Dining Under the Stars at Opia Bali
Bali is home to some of the best cafes and restaurants in the world. I should know. After all, I spent one full day checking out some of the island’s popular spots in Seminyak and Canggu. One thing though that doesn’t really come to mind when I think of Bali is fine dining. Bali, to me, is all about the relaxed atmosphere. So when Opia Bali invited me, my husband and my best friend to experience their dinner menu for my birthday, I was super excited and also curious to see how this dining destination is fitting in with Bali’s island vibes.
Location
Nestled among some of the finest hotels in Bali, the restaurant is situated on a hilltop overlooking Jimbaran bay. Getting there was a bit of a drive from Seminyak but only because of the traffic caused by the construction near the airport. After getting past the chaos, we found ourselves in the quieter side of Bali, beyond relieved we made it just in time before sunset. The more we drove uphill, the calmer it got. It was refreshing to hear nothing but the leaves rustling in the wind.
We walked inside through the double doors, which opened up to a bright and modern lobby. I love how they kept the decor to a minimum but still having a touch of Balinese design. We were greeted by a staff member who then made us some delicious mocktails. With drinks in hand, we went on a small tour of the property with the lovely Patricia, the manager of Opia Bali.
Wedding Venue
What I love about Opia is that it doubles as a wedding venue complete with a quaint glass chapel, a gorgeous open aisle and spacious bride and groom dressing rooms. If I had a destination wedding, I could see myself doing it here. Everything was so well kept and the attention to detail is just amazing. My favorite part is the aisle leading up to the chapel that is surrounded by a large garden pool. Check me out just casually twirling away. 🙂
One piece swimsuit worn as top from: Summersalt
Skirt from: Morning Lavender
Restaurant
As if the wedding venue wasn’t beautiful enough, the restaurant was quite the stunner as well! I’m obsessed with the twinkling lights they have stretched out across the whole restaurant. They sure know how to set the mood! Before we made our way to our table, we couldn’t help but gape over the sweeping views of Jimbaran below. There really is no shortage of beautiful photo spots in Opia. As you can already tell from my photos.
Dinner
Drinks
The first order of business, selecting our drinks. Of course we had to go for the fun drinks with the coolest names: Green Lantern, Furious Fairy and The Hulk. I tried all of them and they were all so yummy! After guzzling down our drinks, we were more than ready to sample the dinner menu. And since we were feeling a little adventurous that night, we asked Patricia to order our food for us and I must say she has some major skills because we devoured everything she selected for us.
Appetizers
For starters we had crackers and canape with a side of rice paper rolls. Shortly after that the appetizers arrived and they were absolutely delicious! The Beef Rendang Dumplings made with slow cooked beef in coconut lemongrass and balinese sauce were very tasty but I have to say my favorite out of the two would be the Homemade Pork Buns. I couldn’t get enough of it that I may or may not have stolen some from my husband’s plate. Oops!
Counter clockwise: The Hulk, Furious Fairy and Green Lantern
Beef rendang dumplings & Homemade pork buns
Main Dishes
Just as we were finishing our appetizers, the main dishes arrived one by one. Our main dishes consisted of Opia Pork Belly (crackly pork belly, sesame glaze, tempeh fennel salad, shimoji mushrooms and house made bbq sauce), Black Pasta & Crab (homemade black pasta, whole crab, mixed seafood in fragrant pesto parmesan sauce) and Nasi Campur Opia (organic rice, egg balado, minced fish satay, shredded chicken, fried peanuts, balinese salad, candied tempeh and prawn crackers) – all three were absolutely delectable! If you know me well, I love me some pork belly but surprisingly the black pasta was my favorite out of the three. It was unique and had rich flavors that I’ve never tasted before.
Desserts
We were so stuffed after eating all the food that we forgot about dessert! I wasn’t able to take pictures of the Ubud Coconut & Pandan Crepe and Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream because we quickly consumed them without any hesitation. But I can definitely assure you guys that both were utterly delicious!
Final Thoughts
I know casual and fine dining doesn’t really go hand in hand but what I like about Opia Bali is how they seamlessly brought the two together. They have the ambiance and menu that comes with a fine dining restaurant but at the same time, it felt very relaxed. Thank you Opia Bali for a wonderful evening, dining under the stars. We had such an incredible time! The views were spectacular, the food was delicious and the ambiance was perfect. It really is the ideal setting for a romantic dinner, private event or even just a casual hang with friends and family. Make sure you guys check them out when you visit Bali.
Disclaimer: We were hosted by Opia Bali in exchange for a review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are honest and of course, my own.
Check out their website at:
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dining under the stars at opia bali
Opia Bali looks extremely elegant and welcoming to its guests. The location and surround are very scenic. The food looks amazing with every dish pictures a winner
It really is the ideal setting because of all the things you mentioned. The location and surroundings are scenic and the food is a winner! I really enjoyed our lovely dinner with Opia!
What a great venue for a wedding or to celebrate your birthday! I love restaurants like this, that sit up on a hill and overlook the water. I’m sure the food was absolutely delicious. Those cocktails look fantastic too. It’s great that the restaurant managed to breach the gap between fine and casual dining.
