With the number of noteworthy establishments popping up in Bali, there are always new establishments to discover at every visit to the Island of the Gods, hence new restaurants to try, new favourites to include in your growing list of places to revisit and new friends to get acquainted with. Following MANUAL’s team visit to Bali in early August for Jiā Curated Kiosks event, we visited a handful of noted new players in Bali’s dining scene. This is, of course, a very lean list considering just how diverse the scene is on the island, but it’s a good place to start planning for your next trip.
Amici
There is no doubt that Amici’s reputation precedes that of the Italian restaurant. With the menu designed by Tuscan native maestro Enrico Bartolini, whose restaurants have earned up to 12 Michelin stars collectively, it’s easy to feel intimidated by that fact alone before one steps into the establishment. But that notion is easily dispelled once you’ve sat through a meal at Amici.
Headed by chef Alessandro D’Amico, the menu at Amici hones in on Italian classics that feel at once familiar and comforting but elevated with contemporary execution. To wit, in Ravioli Alla Vaccinara, the tokusen wagyu oxtail ragu ravioli sits on a bed of soffritto sauce and taleggio cheese cream and comes topped with kale foam. In addition, there’s Uovo 62, where the slow-cooked egg is mixed with a tasteful blend of Pecorino cheese cream and green asparagus. But the contemporary execution is also balanced with deceptively simple dishes such as the classic Margherita pizza, showcasing how even a handful of ingredients is equally capable of delighting and doing wonders to the palate.
Come evening, the mood is laidback and convivial. The venue, which resembles a cosy European cabin, plays host to guests from various backgrounds and people-watching turns into an unexpectedly gratifying activity—family celebrating toned-down birthdays, couples drowning in each other’s gaze over cocktails and Italian nonnas engaging in animated conversations after placing their orders. Since the night always feels young on the island of Bali, consider heading to the famed The Iron Fairies boutique bar next door after dinner and conclude your day on a high note.
Address: Jl. Petitenget No.19x, Seminyak
Operating hours: Everyday | 11am-12am
Website: https://www.amici-bali.com/
Satoshi
Itameshi, or Italian Japanese cuisine, is on the menu at this sleek, concrete-clad establishment, standing like a titular character amidst the rather monotonous Bumbak Street in Kerobokan. Inside, rugged wooden pillars, stone furnishings, and Italian leather seats come together to create a contemporary Japanese minimalism as envisioned by the team at Satoshi. Co-founder Dmitry Bogdanov describes the atmosphere as a “big city vibe within Balinese village life”, a concept further brought to life by the vinyl library corner—where an eclectic collection of records, from Marvin Gaye to Men In Black soundtrack—spin on a custom three-tonne stone table sourced from Java.
So how do these two nations with big culinary traditions play out on the plate? Russian chef Igor Grischechkin stays true to familiar Italian dishes such as risotto, pasta and ravioli, but gives them a twist through Japanese ingredients. One of the appetisers (a favourite among the Satoshi team) is the Sicilian cuisine of Arancini—a crunchy fried risotto infused with black truffle and mozzarella, topped with wasabi-accented wagyu tartare and fresh truffle. Another dish that prominently showcases these influences is their risotto, where the creamy rice dish meets a warming combination of Japanese curry, wagyu tartare and bone marrow. At the bar, cocktails draw their flavour and punch from Japanese gin to sake, balanced with seasonal fruits like dragon fruit and yuzu.
Address: Jl. Bumbak No.55, Kerobokan
Operating hours: Everyday | 5pm-12am
Website: https://satoshibali.com/
Kohaku
‘Edible crystals’ can easily fall under gimmick. But at Kohaku on Pantai Berawa Street in North Kuta, this means expanding the concept of a long-existing Japanese confectionery indulged by Edo-period royals called kohakutou, into a hand-carved sweet treat that mimics glistening stones and gems.
Under chef Daijiro Horikoshi, an Osaka native who moved to Bali in 2018, this agar-sugar traditional candy is reintroduced with 12 mainstay flavours encompassing Mandarin orange and matcha to black sesame and activated charcoal. Crunchy outside and jelly-like inside, all kohakutou are naturally flavoured using a local variety of dried fruits and spices, to even flowers and coffee.
Unassumingly lodged between a laundromat and a vegan doughnut store, the boutique’s shoebox size and dark granite-clad interiors are designed to make it look like a mine cave, while its intimate space can only seat up to ten individuals for a pre-booked tasting session.
“I don’t want this place to look like a cute pastry shop. I want guests to feel like they’ve come to a jewellery store to buy beautiful gems,” said Chef Daijiro. On the menu, one can order a set of two, three or five kohakutou, accompanied by tea of choice from organic Jatiluwih tea or high-grade Japanese tea. After the session, don’t be shy to order their best-selling Magic Coffee Jelly Tiramisu and new menu of Japanese-style Fruit Parfait Pudding—sweet tooths are treated like royalty here.
Address: Jl. Pantai Berawa No.88, Tibubeneng
Operating hours: Everyday | 10am-6pm
Website: https://kohakubali.com/id/
Chupacabras & Arriba
Going to Ubud takes effort. But it’s a trip that travellers eagerly go out of their way for the island’s other landscapes and bustle, from UNESCO-protected rice terraces and sacred temples to vibrant art markets and lush resorts. Cradled in the heart of this locale is Chupacabras and Arriba, a South American restaurant-cocktail bar that rests above the misty Ayung River gorge in Sayan.
Dining begins on the ground floor Chupacabras, named after a bloodsucking creature from Latin American folklore known for preying on livestock—an apt association in a place as mystical as Ubud. Here, the focus is on modern South American grilling, with a menu spanning Brazilian and Peruvian dishes to Argentinian traditional food. Much like in Indonesia, sharing meals is a cherished tradition in these cultures, and Argentine chef-founder Mauro Santarelli has crafted a menu to reflect this, from premium wagyu cuts grilled over Argentinian brick wood (its smoky flavour enhanced with a variety of homemade salsas that one can choose), catch-of-the-day grilled fish from Lombok seasoned with black garlic mousse served on top of sweet potato puree, to the Mexican sweet staple of flan with whipped cream.
While one can enjoy wine selections and mocktails at Chupacabras, Arriba on the upper ground floor is where you’ll find concoction of Latin American spirits with Indonesian flavours—perhaps a reimagination of tequila-based El Diablo cocktail with wedang jahe tonic and citrus juice, or a refreshing Pisco brandy-based cocktail concocted with Kintamani tangerine and pomelo syrup?
Address: Kedewatan, Ubud, Gianyar Regency
Operating hours: Mon-Thurs (5pm-11 pm) Fri-Sun (12pm-11pm)
Website: https://www.chupacabrasbali.com/ | https://bararriba.com/
