Kintamani -- If there is one shining light in the whole of the crater, as far as tourism infrastructure is concerned, it is Volcano Breeze (tel. 0366/51824; main courses from Rp15,000; no credit cards; daily 8am-5pm). The fish fresh from the lake is delicious and memorable. On a good day, the friendly staff will play live music; they may also try and sell you some local art which will likely have been made by the person selling it. The cafe is on the road down to the side of the lake, next door to Toya Devasya in the middle of Toya Bungkah. Next door is Under the Volcano (tel. 0366/51166; main courses Rp20,000-Rp30,000; no credit cards; daily 7am-9pm) with similar lake-caught fish and other Indonesian offerings.
Around Penelokan -- On the rim of the crater on the road from Penelokan to Kintamani are a series of vast hangarlike restaurants with car parks akin to those at large sporting venues. They cater mainly to bus tourists. They all offer similar one-stop buffet-style all-you-can-eat fare, and while some do it okay, the majority rely on paying tour guides to attract their audiences. Amazingly, most of the large ones, which can host up to 600 people at a time, receive almost a third of that every day. While the majority of these mass market restaurants are off-putting, they do have great views.
At the Kintamani end of the crater's rim, Grand Puncak Sari, Jl. Raya Penelokan (tel. 0366/51073; buffet from Rp35,000; no credit cards; daily 8am-5pm), is a perfectly pleasant restaurant that does some of the best large-scale food. They freshly cook the satays in front of you and the buffet dishes are kept warm and are refreshed regularly. If you really want an experience, ask to join the Balinese lunch (Rp80,000). They make fresh lawar every day, both with and without fresh blood, sambal tuang spiced eggplant, and many other dishes, which change daily. The Balinese offering is as good as you will eat on the island, if indeed you can actually find genuine food like this outside of a ceremony.
Close to Penelokan, Restaurant Gunawan, Penelokan (tel. 0366/51050; buffet from Rp85,000; MC, V; daily 8:30am-4:30pm), is one of the better of the larger offerings, seating up to 450 people. They do a pleasant enough Indonesian and Chinese-looking buffet popular with the Korean and Japanese market.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
