This Ubud Restaurant Is Bringing Bali's Farms and Foraged Ingredients to the Fine-Dining Table, Led by a Michelin-Starred Chef
From heirloom tomatoes to foraged flowers, Syrco BASÈ is reimagining Bali's local produce through a contemporary culinary lens.
Travelling to Bali in 2026 can come with a little baggage: overdevelopment, overtourism and flagging infrastructure are common complaints. And there's usually a good reason for them. But away from the areas attracting the largest influx of visitors — Uluwatu, Seminyak, Canggu and central Ubud, to name a few — the island still has a different side. Dense tropical greenery, generations-old agricultural practices and an enduring connection to the land remain deeply embedded in everyday life.
Syrco BASÈ, a fine-dining restaurant on the fringes of Ubud, explores this relationship with the land through its cuisine. Opened in early 2024 by Michelin-starred Dutch-Indonesian chef Syrco Bakker, whose grandparents hailed from Java and Sumatra, and his wife Charlotte Pillen, the restaurant is built around three foundational pillars: traceability, transparency and nature. Together, these inform a menu that pairs Bali's vibrant native pantry with Bakker's respected approach to European-style cuisine.
"The landscape is where our cooking begins," says Bakker, who led renowned Dutch restaurant Pure C to two Michelin stars, first in 2011 and again in 2019. "Being in Ubud brings us close to the people growing our food, and those relationships influence what we cook every day. We start by asking what is available, what is growing well and what our farmers are excited about. The dish develops from there."
Achieving this requires a network of trusted local partners, and Syrco BASÈ has built relationships with growers and producers across the island. They include Anak Agung Putra, a local forager who gathers flowers, fruits, leaves and honey; Tri from Wanaprasta, a collective of permaculture-led farmers supplying organic chicken and salak vinegar; and Demi from Puri Tomato, known as the queen of heirloom tomatoes, who has cultivated more than 400 open-pollinated varieties.
"Mansur Heritage Rice from Bali is also a beautiful example," adds Bakker. "It connects us to the land, but also to the knowledge of the person cultivating it. That is what our philosophy of traceability, nature and transparency means in practice: understanding an ingredient well enough to give it a meaningful place on the plate."
At the table, this concept emanates through every dish, with attentive servers carefully explaining the story behind lesser-known ingredients, from citrusy Sumatran highland spices like andaliman to locally sourced crayfish from Nusa Dua. However, this conversation begins much earlier. Before stepping into the restaurant, guests are guided through the kitchen garden, lush with aloe vera, moringa, edible flowers and more, all of which shape the seasonal menu.
"Our regenerative garden also gives us a direct connection to that process. When you watch an ingredient grow, you begin to understand it differently, including the work and time behind it," explains Bakker.
Inside the airy restaurant, a team of chefs works alongside Bakker at the open kitchen pass, carefully arranging each dish. Although the plates demand attention, the beverage program is equally considered, with thoughtful cocktails unfolding alongside the menu. Some are poured tableside, and the aromatics that elevate the drink, such as local star anise and cardamom, are placed in front of the guests to hold and inhale, kickstarting the senses before taking a sip.
When it's time for dessert, diners ascend the spiral staircase to the second-level bar, where a nightcap is an easy next step. For those seeking something more intimate, KU culinary atelier offers a dedicated chef's table experience. Limited to 12 guests per sitting, the 3.5-hour journey sees Bakker and chef Dawid Koszykowski present an 11-course tasting menu rooted in Balinese flavours.
"I am still discovering, still asking questions," says Bakker. "At Syrco BASÈ, we bring flavours and stories into our own way of cooking, while respecting where they come from. I hope guests leave curious enough to explore further, visit a local warung and ask another question. One dinner should open a door."
Syrco BASÈ is located at Jl. Sri Wedari No. 72, Ubud, Gianyar, Bali. Head to the website for more information.
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Images: Supplied.
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