There are many reasons to indulge your yearning for authentic Italian food at Bene; one is the gorgeous red or white Italian sangrias infused with sage, oregano and basil, another is its ideal location for uninterrupted views of Kuta’s famed sunset, but ultimately, it is the draw of its authentic, hand-crafted food.
Inspired by his grandmother’s cooking and Italy’s family sharing concept of food, Executive Chef Rossano Renzelli has put his soul into making sure that, even in the heart of Kuta, we can all get a taste of Italy.
Rossano and his team are renowned for their untiring research and creativity that resulted in Bene’s 100Pasta concept—yes, there are really 100 authentic pasta dishes to choose from on the menu, all of which are mouth-wateringly delicious.
The restaurant also offers lunch and dinner menus with a full range of choices in addition to the pasta menu. Italian cold cuts and cheeses vie with risottos, wood-fired pizzas, freshly caught fish and herby meats, rounded off with tantalising tiramisu, traditional grandmother’s cake, gelato and sorbetto.
While the main course choices are too numerous to select, on the dessert front, while the warm nutella tart and the tiramisu are always tempting, after a meal of rich, indulgent food, the panna cotta alla citronella wins with its palm sugar, lemongrass combination offset by orange chilli caramel and fig chutney.
With all the food made fresh-to-order, you can request gluten-free desserts too, provided you give a little notice.
The team’s attention to detail is also focused on drinks, resulting in a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2014 for the over 60 Italian wines, Italian cocktails and aperitivi, homemade limoncello and grappa.
Set on three levels, you can choose to dine al fresco poolside, in air-conditioned comfort by the bar or surrounded by the wine racks, or on the rooftop terrace. Wherever you choose, you can be sure of enjoying the warm ambience created by the Bene team.
A favourite antipasto is the fiori di zucca ripieni, the deep-fried zucchini flowers burst with anchovies and mozzarella and the tomato coulis brings a gorgeous richness.
