Right in the center of Ubud, Ary's is kitty-corner to Ubud Palace and directly across the street from the rehearsal hall of the court gamelan—the traditional Malay percussion orchestra—which frequently serenades diners. The cuisine is contemporary Asian, with creative (but not contrived) specialties such as lobster wonton, tuna parfait with caviar and wasabi cream, tataki loin of venison, and rack of lamb with chili-mint sauce; there's also a good choice of vegetarian dishes. The five-course tasting menu for under $30 is a great value. Desserts are excellent: If you've never been brave enough to try durian, Asia's famous stinky fruit, Ary's silky durian crème brûlée is a good way to test the waters.

The new restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton Cliff Villas complex has one of the most spectacular settings on the island: a series of terraces that cascade down a hillside and overlook sparkling Jimbaran Bay. Tables are spaced widely along the white marble floors, and around pools and waterfalls. The mostly Western food is equally impressive. The menu changes frequently, but past appetizers have included seared French foie gras accompanied by morels and truffle polenta; a standout entrée choice has been the U.S. Prime Angus sirloin, char-grilled and served with a hearty potato-and-bacon pie. Fish dishes tend to incorporate Asian herbs and Middle Eastern spices. Many diners start their meal at the glowing alabaster oyster bar or alfresco Martini Club, which serves tapas.

Set on a steep bluff surrounded by rice fields and overlooking an oxbow bend on the Campuan River, this relaxed international restaurant has a spacious terrace for taking in the views. Janet de Neefe (who also happens to run the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival) created a menu here that's eclectic, unpretentious, and healthy. Choices range from Balinese-style tapas to Middle Eastern mezze; there's spicy Thai tom yum and hearty roasted-tomato soup, pizza and Indonesian fried rice, and a delicious Balinese smoked duck feast for two (a bargain at around $10). For dessert, try the homemade ice cream in flavors like ginger and marquisa (Indonesia's version of passion fruit). There's a free shuttle service to and from the center of town.

Popular with expats and artists, this eatery overlooking the Seminyak paddy fields has walls decorated with local art, most of which is for sale. Chef Nicolas Tourneville dishes up French–Mediterranean lunches and dinners, many of them light enough for you to enjoy and still look good in your bathing suit. Dinner entrées include tuna tartare with poached asparagus and cucumber coulis. The set menus are a particularly good value, and the superb wine list includes labels from France, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, and Australia.

Since it opened in 2000, this classy contemporary Australian restaurant has maintained its status as the island's most glamorous. Its wide beachfront site—which includes a dramatically spotlighted bar, private pavilions, terraces, waterside deck, and cigar menu filled with choice Cuban stogies—feels like a swanky private club. The dishes here focus on exotic Aussie specialties, such as grilled yabbies (small freshwater crayfish), oysters, farmed venison, and succulent lamb. There's also a good selection of sashimi and sushi rolls. The wine list is one of the most interesting in Bali, with a good selection from California, Chile, France, Italy, and New Zealand to complement the Australian vintages. A lower-priced bistro-style menu is served at lunch, but if you want to people-watch while you eat, wait till nighttime, when the blondest, tannest crowd west of the Santa Monica Pier gathers.

The first upscale Western restaurant to open in Seminyak, "La Looch" (as it's known to locals) still has the best location on the beach. The graceful open-air pavilion—accessed via a gently arching footbridge over a stream—looks right over the Petitenget temple, one of the most ancient and powerful in Bali. Seaside rituals are frequently performed here, and diners can watch while enjoying fresh Mediterranean cuisine: The lunch and dinner menus feature light salads and pastas, and judiciously spiced fish dishes. The battered and fried zucchini flowers stuffed with Gorgonzola are particularly delicious. The ambience is romantic and easygoing; lunches here can easily last till sundown. It's also a delightful place for breakfast, with hearty egg dishes, crunchy hash browns, and seriously decadent sticky buns.

The brainchild of Chris Salans, an American chef who studied in France and honed his skills at (among others) the legendary French Laundry, Mozaic has the reputation for being the best Western restaurant in Bali. It's certainly one of the most romantic, with candlelit tables tucked away in a luxuriant tropical garden. The menu is innovative and constantly changing but always matches exotic local ingredients with the finest imported foodstuffs: Past entrées have included boneless Australian quail baked in phyllo pastry with foie gras and Moroccan spices, and honey-soy suckling pig garnished with mushrooms, fruits, and walnuts. Choose between a seven-course tasting menu (matched with wines, if you like) or three courses à la carte.

Closed Mondays.

This relaxed, chic, inexpensive restaurant has long been Bali's best choice for traditional Italian cooking—so the fact that it's stayed off the radar of the tourist hordes is something of a mystery. Right on the main drag in Sanur, near the Hyatt and Tandjung Sari resorts and an easy stroll from the area's best shops and art galleries, the Village offers a choice between an elegant air-conditioned dining room and a street-side terrace for people-watching. The dishes here are classic, and blessedly free of innovation: tender calamari encased in fluffy batter, delicate veal scalloppine, crusty pizzas, and fabulous fresh fish.