Selamat Makan - Bon Appetit

There is a huge variety of cuisine avilable in Ubud and its hinterland and an equally huge number of establishments competing to feed it to you. This is in stark contrast to what I found on my first visit in 1978, when the original versions of Murni's Warung, Ary's Warung and Hans Snel's garden restaurant were pretty much the only choices for the wary Western palate. As with the village itself, the food scene has grown exponentially and now occupies a dedicated place on the seriously useful Bali Eats website.

My short list of recommendations reflects not just my taste in food, but my sense of place and space. It also explores a range of price options, ever mindful of the need to match the demands of the palate to the restraints of the wallet.

Ibu Mangku's Warung Ayam, north of Ubud in Kedewatan serves the best chicken rice imaginable. The warung buzzes every lunchtime with a mix of locals and tourists drawn by the reputation of Ibu Mangku's perfect chicken and fiery sambal.
In the same value for money category is Warung Mendez, a welcome addition to the culinary life of Penestanan. Mendez himself, a charmingly diffident gentleman from Java, is the manager of the nearby d'Omah hotel. The speciality of the Warung is the variety of dishes prepared from goat meat, but there's much,much more on the Mendez menu.

Miro's Garden Restaurant can arguably claim to be the most traditional of Ubud dining venues, given that the setting is the owners family Kampung. Recent renovations have enhanced the sense of traditional space at Miro's, and the combination of the lush gardens, the pavilions and torchlight is enchanting. The special Balinese menu, accessible through the website, allows you to order Babi Guling from the legendary Ibu Oka 24 hours in advance. There is an extensive a la carte menu too.

Contrasting with Miro's traditional ambience are Lamak and Warung Enak, two restaurants which share the same owner, the same architect and offer food of the highest calibre in an imaginative and intriguing setting. Lamak, the more expensive of the two, offers a fine dining experience with truly global influences. Warung Enak has a menu composed of snacks,soups, sates and sweets gathered from every province of Indonesia. Each restaurant has an excellent bar, further evidence of the unique qualities of architect Made Wijaya.

Serious foodies should consider patronising Mozaic, arguably Bali's finest dining experience and certainly one of the most expensive. Don't let the cost put you off. Whatever you pay is worth it and you're guaranteed to emerge in the full knowledge that anything anywhere near as good anywhere in the western world would have cost you a squillion more than you just forked out.

.......and if coffee is important in your life, visit Tutmak on Jl. Dewi Sita near the soccer field in central Ubud for the BEST coffee on the island.