The Secrets of Bali After Dark
Playboy divulges where to find the Indonesian island's hidden nightlife
A few seemingly wrong turns lead me down a dirt road as the sun sets over the Balinese rice paddies on the south coast. I follow the narrow path until just before one of Canggu’s famous short cuts. If two cars are trying to pass at the same time, there’s a pretty good chance one of them will end up in the paddy.
To my left, I see a bar, a homestay and my destination: a tiny mini-mart. Marked by a cartoon-ish cat in between the words "Black Cat Mini Mart," I walk inside—past the Pringles, the bread and the eggs—to three refrigerators in the back. One of them has a handwritten sign reading “Broken” taped to the front. I pull the loose lever, and the door opens. What is in front of me is not deli meats or vegetables, but an expansive, dimly lit bar. Black Cat Mini Mart is one speakeasy in the growing trend of secret bars across the island. Primarily in the tourist-heavy and hip areas of Seminyak and Canggu, there is no shortage of places to party or drugs to buy.
Regardless, it is one of Bali’s most unique speakeasy bars is still relatively unknown, as I am one of just a few in for pre-dinner drinks. The bar is lit by chandeliers and a neon wall sign of a fox cheekily pouring out a glass of wine. There are booths to one side and a bar to the other, with a space for a DJ and a backyard smoking area with a peaceful view of one of Canggu’s remaining rice paddies. The menu here is quirky with Quentin Tarantino-inspired cocktails including Kill Bill, an espresso martini and Cucumber Tarantino, vodka with cucumber, lime, soda water, basil and simple syrup. Each cocktail only costs Rp80,000 or about $5.60. The bathroom is marked by a clever neon light "Peep Show" sign with the last "P" burnt out.
Regardless, it is one of Bali’s most unique speakeasy bars is still relatively unknown, as I am one of just a few in for pre-dinner drinks. The bar is lit by chandeliers and a neon wall sign of a fox cheekily pouring out a glass of wine. There are booths to one side and a bar to the other, with a space for a DJ and a backyard smoking area with a peaceful view of one of Canggu’s remaining rice paddies. The menu here is quirky with Quentin Tarantino-inspired cocktails including Kill Bill, an espresso martini and Cucumber Tarantino, vodka with cucumber, lime, soda water, basil and simple syrup. Each cocktail only costs Rp80,000 or about $5.60. The bathroom is marked by a clever neon light "Peep Show" sign with the last "P" burnt out.
The options for where to eat, drink and party, are at times overwhelming. Chic restaurants, bars and Instagrammable cafe’s line nearly every street of this tropical paradise. Only in the past few years have speakeasies started to pop up.The “king of Bali speakeasies” is Shah Dillon. His secret bar, 40Thieves is not so secret anymore, it's one of the most popular bars in Seminyak, period. This New York-style spot will be moving locations on March 30th and doubling in size for a mid-May reopen, just in time for peak season.
Classic American oldies play as the customers sing along to Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp while sipping on dirty martinis and creative cocktails like the Thai Whore Smash.
Dillon refers to Baker Street Social, Bali’s first speakeasy, as his “forgotten child.” Opened in December 2015, he left the bar six months after it opened following a disagreement with his business partners. It’s still in operation in a side entrance door on the second floor of an Indian restaurant. The specialty cocktail bar is a cozy, hipster hole in the wall for serious alcohol connoisseurs. There’s no menu here; the amiable and skilled barmen will ask your base alcohol and what kind of flavors you like. From there, they’ll create a custom cocktail with a beautiful presentation.
Dillon went on to open 40Thieves down the street above his ramen restaurant. Walking past patrons slurping up noodles, I spotted a Japanese-style curtain to my left. I walked through and up a flight of concrete stairs through an old wooden door and into a narrow, sophisticated bar. Plush leather stools lined the fully-stocked bar and parallel wall. In the back, there were cushy leather couches with tables and a place for the DJ. The bar pays homage to classic Americana with glamor shots of Marilyn Monroe, old pictures of milkmen and members of the armed forces lining the walls. They’re’s even a portrait of Abraham Lincoln. Classic American oldies play as the customers sing along to Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp while sipping on dirty martinis and creative cocktails like the Thai Whore Smash.
