Vasanti Bar & Cafe

New in the Tuban ‘hood comes the flagship eatery at Vasanti resort – a casual dining joint that mixes up the best elements of Western and Asian cuisine.
Opened in October last year, the Vasanti Bar & Café is a 24-hour eatery that caters to both hotel and walk-in guests for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night grazing. The swish interiors feature elements of wood, metal and exposed brick to create a fun, contemporary look. Moody lighting at the back and an open-sided front terrace overlooking the street mean there are plenty of spots to perch for families, groups of mates or couples looking for a cozy candle-lit corner.

The buzzy bar area serves up all the usual tipples, along with a cool, concise cocktail list that champions the humble Martini in all its forms, as well as mixing in plenty of the old favourites for good measure. For my first visit the helpful bar dude suggests the house creation Caribbean Beach (95k++), which mixes up spiced rum with mint, ginger lime and honey for a throat-soothing blend of awesome proportions.

Jakarta-born kitchen maestro chef Adi has cooked up an accessible menu full of delicious morsels like pizzas, pastas, burgers, steaks and Asean bites like the fabulous Sop Buntut (125k++) – the spiced beef broth served with melinjo crackers and a zingy sambal for those who like things nice and spicy. For my first visit, I kick things off with the generous Prawn Salad (55k++) – pan fried to perfection and bursting with flavour. Anyone looking for a true challenge should check out the Beef “Giant” Patties (225k++), which takes the cake as the biggest burger in Bali. It is literally the size of a football, and comes with a small mountain of fries and onion rings. Not feeling quite up to the challenge, I have a go at the Spring Chicken (85k++), which is marinated in French mustard and served with roasted potatoes, baby carrots and asparagus. Rounding off my three courses is the sweet Fruit Sabayong (55k++), which provides the perfect note on which to finish.

As if any more encouragement is needed, a daily rotating specials list offers some great value and plenty of reasons to celebrate. Mondays its BBQ time, with unlimited buffet and a beer for just 99k++. Tuesdays are pasta lover days and Wednesday is the famous Asian buffet – both of which are 99k++ all in with a beer on top. Thursdays and Fridays you’ll get a free cocktail with your dinner, and on Saturdays it’s all about Indonesian with specials on the best local-style fare. Polishing off the week is the Lazy Sunday promo, where all pizzas are 25% off. Meanwhile, keep an ear out for live acoustic performances between 6-9pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Dan Ashcroft



Vasanti Bar & Cafe
Jl. Wana Segara No. 25
475 31111 | www.vasantikutahotel.com