KABAN Restaurant & Bar - Umalas — Restaurant in Bali

St. Jacques is one of the finest fully outdoor restaurants in Bali.

The long pathway leading up to the restaurant offers the sentiment that you are approaching something impressionable. The act of entering the restaurant feels like some preparation for something important.

Once seated, the staff start you off with a chilled refreshing jasmine infused toilette, which is such a welcome treat in Bali’s heat.

St Jacques has a succinct menu which is always a good sign that whatever is offered, they have trained themselves to make very well.

I decided to try the Violetta Sour cocktail as a waiter recommended it as a “refreshing” option. The Violetta Sour definitely hit the mark on being refreshing! It is very citrus forward. But, I did not taste as much lavender in the cocktail as I would’ve hoped for.

If you like sweet cocktails, the Perle de Rose is a wonderful option and still had a refreshing taste!

Everyone online has raved about the yellow fin tuna so I had to try it. The yellowfin tuna tartare is a HIT! The creamy horseradish sauce that it comes with compliments the tuna well and mimics the avocado’s creaminess. The decorative fish skeleton made out of squid ink is such a nice visual touch, but I could probably do without the flavor of it as it has very earthy taste despite deriving from the sea.

A waiter recommended the duck for my main course. The duck dish was so good that I felt like a judge on a cooking show! The meat was tender and the root vegetable accompaniment was roasted to perfection.

The crème beulee came out HOT, hot enough that you can’t touch the bowl. So, instead of the cream retaining a custard texture, it was more similar to melted vanilla bean ice cream. It was still delicious though!

The restaurant has only outdoor seating but they provide several fans so I stayed at a comfortable temperature throughout my meal.

Overall, St Jacques is an elevated dining experience in Bali very focused on foreign flavors that they execute well. It is probably one of the most expensive restaurants I’ve tried in Bali but totally worth it to celebrate a birthday or...

I am writing this review because I feel this restaurant isn't very compassionate to their clients. I had a reservation for Valentines day, but had to cancel it last minute because I fell ill and felt very bad. At that moment I thought I had food poisoning and hence could not come to the restaurant. I contacted them and at first they just wanted to charge me 1.000.000 cancellation fee on my credit card. After some discussion we agreed to reschedule the booking and they could charge my credit card with the fee, and then give that as a discount on our bill on the new date of our booking. So far, so good. Unfortunately my condition worsened severely and I fell very ill, turns out it wasn't food poisoning after all, but I had been infected by a parasite. I had to go home to my home country to seek proper healthcare. And because my priorities were completely different at that moment, I forgot to let them know I couldn't make my reservation. Yes I should have informed them, but understandably I was busy with a lot of other things at that time. When I finally arrived home I saw a text message from the restaurant about our booking. I answered them with this story and how I had fallen so ill I had to go home unfortunately. They never responded to my message, not even a 'get well soon'. And just charged me with 1.000.000 IDR for not showing up. To me, that is just a big middle finger to your very sick customer. And for that, I am writing this review. I'm sure the food is nice, but this attitude to your clients is rotten. Therefore I wouldn't recommend making a reservation here, if something happens to you outside of your control, you will lose your money and they won't even respond...

St-Jacques Bali was a delightful experience for us. As first-time visitors, we were immediately impressed by the building’s stunning design. The intricate details and the use of natural materials in the architecture made it a feast for the eyes. The food was mostly delicious, although the "Yellowfin Tuna" dish was slightly bitter, so we barely touched it. The portions were not particularly large, which gave us the opportunity to order most of the dishes on the menu and try them out. We especially enjoyed the Montmorency Duck and the Artisanal Foie Gras. The flavors were well-balanced and the presentation was impeccable.

While the service was satisfactory, we felt that the wait staff could have been more attentive, especially for a fine dining experience. The staff seemed to be in training, which might have contributed to the lack of attention. However, we were pleased with the knowledge and recommendations of our server. The wine list was impressive, and we appreciated the sommelier’s suggestions.

Additionally, we found it odd that there was only one restroom with one toilet. It was a bit inconvenient, especially since the restaurant was quite busy. However, the restroom was clean and well-maintained.

Despite these minor shortcomings, we had a positive experience dining here. Given that this is a new establishment, we are confident that they will continue to improve over time. We look forward to visiting again and trying out the other dishes...