chela — Restaurant in Kuta Selatan

I had been meaning to visit Chela for a while, especially since I’ve tried many restaurants in the area and this one had been on my list. The space itself is beautiful: open bamboo architecture with natural airflow, no AC but a pleasant breeze throughout. There's a tented area in front and a garden section in the back with lovely tile work and seating, which makes it visually charming and inviting.

However, due to the very open layout and current construction site across the street, it’s unfortunately quite loud. The constant traffic noise from the main road adds to that. It's not an ideal place if you're looking for a calm atmosphere or a spot to work remotely.

Speaking of working: there are no power outlets, and most tables are either too high or not ergonomically suited for laptop use. I arrived around 10:30am on a Monday, and although several tables were empty, I was told only one was available, tucked in a corner and unsuitable for work. It seemed like the other tables were being saved, but no clear reason was given.

The service felt politely distant, well-meaning, but overall inattentive. I had to get up at one point to ask for something because no one was checking in. Also worth noting: unlike almost every restaurant in Bali, there is no complimentary table water - you have to order a bottle if you want even a sip.

I ordered the poached eggs with kale and hummus on toast. Sadly, the bread tasted old and oily, and most of the dish was drenched in fat with very little flavor. The seasoning was minimal, and while the eggs were perfectly poached, they were cold, as was half the plate. The dish lacked coherence and warmth, both in flavor and temperature.

I had high hopes for Chela but left disappointed. With so many great options nearby that offer better food, calmer environments, and more flexibility for remote work, I wouldn’t return...

Great service from our waitress and lovely atmosphere. Our experience started off well, kind waitress, nice starters. Then we ordered 3 main meals to share. All 3 were inedible. We ordered the baked camembert, moussaka and polenta dishes. The first dish was NOT baked camembert and cost over $20 aus!! It looked like a small pan of fried, melted cheese. It smelt like dirty socks. There was no signs of camembert, no rind, no gooey creamy cheese. The dish smelt off and after a mouthful each we were worried about becoming unwell from eating it so left it to the side. We both ended up with stomach aches later on in the evening. We also ordered the moussaka, the 2 small pieces of eggplant in the dish were mostly skin and very bitter. The polenta dish was the 3rd main we ordered and it was extremely bland. I cook it often at home so expected something special from a restaurant charging so much but it wasn't. When we were asked how the food was and gave honest feedback the waitress informed the chef of our concerns. The majority of our food was returned to the kitchen. No discount was offered, no apology from management. It was awful to see our lovely waitress so distressed by how upset we were with the food but she was unable to do anything about it. For the prices charged at this restaurant the expectations we had were much higher. Quite disappointing. We won't return and will avoid recommending to friends and family who...

So we fought off flies from the moment we got there. Finally we asked for fans but candles were lit. We still had flies all over our food. The owner seemed oblivious to our constant swatting with our dinner knapkins. Food portions were large, however, nothing spectacular, Mahi was overcooked and a little fishy, tuna was a little too chewy. Curry chicken was decent and date wrapped bacon was good. It was really all about the flies!...We did not finish our food because of it and this is rare for my son and I. After leaving additional tip out of courtesy and getting on our scooter, we were flagged down and informed we were not charged for a bottle of wine. I was shocked. Out of inconvenience, I suggested to the barefooted owner he just comp it for the horrible dining experience. Nope! He discounted it $1.40 cents. Contrast this with the Il Salotto, where I witnessed the owner reject a plate before it even left the kitchen and greeted every table to make sure all was well. The food looked and tasted amazing at IL Salotto. Spend your hard earned money with someone that cares about your dining experience. We quickly overpaid for a bottle of cabernet that cost $13 in California. Our last night...