Wicker lampshades and sun-bleached macrame have long been something of a Balinese cliché. But over the past few years, a new generation of experimental locals and eco-minded expats have been reclaiming the tourist-trodden southern corners of the Indonesian island, slowly switching up the surf-and-sand beat with a flurry of new underground listening bars, environmentalist art galleries and restaurants eschewing foreign imports for local ingredients.
Sure, a beach-bum aesthetic still dominates in the traffic-choked streets of Canggu, south Bali's freewheeling expatriate epicenter. But a new, can-do climate has transformed the once-sleepy surfer paradise into “the Berlin of Southeast Asia," said Romon K. Yang, a Korean- American multimedia artist better known as Rostarr, who moved with his family from Brooklyn to Bali three years ago.
An eclectic mix of art and nightlife upstarts are now popping up between the rice paddies and pushing south Bali's buzzy creative scenes into formerly underdeveloped enclaves. Just outside Canggu, Pererenan Beach is now home to an array of locals-minded cafès and bars like HOME by Chef Wayan. And over in Pekutatan, The Lindenberg, a Frankfurt-based hotel group, has opened an innovative surf lodge that proudly resists the area’s ubiquitous “infinity-pool Insta-architecture” for surrealist, nature-themed art installations.
Thankfully, this creative rebirth is not a copy-paste replica of the exhausted Euro-cool formula. Instead, a new crop of homegrown tastemakers are reimagining the very essence of south Bali's aesthetic language, swapping rattan for clever sustainable decor made from recycled plastic beach refuse, and foreign menus for local dishes like mushroom satay. Here, PRIOR guides you through the Indonesian surf island’s thrilling new wave.
Where to Stay
Potato Head Studios
From the slippers made of coconut husks and fabric offcuts in the walk-in wardrobes to the rooftop cocktail spot serving zero-waste tepache highballs, almost everything at Potato Head Studios, a clubby hotel in Seminyak, is trash — in the best possible way, that is. Designed by the Rem Koolhaas-founded firm OMA, the Brutalist beachfront complex proves that sustainably-minded hospitality is only sustainable if it amounts to more than a LEED-certification label or biodegradable bamboo straws. Check-ins happen while seated on boldly patterned benches made out of recycled terrazzo and include a shot of ginger-turmeric jamu, a local throat-scorching anti-inflammatory drink, Tanaman, a plant-based fine-dining spot, serves ‘root-to-fruit’ tasting menus with little-used local ingredients like brined papaya seeds and pickled wood ear mushrooms. And the rammed-earth walls and furnishings made from volcanic glass and recycled plastic bottle caps by the designer Max Lamb only further underscore the hotel's mantra: “Good Times, Do Good.”
Lost Lindenberg
Two hours east from Canggu's perennial scooter crush, Lost Lindenberg, a new surf-centric retreat in Pekutatan, is like tumbling down a whimsical Balinese rabbit hole. Assuming you make it past the hotel’s entrance, which is hidden behind an eye-popping, neon work by Frankfurt-based artist Tobias Rehberger. From there, the property unfurls like a neatly manicured jungle of swaying ferns, volcanic rock, and hand-carved wooden pillars inscribed with poetry by Artur Becker. The vibe here is actual surfer-cool without the tired tropes. The hotel's straight-lined wooden suites are balanced on stilts and come furnished with arty details like ceramics by Bali-based Studio Jencquel and framed abstract works by local photographers on the walls. The restaurant is centered around a single communal dining table and forgoes typical south-Bali fare like smoothie bowls and avocado toast for vegetarian dishes inspired by recipes from West Java to South Sulawesi, like spicy sambals and vegan pepes, spiced mushrooms and vegetables wrapped in banana leaf.
Where to Eat and Drink
Club Soda
Hidden in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it walk-up just off Berawa's main drag, Club Soda bills itself as a “postmodern happiness portal.” An offshoot of Locavore, a trailblazing Indonesian restaurant in Ubud, this narrow, dimly-lit hangout serves innovative cocktails with house-fermented ingredients, such as gin with betel leaf and homemade vermouth or whiskey with fermented banana. Dishes combine local ingredients with East-Asian influences, like chicken heart yakitori with dried fruit sriracha and baby cabbage with miso vinaigrette. Everything is prepared on a kushiyaki grill behind the bar, but the portions are quite small, so go ahead and order half the menu. The eggplant puree with mushroom XO sauce and candied peanuts is a must.
FED by Made
This year’s opening of FED by Made, an Australian-inspired restaurant run by a young-gun group of Bali-born, Melbourne-trained chefs, marks the return of Seminyak as south Bali's most-hyped hangout. FED's five-course menus meld unfussy modern Down-Under cuisine with Balinese produce, so expect the unexpected, such as smoked jackfruit dip or pork chop with green sambal. The reservation-only spot is only open on Fridays to Sundays, however, and menus switch up every two to three weeks.
