BARA — Restaurant in West Nusa Tenggara

In the picturesque coastal town of Kuta Lombok, where the azure waves kissed the golden sands and the air was always filled with the salty scent of the sea, there was a special place that travelers often found themselves enchanted by. Among the bustling beachside cafes and vibrant local markets, one experience stood out—a chance encounter with a young girl named Pia at a charming restaurant called Bara, right in the heart of Kuta Lombok town.

Pia was not just any girl; she was a bright, spirited 15-year-old who had been selling handmade armbands since she was only seven. Her radiant smile and infectious enthusiasm made her a beloved figure among the locals and visitors alike. Pia had a unique approach to selling her colorful creations: she would challenge tourists to name the capital cities of three countries. If she made a mistake, the armband was theirs for free; if she got them all right, they had to buy it. Her confidence was captivating, and her knowledge was impressive, all the more so because she had taught herself English through her interactions with tourists.

One evening, my wife and I decided to take on Pia's challenge. Intrigued by her vibrant energy and the twinkle of mischief in her eyes, we couldn't resist. As we sat down at Bara for dinner, enjoying the local cuisine and the laid-back atmosphere, Pia approached us with her basket of handmade armbands, each one more beautiful than the last.

"Hello! Would you like to buy an armband?" Pia asked in perfect English, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

My wife and I exchanged amused glances. "How about we take on your challenge instead?" I replied, smiling.

Pia's grin widened. "Sure! Name the capital cities of three countries, and I'll get them all right!"

My wife pondered for a moment before saying, "Alright, let's see... Chad, Tanzania, and Belgium."

Without missing a beat, Pia answered, "N'Djamena, Dodoma, and Brussels!"

We were stunned. We had expected her to stumble, but Pia's knowledge was flawless. Laughing, we handed over the money and chose two beautiful armbands from her collection.

"You are amazing, Pia! How do you know so much?" my wife asked, genuinely curious.

Pia shrugged modestly. "I love learning about the world. And selling armbands helps me practice and meet wonderful people like you."

While we were waiting for the delicious pizzas we ordered, we continued our conversation with Pia. We learned about her dreams and her love for her home, Lombok, and shared stories of our own travels. It was a simple interaction, but one that left a lasting impression on our hearts.

Our encounter with Pia became a highlight of our trip, a story we would tell friends and family back home. It wasn't just about the armbands or the challenge; it was about the connection we made with a smart, lovely girl in a beautiful corner of the world.

And for Pia, it was another day of doing what she loved—spreading joy, sharing knowledge, and weaving memories with every...

Left tonight's steak night dinner very disappointed! We've been at bara a few times the past 6 months and i like the location amd their drink menu and the pizza too (it is not the best in kuta but solid).

We had one good steak night experience and one bad one last august/september and haven't tried it since then. Tonight we thought we'd give it another shot but left hungry and disappointed. I ordered the steak and my partner the tuna steak ans as our last experience, the food was served cold. I ordered my steak mesium-well and my partner medkum. His tuna steak was more on the dry side but okay. My steak was medium (which was fine, I'll eat it too), but even though it was medium it was so tough i could barely cut it with the steak knife or chew peoperly - plus it was cold like the sides - big no! I ate the sides and basically hadnt touched the steak and when the staff came to take our plates and asked if everything was fine I said no unfortunately the food was cold and the meat was very tough. He said okay and left without apology or offering me a new piece of meat (which I wouldnt have wanted, but still apologizing or offering something else instead should be normal). We paid for everything and didnt mention it again when leaving, but honestly we're not coming coming back for food any time soon.don't wanna waste money and food that is being thrown away + i had to order an extra dish of fries because I was still hungry!

So summing up, after having a similar experience with the steak (and especially dishes being serbed cold) last time, we had the same experience tonight with an even tougher piece of meat and no know-how of staff how to handle it. Very sad because the atmosphere and life music is very nice and so is the staff (even though maybe not trained super well in handling...

I see a lot of potential in this restaurant, and I enjoyed every dish I tried from the menu! The food itself is great, creative and if executed consistently well the best in Kuta, if not on whole Lombok! The service is very attentive, friendly and all in all do a fantastic job! Especially Anton, who is usually greeting and seating you is killing it in the front of house, couldn’t imagine anyone better in that position!

The following is just constructive feedback for the owner and my reasoning for only giving 4/5 stars (for now). The only thing I noticed, and sometimes wished for was more consistency and attention to detail (both from the kitchen and the service side). No cutlery on the tables, so we had to ask for it while the food was already on the table, or booking and sending out the wrong items were smaller details that I noticed more than once. Food-wise…again just smaller details that hold me back from giving 5/5… as an example I loved(!!!) the roasted chicken dish! So much I ordered it a second time. The second time, about a week later, it came with less char on the chicken and cabbage. Instead I got a whole half of chicken breast more compared to the first time. Another example was me sending back a pizza because the dough was (unfortunately very) undercooked… the second time it was still undercooked, but only on one piece, so I finished this one and left the undercooked bit. To be fair this was only a topic during very busy services (2 for 1 pizza night…). Nonetheless I ate at Bara about 6 times in the two weeks I stayed in Kuta… obviously I liked it! If there would be more consistency and maybe a little bit more attention to the named smaller details from the service side Bara would be a 6/5 for me! I’m excited to come back next time and I would full heartedly recommend...