Executive chef Nic Vanderbeeken is a different man now than when Apéritif Restaurant and Bar was opened in 2018. He is also the captain of a very different team. “There was a huge pressure to start off with a bang when we first opened but from the beginning, Apéritif has always been and will always remain eclectic and flavour-driven,” says the Belgian-native who has called Bali home for the last nine years.
With a career that spans continents, Vanderbeeken brought his wealth of experience from France and Belgium’s Michelin-starred restaurants to Bali, starting off at CasCades Restaurant at Viceroy Bali. He derives his style from his European background, love for Indonesian spices and global gastronomy journeys. So, when the elegant 60-seater restaurant opened, he was more than ready to put his personal flavour library to good use.
Apéritif’s early eight-course degustation menu told a compelling story of Vanderbeeken’s fondness for Indonesian flavours. There was Karedok, a humble West Javanese pickled vegetable salad in kemangi-infused peanut sauce
