SOLÉ

A mixing pot of cultures inside the newly opened Mari Beach Club, Solé is indeed the heart and soul of this exciting culinary destination.

Where coastal Mediterranean cuisine meets Japanese cooking traditions, the Solé kitchen is headed by Swedish Chef Martin Loving who works continuously with local Balinese farmers to amplify astonishing flavours to the maximum. Looking outside of the kitchen, you'll find that Solé stands mere metres away from the sea and calls an eclectic bamboo structure its home. It's part of the whole free-spirited nature of the resort in which time stands still, the giant palms sway and the sea crashes in the distance.

Let's begin close to home with some Japanese sushi. They make for the perfect starters, so tickle the tastebuds with some dry-aged kingfish, agedashi tofu with mustard cream cheese or venture into Mediterranean flavours with the scallop, basil mayo and dried olive maki. And seeing as you're making the most of Bali's rich oceans, keep the seafood coming with an exquisite grilled octopus served with smoked potato cream, yuzu kosho and pomegranate syrup. Alternatively, the salt-crusted snapper places local seafood in the spotlight and it never disappoints.

That's not to say they don't do excellent meat dishes too. From grilled porkchop to dry-aged American tomahawk and prime ribeye, all are served with an abundance of perfectly balanced sauces and decadent sides that indulge your most gluttonous side. After all, when it comes to food, this eatery always speaks to the Solé.