoon.

Bali is also not short on nightlife, with plenty of bars and cafes catering to the younger set. To find the more active nightlife scenes on Bali, you must head to the island’s larger cities and towns. The Kuta area is perhaps the best place to find something going on in the evenings, with offerings ranging from the scenic, multi-level club Sky Garden (Jalan Legian 61, Kuta; +62 361 75 5423), on the top level of which you get a wonderful view of the brimming street scene below.

Another popular Bali nightlife pastime is going to a juice bar, as the warm Bali evenings are conducive to enjoying a crisp, freshly squeezed fruit juice. To do so in style, head to the Azure Bar at the Conrad Bali Resort in Kuta (168 Jalan Pratama, Kuta; +62 36 177 8788), where you can order up a beautifully presented cocktail or fruit juice in the posh surroundings overlooking the hotel’s pristine swimming pool. If you prefer a more laid back setting, Balcony (Jalan Benesari 16, Kuta; +62 361 75 7409; www.myspace.com/balconybali) is a dive bar and restaurant popular with local surfers and backpackers with a surfing theme and an international menu of affordable items, cocktails and beers.