Japanese cuisine is fairly easy to find in Bali, and Sanur on the southeast coast has a good selection of places, from the newish and  sleek-lined on the beach through to a few old standards where the emphasis is on comfort. Let’s kick off with new Minami, the second branch of the well-regarded Ubud original. … read the full post

You can always grab a fantastic streetside or market meal in Bali, or duck into a restaurant with a babi guling sign and be sure of a pretty decent feed. But if you’d like to delve into traditional Balinese cuisine in restaurant surrounds, where should you head? Restaurants are not big historically in Bali, with … read the full post

We did a part 1 to our waist-busting series on Bali’s babi guling some time ago, and though I only have two restaurants to add at the moment thought it worth jotting them down, though only the first was memorable. First up: Babi Guling Negari. You’ll find this spotlessly clean joint specialising in our favourite … read the full post

Bali’s Ngurah Rai bypass — stretching from Nusa Dua past the airport, skirting Kuta, Sanur and then, well, we’re not quite sure where it officially ends — can feel like a bit of a wasteland at times (you know, when it’s not slicing through mangroves). If you are using it to get from say the … read the full post

A friend recently mentioned offhand Gaya’s Gelato and my ears pricked up as I often take the Sayan ridge route to get to Ubud from Sanur. This takes you past the large Gaya Fusion, an art space with an attached restaurant and villas, but I hadn’t noticed any ice creamery … What was I missing?! … read the full post

The Ubud Writers Festival takes place at an array of venues across Ubud, several of them overseen by Festival organiser Janet De Neefe: Indus, Casa Luna and Bar Luna, for instance. Being restaurants, however, these are venues that you can visit even when an author isn’t holding court. And at Bar Luna on Tuesdays and … read the full post

That headline is a touch misleading. When I say cheap, I mean not a meal at a five-star hotel; and when I say Nusa Dua, I mean up the road in Tanjung Benoa, the finger of land stretching toward Benoa harbour away from that government-created ghetto — because Tanjung Benoa is where you’ll want to … read the full post

Kopi Bali House is a bit of an institution in Sanur, even though its location on Ngurah Rai bypass puts it out of the way of normal tourist foot traffic. The double-storey cafe, which has a completely separate section for smokers (rare!) serves excellent coffee, and has an array of coffee machines and paraphernalia (expensive!) … read the full post

Update Monday August 27, 2012 We were deeply saddened to hear this morning that Brian has passed away. Many ribs and way too many martini with martini chasers were enjoyed alongside his wit and fine humour. Our deepest condolences to his family. RIP Brian. Roadside shack Naughty Nuri’s is an Ubud institution, open since 1995 … read the full post

It won’t win any awards for its decor, atmosphere, or location, but if you’re heading past Simpang Siur from the airport and onto Sunset Road and need a caffeine boost, Caswell’s is the place to make a quick stop. There’s another outlet inside Gourmet Garage in Jimbaran, but I haven’t made it there yet, and … read the full post