Sanur has changed a great deal in recent years. The dining scene has changed with it.
If you are looking for a Cantonese restaurant in Bali and staying on this side of the island, you no longer need to drive to Seminyak or Ubud for a proper Chinese meal. Sanur now has its own selection of restaurants worth knowing.
This guide covers some of the best restaurants in Sanur for Cantonese and Chinese food. It looks at what each restaurant does well, so you can choose the right place for the meal you have in mind.
Understanding Sanur Dining
Sanur has a quieter dining scene than some of Bali’s busier southern neighbourhoods. Its restaurants cater to families, couples, returning visitors and people looking for a more relaxed pace.
That character is reflected in the food. You will find plenty of restaurants where the meal takes centre stage, from casual local spots to established Chinese restaurants and more polished dining rooms.
Sanur restaurants also sit close together. Jalan Danau Tamblingan runs most of the length of the area, and a great deal of the eating happens on or just off it.
Golden Monkey Sanur
Golden Monkey occupies the ground floor of ICON Mall Bali on Jalan Danau Tamblingan, a short walk from the beachfront promenade. For more information about the restaurant and its current dining options, explore Golden Monkey’s dining and contact information.
The kitchen covers a broad range of Cantonese cooking rather than focusing on just one part of the menu. Handmade dim sum arrives steamed or fried, from Har Gow and Xiao Long Bao to Siu Mai and Crystal Dumplings. The Chinese BBQ selection includes roast duck, Char Siew and crispy pork belly.
Hot pot is one of the features that distinguishes the Sanur branch. Golden Monkey’s official information confirms that hot pot was added specifically to the Sanur location, giving diners another way to experience its communal style of dining.
Choose a soup base, then add sliced meats, seafood, meatballs, vegetables and tofu to cook at the table. It works particularly well for groups who want a meal that unfolds gradually rather than arriving course by course.
The room is comfortable and informal, making it a good fit for groups, long dinners and anyone looking for a broad Cantonese menu without a formal atmosphere.
Golden Monkey Sanur is open daily from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM, with last orders at 9:30 PM.
Wong Fei Hung Sanur
Wong Fei Hung on Jalan Danau Toba focuses on Hong Kong-style cooking, including dim sum, Chinese BBQ, congee, noodles and rice dishes.
It is worth considering if dim sum and Hong Kong-style BBQ are the main reasons you are looking for Chinese food in Sanur. Its location on Jalan Danau Toba also makes it a convenient option for diners staying around the northern part of Sanur.
Naga Eight
Naga Eight takes a more contemporary approach to Cantonese cooking while keeping the tradition at its centre.
The restaurant describes its food as Cantonese classics prepared with locally sourced ingredients, alongside Cantonese BBQ and wok-inspired dishes.
That combination gives the menu a distinct character. Rather than reproducing Cantonese dishes without reference to their surroundings, Naga Eight uses produce from Bali alongside classic and modern techniques.
Go here if you want Cantonese cooking in a more open, garden setting and are interested in the meeting point between traditional Chinese cooking and Bali’s local produce.
Panda Kitchen 熊猫私厨
Panda Kitchen casts a wider net than a specialist Cantonese restaurant.
Its menu spans Chinese regional cooking, with Sichuan and Cantonese dishes alongside seafood and dim sum. Current listings also highlight an all-you-can-eat dim sum offering on Sundays.
That makes it a useful option when everyone at the table wants something different. One person can order a Sichuan dish, another can choose Cantonese-style food, while the table can share dim sum and other Chinese favourites.
It is less focused on Cantonese cooking than Golden Monkey or Naga Eight, but that wider selection can be exactly what a mixed group needs.
Choosing Between Them
Match the restaurant to the occasion rather than simply working down a list.
For a group dinner that runs long, hot pot gives everyone something to share and keeps the meal interactive. Golden Monkey is the choice among these four if hot pot is what you have in mind.
For dim sum and Hong Kong-style dishes, Wong Fei Hung is a natural option, particularly if you are staying around northern Sanur.
For Cantonese food with a contemporary Balinese influence, Naga Eight offers a distinctive approach built around local produce.
For a table with mixed tastes, Panda Kitchen offers the broadest range of Chinese regional cooking, including both Cantonese and Sichuan dishes.
Eating Well Across a Longer Stay
Sanur rewards people who stay for a while. If you are here for a week, there is no reason to settle on just one Chinese restaurant.
A dim sum lunch, a Cantonese BBQ dinner and a hot pot evening are three genuinely different meals. A restaurant with a broad Cantonese menu can give you several of those experiences in one place, while the other restaurants on this list offer different interpretations of Chinese cooking.
We have written separately about a relaxing Cantonese lunch in Sanur and the Cantonese BBQ tradition behind roast duck and Char Siew if you want to understand more about what you are ordering before you sit down.
Booking a Table in Sanur
The best place to eat in Sanur depends on what you want from the meal.
If you are after dim sum, Chinese BBQ or hot pot, Golden Monkey offers one of the most complete Cantonese dining experiences in Sanur. The restaurant is located on the ground floor of ICON Bali Mall on Jalan Danau Tamblingan and is open daily from 11:00 AM.
Reserve a table through the reservations page, or contact the Sanur branch directly on +62 811-3821-0190. We look forward to welcoming you.
