Locavore NXT Bali: Inside Ubud’s Most Extraordinary Dining Experience
July 17, 2026 · Amedeo Pennacchi
There are restaurants worth visiting while travelling, and there are restaurants worth travelling for.
Locavore NXT belongs firmly to the latter.
Set among the rice fields of Lodtunduh, just outside Ubud, this ambitious restaurant represents a different vision of Bali—one defined not by beach clubs and infinity pools, but by creativity, craftsmanship and a profound respect for place.
Created by chefs Eelke Plasmeijer and Ray Adriansyah, Locavore NXT is the evolution of the original Locavore, the Ubud restaurant that helped introduce a new generation of travellers to contemporary Indonesian cuisine.
Its successor takes that philosophy considerably further.
More Than a Restaurant
Locavore NXT was designed as an entire culinary ecosystem.
The purpose-built property includes an open kitchen, fermentation laboratory, mushroom chamber, research spaces and a rooftop food forest filled with edible plants. Much of what appears on the tasting menu is cultivated, preserved or developed within the building itself.
Everything has been conceived to bring the diner closer to the origin of the food.
The architecture, designed by Indonesian architect Budi Pradono, combines exposed concrete with tropical vegetation and expansive views across the surrounding landscape. It feels experimental without becoming cold: a modern structure that remains unmistakably connected to Bali.
Even the furniture, tableware and glassware reflect the restaurant's commitment to Indonesian materials and makers.
A Culinary Portrait of Indonesia
At Locavore NXT, local sourcing is not a marketing expression. It is the foundation of the experience.
The restaurant works with farmers, fishermen, growers and foragers to uncover ingredients from across Indonesia—many of which are rarely encountered in conventional fine dining.
Indigenous leaves, tropical fruits, seaweed, mushrooms, flowers and fermented produce are transformed through contemporary techniques. Rather than importing the ingredients traditionally associated with European luxury, the kitchen asks a more interesting question:
What can fine dining become when it begins entirely with what already exists here?
The answer is presented through a multi-course tasting menu that changes with the seasons and the availability of ingredients. Each course contributes to a wider exploration of Indonesia's landscapes, biodiversity and culinary knowledge.
The current experience, The Source, traces ingredients back to the environments and people from which they came. Guests may also visit the rooftop food forest, allowing the journey to extend beyond the dining table.
Locavore NXT was ranked No. 44 in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants for 2026, following its recognition with the Sustainable Restaurant Award in 2025. Yet its appeal reaches beyond rankings. What makes the restaurant memorable is the clarity of its identity. Asia's 50 Best Restaurants
Sustainability Without Sacrificing Beauty
Sustainable dining can sometimes feel defined by what has been removed or sacrificed. Locavore NXT approaches it differently.
Here, sustainability becomes a source of creativity.
Ingredients are preserved through fermentation. By-products are reconsidered. Forgotten plants acquire new relevance. The restaurant's growing spaces and laboratories allow the team to continually investigate how food can be produced and experienced more intelligently.
The resulting dishes are intricate, colourful and often unexpected. They prove that environmental responsibility and pleasure do not need to exist in opposition.
This philosophy feels particularly appropriate in Bali, where natural beauty and rapid development increasingly compete for space. Locavore NXT offers a compelling model of contemporary luxury: one that draws its value from knowledge, originality and connection rather than excess.
The Full Locavore NXT Experience
The restaurant offers more than its tasting menu.
Guests can explore Indonesian ingredients through guided foraging experiences in Bali's jungles and farmlands. These excursions introduce visitors to wild plants and traditional uses before concluding with a meal prepared in nature.
For those who want to stay longer, accommodation is available in cabins adjoining the restaurant. This transforms dinner into a slower journey through the project and its surroundings.
Reservations are essential, and the experience should be given an entire afternoon or evening. This is not somewhere to rush before the next appointment.
Arrive curious—and hungry.
What to Wear to Locavore NXT
Locavore NXT's setting is refined but grounded in nature, making relaxed elegance the right approach.
Choose breathable natural fabrics and an outfit with enough character for the occasion without appearing overly formal. A printed cotton shirt, tailored trousers or well-cut shorts and leather sandals work naturally in Ubud's tropical climate.
A.M.E.'s hand-block-printed cotton shirts are particularly suited to places like Locavore NXT: distinctive, comfortable and created through the same appreciation for human craftsmanship and traditional technique.
Why Locavore NXT Belongs in the A.M.E. Diaries
The places we remember most are rarely those that simply follow an established idea of luxury.
They are the places with a point of view.
Locavore NXT understands that a meaningful experience must belong to its location. Its ingredients, architecture and philosophy could not simply be transferred to another city without losing something essential.
That sense of identity is what makes it worth seeking out.
In a world increasingly shaped by repetition, Locavore NXT reminds us that originality often begins by looking more closely at what is already around us.
Locavore NXT: Essential Information
Location: Lodtunduh, approximately 10–15 minutes south of central Ubud, Bali
Experience: Seasonal multi-course tasting menu
Best for: A special dinner, culinary travel and design-conscious travellers
Dress code: Relaxed tropical elegance
Reservations: Advance booking strongly recommended
Website: Locavore NXT
