When I’m in Bali, I avoid having western-style food. The variety of Balinese cuisine and the general Indonesian food in Bali is immense, it’s almost a shame to eat food I can readily access back in Australia.
The bargain-hunter part of me also feels it’s more economical to eat local food. When you think about it, for the same priced ingredients, western style cafés, bistros and restaurants charge double or more. But of course, included in that is the price we pay for the ambiance, the expat executive chef, the napery, etc.
The only western eatery we visited on our last holiday in Bali was The Bistrot. It's located in the so-called "Eat Street" in Seminyak due to the dense population of restaurants in the area. This is the premiere location for expat chefs who want to open their next hip restaurant in Bali.
The Bistrot excelled in terms of ambiance with its barn house feel, exposed brick wall and quirky décor. If I were to nitpick, the air-conditioning self-described on their website as “natural hewn stone air-conditioned”, whatever that means, was a bit lacking. Certainly inside the bistro was few degrees cooler than on the streets outside, but being a closed space, the humidity had nowhere to go. It was cool but slightly sticky. Though I’m pleased to say their service was not lacking, it was gracious and effective.
The Bistrot excelled in terms of ambiance with its barn house feel, exposed brick wall and quirky décor. If I were to nitpick, the air-conditioning self-described on their website as “natural hewn stone air-conditioned”, whatever that means, was a bit lacking. Certainly inside the bistro was few degrees cooler than on the streets outside, but being a closed space, the humidity had nowhere to go. It was cool but slightly sticky. Though I’m pleased to say their service was not lacking, it was gracious and effective.
My dish of the day was seafood penne rigate, chock full of ingredients with hefty chunks of fish, king prawns, and plump clams and mussels. It vexes me whenever restaurants charge ridiculous prices only to serve a plateful of nothing. Fortunately, this was not one such case, we were starving and we were answered with a satisfying lunch. An ice-cold corona and refreshing watermelon juice completed the meal.
As with the burger, I only had a bite of it. Though the portion size for the burger was quite decent, to me it was a standard burger. I can’t even remember what protein was the patty made of, was it chicken or was it beef?
Seeing other reviews of this bistro, there’s a wide divide between the very good and the awful. Our experience was more on the positive end of the scale. We must’ve gone on a good day.
The Bistrot
Jalan Kayu Aya 117
Seminyak BALI
Open 7 days 7.30am-midnight
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