The only place to admire the Jatiliwuh rice terraces without paying the entry fee
A view of one of Bali’s most gorgeous rice terraces while you eat is the best you can get. The Lava Resto is the only nice restaurant that is outside the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces ticket gate. Any other nearby restaurant with this level of ambience will require you to pay the 40,000 rupiah entrance fee to Jatiluwih first.
Ambience & Amenities
The Lava feels like you’re eating in a huge, classy treehouse. The restaurant hovers above street level, and natural wood and bamboo are everywhere. There are two distinct areas in the dining room, with a view of the mountains or Jatiluwih, depending on where you sit. The Lava is a completely open-air restaurant which allows guests to get an unobstructed panorama.
There are handwashing sinks in both dining areas on the upper floor. The washrooms are on the lower level, to the left of the reception desk. The women’s was a single room with a sitting toilet and paper. The men’s room was larger, with a urinal and a stall.
Menu
The Lava’s menu is almost an even split of Balinese and international food. Water costs 10,000 rupiahs a bottle.
Click on menu pictures to enlarge
Food
The Nasi Goreng Seafood (Rp. 50,000) had shrimp, squid and white fish. For vegetables, there were julienned carrots, something that looked like baby sawi and fried onions. The two fat shrimps on top had notable coconut flavour and were probably fried in coconut oil. The flavours were nice, and this dish satisfied my nasi goreng craving. There was chunky sambal and pickled veg on the side.
The Fish Parmigiana (Rp. 55,000) had a perfect square shape like a filet-o-fish. I doubt it was fresh fish. It was most likely a processed and frozen filet, but it wasn’t dry on the inside. The thick layer of mozzarella covered the concasse sauce, which is just a tomato-based sauce that you’d usually see on parmigiana.
We never like paying for plain water, so we spent a little extra and got a pot of Strawberry Mint Tea (Rp. 25,000). The tea wasn’t just a cheapass bag. It came in a french press with real mint leaves and strawberries in the pot. It tasted very fresh and delightful, but the jug was too small for two people to share. After our meal, we also got coffee, an Americano (Rp. 25,000) and a Red Velvet Latte (Rp. 30,000), to enjoy the view a little longer.
Saturday Worthy?
The Lava was an amazing stop in our day. It wasn’t even our first choice, but we defaulted to coming here since we didn’t want to pay the Jatiluwih entrance fee. The food was great and probably cheaper than any of the restaurants inside Jatiluwih. Anyone who wants to see Jatiluwih without entering for whatever reason (cost, weather, time, etc) should stop at The Lava for a cheeky peek at the rice terraces.
Price for 2 Pax: Rp. 216,000
Strawberry Mint Tea: Rp. 25,000
Nasi Goreng Seafood: Rp. 50,000
Fish Parmigiana: Rp. 55,000
Americano: Rp. 25,000
Red Velvet Latte: Rp. 30,000
5% Service: Rp. 9,250
11% Tax: Rp. 21,368
Rounding: Rp. 383
The Lava Resto
Address: J4QR+43, Jatiluwih, Senganan, Tabanan Regency, Bali, Indonesia 82152
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 10am – 6pm, Saturday & Sunday 11am – 7pm
Alcohol Served: Yes
