Best Sunday brunch in Bali: where to go and what to book

For a Sunday brunch in Bali, three addresses we work with confirm one on their own sites: Pala at The Apurva Kempinski in Nusa Dua, built around the signature dishes of a French master chef; Sazón at Regent Bali Canggu, with a Spanish brunch; and Ina Ré at Desa Kitsuné in Canggu, which has its own Sunday brunch menu. The Apurva Kempinski also runs a dim sum brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Book ahead: brunch seats are limited, and the hotel asks for advance reservations. FirstBali asks for the table through the concierge.

Pala, The Apurva Kempinski — the grand hotel brunch

The Apurva Kempinski sits on the cliffs of Nusa Dua, facing the Indian Ocean. Every Sunday its Pala Restaurant & Rooftop Bar serves a brunch the hotel calls the Brunchcation, built on the signature specialities of Chef Jean-Yves Leuranguer, a Meilleur Ouvrier de France — the French state's distinction for master craftsmen. The hotel asks for advance reservations because seats are limited, and it sets its own terms for children, so give their ages when you book.

This is the brunch for a long, unhurried Sunday in a five-star setting, and for anyone staying in Nusa Dua or the Bukit.

Bai Yun — dim sum on Saturday and Sunday

At the same resort, Bai Yun, the hot pot and dim sum restaurant, runs a dim sum brunch on both weekend days. It is unlimited to order: you keep ordering from a long list of dim sum, with vegan and gluten-free options and the chef's Chinese specialities, alongside free-flow tea and chilled juices. Bai Yun also asks for advance reservations.

It suits a family lunch, a group that prefers sharing plates to a buffet, or a Saturday when Sunday is already taken.

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.

Sazón, Regent Bali Canggu — a Spanish Sunday

Sazón is the Mediterranean restaurant of Regent Bali Canggu, on Batu Bolong. Its kitchen is led by Chef Andrew Walsh, whose CURE in Singapore earned a Michelin star, together with Chef Tude, who was born in Bali. On Sundays it serves a Spanish brunch, with ceviche prepared live and a paella show by the garden. The cooking is built on fire and shared plates, and the drinks list leans on sangria, wine and agave spirits.

This is the Canggu choice for a brunch that feels like a long Spanish lunch rather than a hotel buffet.

Ina Ré, Desa Kitsuné — brunch in the village

Ina Ré is the restaurant of Desa Kitsuné, the lifestyle village on Jalan Munduk Catu in Canggu. Chilean executive chef Cristian Encina brings together Mediterranean flavours and Latin American street food — paellas to share, ceviches, tacos, empanadas, wood-fired meats — and the restaurant has a separate menu for its Sunday brunch. The space draws on Balinese arts and crafts, and it has private dining rooms for groups. More in the Desa Kitsuné guide.

Regent Bali Canggu

Restaurants · Canggu

Regent Bali Canggu is IHG's beachfront resort on Batu Bolong, on Canggu's southwest coast, and the first Regent in Indonesia. Designed by WATG with interiors by HBA, it has 150 rooms and suites. Two of its restaurants are led by Chef Andrew Walsh: Sazón, a Mediterranean neighbourhood hideaway, and CURE Bali, European cooking shaped by Asian flavours. The Beach House pairs its pool and ocean breeze with craft cocktails and seafood, and the resort is home to the first Regent Spa & Wellness.

Ina Ré

Restaurants · Canggu

Ina Ré is the restaurant of Desa Kitsuné, the lifestyle village on Jalan Munduk Catu in Canggu. Chilean executive chef Cristian Encina brings together Mediterranean flavours and Latin American street food: paellas to share, ceviches, tacos, empanadas and wood-fired meats such as the Stockyard tomahawk. The space draws on Balinese arts and crafts, with handmade materials, weavings and traditional motifs, and includes private dining rooms for groups. Sunday brunch has its own menu, and so do Courtyard Saturdays.

If you would rather spend Sunday on the beach

Not everyone wants a brunch. Le Bleu, on Nusa Dua Beach, holds its White Sunday Party on the sand, with a kids' menu and Le Petit Corner, where children play on Saturdays and Sundays while the adults eat. Zai Cafe, on Batu Bolong in Canggu, serves from breakfast through dinner, for a late breakfast of flatbreads and dips rather than a set brunch.

Le Bleu

Beach clubs · Nusa Dua

Le Bleu by K Club is a beachfront restaurant and beach club on Nusa Dua Beach, in the ITDC resort area, run by the K-Club Group. The look is French Riviera by way of Bali, all blue and white, with sunbeds, cabanas, terraces and an indoor dining room. The kitchen leans on seafood, from lobster linguine to yellowfin tuna tataki, with vegetarian and vegan options. The weekly programme mixes yoga, cocktail workshops, beach games and festive Sunday gatherings with a DJ.

Zai Cafe

Restaurants · Canggu

Zai Cafe is a modern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurant on Jalan Pantai Batu Bolong in Canggu, serving from breakfast through dinner. Mornings bring flatbreads, a Greek salad with homemade feta, bowls and dips such as hummus, beetroot hummus, babaganoush and tzatziki. In the evening the menu turns to dishes like octopus with harissa and orzo, or grilled prawns with a sweet passion fruit sauce. Ceremonial matcha goes into drinks and desserts, and on Fridays a DJ sets the mood.

For the rest of the Sunday — beach clubs, foam parties, the afternoon guestlist at Zumana — see what's on in Bali this weekend.

What to look for in a Bali brunch

• The format. A set menu, unlimited-to-order plates or an à la carte list are three different meals. Ask which it is before you book.
• What the drinks cover. Bai Yun's dim sum brunch comes with free-flow tea and juices; elsewhere, ask whether alcohol is included or a separate choice. The venue confirms it for your date.
• Children. Hotel brunches often set their own terms for children by age; beach clubs vary more. Say the ages when you ask.
• The setting. A clifftop hotel, a garden restaurant and a beach are not the same Sunday. Choose the one that suits the rest of your day.
• The drive. Nusa Dua and Canggu are at opposite ends of the south. Brunch where you are staying, or book a driver who waits.

How to book

Brunch tables fill at weekends and in high season. Tell the concierge the venue, the date, how many adults and children, and any dietary needs. We ask the restaurant on your behalf and pass on its answer and its terms; the table is yours once the restaurant confirms it. No price is quoted before the venue gives it for your date.

Read next: dinner in Bali, area by area, the Apurva Kempinski dining guide and our Nusa Dua guide.