Hot New Table: Waatu Is A Brand New Laid-Back Eatery in Uluwatu, Fuelled by Fire and Local Flavours

A celebration of local produce, culture and primitive cooking, Waatu is Uluwatu’s newest dining destination – and we can’t get enough.

Gone are the days when we needed to fly around the globe to feast on award-winning cuisine from a celebrity chef. Right here in Bali, taking residence atop Uluwatu’s rugged cliffs, is Waatu – the latest restaurant from the internationally-acclaimed Australian Chef James Viles.

But make no mistake – you won’t find any white table cloths or fine dining formalities at this fiery new restaurant. Instead, this brand new eatery is laid-back and leisurely; a warm and welcoming place to graze on produce-driven dishes and fire-kissed recipes designed to swap and share.

Leaning away from the typical dining experience, Waatu shows us exactly what an open flame can do to quality ingredients. Low, slow and perfectly charred, fire is at the heart of Waatu’s menu, wholly driven by coals and the smokey nuances they provide. Regeneratively harvested local produce is given the recognition it deserves, while the essence of Uluwatu (nature, culture and community) can be seen in every facet.

Fire & smoke: Waatu pays homage to primitive cooking

Waatu food menu - restaurant in Uluwatu

Taking us back to a time when cooking simply over an open flame was the only way, Waatu is a celebration of raw flavour. Indigenous herbs, spices and seasonal Indonesian ingredients dominate the menu, while hand-selected lychee- and coffee-timbers (sourced from across Bali) add layers of complexity.

Sharing is highly encouraged here, so when we were lucky enough to get a first-taste of Waatu, we filled our table with signatures from every section of the menu: bites, small plates, yakitori and wood-fired mains. We began with dips and fresh-out-of-the-fire flatbread, lathering a folded stracciatella flatbread (blistered in the wood-fired oven) with a charred bell pepper dip and still-warm hummus.

Yakitori skewers (lovingly called “things on sticks”) lined our plates: think Wagyu beef, umami mushrooms, and lamb meatballs. Then, the plates sized-up and a 300-gram aged ribeye and whole-roasted fish stole the show, joined by unconventional sides like wood-fired fried rice with pork and scallop xo, or young ferns charred over coals in ponzu lime butter. The menu is compact yet punchy, but you can opt for the carefully-curated “Waatu Feed Me” menu where the chef takes the reigns and offers a taste of all of Waatu’s signatures.

We definitely didn’t save space for dessert, but we simply couldn’t turn down the passion fruit curd pie with burnt meringue, or the whipped chocolate and salted caramel mousse, theatrically served inside a whole cacao. And while you might assume that the food here is the biggest drawcard, our wood-fired feast was expertly paired with round-after-round of whimsical cocktails that can’t be missed…

Shaken & stirred: Whimsical cocktails from Waatu’s resident mixologist

Waatu restaurant and bar in Uluwatu - cocktails and mocktails

Following the menu’s lead with an infusion of indigenous flavours, Waatu’s cocktail list is worth a trip to Uluwatu alone. The man behind the mixology is Putu Wirawan – a bartender-slash-liquid magician who proves that creativity knows no bounds. His imaginative concoctions break boundaries in both flavour and presentation, all while honouring Waatu’s dedication to fire, smoke and local culture.

Take the Mega Mendung cocktail for instance. It’s named after the Indonesian batik pattern for clouds, made with gin neptunia, dry vermouth, yuzu, ponzu, lime and seaweed cordial, and finished with cotton candy suspended high above the glass like a delicate cloud. Or the Baraa, which is Waatu’s take on the classic Negroni, using smokey espadin mezcal, rosso vermouth, campari and amaro, topped with a stick of charred marshmallow. And let’s not forget the Daluman – a traditional Indonesian street snack of grass jelly and coconut milk, reimagined at Waatu as a cocktail, with toasted coconut sorbet and palm syrup… Pure magic.

Psst – Use the code “Honey24” and you’ll get your first cocktail or mocktail on the house, only for Honeycombers readers in July 2024!

Refined yet casual: Your new favourite wood-fired eatery

Waatu new restaurant in Uluwatu Bali - interior and ambiance

Located high above Uluwatu’s crashing waves within the grounds of The Ungasan Clifftop Resort, Waatu could easily be confused for a fancy hotel restaurant. But that it is not. Yes, it’s refined and perfect for a special occasion, but it’s also laid-back and leisurely, with a relaxed ambiance where you can swing by with friends and family for a shared, charcoal-grilled feast (with plenty of creative cocktails, of course).

As flames flicker from the open kitchen and a sumptuous smokey aroma wafts through the dining room, it’s a place where you can swap, share and get a taste of Indonesia in the most delicious way possible. Local ceramics line the walls, and warm earthy tones add to the cosy ambiance. It’s a casual dining experience that’s both rugged and refined, and it’s definitely ignited our appreciation for flame-kissed cooking.

Waatu is open every day for dinner, but prior reservations are highly recommended. 

Waatu at The Ungasan, Jl Pantai Selatan Gau, Banjar Wijaya Kusuma, Ungasan (inside The Ungasan Clifftop Resort), p. +62 811 3830 6286, e. [email protected].

Source: https://thehoneycombers.com/bali/waatu-restaurant-the-ungasan-clifftop-resort/


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts

Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel.

Back To Top
Open Chat
1
Hello :)
Back to Bali Now is here to assist.
How can we help you?