From a five-star beachfront resort in Nusa Dua to a unique restaurant in Ubud, travel editor Winsor Dobbin kicks off a two-part Bali special in time for peak holiday season.
JUST BEACHY
There is a certain style that distinguishes Sofitel hotel properties regardless of where you are in the world. There is a calm sophistication, that unmistakable French flair, and well-drilled, smiling staff whether you are in Sydney, Hanoi, or beachfront in Bali. Think luxurious, but not ostentatious.
Quietly located within the enclave of Bali’s famous southern peninsula, Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort is a very impressive five-star beach resort. Nusa Dua is home to most of Bali’s big hotels – and is perfect location for a week of indulgence under the sun.
There are myriad activities on offer here, right on the beach, but I suspect many guests will simply opt for being pampered or cocooned. With lovely sea views, or direct access to a swimming pool, the Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach has 415 well-equipped villas, rooms and suites in various configurations that offer a blend of world-class facilities, French elegance, and Balinese charm.
We were allocated a luxury room with pool access, which meant we could step directly from our deck into the pool that snakes its way around the complex.
The Sofitel MyBed mattresses are almost obscenely comfortable.
I would strongly advise booking a room that allows access to the Club Millesime facility, a delightful VIP area where you can enjoy excellent buffet and a la carte breakfasts, chill out during the day, enjoy afternoon high tea, or pre-dinner cocktails and canapes. Perks also include all-day complimentary refreshments and butler service – ideal for helping with any arrangements you may need help with.
It is a lovely oasis.
There are myriad dining and wining choices, and we particularly enjoyed the beachfront Toya, where the menu features an impressive range of fresh seafood dishes. Think options like soft-shell crab bao, Vietnamese spring rolls, king crab salad, or a sea bass ceviche – perfect partners for a cocktail or two.
Cucina offers Italian cuisine and Kwee Zeen is the main dining area, there is also Beach Club, and the Chic Picnic experience offers a menu of fresh sharing platters on the beach as the sun sets. Available every day from 5:30pm to 10pm.
“We are thrilled to offer this unique and unforgettable experience to our guests, and we hope the beachfront picnic provides a truly special setting to connect with loved ones while enjoying exceptional food and breath-taking views.” says hotel general manager Jean-Pierre Joncas.
Depending on the day of the week, you can enjoy summer barbecues with entertainment, mixology classes. Sunday brunch or beachfront happy hours.
You may also happen upon traditional Balinese musicians entertaining in the lobby.
All the resort facilities you’d expect are on offer. There is a kid’s club so parents can get some “us” time; there is a fully equipped gym with trainers, who tried unsuccessfully to get me hitting the pads, and there are bikes that can be enjoyed on the boardwalk that extends along the waterfront.
I would certainly recommend a massage treatment at the very chic award-winning Sofitel SPA.
The location of the Sofitel is hard to beat: it is situated just 25 minutes from Denpasar Ngurah Rai international Airport and urban beach resorts Seminyak, Legian and Kuta are just 30 minutes’ drive away should you be looking for nightlife and tattoo parlours.
With so much to do, including cooking classes, yoga, beachside golf, cycling, archery, fitness boot camps, aqua aerobics, yoga by the beach, tennis, football, volleyball you can be as active as you like, or do absolutely nothing.
Or treat yourself to a floating breakfast or opt for a beachside massage in a gazebo.
See https://sofitel.accor.com/
—
SWEET TREAT
Twenty years is a lifetime in the world of restaurants.
For one to last 20 years – over two vastly different locations – is a major feat.
Room4Dessert, the culinary love child of word-renowned pastry chef Will Goldfarb, has just marked 20 years of quirkiness, chaos, and excellence in its second location in Ubud, Bali.
Born in New York, the second iteration of Room4Dessert is not only a survivor, it is challenging, fun and home of some interesting drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
Having started life as a late-night dessert bar in New York City, Room4Dessert has metamorphised into a dessert-focused eatery, boutique accommodation, regenerative farm, and culinary academy.
It might not be to everyone’s taste, but it is a “must visit” on the list of every foodie visiting Bali.
Goldfarb, described as a “pastry provocateur and flavour philosopher”, has guided his Bali eatery for 11 years after nine in the Big Apple. The 15-course main event is lauded as “edible storytelling, botanical mischief, and joyful rebellion”.
The signature menu has been named Fight Club and is described by Goldfarb as “Three decades worth of stories told through the plates we create”.
Start with five inventive savoury dishes in one space; move to a room overlooking the kitchen for five desserts and then finish in the garden next to a fire fit for a quintet of petit fours.
From savoury curveballs to sweet sensations, every mouthful is unexpected, with a nod to Goldfarb’s career, which includes a stint at El Bulli, being named World’s Best Pastry Chef in 2021 and starring on Netflix series Chef’s Table.
The dishes are served to an eclectic soundtrack that veers from Sinatra to the Beastie Boys.
We opted for no alcohol pairings: mocktails with attitude like curry spritzes, a coco colada minus the rum and an Open Sesame without the bourbon. Invigorating selections.
Here is a taste of what the menu might feature:
Lak Lak is a riff on the Balinese street snack, topped with whipped coconut yoghurt and trout roe.
Or Raspberry HK, which features local raspberries with black sesame ice cream, sesame nougatine, and black tea milk sauce.
Or the eccentric Fries // Shake: Klungkung-style sweet potato fries from chef Dewi’s garden, served with cashew aioli and kluwak mole.
“No waste. No pretence. No rules. Just flavour – at its most fearless,” says Goldfarb.
The Room4Dessert collection includes:
- Room4Dessert, the flagship tasting experience.
- Shelter Island, a boutique guesthouse wrapped in coconut trees and quiet magic.
- Powder Room, a local candy store for grown-ups, with natural wine and sweet treats.
- The Forest, a regenerative playground for ingredients, ideas, and education.
- Academy: pastry boot camps for the next generation of sweet thinkers.
“We don’t just serve food – we share stories,” says Goldfarb.
“We grow more than ingredients here. We grow ideas. We grow people. And if we’ve done it right, you leave a little more connected to the land, to yourself, and to each other. Sometimes, we even grow dessert.
“This isn’t a retrospective – it’s a continuation. A quiet celebration of showing up, staying curious, and sharing what’s been learned along the way.”
The 15-course extravaganza is thrilling, confronting, and tiring. It is not something you’d want to do every week – but it is certainly something you’ll want to do if you find yourself in Ubud.
- A tasting with natural wines is IDR 1,890,000 ($177) per person
- A tasting with spirits is IDR 1,540,000 per person
- A spiritless tasting is IDR 1,290,000 per person
- An unpaired tasting is IDR 1,090,000 per person
- *Prices do not include 21% government tax and service charge and it pays to book well in advance.
Coming Up: From Lovina to Legian
See more of Winsor’s recommendations at www.gourmetontheroad.com.