No secret in this garden

Barrie,
Glad you found somewhere dodgy!!! I know I have come across a dodgy restoran here & there in Bali over the years….. Not as often as I would get a dodgy meal here, but I knew they existed & it would only be a matter of time before you stumbled upon one!!!!
Let’s just say atleast you were honest!
You’ll have to go back to Billy’s or Uncle Norm’s for a decent feed!!!! Hee Hee Hee

Barrie, I second that notion that the peanut sauce on my Gado-Gado was watered down. Just a big plate of green and brown and not much more. At least they didn’t get skimpy on the portions.

Josh

barrie/nick, still good to catch up on bali every day or so, it`s a buzz being in the know,i dont think i`ll be up there till christmas/new year, but i`m sending heap`s of e-mail(shy)friend`s in your direction, they can have a beer on me & you, it`s really good to know what`s happening in the food department as well,mark`s out of 10…but it is hard for the caterer`s to keep fresh food, when they might not get a customer all day (or two)keep-up the top work,please throw in a few photo`s of the bad places. you either love bali or you dont, i love bali(WART`S & BOOT`S`N`ALL)SCOTTYCOL WA

barrie, you do not know what you are talking about the secret garden is one of the most popular bars in kuta and is very busy at night with some of the best food in town and very cold beer and great staff so may be you should think again and not try to ruin a great bar from somebody who knows better!!!!

barrie.there is no crap in this garden i have been eating at this bar for more than two years, most days and have never had a problem like you mention in your report.my report! the staff number 1 in bail the food the best in kuta the beer the cheapest in bali the bar is the cleanest i have seen any where and must be one of the most popular places on the island ..and the beer garden is a great place to sit at night there are no stalls open so get your facts wright. from abig fan of the garden.m

Well, I guess this goes to show you that people have different tastes & maybe the day Barrie & crew went for dinner the SECRET GARDEN were having a bad day! All places would have one of those I’d think..
I guess it is up to the individual to check it out for themselves& make their own decision.

hi barrie.know i would like to tell you something!!!! please look on the bali travel forum and the word crap is never used in any comments about the secret garden in fact 100,s of very good reports and 1000,s of customers can not be wrong so what is your problem please explain your self and who are you working for, my be you are jelous of one of the best bars in kuta, there are all ways people like you when a place becomes very popular.may be the staff and the company management would like to be told the bar and cafe is a load of crap face to face and not behind there backs in a time when the people of bali need all the help they can get please reply to this. this from one of the thousands of friends of the garden

Great discussion guys. Needless to say we’ll have to re visit the Secret Garden and see what we mised.

No offence to the folks there by the way, its only a snapsnot in time.

Agreed Nick. We will check the Secret Garden out again.

Would definately recomend going back to the Secret Garden, have been eating there for years and your description is way off par and needs another look at, never had a bad meal and the food has always been perfect, Since the Secret Garden opened instead of losing weight in Bali i always gain some nowadays.

Best go back as you are way off track with this write up

Suds

so barrie you are going to close the door on the secret garden bar and cafe. i do not think so! from what i am hearing the indonesian company that own,s the secret garden are takeing your report. no secret in the garden of crap.very sereously. i am a tourist that knows the secret garden very well i and i think you are going to have to prove your report,if not, may be the door will be closed on your operation, i notice by the comments, many people disagree with your report and i think there will be many more. if you want my report this is the best run bar in kuta the beer is all ways cold and well priced. the staff are the best you will fine any where.the food is very very good i have never seen a bar so clean. and because of the beer garden in the front the baliness stall holders are able to make end met in a very bad time in bali and this does not cause any problem with tourist sitting at the tables and any way the stalls are closed at night and the garden looks great with the lighting on. my spelling is not good but a restaurant reviewer should be able to spell restaurant!! tory peace in the garden 2003

I think you’ll find “RESTORAN” in Indonesian is Restaurant!

This is great to see some dialogue between a reviewer and the restaurant - though - via a roundabout way.

