Bali Has Entered A Groundbreaking Eco Era. Here’s Where To Eat, Drink & Stay.

Post-pandemic, Bali is blossoming with new sophistication, from restaurants and bars to hotels with environmental consciousness.

The island of the gods suffered immeasurably during the pandemic, with the tourism taps turned off, literally overnight. It brought businesses to their knees and forced closures, with much of the local population returning to their respective villages in Bali and across the archipelago, trying to survive through the perils of the virus and the uncertainty of no wages and the ability to survive.

Fast-forward three years and Bali has bounced back with a vengeance, particularly areas like fashionable Canggu, where local expats and “nomads” kept businesses afloat. Bali was quick to entice visitors back with mostly restriction-free visa entry to many countries and a new “second home” visa for young professionals — allowing up to 180 days — attracting a deluge of tech vagabonds and work-from-home entrepreneurs to the island.

Add to that an influx of Gucci-clad Russians in exile — their young dodging war-torn economic sanctions and a perilous military draft — and you have a booming island where villas are getting snapped up faster than you can say terima kasih.

For hospitality operators, the downtime allowed an incubation of creative ideas, concept development, and planning, with a slew of sophisticated new launches on the eve of the island opening back up.

“Due to Covid, I lost my job and was cooking privately,” says Stephen Moore, the chef behind Shelter, the wildly popular restaurant in hip Pererenan. “It’s how my now business partners came to discover the food I was cooking. The downtime during Covid made us realise that we had to question normal business practices, from the offering to staffing and value for money.”

Stephen is part of a refreshed collective of operators delivering exceptional quality and sophistication to Bali as innovative and ground-breaking projects continue to open and expand up the west coast. As Seminyak exploded in the noughties, development pushed up northwest to Canggu and now to Pererenan, on to Seseh, and towards Tanah Lot.

A new sophistication has risen from Covid’s ashes, with new places to eat, drink and sleep, from marble-lined dining rooms in Batu Bolong to hidden speakeasy bars in the jungle-skirted roads of Pererenan.

Perhaps no operator on the island pushes aesthetic and lifestyle boundaries more than Ronald Akili, the owner of Desa Potato Head, a beachfront enclave on the Seminyak coast that redefines hospitality on the island, if not the world, one plastic bottle at a time.

Potato Head — which started as a beach club a decade ago — has repositioned itself post-Covid as “Desa Potato Head” — a carbon-neutral “campus” featuring a 224-room 5-star hotel; zero-waste restaurants; a waste laboratory; a music recording studio; art gallery; spa; curated library; listening lounge; co-working lounge; streaming station, and more.

It’s hard to describe Desa Potato Head with a singular word — part compound, part campus, part resort, part village — but most definitely a concept pushing the boundaries of hospitality, environmental awareness, and responsibility. Ronald’s mantra is: “Good times, do good.” He believes enjoying oneself and responsible tourism comes with duties and hopes to inspire other hotel brands to follow suit.

Ten years in the making, the Desa’s heart is a new, beautifully brutalist building and courtyard designed by David Gianotten at OMA, the Dutch practice founded by Rem Koolhaas. The building’s skin is made from cement mixed with leftover bricks used to build the adjacent building before the pandemic, reflecting Potato Head’s mantra of recycle, upcycle and as close to zero waste as possible.

In November 2022, the Desa installed a 6m sculpture by ground-breaking New York artist Futura 2000, who pioneered an entire movement of abstract street art in the 70s. He has worked alongside big names such as Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Comme des Garcons, Louis Vuitton, and Nike. Pointman River Warrior, weighing 888kg, was crafted entirely from 14,300 plastic bags collected from Bali’s polluted waterways.

Desa Potato Head is reinventing hospitality for a new generation of travellers who care about the environment and want to holiday responsibly. It also hosts workshops for the more than 800 staff on site, teaching them the importance of sustainability and respect for the environment.

“We believe that if a lot of people make small changes to the way they live and work then collectively we can make a big impact. We are a small brand. So, imagine what the impact of a large global hospitality brand or industry could achieve,” says Ronald. “The tourism and hospitality industry could be a force of change in regenerating every destination they are in.”

