Uluwatu · 5 min read
The Best Restaurants in Uluwatu, From Labuansait Breakfasts to Late Dinners
One road, a dozen good kitchens. How we eat our way through a day on Jalan Labuansait, from the first flat white to a late glass of wine.
Ask anyone who has spent a month on the Bukit where they actually eat, and most answers point to one road. Jalan Labuansait runs through the Pecatu side of Uluwatu towards the Bingin and Padang Padang turn offs, and over the last few years it has filled with cafés, bars and proper dinner rooms. If you are looking for the best restaurants in Uluwatu, this is where to start.
From Baliwood Nyang Nyang it is a 10 to 15 minute ride. Below is how we would eat our way through a day here, from first coffee to a late glass of wine. We have included the side road down to Bingin (Jalan Pantai Bingin), because it starts right off Labuansait and has some of the best tables on the peninsula.
Getting around Labuansait
Labuansait is a single lane in each direction, with scooters weaving between cars and very little pavement. Parking in front of the cafés is mostly for bikes. If you are a group of four or six, a Gojek or Grab car drops you at the door, and two places close together are often quicker to walk between than to drive.
Evenings get busy from around 6 pm, when everyone comes up from the beaches after sunset. Book dinner on Fridays and Saturdays, and in July, August and over Christmas, book every night.
Breakfast and brunch near Labuansait
Uluwatu wakes up early because the surf does. By 8 am the cafés are full of salty haired people who have already had a session at Padang or Bingin. Go early, or after 10 when the first wave of surfers has gone back to bed.
Suka Espresso
The brunch café most people end up at, usually open from 7.30 am. Serious coffee, avocado toast, pancakes and big healthy plates, with gluten free options. Expect a short wait at weekends, it moves fast.
Drifter Surf Shop Cafe & Gallery
Half surf shop, half café, with boards, books and art to browse while you wait. The menu leans vegan and marks gluten free dishes clearly: try the vegan nasi campur or the dumplings with a chai latte, and keep room for the peanut butter gelato.
The Cashew Tree
Bingin's garden café since 2018, and still one of the friendliest rooms on the Bukit. Long brunches, smoothies, burritos, curries and a big vegetarian choice. Come back on a Thursday evening, when local bands play on the terrace.
Lunch, a cold beer and a long afternoon
Midday is when the heat is strongest, and the best plan is something simple in the shade, then the beach again or a nap by the pool. If the swell is up, grab lunch early and go and watch the surf from the cliffs. Our guide to Uluwatu surf spots tells you where to sit.
The Bench Brewery Uluwatu
A brewery pub that makes its own beer, opens at noon and stays open late. Wood fired food, seafood and grills, pool tables and live sport on the screens. Monday is usually live music night, from around 8 pm.
Dinner: the best restaurants in Uluwatu after dark
Dinner is where this road has changed the most. A few years ago the choice was pizza or nasi goreng. Now you can pick between Spanish tapas, a French bistro and handmade pasta within a few hundred metres of each other.
La Baracca Bali Uluwatu
An Italian trattoria with wood fired pizza, fresh pasta and a separate vegan menu. It works well for families and big tables, and the pappardelle and the pesto pasta come up again and again in reviews. Book at peak times.
Alma Tapas Bar Uluwatu
A small Spanish tapas bar on the Bingin road that opens in the afternoon, usually from 3 pm, and fills quickly. Order lots of plates to share, a bottle of wine, and take your time. There are not many tables, so message ahead for a group.
Bartolo Bali Uluwatu
Our pick for a proper night out. A French bistro and cocktail bar, open in the evening only (usually 5 pm to midnight), with good steaks, a lively room and well made drinks. It is the one place on the road where people dress up a little.
Nights in at the villa
After a few days of eating out, a night at home feels like a treat. The villa has a full kitchen and a long dining table facing the pool, so plenty of guests pick up takeaway from Labuansait on the way back, or book a cook for the evening. Our page on hiring a private chef in Bali explains how that works.
If you want to time dinner with the light, have a drink on the cliffs first and save Labuansait for afterwards. The best sunset spots in Uluwatu are all within 15 minutes of this road, and the kitchens here are only getting into their stride by the time you arrive.
