Nisi Taverna - Greek Grill & Seafood — Restaurant in Nusa Penida Subdistrict

Nisi Taverna: A Greek Tragedy in Lembongan

As newlyweds, Brenda and I were eager to explore Lembongan's culinary scene. Following a string of recommendations, we arrived at Nisi Taverna, a name that initially puzzled us. Little did we know, "Nisi" translates to "No" in Greek, a foreshadowing of the culinary disappointment to come. Greeted by two charming Indonesian waitresses, we were hopeful for a delightful Greek experience.

We narrowly missed the lunch deal, a minor hiccup that quickly faded into insignificance compared to what was to follow. The menu, encased in dark pleather, promised a Mediterranean feast. The mezze platter, a cornerstone of Greek dining, was a cruel deception. Instead of the expected array of dips, olives, feta, and cured meats, it yet rivalled another option on the menu. The trio of dips! The only difference being for an extra 60k you can get what seemed a handful of nuts with the mezze platter.

Ordering proved to be a comedic fiasco. After mine and Brenda's order the waitress left the rest of our party dumbfounded and in the dust. She abruptly disappeared, leaving us to wonder if she had gone to check on the restaurant's stock. When she returned, she seemed perplexed at the thought that the other members of the table wanted to order.

Once we managed to place our orders, the food arrived in a chaotic manner. My beef meatballs made an early appearance. I went to take a bite out of them, when I was startled with my main course only seconds after my starter arrived. In an unfamiliar fashion Brenda's starter arrived AFTER her main course, a culinary anomaly that would baffle even the most seasoned Greek chef.

The food itself was rather adequate, but the exorbitant prices were a stark contrast to the quality. I’ve heard the owner say the prices lend to the food being fresh, yet the lemons were stored in individually wrapped plastics🤷‍♂️.

My ‘greek inspired’ Beef Kefta or what looked like a wrap that someone forgot to close was priced at a staggering 176k! Upon a quick google search a Kefta is NOT a wrap. Brenda's butterfish was overly salty, with a fishy aftertaste reminiscent of the left over broth you have in a pot of mussels. To add some flavour to the food I asked for tzatziki, which the waitress offered to pair with pita bread. I would have ordered it if it wasn’t 40k. It was nothing short of highway robbery.

The calamari, advertised as "flash fried," (which we ordered as we as a family are trying to lose some weight we picked up In sumba), yet the reality was that it was deep fried. The calamari pieces were clumped together, and the accompanying alioli sauce was an unappealing shade of yellow. To emphasize the unnatural hue, I compared it to a white piece of paper. The "home-made" claim seemed questionable.

Hungry for a dessert redemption. We asked about the baklava. When shown an image of it, we discovered what turned out to be what I can only describe as cutting and icecream cone in half and putting the baklava inside the bottom. For 95k I would expect more than a portion the size of 2 thumbs… perhaps ‘Greek inspired’ is a scapegoat.

Despite the culinary chaos, the restaurant's ambiance successfully transported diners to Greece. There were beautiful flowers, traditional whites and blues. The bar along with the toilet had a beautifully illuminated marble center pieces too!

The waitresses were friendly and attentive, though their English varied, and they seemed to rely heavily on a walkie-talkie communication system. (Which they seemed to be using to share secrets and giggles with 🤣). despite this I saw them take exceptionally good care of one of the customers young daughters who was very curious.

Further note: I tried to get a good glance of the kitchen and did not spot any sort of margarine. Despite that on the way home Brenda, my wife reflected that she felt bloated and had a build up of gas. (YIKES!!)

Nisi Taverna has the potential to be a great restaurant, but it needs significant improvements and minor touch ups. Matur Suksme 🙏😅 would love to...

Nisi, the charming Greek restaurant, offers a delightful atmosphere and friendly service but falters in service clarity and food consistency. It’s worth considering if they can refine the details. 🪠🌯

So here it goes: Our evening at Nisi started with a warm welcome. However, things quickly became comedic when our waiter struggled with our wine-by-the-glass request, leading to a humorous sequence of code exchanges over walkie-talkies. It felt like watching a real-life game of Chinese whispers, with giggling waiters passing messages to different corners of the restaurant. 😬🪝

The setting, a blend of Indonesian and Greek styles, was visually appealing with bright walls and blue candles. The inverted rattan umbrellas added a local touch, but the ambiance couldn’t completely mask some issues. Why was my starter served on a napkin in a bowl—similar to the one on my lap—adding extra oil from the dish? Is this a new trend in hospitality, or just an odd attempt to absorb flavor? if it’s to flush the oil out, I’m all for it but anything else could be a concern.

My placemat remained bare while everyone else—Margie, Bez, and Jep—received their mains before their starters. Could the humid pastry heat be a new method of food aging? The calamari, intended as squid, arrived as flash-fried mush bits rather than recognizable pieces. Was this a case of creative interpretation or just confusion in the kitchen? The moussaka, though, was a highlight of which I actually thoroughly enjoyed. 🙌🙏

Service was amusingly erratic: waiters walked away mid-order, possibly for dramatic effect, and plus-size flames erupted from the kitchen, adding an element of suspense. Perhaps almost a certificate or stamp that the cheese would be charred. 🧀🪤🔥Could the constant gatherings around the cash register be a social experiment in customer distraction? The relief came from missing pots of margarine and the bright, mint-scented toilets. 🙏✨

We weren’t tempted by the desserts and instead marched across the road for ice cream, avoiding the high prices here. Murray noted that asking for the bill felt like pressing the golden buzzer, causing a sudden flurry around the cashier.🌁🪝

In a restaurant, there are must-haves and nice-to-haves. Nisi excels in ambiance and friendly service—must-haves that create a welcoming environment. But does a restaurant’s charm outweigh the importance of consistent food quality and service? It felt more like a drag strip to the next customer rather than a well-balanced space. 🛤️With some adjustments, Nisi could truly shine. 🌞

Matur Suksme 🙏 Semoga kami ketemu...

Honestly we don't understand the good reviews at all. We ordered the trio of dips, the lamp gyro wrap and the greek salad. The pita bread which came with the dips and the wrap was made of was super dry and the wrap fell apart because of that. The wrap looked totally different than on the pictures at Google. It was just half filled (no Tzatziki inside) and just a few pieces of meat. The dips were okay but nothing special at all (for 150k!). But the most disappointing was the greek salad by far. It took them very long to make the salad (however) so that my partner was long time done with his food already when it came. Sorry but for such a fancy restaurant it's a no-go. The greek salad itself also looked totally different than on the pictures and it was made of one tomato, four super thin slices of onion, a few paprika pieces, cucumber, one cut olive and a few crumbles of feta. I showed them the picture of the full piece of feta on the greek salad I saw at their page and she told me "sorry we don't have more feta". I asked for at least more onions and they gave me two more thin rings. So it's really disappointing not to get what you order without even offering a compensation. The stuff didn't care at all. Normally it's not a problem at all if you're running out of food and we are aware of being in Indonesia, BUT to ask for expensive European prices (even in Germany you pay way less for a pita) and bringing such a bad quality to the table is not fair at all. We paid 500k (without drinks)... so better to go to a local place and...