Located in Kedewatan, Ubud, Chupacabras steakhouse delivers on every aspect of its experience — from the atmosphere to the food. The lobby hostess greets and accompanies you through a foliage-covered hallway, revealing the restaurant and its impressive view the moment you reach the opening. As the cool air hits you, red brick and gray stone interiors greet you with a South American-inspired yet still modern interior, helping you relax and take in the view of the valley while ordering your food.
Executive Chef & Co-Owner Mauro Santarelli, who chose Ubud deliberately after years of cooking across four continents, describes the location simply: “The place, the weather — since the first time I came here, I knew I wanted to stay.”
While awaiting your food, Chupacabras boasts an open kitchen so you can see how your food is prepared, or stare out into the view of the lush valley from the restaurant’s balcony. Snacks to tide you over for the main course appear on your table as well, featuring “Chipa,” a cheese bread from Paraguay paired with sambal butter. After a small wait, servers come to explain each item from the menu as it arrives — from how it was made to how to eat it.
“It’s not just about food,” Santarelli said. “Since arriving at the restaurant you have the entrance, the hostess that accompanies you, the corridor with the trees, and suddenly you see the view.”
Appetisers like “Humita & Huancaina” — a mix of creamy corn, huancaina sauce, parmesan, black olive powder, egg yolk, and micro greens served alongside chips — and “Empanada De La Abuela,” Chef Mauro’s grandmother’s recipe for wagyu beef empanadas, give a glimpse into the heavier portions of the menu, whilst offering complementary flavours before the more savoury meat cuts to come.
While in Indonesia Chef Mauro couldn’t get every ingredient perfect, he and the team have worked to push what is available to its maximum potential. “When I came here to open Chupacabras, the first week, none of the recipes I had were working because of the ingredients,” he said. “You have to adapt and taste and find how you like things to taste.”
A result of this effort is the steak, cut from 70% grass and 30% grain-fed cows — a source of particular pride for Chef Mauro, who grew up raising and studying cattle with his family. Adapting recipes to include Asian flavours, such as their “Pesca Del Dia Pempek Ceviche,” is proof of Chef Mauro’s ability to infuse every bite with inspirations gathered from his years of cooking and travelling abroad. Rice items on the menu further accommodate local guests, adhering to Indonesia’s favoured form of carbohydrates.
Finish the experience with a sweet touch to balance out the savoury journey so far. The restaurant’s “Flan” — served with milk caramel, egg custard, and whipped cream — is a fitting finish, with six other dessert options all carrying that South American touch.
After everything, leave through the same way you came in, once again passing through the plant-adorned hallway back to the lobby and your vehicle. Head home remembering not just the food, but the warm staff, their explanations, the cool air of the valley view, and the memorable time at Chupacabras.
Chupacabras
Kedewatan, Ubud, Gianyar Regency, Bali 80571
