16 Best Restaurants in Indonesia

Managed by Sakinah, originally from Germany, Asmara features an odd but interesting mixture of German, European, and local Indonesian food, with a multicourse rijstaffel menu that includes chicken satay and spicy vegetables with grated coconut. The restaurant is lit up at night, giving it a romantic appeal. A unique touch: in addition to the children's menu, they also have a babies' menu. As with some other restaurants in the area, they offer a free shuttle service to and from your Senggigi hotel.

At the water's edge, the Beach Café aims for the cutting edge of contemporary cooking. The meats are imported and the pork ribs win plaudits, but seafood is the true star. Tuna tartare with wasabi mayonnaise, devil's calamari with chili and basil, and tropical crème brûlée blended with coconut exemplify the kitchen's knack for producing flavors that are subtle but never dull. Watch your meal take shape in the open kitchen, if you can turn away from the boats bobbing along the crescent coastline. The Beach Café is about savoring the scene, supported by service that leans toward leisurely.

Inside a 150-year-old Javanese teak house laden with antiques, Biku is a restaurant, cocktail lounge, and bookstore catering to Seminyak's upscale expat community. Sink into a comfortable chair with a cocktail or one of Biku's 20 or more varieties of tea while coming to grips with its lengthy, eclectic menu. Breakfast leans American and is served all day. Lunch tilts Australian with meat pies for carnivores and quiches for vegetarians. Besides Indonesian fare, dinner includes grilled steaks and chops. There's even a kid's menu. Somehow, the kitchen manages to keep it all straight.

Gourmet meals don't come cheaper than at Kayu Manis. The dishes are beautifully presented, and some succeed spectacularly, notably the spinach and gorgonzola risotto. Sliced duck breast arrives rare and succulent, allowing its rich flavor to blossom. Several other dishes could better use the balsamic vinegar sauce accompanying the duck, or a touch of kayu manis (cinnamon). The wine list is limited, but reasonably priced. The bright, minimalist décor is a nice backdrop for your meal. Request a table inside—overlooking the rock garden or in the air-conditioned rear section—removed from the street noise and kitchen chatter.

With a brightly painted two-level wood terrace overlooking the surf, La Plancha seamlessly combines restaurant and casual beach lounge. Open all day, La Plancha's comfortable beanbags and colorful umbrellas in the sand provide an ideal base for lazy days on the beach. As the sun goes down, floodlights and music come up, and the relaxed party spills onto Double Six Beach. Simple Spanish offerings dominate the menu—the name means "grill" in Spanish—including tapas and other small dishes perfect for sharing over drinks.

In 1969, Made opened a pioneering warung (roadside stall) in Kuta. The Seminyak branch opened in 1987, continuing the tradition in an open-air space where you can see Balinese dance performances five nights a week. (Reserve a table near the stage for the best view.) This beloved institution boasts a voluminous menu, ranging from Indonesian standards to the chef's take on dishes from Italy or Japan. It's a good place to try nasi campur, a bed of rice surrounded with chicken, vegetables, and tofu, as wellas rujak kuah pindang, a fruit salad in a tart broth.

The lively atmosphere, scenic views of the harbor, and reliably good Italian fare assure a steady stream of diners at this popular restaurant on Labuan Bajo's main drag, which is open all day. Dishes run the gamut from hearty pastas, like pumpkin ravioli and spaghetti carbonara, to more delicate dishes like fried fish and carpacio. The upstairs café's casual atmosphere, comfy beanbag chairs, and Wi-Fi access make it a great place to catch up on email while sipping a coffee or indulging in a sinfully good chocolate cake or creamy tiramisu, and the outdoor terrace is a popular place for drinks at sunset.

Barbecued seafood at sunset on Jimbaran Bay is a Bali tradition, and Menega is the grill of your dreams. Pick raw seafood from tanks or trays of ice, have them weighed (you pay by gram), and watch them heat up on the coconut-husk inferno. Menega stands out for barbecue sauce that puts the snap in snapper, clams grilled on the half-shell, and cumi (squid, pronounced "chew-me") cut into strips and skewered. Meals include a basket of rice, stir-fry kangkung (water spinach), and four sauces—sweet to moderately spicy—served at tables on the sand. Come early to swim and build an appetite.