Hi Anda! From what the manager told me, their usual events are weddings and birthdays. And their clients are from Australia most of the time.
The food was absolutely divine! Good thing there were 3 of us because the food was overflowing. And yes it really was a great job on their part that they were able to bring those two together. Thanks for reading! 🙂
Your dress is so wonderful and it really fits the context in Opia Bali. It is a thrilling experience to dine in such a stylish and luxurious complex and I am sure that you have counted many stars out there. Are the nights chill? Or you can wear that wonderful dress for the entire time? No mosquito?
Aw thank you! I actually just paired my one piece swimsuit with my skirt. It totally worked! haha
The stars were present and beautiful that night. The weather wasn’t so bad too! It wasn’t chilly but it there was a light breeze which was nice since it was humid that day. Weather in Bali is perfect at night!
And I did wear the dress for the entire night, no problems. There were mosquitos but they provided mosquito spray which I applied generously btw lol
This is such a beautiful place with a peaceful environment. The panoramic view that it has to offer is defiitely cannot be fathomed, and even a word could not be expressed. The landscape is really well done, and i love how everything was put into places. Oh by the way, you look so gorgeous with your dress, with a perfect backdrop of a stunning scenery. I will surely include this in my bucket list If I get to the chance to visit Bali soon.
Opia Bali definitely has the best panoramic views of Jimbaran. Glad you’re making it part of my bucket list when you visit Bali! 🙂
The view is amazing and I love you in the photos. It makes them more interesting. A restaurant on the hilltop overlooking the bay sounds like I’ll have to rent a car when I visit!
Thanks Sarah! It was so much fun shooting in Opia. So many photo spots! You can actually just rent a driver + car for the day to take you around Bali. Much easier and affordable.
What a beautiful setting to dine in! The food is so beautifully presented as well. I love all your photos, especially you twirling in your pretty dress! 🙂 Thanks for sharing this great restaurant!
I agree! I like the presentation too. They really thought of every detail, which I appreciate. Thanks so much for liking the photos. Hope you get to experience it too when you visit Bali.
Just in time for my next trip to Bali!
Nice! Have fun in Bali Jia!
I also want to dine at Opia for my birthday! What a great present. The twinkling lights and overhead greenery make for a fairytale setting. And I would devour the Opia pork belly. Yummy! It’s probably a good thing you don’t have pictures of the dessert since it would only make my mouth water more.
The setting is idyllic! Such a wonderful treat for my birthday. haha I wish I took pictures but maybe its for the best like you said :p
I am loving your dress a lot. The ambience is so soothing.
Looks like a great place as a wedding venue.
Thanks so much Indrani! Its actually a skirt from Morning Lavender and the top is a swimsuit that I got from Summersalt.
Wow those views are stunning! And the food sounds incredible, I think I’d go for the Beef Rendang Dumplings and the crab pasta, as that dish combines all of my favourite things! Washed down with a fancy cocktail or two, although I’m not sure I want to drink anything called the Hulk in case it turns me into a big green monster!!
The food was really good. I was surprised at how everything tasted. Opia Bali definitely exceeded my expectations! and no worries about the Hulk haha its pretty mellow :p
Such an exquisite dining option, the Opia Bali decor is so elegant and well thought out. From the whispy lit trees to the ‘It’s cuddle weather’ sign, simply too charming for words. And the view must be absolutely amazing from the hilltop. Such a lovely venue for a romantic dinner of Beef Rendang Dumplings and Homemade Pork Buns; two of my favorite foods btw! And you look so stunning in that skirt by Morning Lavender, it really suits you. Thanks for sharing this excellent restaurant tip, I’ll be sure to check them out next time I’m in Bali!
Definitely worth the visit!
Dining under the stars sounds amazing, especially in Bali! The property looks so beautiful—I love the design and all the greenery with lights! Everything sounds delicious. I would love to try it all but the black pasta sounds really good, and the desserts sound great, too! Would love to check this spot out sometime!
You should definitely visit Jenna! I’m sure you’ll love it too. 🙂
This place is WOW! But more than that, your dress is simply stunning! Dining under the stars, in such an elegant place, wearing such an elegant dress, is such a beautiful dream come true isn’t it 🙂 Black pasta and crab sounds delicious by the way.
Aww thanks so much. Its actually two separate pieces. But I’m glad I was able to pair them well. Opia Bali was the perfect place to wear it!
Opia Bali is definitely one of the places I would consider going to when I get there. The pasta and the desserts sound great. I would definitely want to go and visit.
Definitely! Pls consider Opia Bali when you visit Bali. You wont regret it!
I am in Love with Opia Bali, after looking at your pictures. They have so many beautiful corners. Food too looks quite great and presentation is really wonderful. And I loved your dress too. You have carried it so well.
Aw thanks so much! Love the swimsuit and skirt from Summer Salt and Morning Lavender. We really had an amazing time in Opia and I guess it shows in the photos!