Stephen Moore knows Bali's dining scene better than almost anyone. The British-born chef, who has cooked in Michelin-starred kitchens from Barcelona to Sydney, has spent over a decade on the island. When he's not helming the kitchen at Shelter Pererenan, Hut Cafe in Seminyak, and Nalu Ice Cream in Canggu, he's out eating at the restaurants he genuinely loves.
Here, in his own words, is where he goes.
Sate House Senayan
"I have that at Sate House Senayan in Batu Bolong. A long-time favourite of mine, Soto Ayam."
For one of Bali's most respected chefs to name a Soto Ayam as a go-to dish says everything about the quality on offer here. Part of the beloved Sarirasa Group, a 50-year institution in Indonesian culinary heritage, the Canggu branch brings authentic, soul-warming Indonesian classics to the heart of the island's most dynamic neighbourhood. Think slow-cooked chicken soup with turmeric rice, satay skewers with house peanut sauce, and sides that have been perfected over generations.
Meimei
"Young, talented chefs cooking amazing Indonesian food over charcoal and wood fire. A very similar philosophy to what we do at Shelter."
Steve singles out Meimei as a kindred spirit. Opened in December 2024 by the acclaimed YUKI Bali family, this Southeast Asian barbecue destination has quickly become one of the most talked-about openings in Bali, run by a young team of talented Indonesian chefs cooking everything over charcoal and wood fire, a philosophy that immediately resonates with Steve's own approach at Shelter. "Very similar philosophy on the cooking processes," he notes.
Executive Chef Yudha Permana's menu is a love letter to Indonesian ingredients: mackerel pepes wrapped in banana leaves, Babi Guling-inspired pork belly, Borneo tiger prawns, each one carrying that irreplaceable depth that only live fire can give.
Mosto
"Small plates. Lorenzo, incredible, talented chef. Amazing. Sit at the bar, six or seven small plates with incredible drinks by Denny."
For a slower evening, Steve makes a strong case for Mosto in Berawa. Indonesia's first natural wine bar, it's the kind of place best experienced perched at the bar with six or seven small plates and nowhere else to be. Chef Lorenzo De Petris, Michelin-trained, Italian by heritage, turns out punchy, ingredient-led plates that punch well above the room's casual atmosphere. The drinks programme, overseen by co-founder Denny Bakiev, is exceptional. Steve's personal order? The Paloma. "One of the best Palomas around," he says.
Della Terra
"Vinny. Incredible, flavour-packed dishes. Italian, American-Italian-style. Very intimate, very small. Always gets booked out. A great, great dining establishment."
Chef and partner Vinny Lauria, born in New York, trained at Michelin-starred kitchens in Ireland and the US, has built something genuinely special in a modest, candle-lit space in Pererenan. Inspired by the Italian osteria and the neighbourhood joints of Brooklyn, Della Terra's menu changes daily according to what's fresh and available. Nothing is pre-prepared; everything is made with hands and care. Signature moments include the Fazzoletti Grano Arso, hand-made pasta sheets charcoal-grilled to smoky perfection, finished with raw Javanese ricotta, anchovies and lemon. Book ahead.
CURE
"My buddy Andrew Walsh, originally cooking in Singapore, now in Bali. Incredible dining space, incredible sunset venue. Go for sunset first, then an incredible dinner experience. It was a wow."
Irish chef Andrew Walsh, whose original CURE restaurant in Singapore earned a Michelin star in 2021 and a place on The World's 50 Best Discovery list, has brought his celebrated concept to Bali, housed within the newly opened Regent Bali Canggu. The beachfront setting delivers on the sunset promise: guests arrive through a darker, intimate passageway before emerging into an uninterrupted view of the Canggu coastline. Inside, the kitchen delivers modern European technique layered with Asian flavours, with a focus on premium seafood, exceptional produce and curing techniques that deepen flavour while maintaining freshness. This is destination dining, worth both the sunset and the dinner that follows it.
Walsh also helms Sazón, a Spanish-Mediterranean restaurant at the same Regent Bali Canggu property, making it two very different but equally compelling reasons to head to this address.