Calling itself Ubud's "first restaurant," Murni's Warung has introduced Balinese food to the likes of Richard Gere, Mick Jagger, Richard Branson, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and David Copperfield. Since opening as a warung (roadside stall) in 1974, Murni's has grown to four levels running down the river's edge. (Book a table at the bottom for the best views.) The menu has also grown, adding Indonesian and Western choices, but the foundation remains Balinese, with local standards like ayam betutu (spicy roast chicken), babi guling (roast pork), and black rice pudding, plus rarer specialties such as smoked curry duck. It's great for lunch; at dinner, don't forget mosquito repellant.

Barbecued ribs, shaken-not-stirred martinis, and frosty draft beers made Naughty Nuri's legendary. But other Indonesian and American stars abound: towering burgers sizzling from the gas grill in front, nasi campur (rice with dollops of meat and veggies), and Bali's onioniest garden salad. Thursday's Tuna Night adds sashimi, satay, and steaks to the mix. Finish with fried bananas and ice cream. Squeeze into a big wooden table and make new friends in this casual, open-air joint. If the crowds become too much, try Nacho Mama about 200 yards away—the menu is identical but with the addition of margaritas and Mexican standards.

Sanur is Bali's top spot for seaside relaxation, and Sanur Beach Market makes a comfortable beachhead, especially if you're staying somewhere inland. The restaurant has table seating in the sand, where you can enjoy a beverage or share a respectable pizza before or after a dip in the gentle, reef-sheltered surf. The lengthy menu mixes Western and Indonesian fare, including rarely found Balinese favorite ikan bakar sambal mentah (grilled fish with raw spices). The restaurant provides transportation for diners staying in Sanur, and its bar along the village's 5-km (3-mile) beachwalk provides a respite for parched strollers. Proceeds support Sanur Village Foundation community programs.

A cut above what you usually find in Lovina, the Spice Beach Club delivers ambitious cuisine and lovely views of the ocean. Amid the aqua-and white-décor on its breezy beachside terrace, the place serves sandwiches and salads for lunch, plus an all-day dinner menu of seafood, steaks, and international dishes, including Greek specialties ranging from souvlaki to stuffed grape leaves. The beach club, open to all diners, has lounge chairs and umbrellas, and a pool where you can soak up the sun. With a DJ or band five nights a week, Spice Beach Club aims to raise the dining and nightlife game in Lovina.

Though it's located on a busy street rather than the beach, this upscale modern eatery draws in the crowds for its range of well-prepared Western dishes like Australian beef tenderloin and scallop and salmon ravioli, as well as Indonesian dishes including nasi goreng and wok-tossed calamari. Prices are a little higher than other restaurants in Senggigi, but for the extra you get high-quality meals and an extensive wine and cocktail list; try the five-course tasting menu (250,000 Rp) for the best deal. A nice touch: the restaurant offers a free shuttle service to and from local hotels.

Traditional kelongs (floating platforms built on stilts used for fishing) were once off limits to women but those that remain have mostly discarded the superstition. This one at Nirwana Gardens was transformed into a seafood restaurant and now serves fresh catches in a rustic setting overlooking the ocean. Order the black-pepper crab, sea snails (otherwise known as gong gong), butter prawns, or whatever the fresh catch of the day is. Take note that many dishes are sold by weight.

Founded back in 1947, Trio keeps earning major cred for its huge array of Chinese-Indonesian dishes. Must-tries include spring rolls, asparagus soup, scrumptious noodle dishes, and fried rice. At crowded meal times, find yourself sharing a Formica table with a gaggle of the city's socialites, a bunch of clubbers preparing for a night on the town, or an elderly couple heading down culinary memory lane. Owned by a founder's son, Trio has an old-school feel that extends to its simple, un– air-conditioned dining room and soberly dressed, dour-faced waiters still serving what fans say is the best Chinese food in town.

Well hidden from the main road, Bodag Maliah combines local produce with serene rice field views. Spend the afternoon on the open-air upper level, enjoying cool breezes and lavish scenery over a Balinese crepe with local fruit and a glass of homemade wine. Generous portions of international dishes for both herbivores and carnivores feature vegetables freshly harvested from the organic garden (Bodag Maliah means "overflowing basket" in Balinese). Standouts at this place, also known as Sari Organik, include gado-gado (Indonesian steamed vegetables with spicy peanut sauce) and the restaurant's own feta cheese made with tofu.