Ronald’s latest project is off-site; he’s building a waste facility on Batu Belig — an adjacent beach and Canggu neighbourhood — to recycle waste from all the hotels and villas in the area. “Today, we are realising that with no infrastructure or facilities to manage waste, Bali faces a big waste and pollution problem. In the short term, our goal is to create our own solutions for these issues in our Desa, and to share our findings with our larger community in Seminyak,” he says. “We also want to continue creating waste centres to help our home, Bali, reach zero waste and work on regenerating the island.”

Where to eat

Shelter

On a leafy stretch of Pererenan, Shelter opened in 2021 out of the ashes of Covid to become one of the hottest restaurants in Canggu, so be sure to book ahead. With Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences on a beautiful, curated menu, chef Stephen Moore delivers relaxed but sophisticated flavours in an Indonesian joglo structure renovated with dark timbers, recessed lighting, and comfortable banquettes. Moore’s pedigree includes residencies at Sydney Rockpool and two-hatted Bridgeroom before starting his 10 years in Bali at Seminyak institution Ku de Ta. The menu centres around a large, wood-fired oven, and the results are spectacular. The set menus for larger groups are delicious and generous. Start the night with a pineapple margarita — perfection — and to finish, walk over to the Shady Fox for a boogie.

Santanera

Chefs Andres Becerra and German Rincon hail from Colombia with tutelage across the world, including, in Andres’ case, formal training in Melbourne under MoVida’s Frank Camorra. An impossibly stylish three-storey culinary temple where the food is as exquisitely curated as the marble and leather-clad interior, the restaurant was born from the collaborative efforts of Andres and German and nine friends — with a vision to create one of the best restaurants in Bali — and they no doubt have succeeded. Smoked, whipped, marinated, fermented, or chargrilled delicacies from the land and sea are impressively reimagined with organic, farm-to-plate produce taking centre stage. On the night we visited, Andres presided over the coals; the mahi mahi tarama paired with the freshest vegetables — farmed near Bedugal, high up the volcano — was possibly the finest crudite we’ve ever tried. The chicken skewers on a rice arepa are an elevated taco experience like no other. Don’t miss the signature dry-aged duck; they say the Balinese do duck better, but Andres does it best.

Skool

Skool is a new, uber-stylish 60-seat restaurant sitting high above The Lawn — the wildly popular beach club on Batu Bolong Beach in the heart of Canggu. Not that you would know it, with a discreet staircase leading up to an elegant dining room featuring works of art by contemporary artists Steve Gorrow and Ricky Lee Gordon. Skool’s open kitchen features naked flames from natural and charcoal embers, delivering dishes packed with flavour bombs of smoke, char, and grill perfection. Be sure to start the night with the yakitori chicken skin with smoked creme fraiche — crispy umami bombs that set the tone for the delicious journey that would follow.

Kaum

To be often hailed as the best Indonesian restaurant in Bali is no mean feat, not just by locals but by many chefs on the island, including Will Goldfarb of Ubud’s iconic Room4Dessert. With a beautiful dining room and terrace sitting with dreamy views of Seminyak’s surf, Kaum’s menu showcases a variety of dishes across the Indonesian archipelago. Kaum means “clan” or “tribe”, and the restaurant’s ethos is passionate about respecting Indigenous cooking methods, utilising exotic ingredients, and showcasing authentic flavours from various tribal communities. The chargrilled pork belly satay served with sweet soy (kecup manis) must be the Rolls-Royce of satays. At the same time, the main course of grilled ayam (chicken) in Tongseng spices from Central Java has a depth of flavour, heat, and umami that is complex, unctuous, and, when paired with accompanying crispy rice, impossibly delicious. Part of Desa Potato Head’s, Kaum is a culinary must on your Bali itinerary. Catch a drink before dinner at Sunset Park, Desa Potato Head’s recently opened rooftop bar with grandstand views of — you guessed it — the island’s legendary sunsets.

