Sayuri Healing Food — Restaurant in Bali

This place has such a great atmosphere — perfect for chilling or working. There’s a second floor and a spacious veranda with plenty of seats, so you can enjoy it either with friends or alone. The vibe is light, cozy, and inspiring. I also noticed they host different events and even saw flyers with schedules. Too bad I didn’t know about the “Vipassano Freestyle” at 9 AM — I’d love to join next time. There’s also a cooking class, though today it was closed, probably on certain days.

🥣 Soup Before the main course, I tried the pumpkin soup. They offered me a half portion, which was perfect — light and tasty. It’s made with coconut milk, giving it a creamy touch and a unique, delicate flavor. A wonderful start to the meal.

🍰 Dessert I came here mainly for a gluten-free dessert, and I was pleasantly surprised — almost all the sweets are gluten-free, with a wide selection. I chose the pumpkin tart with pumpkin mousse inside, and it was divine. The mousse literally melted in my mouth, so light and airy — a real treat!

🍔 Main dish Later, when I got hungry, I decided to try the tempeh teriyaki burger with gluten-free bread. Unfortunately, it was served cold — both the bun and the filling. The bun itself was rather plain and neutral in taste, not soft and fluffy as I expected. Maybe that’s just how gluten-free bread is (it was my first time trying it), but I’d prefer it warm. Interestingly, when I later ordered extra tempeh, it came hot — so the burger could have been served warm too.

👩‍🍳 Service The waiter politely apologized and said he would let the chef know, but that was it. Otherwise, the service was nice and attentive.

🥹 Staff The only thing that slightly spoiled the experience was the loud conversations among the staff. They usually gather near the kitchen and office, and when I was sitting on the veranda, I could clearly hear it. It was a bit distracting and disturbed the cozy atmosphere.

🌿 Overall A beautiful and cozy place with a relaxing atmosphere, great for work or leisure. The desserts are outstanding, the gluten-free selection is impressive, and the pumpkin soup was amazing. The burger was a bit of a letdown, but I’d still love to come back and try more dishes and events.

🍫 Adding They also have a flyer saying that you can get chocolate for leaving a review. I genuinely wanted to share my feedback anyway, with or without a gift. But it was a nice surprise to receive the chocolate. Still, my review and rating are completely honest, regardless of the treat. The chocolate was quite unusual — bitter, just the way I like it, with a slightly “grainy” texture, almost like the Russian chocolate “Karakum.” The piece itself was very small, smaller than I expected, but after all it’s just a free bonus, so it was still a nice touch. An unusual experience: a bit strange, yet fun at the same time.

🍪 Cookies I also ordered a gluten-free cookie and asked for it to be served warm — which they did. I spread some Nutella on it that I had with me and decided to finish it that way. But on its own, the cookie didn’t taste good, and I didn’t enjoy the dough.

I have to say, their cakes are truly delicious, most likely thanks to the creamy mousse — it’s light, delicate, and goes down so easily. As for the plain dough, it seems either gluten-free is just not for me, or maybe they don’t prepare gluten-free dough very well here. Still, this was my very first experience with gluten-free pastries, so I’ll definitely try more in other places and figure out later whether it’s my...

I’ve been coming to Sayuri many times over the years, but sadly, the experience has been getting worse each time. The main issue? Poor service and waiters who don’t seem able (or willing) to manage the space or the guests properly.

Here’s what happened on my last visit:

ZERO management of tables during peak hours

I arrived with three friends for dinner. At first, it looked like the place was completely full. But looking closely, we saw that two women were each occupying large tables for four — alone — long after they had finished eating. One was working on her laptop, the other shuffling oracle cards. We politely suggested that maybe one of the two solo women could move to sit with the other, since they were already done eating, so we could sit together. The waiters’ answer? “We cannot ask her, it doesn’t look nice.” Seriously? And it does look nice to let four paying guests stand around with nowhere to sit? If it’s peak dinner time, it’s basic restaurant management to politely ask guests to free up large tables once they’ve finished eating. I work remotely myself, and I would never take up a table for four during peak hours just for my laptop (or even worse, take my time to do an oracle reading myself). Common sense seems to be lacking here, and unfortunately the staff aren’t stepping in to fix it.

Unhelpful solutions

The only advice we got was: “If you really need a table next time, you can reserve it.” Good thing we didn’t — because what happened next would have made a reservation useless anyway. In the next point I will explain you why.

Noise levels completely out of control

Upstairs, a large group suddenly started chanting mantras — not a kirtan or scheduled performance, just loud, random chanting and screaming. Downstairs, there was already live music playing at high volume. The result? An unbearable noise level everywhere. If we had booked upstairs, we would have been trapped there with the screaming all night, since there were no other seats available. Even where we eventually found a spot downstairs, it was impossible to have a normal conversation. We literally had to wait until the live music ended just to move somewhere quieter inside — but the upstairs chanting continued. This is where good staff make a difference. A competent team would have politely asked the upstairs group to keep their volume reasonable so other guests could enjoy their meals. But again — no one did anything, because apparently it “doesn’t look nice” to ask guests to be considerate.

Bottom line: The food is still good, but the lack of service, poor table management, and complete disregard for noise levels have made the dining experience stressful and unpleasant. People are left to do whatever they want — at the expense of other paying customers. Unless management steps up and trains their staff to actually manage the space, I can’t see myself coming back...

Sayuri is a haven for anyone who eats vegan, gluten-free, or has food intolerances. For me, it feels like pure bliss walking in, because so many dishes are naturally dairy-free, gluten-free, and thoughtfully crafted for sensitive eaters. It’s one of the few places where I don’t have to scan the menu nervously—I can just enjoy.

I ordered the meal of the day, which featured purple yam gnocchi in a creamy mushroom-based sauce. The mushrooms were sliced into thin, medium-length noodle-like strips, adding a unique texture to the thick, savory sauce. On the side came a dense, crispy-fried element plus slices of gluten-free bread. The whole combination reminded me of the comfort of mushroom soup with bread for dipping—the bread soaking up the sauce perfectly. While the mushrooms had a firmer, slightly chewy bite than I usually prefer (I lean toward light and fluffy textures), it was still enjoyable, and I can see it being an acquired taste worth savoring.

For dessert, I had the double chocolate pie, which was a highlight. The filling was creamy and fluffier than pudding, paired with a crust that had multiple layers of crunch. When I mixed the crust into the filling, every bite was balanced and satisfying. It’s indulgent yet light enough to keep eating until the last bite.

What made it even more special was the atmosphere—I was able to enjoy my meal while lying down on a full-size couch swing, surrounded by plants and this grounding, peaceful energy. It’s rare to find a restaurant that makes you feel both nourished and completely at ease.

I also love the personal touch of ordering by name at the counter—it makes the whole experience warm and welcoming. Sayuri truly stands out as a safe, delicious space for people like me who need gluten-free and dairy-free meals but still want food that excites...