Ubud: Romantic Floating Dinner Under the Stars

Ubud’s most romantic dinner is served on a candlelit floating deck, not at a standard restaurant table. At Kamandalu Ubud, you get four private hours in the Awana Pool area, with soft light, tropical surroundings, and stars overhead when the weather cooperates.

I like the six-course menu, which moves from scallop and prawn mousseline to foie gras, consommé, sorbet, a choice of beef or lobster, and chocolate mousse. I also like the practical touch of including a bottle of wine, so the evening feels complete from the start.

The main consideration is the price: $346 per couple is a serious splurge, and transportation to the venue is not included. This is best saved for an anniversary, proposal, honeymoon evening, or another occasion where the setting matters as much as the meal.

Key points to know

• Private floating setting: You receive exclusive use of the Awana Pool area for this dinner.
• Six carefully paced courses: The menu includes seafood, foie gras, consommé, sorbet, a choice of beef or lobster, and dessert.
• One bottle of wine included: No need to arrange a separate wine pairing for the evening.
• 7:00 PM start: Arrive at least 15 minutes early, dressed in smart casual clothing.
• Rain plan provided: An indoor location is available if the weather turns wet.
• Adults-only feel: The experience is not suitable for children under 12, pregnant women, or people with back or heart problems.

A candlelit dinner on Ubud’s Awana Pool

The setting does most of the talking here. Instead of dining in a busy room, you sit on a decorated floating deck in the Awana Pool area, surrounded by the quiet of Ubud after dark. Candles provide the main glow, while the open-air setting lets you enjoy the night sky and the sounds of nature.

That private arrangement matters. The experience is designed for one couple, not a shared table or a larger dining group. You can focus on the person across from you, the food, and the atmosphere without the usual restaurant noise.

I would treat this as a special evening rather than a casual dinner. At four hours, the meal is meant to unfold slowly. If you prefer a quick bite before a show or a packed evening of sightseeing, this will feel too long. If you want time to talk and mark an occasion, the pace is part of the appeal.

The Awana Pool area also gives the dinner a clear sense of place. You are not simply eating a set menu indoors. You are dining beside water, with candlelight and tropical surroundings forming part of the experience.

What happens at the 7:00 PM start

The dinner begins at 7:00 PM, and you should arrive at least 15 minutes early. That small buffer is useful because the experience depends on a prepared setting, a private table, and a fixed sequence of courses.

Wear smart casual clothing. You do not need formal eveningwear, but beach clothes and flip-flops may feel out of place beside the decorated deck and multi-course meal. Comfortable clothing is wise too, since the evening lasts about four hours.

Transportation is not included, so plan your own way to Kamandalu Ubud. This is one of the practical details that can affect the real cost. The advertised rate is $346 for a private group of up to two, but you should also account for getting to and from the venue and any personal spending.

The experience is offered as a private group, which means the price is not a per-person charge for a shared activity. For a couple, that makes the cost easier to understand: you are paying for privacy, a full dinner, the special setup, and the use of the Awana Pool area.

The first taste: scallop and prawn mousseline

The meal opens with an amuse-bouche of sea deep scallop and prawn mousseline. This is a small first course, intended to wake up your palate rather than fill you.

The combination gives the menu a seafood start, with scallop and prawn prepared in a delicate mousse. It sets a refined tone before the richer courses arrive. I like this kind of opening because it makes the dinner feel paced and intentional, rather than like a series of unrelated plates.

You should not expect the opening bite to be a full course. It is a short introduction to the meal, so save your appetite for what follows.

Foie gras with star fruit and grape wine sauce

Next comes pan-seared foie gras with star fruit jam and grape wine sauce. This is the most luxurious course early in the meal, balancing the rich, silky character of foie gras with sweet and tangy fruit.

The star fruit is a particularly fitting touch for Bali. It adds a local tropical note without turning the plate into a generic fruit dessert. The grape wine sauce brings another layer of sweetness and acidity.

This course will suit you if you enjoy rich ingredients and polished presentation. If foie gras is not your preference, the meal does not list an alternative for this course, so it is worth considering before booking.

The course also shows why the dinner is priced as a special occasion experience. The menu is not built around everyday dishes. It is designed to offer a sequence of small, formal plates with contrasting flavors and textures.

Beef consommé and Parmesan agnolotti

The third course is beef consommé, a clear broth made with slow-simmered beef. It comes with red sorrel, spinach, and Parmesan agnolotti, adding substance to what might otherwise be a very light soup course.

Consommé is all about clarity and restraint. Rather than a thick stew, you get a clean broth with concentrated beef flavor. The agnolotti provides a heartier bite, while the greens add freshness and color.

This is a useful pause in the meal. After the richness of foie gras, a broth-based course gives your palate a change of direction before the main dish. The Parmesan-filled pasta also makes the soup feel more substantial than a simple starter.

The menu moves in a fairly classic fine-dining pattern: delicate seafood, rich foie gras, savory broth, palate cleanser, main course, and dessert. You can expect the evening to feel structured rather than informal.

Lemon sorbet before the main course

A lemon sorbet follows the consommé. Its job is simple: clear away the flavors of the earlier courses and prepare you for the main dish.

This is a small detail, but it helps a long dinner feel balanced. A rich menu can become tiring if every course pushes in the same direction. The cold, sharp sorbet gives you a clean break.

It also marks the point where the meal shifts from starters to the main course. By this stage, you have already sampled seafood, foie gras, broth, greens, and pasta. The sorbet provides a fresh reset before the evening’s biggest choice.

Choosing beef tenderloin or Jimbaran Bay lobster

For the main course, you choose between pan-grilled Australian beef tenderloin and pan-grilled Jimbaran Bay lobster. This is the key decision to make when booking or confirming the dinner.

