Tucked into the heritage Beggar’s Bush building above the Jalan Campuhan ridge in Ubud, Nari is the kind of restaurant that rewards the curious—especially at lunch, when it quietly hums rather than shines.
By day, the leafy views over the Gunung Lebah Temple and forest canopy set a peaceful stage. By night, flame and shadow play turn it almost theatrical.
But it’s during midday, just as the noon sun softens, that Nari reveals a quieter magic: a chance to taste Western-style meats and pasta that carry the local spirit of Bali.
The Concept: Fire, Flavor, & Place
Nari describes itself as a fire‑influenced bistro with local flair, blending Mediterranean or international inspirations with locally sourced ingredients, grilled or smoked over wood fire for nuance rather than just spectacle.
What sets it apart is restraint: the char and smoke are accents, not walls. The menu aims for balance in texture, umami, and ingredient integrity.
Even the name has poetry: Nari evokes motion, dance, and expression. That sensibility echoes in the space and the plates.
Lunch at Nari Restaurant: The Quiet Power Hour
While Nari is often celebrated as a sunset or dinner destination, it actually runs a lunch special daily (12:00 PM – 3:00 PM) at a more accessible price point (around Rp 165,000++ per person)
This midday window offers a unique opportunity:
Lower crowd, calmer vibe. You escape the dinner rush and enjoy more space to linger.
Bring the Sunlit Views in Ubud. The junglet and temple glint under daylight, giving a different perspective.
Perfect timing for a hidden gem. Many walk past without stopping; lunch gives you insider status.
If you time it right, you might be nearly alone, tasting one of Nari’s pasta dishes or wood-fired meats in serene tempo.
Why the Pasta & Western Meat Shine Here?
For many, Ubud is about rice, local warungs, and Indonesian flavors, but Nari bridges worlds. Its wood fire bread, grilled meats, and occasional pasta dishes are not mere “tourist fallback” items but reinterpretations with thought and fire.
Some highlights Menus at Nari Restaurant (from reviews and menu whispers):
Their gnocchi in kenari nut pesto, whipped ricotta, asparagus, and crunchy pangrattato, is often singled out as a quiet star, soft, nutty, local yet global.
Meats like black Angus ribeye and Balinese urutan sausage get equal attention: wood-smoked, precisely cooked, and offered alongside sides that nod to local taste.
Vegetables and sides are not afterthoughts. Expect charred cabbage, miso butter, pangrattato, herbs, and more that flirt with both Mediterranean and Balinese sensibilities.
What this means is: you can order a pasta or Western‑style meat dish and feel Bali in the seasoning, the fire, the balancing act.
Scenes & Sensory Notes
Imagine arriving just after 12 o’clock. You climb the stairs into the heritage building, slip past shadows, and settle into a table by the window. The jungle quiet is punctuated only by birds and distant temple sounds.
Your first bite: warm, crusty wood-fired bread with noisette butter, the butter melting in threads. The pasta arrives with gentle steam, the scent of wood smoke faint but present. You cut into a grilled steak: the juices hold, the crust gives way to tender red. A side of grilled cabbage with burnt miso butter offers smoke and sweetness.
Outside, sunshine filters through leaves, dappling the restaurant. Servers move quietly, the soundtrack is low, the rhythm unhurried.
Cocktails or mocktails like Salak Rum (infused with chili and citrus) or Jasmine Vanilla deliver local identity in surprising form.
Why It’s a Hidden Gem for Lunch?
Many guidebooks and bloggers suggest day time is the perfect time to see the stunning view being less crowd than dinner time
Its lunch special turns what might seem expensive into a more approachable luxury.
The daylight ambience reveals different layers—color, view, calmness—that dinner hides.
You may discover your favorite dish absent from dinner menus, or enjoy more personalized attention from staff.
Tips for Visiting Nari Restaurant Ubud
Make a reservation even for lunch: The place is small and demand is rising.
Ask for a edge seat to maximize the view of the Campuhan ridge and temple.
Try the gnocchi or a pasta, even if you came for meat — they often surprise.
Order a cocktail or mocktail to linger — the bar is part of the experience.
Arrive just before noon so you get the freshest daylight and quietest time.
Looking Forward
For travelers who lean toward “eat local dishes”. Nari offers a compelling middle ground: Western meats and pasta, yes. But flavored through Bali’s fire, ingredients, and intuition. It’s not just a fallback on a foreign menu; it’s a reinterpretation.
If you’re visiting Ubud, skip the busiest dinner slots and explore Nari at lunch. You may just find your favorite memory: pasta under dappled light, smoke in the air, jungle stretching to temple stone roofs.