I’m sure that a restaurant owner would want to know if someone had an unpleasant experience. The chance to look at the reasons why and possible make improvements is invaluable. Imagine if all the people left your restaurant saying bad things, but your never heard it…that would be worse of course.

Interesting to see how this plays out.

thank you sean i have heard the secret garden staff and owner are waiting for for barrie to show up and tell them face to face the garden is a load of crap. like you said, yes it will be very interesting to see how it plays out i hope to be there on that day and also many of the v.i.p. members of the secret garden club. tory a v.i.p member

DEAR nick

i RELIGIOUSLY READ YOUR RESTAURANT REVIES ON http://www.BALIBLOGS.COM.

sEEING i WAS IN bALI FOR A SHORT HOLIDAY, i THOUGHT i WOULD MEET UP WITH YOU AT 9.00PM WEDNESDAY AT wARUNG 96 AS ADVERTISED ON YOUR WEBSITE.

i ARRIVED EAGERLY WAITING FOR MY FREE BEER AND A CHANCE TO CHAT WITH YOU.

uPON ARRIVING THE STAFF MEMBER OUTSIDE ADVISED ME , HE DID KNOW WHO NICK WAS ! THE STAFF MEMBER ADVISED ME TO WALK INTO THE RESTAURANT AND ASK 40 PEOPLE - ARE YOU NICK ? VERY UNPROFESSIONAL !!!!

iT IS A CONCERN THAT YOU YOU CAN WRITE SCATHING REVIEWS ABOUT RESTAURANTS BUT NOT MAKE SELECTED APPOINTMENTS ADVERTISED ON YOUR WEBSITE.

i WONDER HOW MUCH CREDIBILITY YOU HAVE IN bALI !!.

DO YOU REALLY EXIST ????

I EXPECT A FAR MORE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE FROM AN ORGANISATION THAT DELIGHTS IN CRITICISING THE PROFESSIONALISM OF OTHER ORGANISATIONS.

HOW ABOUT A BEER TOMORROW !!!!!

PETER

Peter,

Hears my answer to your shouting session:

sEEING i WAS IN bALI FOR A SHORT HOLIDAY, i THOUGHT i WOULD MEET UP WITH YOU AT 9.00PM WEDNESDAY AT wARUNG 96 AS ADVERTISED ON YOUR WEBSITE.

No I was not at Warung 96 I was busy meeting personally with other travelers who had e-mailed me and phoned me asking to go out. Sorry I missed you.

i ARRIVED EAGERLY WAITING FOR MY FREE BEER AND A CHANCE TO CHAT WITH YOU.

I love to buy you a free beer and have a chat. Please e-mail me and we’ll get together.

uPON ARRIVING THE STAFF MEMBER OUTSIDE ADVISED ME , HE DID KNOW WHO NICK WAS ! THE STAFF MEMBER ADVISED ME TO WALK INTO THE RESTAURANT AND ASK 40 PEOPLE - ARE YOU NICK ? VERY UNPROFESSIONAL !!!!

Warung 96 is the busiest restaurant on Jl. Benesari and it can be hard to find people. When I am there I keep a look out for visitors and even display a Baliblog t-shirt.

iT IS A CONCERN THAT YOU YOU CAN WRITE SCATHING REVIEWS ABOUT RESTAURANTS BUT NOT MAKE SELECTED APPOINTMENTS ADVERTISED ON YOUR WEBSITE.

It shouldn’t be a concern to you or your buddies at Secret Garden that we do restaurant reviews. We’ll continue to do them and report the good and the ugly.

My ‘appointment’ is a weekly thing but I am sometimes unable to attend if a traveler requests my prescense elsewhere.

WONDER HOW MUCH CREDIBILITY YOU HAVE IN bALI !!.

I think I have plenty of credibility. For one thing when something is crap we call it.

DO YOU REALLY EXIST ????

No

I EXPECT A FAR MORE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE FROM AN ORGANISATION THAT DELIGHTS IN CRITICISING THE PROFESSIONALISM OF OTHER ORGANISATIONS.

