Award Winning Bali Cave Restaurant Reopens After Investigation

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The Cave Restaurant in Bali has reopened its doors after an investigation from the Indonesian Civil Service (Saptol PP). An investigation was launched into the subterranean restaurant after a video of the venue went viral on social media.

The authorities put a temporary suspension on the business operations last week in order to conduct a survey of the cave to establish whether there were any ancient relics to preserve. 

The investigation launched by Saptol and the Bali Police was also created to understand whether the newly opened venue was operating with the correct permits and licenses. The viral video alerted authorities to the cave which was previously unknown to the state. It is believed that the cave was discovered in 2013 when construction was underway for the restaurant’s parent company The Edge Hotel in Uluwatu. After a nearly 10-year wait, the team behind The Edge worked with world-renowned Chef Ryan Clift to create a truly unique dining experience.

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Saptol and the Badung Police were concerned that the cave could have been a site of specific cultural or historical importance to Bali. If that was the case the cave would need to be cared for as public property and receive conservation protection from the state. The instigation team reached out to the Bali Cultural Conservation Maintenance Center to explore the story behind the geological gem. 

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The Head of the Bali Cultural Conservation Maintenance Center, Komang Anik Purniti told local newspapers that her team looks for signs within the cave of any historical human activity. Her team completed an assessment of the cave and found no traces of evidence that would suggest that the cave had played any kind of role in cultural or religious activities in the past.

When The Edge construction teams discovered the cave in 2013 it’s thought was the first time any humans had entered the site. Purniti said ‘It’s not an [object of suspected cultural conservation] ODCB anymore. So how and what are the procedures, later academic friends will explain’. There are dozens of protected cultural ‘objects’ across Bali including Ubud Palace, Tanah Lot Temple and Tirta Empul Temple.

The head of the Badung Regency Culture Service, I Gde Eka Sudarwitha told reporters that ‘the underground cavity is estimated to be thousands of years old. [we consider that] the formation of 1 cm of stalagmites or stalactites takes decades. This estimate is also reinforced by findings in the field that the stalagmites there are quite long and have become pillars. “So we can estimate that the cave has existed for thousands of years’.

The Cave Restaurant did not release a statement when the temporary suspicion was put in place. On Tuesday 26th of July the restaurant’s socials team posted on their Instagram to confirm the reopening.

The caption includes a quote from the company’s general manager Melida Weber ‘We appreciate all the efforts of the Satpol PP, the Dinas Kebudayaan, and all parties involved for doing their due diligence on such a unique venue and concluding that there were no issues. We are delighted to be back’. 

The Cave Restaurant can seat 22-people for one of a kind dining experience in Bali. According to the Instagram post, the restaurant is already a hit with food critics. The Cave restaurant opened in May and has already been awarded the Luxury Lifestyle Award for Best Luxury Fine Dining Experience in Indonesia and Best Luxury Restaurant Interior Design in Indonesia.

The Cave restaurant is already back serving and booking is essential. The fine dining experience offers guests a 7-course menu with the option of cocktail or wine pairing. The menus are curated each quarter and are made using only the finest ingredients from around the world. 

The exceptionally well-trained hosting staff, gourmet fine dining menu, dress code, and no-children policy enables guests to indulge in a luxury Epicurean adventure deep underground.