Locavore NXT

Bali

Holistic sustainability celebrating Indonesia's diverse larder

Set amid the lush rice paddies of Bali, Locavore NXT has emerged as a beacon of sustainability and innovation in the culinary world. Co-owned by the dynamic Dutch-Indonesian chef duo, Eelke Plasmeijer and Ray Adriansyah, Locavore NXT continues to redefine the gastronomic landscape of Bali, with its impact resonating far beyond the dining room.

Locavore NXT is the evolution of the celebrated Locavore restaurant, which has long been a staple in Ubud. The concept behind NXT extends past the confines of traditional dining, intertwining a philosophy that prioritises local and sustainable practices.

At the heart of Locavore NXT's operation is a steadfast commitment to sourcing ingredients from local farmers, fishers and producers. With a menu that is predominantly plant-based – more than 75 per cent of dishes cater to vegans or vegetarians – the restaurant champions Bali's rich agricultural heritage. The chefs work closely with traditional Balinese and Javanese farmers, utilising permaculture techniques that honour generations of agricultural wisdom. Signature ingredients like Bali Heritage Pig exemplify the restaurant's dedication to preserving local biodiversity while supporting small-scale producers.

One of Locavore NXT's most remarkable achievements is its Circular Waste Centre, which has successfully diverted an astounding 98.4 per cent of waste from landfills in its inaugural year. This facility serves as a vital resource for the local community, providing education for effective waste management. It features a plastic shredder, hot composter and bio-shredder.

Juliane Caillouette Noble, managing director of The Sustainable Restaurant Association, says, “It’s been our pleasure to select Locavore NXT as the winner of the Sustainable Restaurant Award, sponsored by Hibiki, at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025. We love its dedication to creating plant-forward, seasonal menus around organic, local and heritage ingredients and supporting small-scale Balinese farmers, fishers and producers.

“The stand-out story for us was the Circular Waste Centre it has opened, which diverted 98.4 per cent of waste from landfill in its first year. What’s more, this Centre will soon be open to the local community – a fine example of a business working to extend its positive impact beyond the boundaries of its own operations.”

The restaurant's architecture, designed by Budi Pradono, reflects its ethos, integrating brutalist structures with the surrounding natural landscape. The innovative design includes dedicated spaces for a rooftop food forest and a fermentation kitchen, where food waste is transformed into edible delights. Furthermore, the venue is fitted with 172 solar panels, supplying 30 per centof the restaurant’s electricity needs, plus a closed-loop water system that integrates rainwater collection and filtration for landscape irrigation. The restaurant has set ambitious goals to reduce non-organic waste by 5 per cent in 2025 through enhanced sorting and sustainable procurement strategies.

In addition to its environmental initiatives, Locavore NXT places a strong emphasis on community engagement. The restaurant aims to employ at least 20 per cent of its staff from the surrounding villages, fostering local talent. Staff welfare is spotlighted, with comprehensive training programmes, dedicated staff facilities and wellness initiatives, like working with Sungai Watch to clean up plastic-polluted beaches. Guests are also encouraged to participate in the restaurant's sustainability efforts through printed receipts that highlight the positive impact of their dining experience.

The offerings at Locavore NXT are a celebration of Indonesia's diverse ingredients. The chefs’ creativity shines through in dishes like Into The Sawah, which features heritage galuh rice, rice field snails and a 64-degree duck egg – a reflection of the unique terroir of the region. The menu is thoughtfully curated to minimise animal protein, dairy and wheat, opting instead for pioneering uses of produce, such as miso crafted from stink beans and gluten-free flours made from fermented roots.

The restaurant serves as a model for sustainable practices, inspiring not only local chefs and producers but also the global culinary community to reconsider their approach to food and sustainability. With its innovative spirit and unwavering pledge to the environment, Locavore NXT is not just a restaurant, it is a movement towards a more sustainable future that has afforded it the prestigious Sustainable Restaurant Award 2025, sponsored by Hibiki.

The Sustainable Restaurant Award is given to the restaurant in the region that achieves the highest environmental and social responsibility rating as determined by 50 Best’s audit partner, the Sustainable Restaurant Association. All restaurants on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 1-100 list were invited to enter the award via self-nomination and each entry was assessed across three main pillars: sourcing, society and environment.

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