Eating in Candidasa
Candidasa sprouts new restaurants almost daily, so there are always
new places to try out. Menus are similar, so we recommend only
those that stand out in some way. The typical menu includes salads,
Indonesian and Chinese dishes, seafood, sandwiches, and deserts.
Some add steak, curry, pasta and cakes. Prices are good, averaging
$4-$5/person with drinks. Seafood can be a lot more expensive.
Most places close by 10 pm.
Arie Bar and Restaurant Down-to-earth, family-run establishment
with a good selection of Balinese, Chinese and Western dishes.
Good quality and prices those are hard to beat.
Di Mahkota, This international restaurant has a very
Dutch flavor to it, serving smoked fish (salmon, herring and even
eel), meatballs, croquettes, imported cold cuts and cheeses as
well as more common international and Indonesian fare. Has the
luxury of AC and open-air settings.
Kedai . Right on the main road as you enter Candi Dasa
from the south, this very stylish Asian fusion restaurant is the
perfect spot for lunch and dinner. A mouth-watering menu features
crab cakes, various curries and fresh seafood.
Kubu Bali, Serves a bit of everything but excels in seafood:
grilled, steamed or fried. Their open kitchen is fun to watch.
Finish up with a peach melba, chilled fruit or a cognac.
Lotus Sea View (free transportation in surrounding area).
Next to Toke cafe. A Larger and more formal restaurant. Enjoy
the sunsets and great seafood. Its location near the water gives
it a Venetian flavor.
Pandan Restaurant By the beach. Well known for its Balinese
buffet of babi guling (roast pork), chicken, fish, vegetable,
noodles and salads. Experience this feast or sample one of the
many other delicious local or Chinese dishes.
Puri Bagus Beach Hotel A good restaurant on the second
story overlooking the sea. Great seafood.
Rama Bungalows and Restaurant Has added Swiss dishes
such as Roschti, Kartoffel and Puffer Mitgemuse to an already
good menu.
TJ's Cafe. Has the best grilled fish, stuffed baked potatoes
and salads around. Elegant open pavilions overlook a carp pond.
Toke Cafe Near the bend in the road. Opens to the beach
on one side and to the main road on the other. Offers the best
combination of Balinese ambience and Western intimacy. Great welcoming
drink and good pasta for a couple of dollars.
Warung Ibu Rusmini has the best nasi campur (mixed vegetables,
tempe and chicken with rice) in town for under $1, plus other
simple local dishes.
Shopping in Candidasa
Candidasa is not particularly a place for shopping, but a limited
selection of textile bags, sarongs, locally designed clothing,
and jewelry, as well as other gear is available. The following
places are of some interest:
Ratu Oka is a lontar palm-leaf artist who works in his small shop
next to the SO Artha Home stay. Traditional lontar books are available
here for $20.
Bali Ceramics, east of town, has a variety of quality glazed stoneware.
Simple bowls, vases, cups, and plates in interesting designs.
They also sell shuttle bus tickets to Ubud and Kuta.
It's also worth checking out some of the shops in Tenganan. They
offer typical Tenganan ikat textiles and other traditional textiles.
Some are genuine antiques. Most shops also have pandanus baskets
in different designs and stories from the Ramayana carved into
lontar leaves.
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