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Chef's table in Bali: counters where the chef cooks for you

A chef's table in Bali: Miss Fish's onyx Omakase Bar in Berawa, NAMI Teppanyaki's private table at The Apurva Kempinski, open kitchens at BELLA and Akar. Few seats, so ask early.

Updated October 26, 2026 · 4 min read

For a chef's table in Bali, the clearest answer is the Omakase Bar at Miss Fish in Berawa, an onyx counter where, as the restaurant puts it, "chefs prepare each course directly in front of guests". At The Apurva Kempinski in Nusa Dua, NAMI Teppanyaki serves its Namikase set menu at a private table. For a livelier seat near the fire, BELLA and Akar cook in open kitchens. Counter seats are few, so FirstBali asks early through the concierge.

Why the seat matters

A chef's table is about where you sit, not only what you eat. At a counter the chef presents each course, explains it and adjusts as the evening goes; at a table in the dining room you get the same food without the conversation. It suits two people, or a small group that wants the cooking to be the entertainment. It also changes the pace: a counter serves everyone in the row together, so it is an evening to arrive on time for. For the menu formats themselves, degustation, omakase and set menus, see tasting menus in Bali.

Miss Fish's Omakase Bar, Berawa

Miss Fish, on Jalan Raya Semat, offers three settings: the Omakase Bar, a chef-guided onyx counter; the open-air Patio; and the Lounge for cocktails and shared plates. The counter is the most immersive. Each course is presented and explained by the chef, and the team guides guests who have never sat at an omakase. Executive Chef Carlos Barvo's menu pairs Japanese technique with European and Latin American influences and follows the season, so there is nothing to choose: you trust the counter. The team can suggest sake or whisky pairings. Dress smart casual. Later in the evening, DJs take over the room.

Miss Fish

Miss Fish

Restaurants · Berawa

Miss Fish is a Japanese restaurant and late-night venue on Jalan Raya Semat in Berawa, Canggu, open since 2022. Executive Chef Carlos Barvo leads a seasonal omakase that pairs Japanese technique with European and Latin American influences. Guests choose between the Omakase Bar, a chef-guided onyx counter, the open-air Patio and the Lounge for cocktails and shared plates, and the bar holds more than 40 sakes and Japanese whiskies. Later in the evening, DJs take over. Dress code: smart casual.

NAMI Teppanyaki, Nusa Dua

At The Apurva Kempinski, on the cliffs of Nusa Dua, NAMI Teppanyaki cooks Japanese teppanyaki. At its private table the Namikase is a set menu built around surprise, and the drinks come from a sake sommelier and a tea master who makes cocktails and mocktails, with a traditional matcha ceremony. The resort also has Koral, the aquarium restaurant with its degustation menu; the rest is in the Apurva Kempinski dining guide.

The Apurva Kempinski

The Apurva Kempinski

Restaurants · Nusa Dua

The Apurva Kempinski Bali is a five-star resort on the cliffs of Nusa Dua, facing the Indian Ocean, and its dining spreads across several venues. Koral, which the hotel presents as Bali's first aquarium restaurant, serves set and tasting menus beside the tanks, adults only at dinner. Izakaya by OKU is a sister to OKU in Jakarta; Reef Beach Club sits on the sand beside a 42-metre infinity pool; Bai Yun serves hot pot and dim sum; L'Atelier by Cyril Kongo is a lounge with ocean views and Mediterranean tapas.