I think you expected to rage at us for posting about Secret Garden and were dissapointed nobody was there to meet you.

HOW ABOUT A BEER TOMORROW !!!!!

Sure I’ll but you a beer anytime. I’m usually at Internet Outpost round the corner.

Dear Nick

My point is not about whether I am a buddy of Secret garden.

The issue is that you advertise your availability at a specific location and time on your website.

My other concern is that if you were so ‘ well known’ in Bali the staff at Warung 96 could identify you via your t-shirt or advise me of your whereabouts

I read your site and assume that you will be present. Surely if you are unable to attend, you should post a notice on your website.

Lets face it readers consider your website to be ‘ your bible’ and take it ‘ As Gospel’.

Instead of criticising my concerns about your non-attendance at Warung 96, why not arrange a free beer in the next two days.

PS: Let ‘bygones be bygones’ and I will shout you two large Bali Hai’s at Secret Garden. These are the cheapest Bali Hai’s in Bali. I will be waiting after 7.00pm on Thursday and Friday in the Beer Garden. If you come on Friday, you can sample the delights of the ‘ ‘Famous Bali BBQ at Secret Garden.

Peter,

I’m into it. I’m e-mailing you my number and will definitely make it a priority to meet up with you.

I just returned from Bali and had the pleasure of meeting Nick, Barrie, Chandika and the numerous Baliblog affiliated people at Internet Outpost. My impression of Barrie is that he’s just a straightforward guy. He tells it as he sees and without all the fluff. And really there is no motivation for him to write anything but the truth. He goes to these restaurants unannounced and paid for his own meals. To me, that lends a lot of credibility to his reviews.

As for the people (and their allies) at Secret Garden, like it or not, that was his experience on the day of his visit. That is indisputable. You could get really defensive about it and make personal attacks, but what would that really accomplish? Personally I feel a better approach would be to see how you could improve the quality of the dining experience at your restaurant. Was there a lapse in quality control? Maybe the regular cook was out and you need to better train your backup cook? I think anyone would understand that you had an off day. I think it’s fair to ask, and I believe Barrie and Nick had offered to go back for another review. Anything else beyond that seemed petty to me and uncalled for.

Just my opinion.

As a long time Kuta resident I feel that I should set the story straight here.

I am a “regular” at the Secret Garden on Poppies I and in the months I have been eating and drinking here I have never had a problem nor seen or heard of anyone else having any problem with the food, the drinks or the service here. Alvin (the owner) has become a good friend of mine and I know that he takes great pride in offering good value for money at his bar and resturant. He maintains a really good menu and the food is always first class. Except for the author of this critical report nobody to my knowledge has ever had any reason to complain. His staff are all well trained and, because he treats them very well, they are happy to be working here, they are all always friendly, helpful, and very professional in their dealings with customers.

I realize that you cannot please everyone all the time but I have to question what prompted this very negative message about the “Garden”, were these folks maybe just having a “bad day” and wanted to vent thier displeasure on someone? or do they maybe have some ulterior motive for posting this misleading and unfair criticism??

Bottom line is- when it comes to food and drink and value for money in Kuta it does not get any better than the Secret Garden!! It is a simple fact that during these difficult times, when tourism is very low in Bali and many bars and resturants are empty and struggling to survive, the Secret Garden is often the only place in Kuta that consistently draws a crowd of regulars and/or repeat customers. There must be a good reason that so many of us “vote with our Rupiah” in favor of the Garden.

I have only recently read the report on the Secret Garden as have a number of friends, all regular diners, and we were all shocked at what seems a scathing and unprofessional review / attack of an extremely professional establishment run by Alvin who takes great pride in the quality and service in his place. We run a hotel next door and Alvin supplies the room service and in all the time he has offered this service we have never recieved a complaint in fact the opposite all our guests compliment the quality of meals.

Mark,

Obviously you haven’t read my new review of the Secret Garden where I met Alvin.