Bound for Indonesia’s favorite island this summer? Chill out with good food, world-class entertainment, and fiery ocean sunsets at these top-rated hot spots.
A swim-up bar at Potato Head Beach Club. (Photo courtesy of Desa Potato Head)
Potato Head Beach Club
This legendary Seminyak staple stands out for its environmental credentials, unique art installations, and a Colosseum-like facade clad in antique wooden shutters. Gourmands should not miss a meal at upstairs restaurant Kaum, whose menu highlights Indonesia’s regional cuisines, while zero-waste restaurant Ijen showcases line-caught local seafood cooked over an open fire. Over at the adjacent Potato Head Studios — an OMA-designed extension with eco-chic hotel rooms — Tanaman serves up multicourse dinners that offer a contemporary, plant-based spin on Indonesian fare. Other recent additions to the mix include rooftop venue Sunset Park, which has its own recording studio, and a beachfront amphitheater where experimental performances at sundown tap into Balinese music and culture.
Left to right: Ku De Ta’s executive chef Jeremy Hunt; sunset at the same venue. (Photos: Ku De Ta)
Ku De Ta
Acclaimed as Bali’s original sunset destination and visited by sun-seeking travelers around the world for more than 20 years, Ku De Ta is a restaurant, bar, and beach lounge with front-row views of Indian Ocean waves as they roll into shore. It’s a lively backdrop for music, dancing, lounging, and dining as the sun sets; South African-born chef Jeremy Hunt has created an all-day menu that scours the globe for inspiration. Hungry visitors can nibble on Korean-Japanese salmon nori tacos, chicken kebab served with tabbouleh and tahini, and sample weekly-changing specials like Venetian baccalà mantecato (creamed cod).
The high-ceilinged Tiki Room at Azul Beach Club. (Photo courtesy of Azul Beach Club)
Azul Beach Club
If you like your cocktails with a liberal pour of rum, you’ll love Legian’s tiki bar–inspired Azul Beach Club. Crafted almost entirely from bamboo with pops of turquoise that nod to the sea, the open-air tree house is particularly popular at sunset. Grab a pod overlooking the infinity pool or sink your toes into the sand while sipping mai tais and mojitos that riff on traditional flavor combinations; a must-try here is the Bali Blossom — a refreshing blend of vodka, cinnamon-spiked rum, passion fruit puree, black tea syrup, and pineapple and lemon juice.
Sustainably sourced seafood stars on the menu at La Brisa. (Photo courtesy of La Brisa)
La Brisa
A Robinson Crusoe-esque setting with an upscale twist, La Brisa is the ultimate barefoot beach fantasy in the coastal village of Canggu. There’s a nautical theme throughout: thatched-roof tree houses are crafted from wood reclaimed from old fishing boats, antique buoys hang on walls, and seashells and fishing nets have been transformed into artful installations. Sink into a beanbag on Echo Beach, lounge poolside on a daybed, order cocktails, and toast the famous Bali sunset.
The striking two-story bamboo building at Finns Beach Club in Canggu. (Photo: Finns Beach Club)
Finns Beach Club
Big and bold, the sinuous, sunset-facing bamboo curves of Finns dominate Canggu’s Berawa Beach, with high-powered spotlights that enable nocturnal surfing every night from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. — a novelty that adds drama whether you’re dining, drinking, or enjoying the infinity pool. The restaurant’s menu spans the globe, with everything from mezze platters and Indian curries to wood-fired pizzas and bento boxes. Those after a more exclusive beachside experience can opt for Finns VIP Beach Club, located right next door on the same property; patrons can look forward to an oceanfront pool, a rooftop champagne bar, and the services of a surf valet.
Lounging in a sunken pool booth at Café del Mar. (Photo courtesy of Café del Mar Bali)
Café del Mar
Overlooking the black sands of Batu Belig between Canggu and Seminyak, the Bali outpost of Café del Mar brings the buzz of the Balearics to Indonesia. The beloved Ibiza-born brand first made its mark during the 1980s, and has branched out to locations like Sydney and the Maldives in the decades since. In Bali, the whitewashed architecture at Café del Mar nods to the beach club’s Spanish-Mediterranean origins; expect chilled out beats and live music from a shell-like stage rising above a grass lawn. Groups of up to 10 can book circular seating booths partially sunken in an infinity-edge pool bookended by two swim-up bars. Signature cocktails include the Berry Spritz, which mixes sparkling wine and aperol with fresh strawberries grown in Bali’s north-central highlands.
