Bali Indonesia Magazine, Mar 2014
The best Italian restaurants in Bali offer more than just your standard pizzas and pastas. The island’s ever-evolving international dining scene has seen huge growth in recent years, and one particular type of cuisine to emerge as one of Bali’s favourites is Italian. Many Italian and Mediterranean-born chefs ply their trade on the island, serving up authentic flavours from home without a frozen pizza or pre-bought packet of pasta in sight!
Some of our favourite Italian restaurants make their reputations on outstanding wine lists; others go beyond Tuscan or Roman cuisine altogether and acquaint diners with the culinary traditions from Italy’s further flung regions. Experience only the finest spots, with our handpicked selection of Bali’s five best Italian restaurants below.
Zibiru is a cosy Italian restaurant tucked away on Jalan Drupadi, one of the quieter side streets off the main Seminyak roads. The establishment was founded in 2012 by Executive Chef Luigi Calcagno who lends his expertise in Italian and French cooking. It showcases the best offerings from the field and market – fresh daily catches, homemade backed breads, and pastas crafted from scratch daily. Organic veggies are harvested from Zibiru’s own environmentally positive farm in the mountains of Bali.
For something simple but flavoursome, there’s the Carpaccio di Piovra, thinly-sliced octopus topped with fennel salad, pineapple, thyme, pine nuts and a lemon emulsion. Or try the selection of homemade Italian cured meats served with salted ricotta cheese in a pot of honey. Soups and greens are all fresh and wholesome, as are the pastas with favourites that include the Caramelle, freshly tasting candy-shaped pasta filled with ricotta cheese and spinach in a homemade sage butter sauce and topped with parmesan cheese. Price range is IDR 60,000 – 235,000.