The beef is the more classic choice. Australian tenderloin is known for its lean, tender cut, and pan grilling keeps the focus on the meat itself. It makes sense if you want a substantial centerpiece after the lighter courses.

The lobster gives you a distinctly coastal Bali connection through the Jimbaran Bay reference. It is the better fit if you prefer seafood or want the main course to continue the menu’s opening theme.

The supplied details do not specify sauces, side dishes, or the exact preparation beyond pan grilling, so do not book expecting a particular accompaniment. The important point is the choice between meat and seafood, which gives the dinner some flexibility.

I would think about the choice before arrival, especially if this is a surprise dinner. If one person strongly prefers beef or lobster, confirm that selection ahead of time so the special evening does not begin with uncertainty.

Chocolate mousse and strawberry ice cream

Dessert finishes the menu with layers of chocolate mousse and strawberry ice cream. It is a familiar pairing, but a sensible one after a long savory meal.

The chocolate mousse supplies the deep, rich note, while strawberry ice cream brings coolness and fruit. That contrast keeps the final course from feeling too heavy.

This is not a rustic Balinese dessert course. The menu leans toward European fine dining, with foie gras, consommé, tenderloin, lobster, mousse, and wine. You are choosing this experience for a polished romantic dinner in Ubud rather than a broad tasting of traditional Balinese dishes.

That distinction is useful. If your priority is local street food, regional recipes, or a hands-on cooking class, this is not the right match. If your priority is a composed meal in an unusual setting, the menu fits the occasion.

One bottle of wine and four hours of privacy

One bottle of wine is included with the six-course dinner. That is a welcome part of the package, especially because wine suits the slow, formal rhythm of the menu.

The experience lasts four hours, although the exact timing of each course is not given. You should expect an unhurried evening rather than a rapid meal. Candlelight, conversation, and the setting are as important as the food.

The private format is another major part of the value. A price of $346 can look steep if you compare it with ordinary dining in Ubud. But this is not simply the cost of two meals. It includes the private use of the Awana Pool area, a prepared floating deck, a six-course dinner, and wine.

I would call it good value only if you want the setting and privacy. If you mainly want the food, you may find less expensive ways to have dinner in Ubud. If you are marking an important event, the unusual location helps explain the premium.

The experience has received a top rating from the two published bookings, including a January 2026 booking by Chantal from the Netherlands. Her Dutch comment describes the evening as unforgettable and specifically praises the view and food. That fits the strongest parts of the offering: the surroundings and the carefully ordered meal.

Two published ratings are not enough to predict every detail of service, but they do point to the areas most likely to matter to you. Go for the view, the atmosphere, and the food rather than expecting a large program of entertainment.

Rain, comfort, and health restrictions

Weather is the main variable in an open-air dinner. If rain arrives, an alternative indoor location is provided. That protects the reservation, but the indoor setting may not deliver the same floating-deck atmosphere.

The experience is not suitable for children under 12. It is also listed as unsuitable for pregnant women and people with back or heart problems. These restrictions should be taken seriously, particularly because the evening involves a floating setting and several hours of dining.

Smoking and flash photography are not allowed. Those rules protect the calm mood and prevent bright flashes from disrupting the person sharing the evening with you.

The information also prohibits alcoholic drinks in the vehicle. Since transport to and from the venue is not included, this rule is most relevant if you arrange a private vehicle separately. Keep the included wine for the dinner itself.

Advance booking is required because the floating deck must be available. The reservation can be canceled up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund, and a reserve-now, pay-later option is available. Those terms give you some flexibility, but the fixed 7:00 PM start and limited private setup still make early planning sensible.

Who should book this romantic dinner

I would recommend this dinner to couples who want one memorable evening in Ubud and are comfortable paying for atmosphere as well as food. It suits anniversaries, proposals, honeymoon celebrations, and birthdays particularly well.

You should also book it if you appreciate a slow meal with formal courses. The menu contains ingredients such as foie gras, scallop, prawn, tenderloin, lobster, and chocolate mousse, so the experience is aimed at diners who enjoy a polished international menu.

I would hesitate if you are looking for a budget meal, a large social group, traditional Balinese food, or a flexible dinner time. The menu is fixed apart from the beef or lobster choice, and the experience is designed for up to two people.

This is also not the best choice if rain would ruin the point of the evening for you. An indoor backup exists, but the open-air floating deck is the central attraction. If you can accept that weather may change the setting, the backup makes the reservation less risky.

Should you book it?

Book this experience if you want a private romantic occasion, not merely a meal. The floating deck, candlelight, wine, six courses, and exclusive Awana Pool access create a clear sense of ceremony.

At $346 per couple, it is expensive, but the price includes more than dinner. You are paying for privacy and a prepared setting that would be difficult to recreate on your own. I would book it for a meaningful celebration, arrive early, dress smart casual, and decide between beef and lobster before the evening begins.

Skip it if your main goal is low-cost dining or traditional Balinese cooking. For the right couple, though, this is a calm, carefully paced night built around good food, a striking setting, and time together under the Ubud sky.

FAQ

Where does the floating dinner take place?

The dinner takes place at Kamandalu Ubud in Bali, with exclusive use of the Awana Pool area.

How long does the experience last?

The dinner lasts four hours and starts at 7:00 PM.

What food is included?

The experience includes a six-course set menu with an amuse-bouche, pan-seared foie gras, beef consommé, lemon sorbet, a main course, and dessert.

Can I choose the main course?

Yes. You can choose between pan-grilled Australian beef tenderloin and pan-grilled Jimbaran Bay lobster.

Is wine included?

Yes. One bottle of wine is included with the six-course dinner.

What happens if it rains?

An alternative indoor location is provided if rain prevents the floating dinner from taking place outdoors.