Delight in rustic splendour and art deco glory in downtown Ubud.
“Kebun, a charming Provencal-style bistro in downtown Ubud, offers authentic Mediterranean cuisine in a delightful atmosphere. Its informal ambience welcomes diners for lunch, afternoon coffee and cake, tapas, cocktails, dinner, post-prandial coffee and dessert and late-night light dining, open from noon to midnight daily.” Could not put it better myself…
Kebun Bistro, an institution that is part and parcel of Ubud’s ‘culinary journey’ landscape, launched in 2012, offering fine wines, artisan foods, breads and patisserie. The venue, like the menu, was also created by artisans, with a very clear and reverent nod to 1930s Art Deco.
Their global menu crosses as many borders as the variety of allergies and preferences that it has to satiate! Head straight to the Tapas menu or choose between Gazpacho or French Onion Soup. Maybe Nicoise Salad or Haloumi or Roots Salad or Paella? Duck Confit, Tasmanian Salmon or a Moroccan Tagine? And, of course, pizzas and pastas appear, alongside an elongated list of sides and extras . . . the wine list is extensive too! All in all it is hard to make a bad choice at Kebun Bistro – savoury or sweet, juices or wines.
In fact, the food is so good that Kebun is also highly ranked for events and outside catering. The actual venue of Kebun is a fantastic yet cozy space to book for an anniversary or private party, alternatively Kebun can to come to you, with genteel Chef Adi happily able to discuss your outside catering needs.
With the food and the wine boxes securely ticked, next up on my list of classifications would be how eco-sensitive a particular restaurant in Bali is. So I put that question to the management . . .
“All the wood used in Kebun’s decor and furnishing is recycled,“ they told me. “The pizza and cheese boards are made from recycled teak from Kalimantan. All the wood trim is from Java as is the authentic 1940s furniture. The cast-iron Singer sewing machine table-bases, topped with marble, are at least 50 years old and the old porcelain doorknobs were sourced from a flea market in Paris. Kebun’s feature wall is constructed from local river rock and the outside floors are limestone slag with the interior floors being made of terracotta tile, a traditional craft on the island”, comments founding-owner Meghan, who continues: “Once inside our generous, welcoming front door, notice the hand-hammered copper pots and ceramics, all made in Indonesia by traditional craftsmen with passionate attention to detail. Even the large, open kitchen is ventilated with hand-made copper flues.”
Front of House Manager, Franky adds: “Food delivery is packed in recycled paper, with our chefs using local organic produce whenever available, and the food waste from our kitchen is all composted with the exception of bones, which are distributed to the dogs along the street.” Fine indeed!
So Kebun Bistro, a delight in all its art-deco glory, really is one of the best spots to stop while in Ubud, and to delight in all the fabulous things that this team works so hard on, bringing together the ambiance, the stimulation and the flavours for your visual, aural and oral pleasures. Their playlists are worth a mention too!