Tanaman

Dining in Tanaman, Desa Potato Head’s culinary temple to plant-based dining, is like dining in a hydroponically lit spaceship. Curved ceilings, electric blue tables, and, yes, hydroponic lights — growing various herbs in illuminated cabinets — transport you into a world where plants are revered, respected, and celebrated. With architectural nods to Pierre Cardin’s iconic Bubble House in the South of France, Tanaman is a riot of design and colour that’s a sight to be seen. African-Australian chef Dom Hammond honours the whole plant, from root to fruit, and uses every part of the vegetable to create stocks, oils, and ferments with nothing going to waste. The menu sources produce from small farms around Bali, including vegetables grown at high elevation in Bedugal.

Bar Vera

At press time, we did not get a chance to dine at Bar Vera but had a quick cocktail, which left us wanting more! Opened this past February, Bar Vera is brought to you by the team that is behind Mason on Batu Bolong, the perennially packed restaurant fast on its way to becoming a Bali institution with some of the best wood-fired food on the island. Head chef Keir Ballantyne has a fine culinary pedigree, with time spent at some of the world’s best, including training at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck and, just before Bali, at Andrew McConnell’s Melbourne stalwarts Cutler & Co and Marion. Keir’s menu blends French techniques with locally sourced produce. If you can’t bear to leave, you can stay the night; the restaurant is part of the uber-hip Further Diffused Hotel compound designed by award-winning MORQ Studio.

Luma

Located on Canggu’s Batu Bolong in Canggu and opened in June 2022, Luma offers Mediterranean-inspired food with a strong focus on seasonal and local produce in a beautiful white space with marble mosaic floors. Think simple, rustic dishes combining classic Southern European traditions and techniques with indigenous ingredients from Bali and the surrounding islands, like fern tips, kenari nuts, and banana blossoms. The menu changes weekly and includes daily specials. Luma is the latest venture by chefs Cameron Emirali — 10 Greek St in London — and Kieran Morland — Sangsaka and Merah Putih in Seminyak. One person in our travel party could not rate Luma more highly. “The best food I’ve ever had in Bali, and I’ve been coming here for years.” After dinner, head upstairs to Segno for a delicious cocktail — or two.

Where to drink

Shady Fox

Tucked away on a leafy stretch of Jl. Pererenan, the Shady Fox bills itself as a “clandestine cocktail parlour”. We think it’s one of Canggu’s best-kept secrets, located up a flight of stairs in an unassuming building with virtually no signage. But knock on the door and enter a world of late-night decadence, with stylish banquettes and intimate rooms reminiscent of 1930s London gambling parlours. There’s even a roulette table, but the betting currency is usually a tequila shot. Well-curated cocktails and a considered DJ line-up make the Shady Fox a must after dinner at Bar Vera or Shelter nearby. It feels a bit naughty and 100 per cent fun.

Segno

A sophisticated cocktail lounge with a hidden entrance that looks like a fire exit door, Segno is the second bar of Yutaka Nakashima after the success of Koda in Jakarta. The extensive cocktail menu offers interesting and unusual combinations featuring local ingredients like pandan, moringa, coffee, and lemongrass. The bar occupies the upper floor in a sexy building that houses Luma below, which provides a bar menu for Segno, including lamb, taleggio, pea arancini, and other nibbles. An interior of soft velvets, dark woods, plush carpet, and brass accents lends an air of luxurious decadence as if you’ve been transported to a sexy and exclusive London members bar. Perfect for a pre- or post-dinner tipple.

Where to stay

Desa Potato Head

Choose from staying at Potato Head Suites (formerly named Katamama) or the newly opened Potato Head Studios. Guests have access to a 50m beachfront infinity pool on Bali’s prized Seminyak beach. On check-in, guests are taken to the “Circle Store”, where they learn about the Desa’s impressive dedication to environmental principles.

Single-use plastic is not just frowned upon; it’s not welcome at all. Each guest, upon check-in, is given a steel water bottle featuring a recycled cap made from plastic bottle tops on site. The same recycled material features in rooms and across the hotel as coasters, waste bins, dispensers and more. Guests can take the bottles anywhere within the Desa for complimentary drinking water refills at any time — such a simple, forward-thinking, and practical system — helping to fix Bali’s overwhelming problem with single-use plastic. With a 24-hour gym, shared co-working spaces, spa, and more, Potato Head Studios are high on sustainability but also luxury and comfort all at once.

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