Jungle views, European vibes and a breathtaking riverside perch - this isn’t your typical French bistro...
Think of a traditional European Bistro and images of leather booths and red-chequered tablecloths spring to mind. But at the globally renowned and award-winning Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, their vision of a European Bistro is a little different…
Sitting on the banks of Bali’s sacred Ayung River and totally open to nature, the Riverside restaurant is where you’ll find one of the island’s most unique dining experiences – think dramatic architecture with towering Banyan trees above, wildlife all around, and the ever-present sounds of the majestic river below, cascading its way through the lush, dense jungle. But that’s not all…
This open-air European Bistro is a carefully curated a menu of European Bistronomy that redefines home-style comfort food. We’re talking classic French flavours and expert techniques, zhooshed up with refined presentation and premium ingredients – most of which are locally-sourced from the surrounding Ubud area.
The Riverside restaurant vibes
Of course, Riverside is indeed a fabulous five-star restaurant with all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a resort named the No.1 in the World, but despite this elite reputation, you won’t find a stuffy fine dining setting here. Instead, Riverside is all about easy, breezy, casual poolside dining in the jungle, with a buzzing atmosphere by day, and a romantic date night vibe by night.
In fact, at lunchtime, guests can sip and dip in the neighbouring pool, with the lively sounds of rafters floating down the river. For Four Seasons’ Sayan rafters, they can even make a pitstop at Riverside for a European-inspired refuel, because this is Bali’s only five-star restaurant where you can park up directly from a river rafting experience and have lunch on the banks of the Ayung – that’s a pretty awesome day out if you ask us!
Or of course, you can always reach the restaurant the ‘traditional’ way – via the resort’s ever-Instagrammable lobby that sits high above the jungle canopy, where serene lotus ponds appear to float above the trees. All of this, and that’s before we mention the food…
The Riverside feast
Once you’ve found your way to your Riverside perch, you’ll want to start with the ultra-fresh zucchini carpaccio, layered with thin yellow and green zucchini slices, confit tomato, parmesan, chives, and a drizzle of lemon juice and olive oil. It’s one of the best sellers here, and you’ll soon understand why…
Another standout is the crusted scallop, served with spinach puree and parmesan cheese to match the natural sweetness of the scallop, and finished off with a zing of freshly-squeezed lemon. Follow this with the red snapper and shaved vegetables, or the grilled and tender chicken breast, marinated overnight with rosemary and garlic. It’s served with a Mediterranean-style salsa made of tomato, avocado and black olives that goes just right with a delicious crunch of crispy chicken skin…
On the same meaty note, you’ll want to return to Riverside for its BBQ menu. Using a state-of-the-art Josper charcoal grill and oven, meat and seafood is cooked at over 250°C to seal in flavour and moisture. It’s just one of the many reasons we’ll be rafting our way back to Riverside, very, very soon…
And psst – if (like us) you can’t get enough of Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, check out our panoramic feast at Ayung Terrace, and our fairytale bliss sesh at Sacred River Spa!
Riverside at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, Jl Raya Sayan, Sayan, Ubud, p. +62 361 977577.
This story is in partnership with Four Seasons Bali
