Locavore NXT

Ubud, Bali

Dinner is Just One Part.

Their tagline is “more than a restaurant — a localized rebellion,” and while it breaks every notion of what fine dining in Bali was thought to be, it does so with a sense of inevitability. Once you experience it, you see that it was always meant to exist.

Set just outside Ubud, Locavore NXT is a living laboratory where food, research, and culture converge into one seamless whole. A regular dinner reservation already exceeds expectation — from the dramatic passage through the red-lit mushroom cave to the rotating art installation — but The Full NXT Experience takes guests beyond the dining table and deeper into the fold.

With an overnight stay in the Woods Rooms, guided tours through the labs that shape the menu, and even a walk into the jungle itself, each step reveals not only what it takes to build a meal, but also the Balinese philosophy of keeping the circle whole: working with nature at its rhythm, honoring the people who shape it, and ensuring nothing is ever taken without giving back.

Cluster of pink oyster mushrooms growing on a block of substrate.

A Room in the Woods.

Guests arrive not to a traditional restaurant, but campus with many possibilites. Down one wooded trail, a collection of cabins offer a place of quiet retreat — part boutique stay, part backstage pass — designed to frame the Locavore ecosystem from the very first step.

Simple yet sophisticated, The Woods Rooms invite rest while anchoring guests directly in the environment that sustains the kitchen. Built in partnership with a reforestry foundation, they’re rooted in the same ethos that guides Locavore’s food: respect for land, rhythm, and renewal. With only three cabins, generally reserved for restaurant guests and rarely available for outside bookings, this stay is a rare opportunity worth taking.

A cozy outdoor patio area with a wooden picnic table and lush green plants surrounding it, attached to a modern house with wood and glass elements.
A cozy bedroom with a wooden bedframe, white bedding, and pillows, next to a large potted plant, with framed artwork on the wall and a wall-mounted lamp beside a window with curtains.

Bigger Than Back-of-House.

While the rooms offer respite, the pre-dinner tour reveals the immense work it takes to execute a multi-layered operation. From hundreds of mushrooms quietly cultivating in the lab to the hours of testing and refinement happening in the R&D kitchen, every detail speaks to a larger vision.

One stop on the tour brings guests face to face with Carlos, the fermentation lead whose work reads like both science and storytelling. His ongoing study of traditional techniques — and the way microbes transform local ingredients — informs everything from the sauces on the plate to the philosophy that drives the kitchen.

In our conversation, Carlos pushed the subject further: beyond fermentation itself, to the role of governance and authorship in food. What happens when someone outside a specific culture steps into a new cuisine? How do we honor traditions while still experimenting? He referenced a study he once took part in that explored these very questions — a reminder that fermentation, at NXT, is as much about ethics and culture as it is about taste

A man with dark hair, a beard, and tattoos on his arm is focused on preparing food at a kitchen counter. He has his hair tied back and is wearing a dark T-shirt.
Two men working in a restaurant kitchen, one wearing a red cap and black shirt, cooking at a stove, the other in black shirt and apron preparing food at a counter.
A person holding a foam food storage block in one hand and a small utensil in the other.
A drawing on paper with pressed and dried flowers arranged in a pattern among outlines of flowers and plants, on a worktable with bowls and colored papers in the background.

More Than a Meal.

The meal itself unfolds like theatre but ultimately settles into something comfortable. First stop is a seat in the bar room — cozy, curious, and an opening to the lessons learned in the lab. From there, guests make their way through the underground mushroom cave — a red-lit operation that could easily be mistaken for art. Look closely and you’ll see it’s both.

Last, the dining room opens—designed not just for eating, but full immersion. Flavors stretch across seasons, thanks to fermentation. The food is serious, the vibe is not. With an eager staff and pacing that makes the meal feel easily intentional, the kitchen’s philosophy of balance — of using what’s at its peak and nothing more — becomes tangible course by course, reminding diners that indulgence here is always grounded in respect.

Book the Full NXT Experience
Book the Full NXT Experience
A cozy indoor lounge area with wooden and glass walls, featuring a gray sofa, a wooden armchair, and potted plants, illuminated with warm and subtle lighting.
A gourmet appetizer featuring a piece of toast topped with cream, a slice of pink meat, and garnished with fresh green herbs, with sauce being poured over it.
Pouring sauce over a flower-shaped dessert with white petals and a yellow center, topped with lavender petals.
A piece of coral art displayed on a black wall with a small label above it.
A dish with a piece of fish, green sauce, a green leafy garnish, and a sauce with green oil or herbs.
A glass of red wine on a wooden table in a dark setting.
A hand pouring a yellowish-green beverage from a bottle into a glass over a white napkin on a wooden surface.
A traditional Moroccan breakfast spread on a wooden table including a glass of coffee, small bowls of honey, cream, and jam, a plate of bread with a flower-shaped pancake and greens, and a cup of hot chocolate with a cookie

The Morning After.

The day begins with the sounds of the jungle. Sunlight filters through the wooden rooms, welcoming you to the canteen for breakfast.

Guests are offered coffee cuppings and an off-menu Indonesian breakfast that highlight everyday flavors elevated through craft. It’s both grounding and expansive — a reminder that Locavore’s work isn’t only about fine dining, but also about preserving, celebrating, and reimagining the traditions of the region.

Close-up view of a cream-colored ceramic mug with the embossed text 'made from waste' visible on the side.
A variety of Indonesian dishes on a wooden table, including rice, beef stew, vegetable salad, fried chicken pieces, pickled vegetables, boiled eggs in broth, fruit pieces, and beverages.

Into the Jungle.

While The Full NXT Experience traditionally ends with breakfast, the team anticipates guests who are hungry for more. For those who choose to go deeper, the journey extends into the jungle with head forager “Boss” Kasida.

Here, guests see the philosophy in action: using ingredients at their true peak, and only then considering how much can be responsibly harvested. Guided by ‘Boss’ Kasida and Pak Agung, a founding member of their farmer network, the practice is clear — abundance is not about scale, but about timing, restraint, and respect. This is how the circle is kept whole.

A man smiling with sunglasses in a lush, green forest holding ferns in both hands.
Close-up of a tree trunk with patches of greenish-white lichen and yellow-green moss growing on its surface.
A person's hand holding a large green leaf with ripe and unripe blackberries on it, outdoors with soil and some greenery in the background.
A person working on a tree in a dense green jungle or rainforest.
Three people standing behind a bamboo table with food and greenery in an outdoor setting with trees and hills in the background.
A man sitting on a wooden bench outdoors pours water from a cloth bag into a glass held by a woman leaning over him, both wearing caps and casual clothes, surrounded by lush green foliage.
A man with dark hair, wearing sunglasses and a white t-shirt, speaking outdoors amidst lush green trees and plants, with a blurred person in the background.
A person's hand with tattoo art and a small dab of yellowish paste on the back, with a wooden spoon and container in the blurred background.

No Way to Leave Empty Handed.

If the experience itself wasn’t impressive enough, Locavore’s collateral takes it to another level. Guests can leave with a piece of the philosophy in their hands — a copy of their zine, beautifully written and photographed, t-shirts urging us to “Landscape Yourself,” and an assortment of pantry goods.

It reminded me that food is never just food—it is story, science, and community, and Locavore honors that truth.”

Display of postcards and images arranged on four shelves, with a sign indicating they are made from recycled paper waste collected at NXT.
A photo of a large building with a label overlay describing various features like solar panels, a bar, beverage lab, dining room, canteen, rooftop food forest, beekeeping area, reforested woods, vegetable garden, wood room cabins, and other facilities, with a lush green landscape and trees and cloudy sky in the background.

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