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Nusantara Restaurant by Locavore, Ubud

By Catur Herawanto
4 min read
Updated: May 23, 2025

Nusantara by Locavore is not your typical Indonesian restaurant. The sister restaurant to Locavore NXT, which has established itself as a groundbreaking restaurant in Bali, Nusantara by Locavore, serves lesser-known dishes across Indonesia using traditional techniques and serving styles.

Nusantara, which means archipelago in English, showcases the unsung heroes of traditional Indonesian cuisine. The Nusantara team carefully selects dishes from across the Indonesian archipelago, highlighting each region's best recipes and using only high-quality and local ingredients to display forgotten dishes on your plate. This is a place where the authentic flavours of Indonesian rich culinary heritage finds its much-deserved home.

With its white rattan partitions framed in natural wood and hanging lamps above the table, as often seen inside Javanese houses, Nusantara brings both staple and seasonal Indonesian ingredients to the forefront in a slightly upscale setting and yet still feels casual. Nusantara certainly earns its place among the best restaurants in Bali, especially when you're interested in learning more about Indonesia through your taste buds.

OnBali Experts Rating:

4/5
Ratings:
Food
Atmosphere
Service
Сleanness

Guest Rating:

4.9/5
6 reviews
Read all reviews

Details:

Cousines:

Balinese, Indonesian

Menu:

See menu

Feautures:

Restaurant, Bar

Special options:

Vegetarian and Vegan friendly, Gluten free options

Opening hours:

12 PM ‒ 2:30 PM (Lunch) / 6 PM ‒ 9:30 PM (Dinner)

Average bill:

$30

Our experts expierence from Nusantara Restaurant by Locavore

Reservations

We suggest that you make a reservation through Nusantara's official website, which is similar to Locavore NXT; getting a table without a booking is impossible. You'll be asked to fill in the details, including the booking date and time, and the confirmation will be sent via email.

Welcoming Service

The service staff at Nusantara will serve you with a complementary snack wheel from across Indonesia to start your culinary journey. There is the spinach tempura, crackers, and sambal along with a description of every item on the snack wheel. What a way to start!

First Impression

The grilled section at the entrance greets guests with delicious aromas, promising much to come. It's no exaggeration to say that stepping into Nusantara for the first time radiates coziness and warmth. The blue sofa, the wooden chairs and tables, and the traditional prints on the cushions and decor make you feel like you're visiting a friend's house.

Why do we choose Nusantara Restaurant by Locavore?

With over 17,000 islands, it is no surprise that Indonesia has thousands of recipes to refer to. Nusantara by Locavore highlights the distinct recipes from different regions in Indonesia, from Sumatra to Sulawesi, and this may sound like an ambitious way to introduce Indonesian cuisine, but we applaud their commitment and how they deliver the mission.

Through the blend of traditional meets contemporary design, Nusantara succeeded in creating a space that is warm, comfortable, and inviting. We can also say, however, that the portions do not always justify the price or how authentic some of the dishes are. Nevertheless, Nusantara is still a recommended restaurant to visit.

If you find yourself in Ubud and are looking for a true Indonesian culinary journey, Nusantara by Locavore is ready to take you across the Indonesian archipelago via its forgotten and unique recipes.

Reviews About Nusantara Restaurant by Locavore

Review by Google
Aron Sanchez
May 23, 2025
3.0
Overall experience is ok but it’s just too overpriced. I’m fine with spending money on food but the food has to deliver if I’m paying way more than dining out at other fine restaurants in Ubud. I paid about 130 USD for two including set meal and cocktails. The dishes weren’t that impactful even though they should be for that price point. Cocktails were disappointing; two that we ordered were quite bland. For people who already tried indonesian or malaysian food few times before, the flavors should be nothing new.
Review by OnBali
TM
Thomas M
May 21, 2025
5.0
I’m somehow familiar with Indonesian food, but at Nusantara, I was gobsmacked because there were so many I didn’t know. I tried Babi Kepayang and the pork was extremely juicy. The place is good for family dinner, though the portion can be a little more.
Service
   
5.0
Ambience
   
5.0
Cleanliness
   
5.0
Food Quality
   
5.0
Value for Money
   
5.0
Review by OnBali
PA
Putu Ayu
May 19, 2025
5.0
Haven’t had Opokan (fish wrapped in banana leaves then grilled) in a long time. The nasi liwet was tasty, and the rica-rica pork ribs had just the right amount of spiciness. Reminds me of my grandma’s cooking.
Service
   
5.0
Ambience
   
5.0
Cleanliness
   
5.0
Food Quality
   
5.0
Value for Money
   
5.0
Review by OnBali
DS
Dwi Santoso
May 19, 2025
4.6
Eating here feels like having elevated Indonesian food. Many menus I don’t know before. Konro bakar is good, but sambal kukus is the best.
Service
   
4.0
Ambience
   
4.0
Cleanliness
   
5.0
Food Quality
   
5.0
Value for Money
   
5.0
4.9  /5
Review by OnBali
6 reviews
Food Quality
5.0
Service
4.8
Cleanliness
5.0
Ambience
4.7
Value for Money
4.8
portrait of the writer on Bali
Catur Herawanto
Copywriter of the Project ONBALI
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56 articles

Hi everyone! My name is Catur, and I was born and raised in Central Java. I moved to Bali in 2011 but left the island in 2016 before returning in 2018. Bali feels more than a home to me, and maybe that’s why my name feels like a premonition. Catur means four, both in the Balinese and Javanese languages. It is spoken like ‘c’ in chess, which is also the meaning of my name in Indonesian.

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