To all the foodies out there: Seminyak is the place for you! Not only can you find delicious Indonesian food there, there’s also an abundance of Western and Asian restaurants scattered all around the island! I was there myself recently, and explored a whole bunch of restaurants before picking my favorites.

My first night there, I tried out Merah Putih after hearing several good reviews about it from my friends. It definitely lived up to the hype - this sophisticated yet charming restaurant serves classic Indonesian food with a modern twist. It’s perfect for large groups as the portions are designed to be shared amongst a few people, so you can taste as much of the delicious options as possible! My personal favorite was the sulawesi chicken, but the beef pao, soft shell crab and coconut lemongrass rice are all amazing too. There’s a ton of yummy vegetarian options too, such as the Rendang Tahu and the Tahu Tsi Terong! This restaurant is truly one of the best in Seminyak, a definite must-try.

If you love seafood, you’ll love SARDINE! Not only does it have a stunning view of the rice paddy fields and lily ponds, the seafood is also extremely fresh with nothing more than 24 hours old. The vegetables are all organically grown in the restaurant’s own garden - they’re experts in making healthy food taste good. I went there for lunch, and I was not disappointed. The Manis clams in a lemongrass coconut broth, the Jimbaran style fish, and of course, the sardines themselves were my favorites, but the scallops were delicious too. Definitely get the chocolate mousse for dessert, it’s heavenly.

While these restaurants were great, honorable mention must be given to the warungs. They may be small, simple family-run shops that blend right into Seminyak’s background, but the food is some of the best I’ve ever had in Bali. My favorite warungs were Warung Liku, Made’s Warung and KZU Drupadi. Warung Liku only has one item on the menu - Ayam Bentutu, chicken roasted in herbs, coconut oil and onions and served with rice, sambal, egg, spicy spinach and peanuts. It’s unique and delicious - a definite must-try. Made’s Warung, on the other hand, is significantly larger than most Warungs and has an extensive menu full of delicious items. I’d recommend the suckling pig, it’s stuffed with a special spice paste and roasted to perfection and you can only get it in Bali!

KZU Drupadi had the best food compared to the other two though; there were plenty of vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and non-vegetarian options to choose from. My top recommendations are the japanese curry, the seafood nasi goreng and the fajitas. The food is served cafeteria style, so you can mix-and-match to create your perfect meal. Give the fresh juices a try too, the spinach, carrot, ginger and orange juice was heavenly.

The food in Seminyak is truly unique - even the Western dishes have an Indonesian twist. Overall, I had a great dining experience and can’t wait to go back!