Open kitchens: near the fire

Not every chef's table is a counter. Two restaurants in the catalogue build their room around the kitchen:

  • BELLA, on Jalan Pantai Berawa, has an open kitchen, a long bar and a DJ booth. Executive chef Oğuz Karadoğan cooks a wood-fired menu made for sharing. Ask for a seat facing the kitchen.
  • Akar, K Club's steakhouse at Kedisan, Tegallalang, north of Ubud, spreads over two floors with two bars and an open kitchen, grilling Australian and Japanese cuts over charcoal.
BELLA

BELLA

Restaurants · Berawa

BELLA is a contemporary Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurant on Jalan Pantai Berawa, run by The SEN Group. Executive chef Oğuz Karadoğan, formerly of Lokanta 1741 in Istanbul, cooks a wood-fired menu made for sharing: lamb meatballs in rich tomato sauce with Hokkaido bread, a Mediterranean ceviche of seabass, kefir and gremolata, a whole roasted cauliflower with tahini. The room is built around an open kitchen, a long bar and a DJ booth, and the evening turns into a party, with weekly Taverna nights and Kitchen Party.

Akar

Akar

Restaurants · Ubud

Akar, meaning “root”, is the steakhouse of K Club in Kedisan, Tegallalang, north of Ubud, set in the greenery of the jungle. Spread over two floors with two bars and an open kitchen, it grills Australian and Japanese cuts, Wagyu included, over charcoal, alongside seafood, charcoal-roasted bone marrow and a curated wine list. On Friday and Saturday nights dinner turns festive, with live DJs, dancers and a laser show. Akar has won Best Luxury Steakhouse in Indonesia at the World Luxury Restaurant Awards.

Before you sit down

  1. Ask for the counter by name. A booking at a restaurant is not a booking at its counter.
  2. Give every allergy in advance. The chef plans the sequence; Miss Fish adjusts for preferences where possible.
  3. Arrive when asked. At a counter, courses are served to the row, so a late seat affects everyone.
  4. Leave room for the evening. Counters are short and quiet; the night can go on afterwards.

After the counter: Desa Kitsuné, Zumana, Savaya

From Berawa, Desa Kitsuné in Canggu is the close option: a Savaya Group village with Maison Kitsuné whose garden becomes the party every Tuesday and Friday, rain or shine, with guest DJs on Tuesdays and Bali-based DJs on Fridays. Its pool is decorative, not for swimming. From Nusa Dua, Savaya on the Pecatu clifftop has Last Light on Mondays and headliners at weekends; DJ Mag's Top 100 Clubs named it number one in Asia from 2024 to 2026, as Savaya reports. Zumana, at Sunset Bay in Kuta, has Ritual of the Sun on Saturdays and its own restaurant, Manuza.

All three are 21+ with a valid passport or driver's licence; mixed groups and couples are strongly preferred. Each night's guestlist or ticket terms are on its page on /events.

Where FirstBali fits

Tell the concierge which counter, the date, the number of guests and their diets. FirstBali asks the restaurant; the seat is yours once the venue confirms it, and any deposit follows the venue's terms and is not a confirmation. If you want a table at a club after, FirstBali asks the club too, and a driver can wait. An assistant answers at any hour, the team through the Bali day and evening.

Read next: fine dining in Bali, the Miss Fish guide, Japanese restaurants in Bali and Berawa restaurants.

Questions we get asked

＋Is there a chef's table in Bali?

Yes. Miss Fish's Omakase Bar in Berawa is a counter where the chefs prepare each course in front of you, and NAMI Teppanyaki at The Apurva Kempinski has a private table.

＋Do I choose dishes at the Miss Fish counter?

No. The omakase follows the season and the chef's choice, from lighter courses to richer ones.

＋Is a first omakase intimidating?

Miss Fish says each course is presented and explained, and the team guides newcomers.

＋Which Bali restaurants have an open kitchen?

BELLA in Berawa and Akar north of Ubud both cook in an open kitchen.

＋How do I make sure I get the counter?

Ask for it by name. Seats are limited, and the seat is yours only once the restaurant confirms it.

＋Where can I go out after a chef's table?

Desa Kitsuné in Canggu on Tuesdays and Fridays, Zumana in Kuta or Savaya in Uluwatu. All are 21+ with ID.

Mentioned in this guide

Want us to arrange it?

Tell the concierge what you have in mind — a table, a guestlist, a villa, a driver. The assistant answers at any hour; the team takes over from 9am to midnight Bali time.

Ask the concierge

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