Dillon went on to open 40Thieves down the street above his ramen restaurant. Walking past patrons slurping up noodles, I spotted a Japanese-style curtain to my left. I walked through and up a flight of concrete stairs through an old wooden door and into a narrow, sophisticated bar. Plush leather stools lined the fully-stocked bar and parallel wall. In the back, there were cushy leather couches with tables and a place for the DJ. The bar pays homage to classic Americana with glamor shots of Marilyn Monroe, old pictures of milkmen and members of the armed forces lining the walls. They’re’s even a portrait of Abraham Lincoln. Classic American oldies play as the customers sing along to Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp while sipping on dirty martinis and creative cocktails like the Thai Whore Smash.
Like many bars and restaurants in Bali, smoking indoors is allowed, and cigars are for sale here. Due to its location in the more sophisticated tourist area, cocktails here cost between 95,000 rupiah and 130,000 rupiah or between $6.60 and $9.10. It's still a bargain compared to the speakeasies in New York and LA. Dillon’s second baby is El Nacional, a two-minute walk down the road through the emergency exit of his yakitori and sushi restaurant. “El Nacional is focused on fine rums and cigars. At the moment we house the largest selection of rum in Asia with over 250 bottles. We’re looking to grow that to 300 bottles by later this year,” says Dillon.
Argentina is Full of Delectable Secrets
Step inside Argentina's underground closed-door restaurants.
Getting top-shelf liquor, however, can be difficult and extremely costly in Indonesia due to high taxes. It’s not an easy place to run a standout cocktail menu, but Dillon places that above all else.“The beverage program is really important because that is what the consumers are paying for, the drinks. It's known globally that if you pride yourself as a "speakeasy" it has to be backed up with a strong cocktail & beverage program,” says Dillon. “It's like having Gordon Ramsay walking into my Italian restaurant, and I’m serving him bolognese from a can. I'll probably get a bollocking and be known as a poser.”
At the same time, sky-high bar prices means Dillon are able to get creative. Some bartenders forage for new ingredients from area farmers. At standout cocktail bar Bikini, for instance, the team handcrafts all their syrups from local ingredients like dragonfruit and goji berries to create a Balinese twist on their drink menu.It's the kind of ingenuity that has captured the attention of people like Bali’s most famous celebrity street food chef Will Meyrick, who just opened his sixth restaurant Billy Ho, expanding Bali’s ever-growing cocktail and food scene. He names 40Theives and El Nacional among his favorite speakeasy bars in Bali. “Its really growing right now, more and more people are getting more educated and aware on what they want and need and Bali become a perfect space for this scene. I can see that Bali will become a destination for bar and cocktail enthusiast, not just for travel,” says Meyrick.
At the same time, sky-high bar prices means Dillon are able to get creative. Some bartenders forage for new ingredients from area farmers. At standout cocktail bar Bikini, for instance, the team handcrafts all their syrups from local ingredients like dragonfruit and goji berries to create a Balinese twist on their drink menu.It's the kind of ingenuity that has captured the attention of people like Bali’s most famous celebrity street food chef Will Meyrick, who just opened his sixth restaurant Billy Ho, expanding Bali’s ever-growing cocktail and food scene. He names 40Theives and El Nacional among his favorite speakeasy bars in Bali. “Its really growing right now, more and more people are getting more educated and aware on what they want and need and Bali become a perfect space for this scene. I can see that Bali will become a destination for bar and cocktail enthusiast, not just for travel,” says Meyrick.
Eight Degree Projects Founder Adam McAsey is responsible for some of the areas most well-known eateries and bars including Bikini, Sisterfields, BOSS MAN, and Sibling Espresso. This year he’s joining the speakeasy trend with a hidden bar attached to his new Asian-themed restaurant.“Guests and tourists here in Bali are now looking for a unique experience, an intimate interaction with the bartender, with hand-crafted cocktails. It’s about a more personal and exclusive experience in a secret or hidden location which feels more VIP and special,” says Arey Barker, head mixologist behind 8 Degrees Projects. “It’s no longer just about sunsets and beach clubs, Bali tourists now are wanting a more sophisticated bar scene.”
