Sweet Orange Warung — Restaurant in Bali

I have stayed in over 15 hotels in Bali, ranging from $20 to $2,000 and I can confidently say Sweet Orange is the best value of them all!

I stayed over 10 nights here over several stays in both the deluxe villa and the Joglo style (traditional Javanese). The cleanliness is 10/10 (compared to even more expensive places in Bali!) and the service is so fabulous. Everyone there is very nice and welcoming and have great communication in person and over WhatsApp.

The location is sublime, feeling peaceful in nature in the rice field, but so close to the city only about 10 minutes walk. I definitely got my steps in and felt like I could have both options easily! Plus I saved a lot of money from not having to take a taxi all the time.

The WiFi is super strong in the rooms and in the restaurant, and I was able to get work done and stream Netflix :)

Also the FOOD: oh my gosh, the food! You will not find tastier food in Ubud! It’s so fresh and colorful, just look at the photos! It’s so convenient if you don’t wanna stray too far from home, especially in wet season.

I also love that Sweet Orange is owned and operated by Balinese, so you know that your money is going back into the community instead of foreign property owners.

Finally, here’s some things to keep in mind depending on what type of traveler you are: you will have to walk. The only way to access the hotel is by walking a trail that requires a sturdy 10 minute walk, usually in the heat. the hotel is in nature, blessed with the sounds of birds, geckos, frogs, and buzzing wildlife. Keep this in mind if you’re a very light sleeper all of the rooms have stairs. Didn’t bother me at all but if you have mobility issues, it might...

This review is for cafe, and not the accommodation.

Things you order, things you receive, and things you are charged for do not necessarily match in this cafe. When you point out the inconsistencies they smile and say "ooh". And it's kinda difficult to be hard on them for that because it's really cheap anyway, but it's just so annoying when someone tries to cheat you for a couple of dollars.

Example. My friend got a vegetarian nasi goreng (30K), but was charged for nasi goreng ayam (55K). After some investigation, they gave us back 10K and claimed she got nasi goreng tempeh (45K). We pointed out that her nasi goreng didn't have any tempeh. After a short discussion they said it's because she asked for no tempeh (she didn't). They said: yes, but she asked for vegetarian. Yes, but tempeh is vegetarian. At this point they just started smiling and saying "ooh", so it was clear we are not getting anything back.

I don't care for the 15K, I hate being taken for a ride, especially over something so petty. Make everything in the menu 15K more if you don't make enough, I'm pretty sure the clientelle wouldn't notice.

Other things were meh as well. I asked for additional stuff in my sandwich (it was an option in the menu), and didn't get it. We asked for water, we are three people at the table -- only got two glasses and never got the third one.

Food is not bad. Sambal sauce opens a portal to the lower layers of hell in your mouth, so be careful. There's a lovely sleepy cat (photo attached), so they've got that...

During our stay at a nearby villa, we had breakfast at this restaurant using vouchers provided by the resort (the villa is independent from the restaurant and simply purchases breakfasts for its guests here).

Unfortunately, our experience was not the best, mainly due to the restaurant’s very rigid rules regarding voucher redemption. On our last day, we had to leave early in the morning and were unable to use our paid breakfast voucher. We asked the staff if it was possible to pick up breakfast earlier or get a takeaway breakfast package, but our request was refused. The restaurant does not offer any alternatives-vouchers can only be used strictly between 9:00 and 11:00, and if you leave earlier, your voucher is simply forfeited.

Additionally, on one of the mornings, we tried to order three breakfast sets instead of two in order to use an extra voucher. The waitress had to call the manager to check if this was even allowed. Both the waitress and the manager seemed visibly displeased with our request, which made us feel uncomfortable, as if we were doing something wrong, even though we simply wanted to use services we had already paid for.

I find this approach inflexible and unfriendly to guests. Many other restaurants partnering with villas offer takeaway breakfasts or other solutions in similar situations, and the staff is generally more understanding and welcoming. It’s a pity that here there was no willingness to accommodate the...