HIGHLIGHTS: Restaurant Locavore & Locavore To-Go
During my amazing stay in Ubud, Bali, we were fortunate enough to enjoy a top-tier restaurant in Locavore. The first day we had some amazing lunch at Locavore To-Go – their fast casual restaurant, where their burgers were pricey but fantastic. We also enjoyed a longer, multi-course dinner at Locavore the next day, which was a wonderful experience. It reminded me of my experiences in the States at places like Atelier Crenn and French Laundry – with many small dishes each with very select ingredients.
My standard restaurant reviews include a breakdown by the following topics. Feel free to skip to whichever section you find most interesting. This post sponsored by Leatherman – all opinions expressed are my own.
- Highlights
- Ambiance
- Atmosphere
- Menu
- Drinks
- Appetizers
- Entrees
- Desserts
- Miscellaneous
AMBIANCE
Both restaurants are a couple blocks apart, with Locavore To-Go a casual establishment, with a separate butcher area and meats on display. Locavore was a more formal restaurant, with the kitchen in full view and busy chefs and staff running about. Wonderful vibe.
In Locavore, we were initially seated at the bar area – where you can see the chefs working. Very cool vibe. Because it’s a prefix menu and set per day, we could see them making courses both before and after ours, so we could get a good sense of what was coming.
ATMOSPHERE
Locavore To-Go only had a couple patrons eating when we went in, and same with Locavore – small parties and couples mostly. Since Locavore is a set menu it was very useful to see what courses came next by spying on the neighboring tables and staff as they went by. Note that initially we were seated right next to the Locavore serving bar, we were hit with the heat lamps, making it super uncomfortable for myself. Thankfully, a server noticed and offered to switch us to another table, so that was greatly appreciated.
MENU
Locavore To-Go’s menu reminded me of a burger or meat chain in the US, and I really appreciated the free wifi – and found the note advising us to talk to others instead funny. Prices were subject to 10% tax and 7.5% service charge, and with the rate of 1,000 IDR to 0.07 USD, it was quite reasonable. I got the Burger A La Ray, double patty, 300 grams or about 10.5 ounces of meat, for 159K, and a side of fries.
Locavore’s preset menu was interesting – with some overlaps between the two Herbivore and Locavore menus. Tax of 10% and Service of 11% was added, and with our water and one of each six-course menu, the total cost of 2.2M IDR came to about $154 USD – definitely a pricey meal for two, but a great experience to have.
DRINKS
We didn’t order any drinks but there were some very detailed drink menus in the section above! At Locavore, they charged 49K for a big bottle of water. While it was super hot in the restaurant, charging for water I feel is just extraneous, so that never leaves a good feeling.
APPETIZERS
Each menu had several different types of appetizers. The herbivore had Citrus and Tofu, while the Locavore had Broccoli and Corn. I remember the corn fritter to be very good. Between my wife and I, we swapped dishes as we do every time, to experience both menus equally. We didn’t end up having any appetizers at Locavore To-Go.
ENTREES
Locavore To-Go had a very interesting burger – stacked high, hard to eat, but pretty good from what I remember. The lady had the reuben, which was also very good. We enjoyed the fries as a side, nice, hot, and crispy, as well as a decent portion.
Locavore’s Entrees had such interesting names from both menus, with a range of Cassava, Tomato, Jicama, Carrot, Snapper, and Chicken dishes.
DESSERTS
So many varieties of desserts! Both menus had palm sugar and caramel gelato, which were quite delicious. We also enjoyed the assorted chocolates served in a mancala board with a nice handy sheet to tell us what they were.
MISCELLANEOUS
This was a wonderful time, from great service, to a high-quality dining experience across a variety of small courses. Locavore was highly rated, and Locavore To-Go was a great first meal to have in Bali. I’m really pleased and would certainly go back especially during a special occasion.
SPONSORSHIP: LEATHERMAN TRAVEL FRIENDLY TOOLS
This post is sponsored by Leatherman’s Travel-friendly tools. They offer a wide range of products, from knives, accessories, watches, multi-tools, and more. For example, they have a Style PS multi tool which consists of pliers, scissors, tweezers, file, screwdriver, and more, for $30. How many times have I been on a trip and needed one of these tools and I’d have to call the hotel’s front desk for them? Not only are these products useful for travelling, I can easily see these multi-functional tools be super useful when vacationing for those who enjoy camping and experiencing the great outdoors.
Another one that caught my eye was the Tread Multi-Tool Bracelet – I thought $150 for this bracelet? You’ve got to be crazy! However, its convenience and utility of being nearly 30 tools at once is quite handy – from many different types of hex drives and wrenches, it could come in handy.
However, I would recommend caution because at the bottom of the section – Leatherman says it’s not a 100% of getting past TSA – “Leatherman does not guarantee against confiscation of tools by TSA. These tools were manufactured without blades, which is in accordance with TSA policies, but it is ultimately the sole discretion of the TSA agent at the time of confiscation.”
They have a sale going on from now until the end of July – so you have about three months to get your shopping on. Additionally, their final sale items are at a whopping 50% off – but no refunds or returns on these, so be sure to get what you want! They have also partnered with Klarna – where you can buy the item and pay in four installments across an eight week period, without interest! Klarna charges Leatherman a cost of sale, but you can take advantage of extended credit and buy the item, get it now, and pay it over two months without fees or interest (unless you miss a payment!) I also appreciate a manufacturer standing behind their tools, and having a 25 year warranty is very useful. Of course, I haven’t used the warranty yet, but to have that as a backstop is quite reassuring.
HONEYMOON SERIES
Please make sure to check out the other posts in the Honeymoon Series!
Japan
Honeymoon Hotel 1 Review: Conrad Tokyo, Japan
Honeymoon Hotel 2 Review: Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Japan
Macao
Honeymoon Hotel 3 Review: St. Regis Macao, Cotai Central, SAR China
Hong Kong
Honeymoon Hotel 4 Review: Conrad Hong Kong
Honeymoon Hotel 5 Review: Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour Hong Kong & Food Extravaganza!
Bali
Honeymoon Hotel 6 Review: Element by Westin Bali Ubud
Honeymoon Hotel 7 Review: Conrad Bali & Food Exploration!
Singapore
Honeymoon Hotel 8 Review: The Warehouse Hotel, Singapore
Honeymoon Hotel 9 Review: Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel
Featured Image of the Lobster from the Chef’s Table. Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links which, should you click through and/or make a purchase, grant me a commission. Also, I only post in the best interest of my readers. Lastly, thank you for supporting my blog and my travels.
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Nice article, been to Ubud twice and is easily one of my fave places in the world let alone Bali.
I wish to enjoy these places. Your post is very informative and inspiring for the people who love to travel. Very well written about Bali and the images were stunning. Thank you so much for your post.
Thank you so much!
That looks really nice, although the price is pretty eye watering for Bali, especially without alcohol. Have you eaten at Bumbu Bali in the Nusa Dua area? They have a reputation for being the best restaurant on the island and my wife and I like it. Did you go before the travel restrictions?
Wow! I will check that place out next time. Yeah It was pretty expensive for Bali, but it was a good experience and I wanted to ensure the lady enjoyed herself.