TAPHA — Restaurant in Denpasar Selatan

I wish I had found this place sooner, not at the end of my trip with only one opportunity to eat here. Being my last lunch in Bali I decided to spoil myself quite a bit. I ordered two starters: oysters and pork belly. Usually I have oysters natural as many things put with them disguise their flavour, but the chimichuri i think it was they served with it did nothing of the sort. It was delicious in its own right but perfectly complimented the oysters and enhanced their natural flavour. Best of all, they accompaniment came in a pot on the side so you could decide whether to have any or not.

The pork belly was absolutely delicious. Thin pieces, perfect for a starter, so the meat doesn't dry out like so many pork belly dishes do and again a perfect light chili sauce on the side.

The main event was their can encrusted butterfish after I saw someone else's review. I've not had butter fish before and the whole dish was sublime.

Even the simple drink I had, lemongrass and ginger soda was absolutely perfect. Refreshing and not sweet.

Of course the bonus of eating this amazing food with sand beneath your feet and an ocean breeze to take the sting of the heat off the day, nestled under the trees, gave it the perfect setting.

When I return to Sanur I will be...

With so many of my favourite eateries disappearing at Duyung Beach I really miss the beach front dining so I walked a few extra steps to Tapha, a venue I usually only past or stop for a cold drink under the trees.

The setting is old school Bali, cane furniture on the sand under huge trees, with the water lapping only a few metres away. Cool and traditional. Tonight the music is going to be provided by a Beatles tribute band so I’m looking forward to that.

For starters I had the Pork Belly, 4 pieces nicely roasted with crispy crackling, served with a delicious dipping sauce and washed down with a very cold beer.

I followed up with another Bintang and the Crab Crusted Butterfish, an interesting dish. I could really taste the crab in the crust, the fish was pan seared to perfection, bone free, fresh and sweet; the pea puree and roasted tomatoes an unusual but perfect accompaniment and the lemon butter sauce finished it off perfectly.

The music has started so I’ll leave it there, I can...

Food: 4 Service: 4 Atmosphere: 5

I will crank this review up to 5 stars because of one main reason: it's dog friendly and it's kind to stray.

We went there when we were trapped in a pouring rain, didn't plan to have breakfast originally, but decided to might as well enjoy the time.

While they were kind and offered some others who were hiding from the rain as well on the side of the restaurant, they didn't offer us. We were sitting at the edge and I was carrying my dog. To be fair, the staff were busy with moving the couch and the basin area was leaking, and they didn't acknowledge us as first when we moved inside (now with the intention to have breakfast).

The food is okay, the sandwich is good, the portion is a bit small. The rice was not ready for the satay so they paired it with potato which is not a...