Ever since our first trip to Ubud Bali last year we’ve always wanted to check out Mozaic Restaurant. This time around it was no different but when it came to making reservation (which is a must for dinner) we again scrutinized all of our options and found the place to pricey. Instead we chose to dine in Bridges Bali (Mozaic will have to await another day or another income bracket!) and we were quite happy with our choice. Check out the lovely interiors, food and wine…

We called for reservation and got a table at a nook in the corner. How romantic! Since Ubud is a town of artists, it was only fitting that there were beautifu pieces of art all over the restaurant. We had a view of the al fresco dining area below and TD and I agreed that it was the place to be. Unfortunately though dinner guests haven’t arrived yet, all those tables have already been reserved!

We started by ordering some ice cold beer Bintang. We were served a delicious amuse bouche and freshly baked bread while we were selecting our mains and wine.

We had two appetizers (yes TWO!) because we didn’t realize that there would be an amuse bouche and we were totally ravenous. So in typical Diplo-fashion, we over ordered yet again. How we got it all into our tummies was a feat. But everything was so yummy we found a way to achieve it! =P

First we shared bites of the the delicate and delicious Mousse Trio Rp 80,000 (about 9 USD): “Camembert-roasted garlic moussed and crisp lavosh; Blue cheese mousse, raisin chutney and choux pastry; and Goat cheese mousse, olive tapenade and potato croquette.”

TD just had to have the plump Seared Sea-scallops Rp 95,000 (about 11 USD) “They were marinated in galangal-chili paste and seared until opaque. Rested on an aromatic wok-fried mixture of mushrooms and garnished with a crisp tempura of enoki mushroom.”  I am not normally impressed by scallops, but this was an excellent way to have it!

We took a while to decide on our wine since we are neither experts not snobs when it comes to wine. All TD and I wanted was a wine that was not too dry (see what I mean by not being sophisticated wine drinkers?) and that didn’t break the bank. Thankfully the manager Stephan came over and helped us. We were honest about our preference above and deferred to his recommendation. He recommended a mid-priced wine (Bali-standards).

For my main dish, I had the Pan Fried Fish of the Day Rp 130,000 (about 15 USD) which is “locally caught fish served with fragrant Jasmine rice, light galangal lemon grass-infused coconut sauce, salty sprout and vegetable stir-fry. Topped with fresh herbs and lemon.”  The fish was perfectly cooked – skin perfectly seared and crunchy, the meat flaky and moist.

TD had the Maple-glazed Confit Duck Rp 155,000 (about 18 USD) “Rosemary-infused  confit duck leg glazed with maple and brandy. Served with pan-fried truffle infused potato terrine, caramelised apple and wilted baby spinach” I am not particularly fond of duck so I would not know how to describe it, but TD is and he was extremely happy with what he ordered.

After our main course I was stuffed and wanted to walk around for a bit and take pictures of the beautiful restaurant.

While wandering around I peeked at the kitchen and was shocked to see how young the chef was! I’ve read about how young and talented Chef Nicolas Lazzaroni was but to see it in person is still surprising. (He is quite a cutie too!)

via

When it was getting late we noticed that there were free tables downstairs and asked Stephan if we could have our desserts in a table by the river. He gladly obliged. It was so lovely to dine by the bridge (hence the name!) with the sound of the flowing river. TD who is afraid of heights was a bit wary of the ravine, but I think he enjoyed the table as much as I did.  

For dessert we had the Cinnamon Creme Brulee Rp 75,000 (about 9 USD) “accompanied by soft lime butter stewed apples and finished with vanilla bean tuile.“

Rich Chocolate Fondant Rp 75,000 (about 9 USD) “topped with comfit orange, served with Cointreau cream mousse and vanilla gelato.” (Cooking time 15-20 mins so order ahead of time). Despite being full, we somehow still wiped out the 2 desserts (See this is why we gained so much weight after our Bali trips! There is just so much good food!)

Service was excellent and the servers knew how to speak basic English. What I liked about it is that they were honest about their knowledge of the food. We had several servers assist us and the less experienced ones always  deferred to more experienced staff when it came to certain questions about the food and wine that they couldn’t answer. This kind of honesty is refreshing.  I liked it that, instead of the usual smile, shoulder shrug and “kurang tahu” (which means I don’t know), they would ask us to wait for a moment and look for more senior staff. The staff were so pleasant and cheerful. I loved the special attention Stephan gave to his guests and his wonderful recommendations – it really made our night more memorable.

TD was happy and full, I can tell you that there was a big grin on his face here. Everything at Bridges was wonderful. From the food and drinks to the amazing ambiance and service. We got a special meal and experience for a more reasonable price. It wasn’t cheap but it didn’t break the bank. No wonder it’s currently the #1 restaurant in Ubud on TripAdvisor. (This changes regularly though)

DIVINE WINE SHOP & BAR

Happily sated and slightly tipsy with the wine, we passed through the wine bar section of the restaurant to check it out. Thankfully I was able to take a few decent shots! For the wine connoisseurs this is a place to enjoy fine wine from 5 to 7 pm.

BRIDGES BALI

Jl. Campuhan, (near Museum Antonio Blanco ), Ubud 80581, Bali – Indonesia map
(+62) 361 970095 / 081236145051
reservation@bridgesbali.com
Breakfast 9 – 11 am Saturdays and Sundays • Lunch 11 am – 5 pm • Dinner 6 – 11 pm
*Special reservation for private air-conditioned room

Menu