As a fine representation of style and luxury on the island of Bali, Seminyak has its fair share of lavish hotels, villas, and eateries.
But where do the hipsters, surfers, and young crowd on a budget hang out in search of a more chilled-out vibe? Luckily, Seminyak has that covered too. With several low-key, yet trendy beach bars with uber-cool seating, you’ll be immersed in all of the fun Seminyak offers without breaking the bank.
Although there are about half a dozen or so bars and café options that line the beaches of Seminyak, ‘La Plancha’, the popular Spanish bar on Mesari Beach, truly stands out from the rest. This is precisely why this spot is a perfect choice to whip out that camera phone and take as many selfies as your heart desires. No filter is necessary.
La Plancha easily catches your eye thanks to its brightly coloured two-level structure and dozens of comfy, colourful beanbags with mini-tables. The iconic Balinese-style parasols come in an array of vivid shades that light up the beach during the day, whereas the twinkling lights underneath the umbrellas create that perfect ambience as the sunsets. On the deck upstairs there is an unbelievable view of the beach and rolling surf with Moroccan-style lanterns to add some spice to the mix.
La Plancha is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s a perfect resting spot for morning beach strolls or during a break from surfing the waves and a prime setting to witness a sunset. La Plancha translates to ‘the grill’, so the food options here are Spanish flavours with barbequed selections. The drinks are reasonably priced when compared to other eateries in Seminyak. As expected, the mojitos are to-die-for, as are the sangrias. While you munch on your food and sip your drinks, you will probably end up buying more unnecessary (but oh-so-beautiful) sarongs and other novelty items for sale by the friendly beach vendors.
Unlike the bars on either side, La Plancha has live DJs that spin dance, reggae, and chill-out beats that mark the spot for holiday tunes. It’s a great alternative to the neighbouring choices of beach bars that blare live and whiny song covers, which only dull up the liveliness of the Seminyak party scene. As the night comes to an end, the umbrellas are folded and the bean bags are dragged away by the staff, all tucked away for the next day. It really is a fantastic cafe in a great beachfront Seminyak location.
If you find yourself in Seminyak, be sure to check out La Plancha during your search for that perfect beach resting spot. Don’t miss a sunset here, you won’t regret it!
La Plancha Bali
Hours: 08:00 – 01:00
Location: Mesari Beach, Jalan Dhyana Pura, Seminyak
Contact: +62 (0)878 614 163 10
Steven is a die-hard Bali island addict and committed surfie. When he's not writing or taking videos of the latest restaurants or cool places, he's at Echo Beach surfing or riding his scooter around Seminyak, Berawa or Canggu. Steve is part of the Bali Villa Escapes marketing team and has been living in and out of Bali for the last 15 years.
