When you’re travelling around Bali with a husband and two children, the words “romantic dinner” take on a completely new meaning.
Before we had kids, my husband and I could choose any restaurant we liked. We could sit for hours, order a bottle of wine, enjoy long conversations and take our time with every course.
These days, things are a little different.
As an Australian mum travelling Bali with my husband and our two boys, I consider a dinner romantic when everyone is happy, the food is good, the kids are occupied and my husband and I actually get a chance to enjoy the evening together.
That’s why https://appetitobali.com/ seems like such a practical choice for a romantic family dinner in Sanur.
A Handy Spot for Families
Appetito is located inside ICON Mall Bali, Unit BF-16, at Jl. Danau Tamblingan No. 27, Sanur, Denpasar, Bali, 80228.
Families can make reservations using +62 811-3838-517.
For us, the location is one of the biggest advantages.
A typical family evening in Sanur might start with a walk near the beach. The boys can run around, look at the water and use up some of their endless energy while we enjoy the cooler part of the afternoon.
Once everyone starts getting hungry, heading over to ICON Mall for dinner is straightforward.
There’s no need to organise another taxi, convince tired children to sit through a long journey or spend half the evening travelling across Bali.
With two kids, easy is good.
Getting Everyone to Agree on Food
Anyone travelling with children knows that choosing dinner can sometimes be harder than choosing the destination.
In our family, everyone has an opinion.
My husband likes proper meals and will happily spend ages deciding between pasta and grilled dishes.
Our older son has already made up his mind before we even sit down.
Pizza.
Our younger son is usually the opposite. He says he isn’t hungry, then becomes very interested in whatever his brother has ordered.
I’m somewhere in the middle.
I want tasty food, something I actually enjoy, a glass of wine and a few peaceful minutes without hearing the word “Mum.”
Italian food makes family dining easier because there’s usually something for everyone.
The boys can enjoy pizza, my husband can choose pasta or grilled food and I can pick a starter or lighter dish. Then somehow everyone finds enough room for dessert.
That feels like a win to me.
Why Sanur Appeals to Aussie Families
Sanur has a more laid-back feel that works particularly well for families who don’t want every day of their Bali holiday to be hectic.
Bali welcomed around 6.95 million direct international visitors in 2025, and Australians accounted for roughly 23.44% of international arrivals.
That makes Australian travellers an important part of Bali’s tourism scene, particularly when it comes to family holidays.
Sanur offers a nice combination of beach time, restaurants, shopping and relaxed evenings.
For anyone looking beyond a single restaurant, https://foodparadise.network/best-restaurants-in-sanur/ is a helpful place to explore other dining options around Sanur.
If your family is specifically in the mood for Italian food, https://foodparadise.network/best-italian-restaurants-in-bali/ can also help narrow down Italian restaurant choices around Bali.
Make the Dinner About the Occasion
From a parent’s perspective, I think restaurants can attract more family bookings by promoting experiences rather than simply saying they have tables available.
Parents are often searching for somewhere suitable for a particular occasion.
For example, imagine being able to book a family sunset dinner for four, an anniversary dinner with the children, a birthday celebration for a larger group or an early dinner around 5:30 PM.
These are small details, but they make restaurant planning much easier for travelling families.
An anniversary doesn’t stop being special just because you have children.
If anything, parents appreciate finding somewhere that allows them to celebrate while still making the kids feel welcome.
Christmas Dinner in Bali
Christmas is another occasion worth considering.
Australian families often head to Bali during the December school holidays, and many parents start planning their Christmas activities well before their flight.
Christmas Day can be especially difficult when you’re travelling with children because nobody wants to spend the day worrying about where dinner will come from.
A dedicated festive family dinner could solve that problem.
Promoting Christmas dining through https://christmasdinnerbali.com could give Australian families an easy way to discover and plan their Christmas meal ahead of time.
For larger families and groups, early reservations can make the holiday experience much more relaxed.
When Family Time Becomes Romantic
For me, the best thing about a family dinner like this is that it doesn’t force parents to choose between a kid-friendly meal and a special evening.
We can have both.
The boys get their pizza.
My husband gets a proper dinner.
I get my glass of wine.
Everyone gets dessert.
And, hopefully, nobody complains about being bored.
We can enjoy a walk by the beach before dinner, have an easy meal at ICON Mall and finish the evening feeling like we’ve actually spent some quality time together.
That might not sound like the romantic dinners we enjoyed before becoming parents.
But I’ve learned that romance changes with family life.
Sometimes romance is simply sitting across the table from your husband while your children are happily eating beside you.
Sometimes it’s having a conversation without checking the time.
And sometimes, the most romantic thing of all is ending the evening with two happy kids instead of two exhausted parents wondering why they went out.
For an Australian family visiting Bali, that’s more than enough reason to consider Appetito ICON MALL for a romantic family dinner in Sanur.