Rumari & Friends returns to Raffles Bali with another exciting culinary dialogue, this time between Bali and Bangkok where progressive Indonesian cuisine meets Michelin-starred French gastronomy shaped by Japanese precision.
The idea of chef collaborations has become almost routine in luxury hospitality, but the truly compelling ones are those that reveal how different culinary philosophies arrive at common ground. Such is the premise behind the latest edition of Rumari & Friends, where Rumari at Raffles Bali welcomes Bangkok’s Michelin-starred Elements, inspired by Ciel Bleu for a two-night dining collaboration.
Unfolding on 19 and 20 June 2026, this upcoming four-hands experience pairs Chef Gaetan Biesuz, Director of Culinary at Raffles Bali, with Chef Gerard Villaret Horcajo of Elements, inspired by Ciel Bleu — a restaurant that has held a Michelin star in Bangkok for multiple consecutive years and built its reputation around French gastronomy touched with Japanese precision.
For Chef Gerard (pictured above), whose culinary path includes Michelin-starred institutions such as Ciel Bleu in Amsterdam, Vendôme in Germany, and De Librije in the Netherlands, the signature lies in layered flavours and dual-sauce compositions designed to create contrast and depth. His approach meets Chef Gaetan’s interpretation of progressive Indonesian cuisine, where flavours and traditions from across the archipelago are reconsidered through contemporary technique and a more global perspective.
Together, the collaboration promises a tasting menu shaped by Indonesian identity, French refinement, and Japanese sensibilities — an exchange intended as much around craftsmanship and seasonality as it does in culinary storytelling.
The dinners mark another chapter in Rumari & Friends, a series first introduced in 2023 by Raffles Bali centred on inviting internationally recognised chefs to the Indonesian resort island for gastronomic dialogue driven by curiosity and shared perspectives on cuisine.
The setting itself? Absolutely fitting. Perched above Jimbaran Bay, Rumari has steadily accumulated accolades including listings among Tatler Indonesia’s Best 20 Restaurants in Indonesia 2026, Travel + Leisure’s 25 Best Restaurants in Indonesia 2025, and 50 Best Discovery, while also holding the distinction of being Indonesia’s first and only Krug Ambassade.
Following the Bali dinners, the collaboration will continue in Bangkok in September 2026, extending the conversation between the two kitchens beyond Indonesian shores.
The Rumari & Friends four-hands dinners featuring Elements, inspired by Ciel Bleu start from IDR 2,541,000 net per person, with counter seats available from IDR 4,235,000 net per person. For reservations and enquiries, please contact Rumari at [email protected] or (62) 811 3820 9559.
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