How these relics still exist is beyond me. The food, was actually pretty okay, aside from the fish and chips which didn't seem very fresh. Some of the service was good (offering to have band sing happy birthday for a family member and bring out a desert with candle) but other parts were bad (hovering over table waiting to take plates away as soon as one person finished). The ambiance .. only 3 tables occupied in the downstairs area so a bit odd. I know music is subjective but In my option there was a pretty bad 2 man band blaring out some music on crappy equipment which made it impossible to have any conversations or even hear their lyrics.. All okay... It's always hit and miss with these tourist places in Seminyak but when I came to pay the bill the staff throw a random 3 percent surcharge (which included and on top of service and tax) as we wanted to pay by debit card. I spoke with the owner who had introduced herself earlier and she waffles on about the money going to the bank and not them.. her 'business partner' (who until then hadn't introduced himself) interjected and advised all banks make merchant users charge customers 3 percent. Fine .. whatever... At least if that is true (and I'm not sure it is, certainly for all banks) tell your customers before they enter your premises. It's 2025..I can go to 99.9999999 percent of warungs and restaurants and not have to pay bank transfer or card usage fees.. I can go to a conventiece atrore and but a pack of gum on a card and not pay fees. they did claim it's only for foreign cards. But the staff didn't even ask what card we were going to use... And I've got several local cards, have several friends that run business in Bali and none of them charge customers to pay their bills by adding an extra 3 percent. This place is like visiting Bali 30 years ago. Do yourself a favour..several places within meters are better and more welcoming and modern . Going here feels like you are being hussled from the get go. Summary.. average food for the price, average service, and bad policies. No wonder it was so empty....
Read moreRead all 1Star reviews before dining!!!! We dined at the Blue Ocean after watching Muzza's YT clip In which he highly recommended Kevin's Restaurant for a very 'good Australian Seafood feed'. As usual, we cannot fault the service, especially on an incredibly quiet night. Half-price cocktails where the usual that we have found in Bali, which names incredibly low alcohol. We ordered the GF coconut prawns. This was a serving of six. They were in incredibly small and difficult to find amongst the excessive coconut infused crumming. Next, was the lobster platter as a share plate for two. This also came with a portion of snapper, and calamari, salad and wedges. Here is where the biggest disappointment unfolded. The lobster was presented as Mornay but sadly it was well overcooked, tough, and the meat did not release from the shell. Much of the meat was wasted due to this fact. We are lobster lovers, (often cooking our own at home after years of refining the technique) and found the meat way too dry to enjoy. The calamari was a small piece that was also overcooked. The wegdes were undercooked and had absolutely no crunch on the outside but oily, tasteless and soft. The salad was more like a garnish and dripping in a seafood cocktail type of dressing.
We are finding it difficult to enjoy good seafood in Bali, and selected Blue Ocean thinking we would have excellent seafood to dine on.
After requesting to speak with the owner, who we believe to be Kevin, but that may not be the case, we were told he was not there but 'at the village' This seems as standard line that others have been given so I doubt he is even the owner.
So in giving our constructive feedback, we were only offered to have the 3% credit card surcharge removed from the bill. We're also finding these exorbitant charges every time we tap. That was on top of the 10% government tax and 5% service charge.
Hence, our $145 dining experience does not need to...
Read moreAfter living in Bali and visiting regularly for over 15 years, this dining experience was one of the most disappointing we’ve had. From the moment we arrived, things were off – we were greeted, and the then hostess stopped mid-seating to chat with another customer, ultimately leaving us to seat ourselves.
The restaurant became busy, and unfortunately, guests were smoking heavily at surrounding tables. While this is somewhat common in Bali, it was uncomfortable during mealtimes and inappropriate, especially with children present.
The wine list was non-existent, with only one option available – Two Islands – which was sour and undrinkable. When the meals arrived, things didn’t improve. My Laksa was nothing like the dish should be – it was essentially a watery curry broth with plain rice. Worse still, the plate it was served on was chipped, greasy, and had remnants of food from a previous diner. I had to send it back. My daughter’s plate had similar cleanliness issues.
She had ordered the gluten-free chicken satay, which was listed as being served with peanut sauce and crackers. What arrived was bland grilled chicken skewers, plain rice, and pickles – no sauce or crackers. When we asked, the waiter informed us that the sauce wasn’t gluten-free. That may be the case, but the menu should clearly state that, or offer an alternative. The result was a dry, flavorless dish that was nothing like what was promised.
Other meals at the table were average at best, and the evening ended on a frustrating note with a loud, inebriated guest dominating the room with her loud conversation.
Overall, the food, service, and atmosphere were far below expectations. Sadly, we couldn’t wait to leave. We won’t be returning and can’t recommend this...
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