Potato Head Beach Club: How to make the best of your visit?
Fun, sunshine, luxury and a beautiful sunset
Fancy a day lying in the sun, followed by cocktails and some wood-fired freshly caught fish? How about letting your kids splash about in the sea or the infinity pool while you lie back and get your drinks and snacks delivered? Maybe you’d enjoy a club night with a world class DJ? Or maybe you just want to take in one of the best sunset views on the island, cocktail in hand?
Then head over to Potato Head Beach Club. Located right in the heart of Seminyak, Potato Head’s beachfront bar and restaurant, expansive emerald lawn and infinity pool lend themselves to a day lounging luxuriously in the sun. That’s not all it has to offer though: the Beach Club also boasts another three specialised restaurants and is home to a large number of live music and DJ events into the small hours.
Stunning architecture and a beachfront paradise
Potato Head impresses from the moment you walk in. Designed by world class Indonesian architect Andra Matin, your entrance takes you through a Colosseum like passage, through curved walls covered with mismatched 18th century shutters from all across Indonesia. This opens up onto the enormous beach front area. It features a 500 square metre lawn leading to an infinity pool with its swim up bar, and the main restaurant and bar areas. This is the heart of the beach club, the setting for lazing around all day, for viewing the sunset, for taking in live music and DJ sets, for cocktails and food. On top of this, there are another three separate, specialist restaurants.
A few basic notes about the beach club: it opens at 9am and stays open till 2 am – longer for events. There is no entrance fee, just a minimum spend if you want to use a day bed, and there is a very loose dress code. Casual beach wear is fine, but this is an upmarket venue, and most people make a little effort. The only hard and fast rule is no alcohol branded clothing, such as Bintang t-shirts. The vibe is chilled, and the service attentive and friendly: they’ll even provide you with power banks if your phone battery is dying. Smokers should note that there’s a recently implemented no smoking policy (except for two designated areas). Families with children are welcome – there’s a small children’s splash pool.
How to bag yourself a day bed
The heart of Potato Head is the beachfront area, with its bar and restaurant, lawns and infinity pool. The most luxurious way to laze away the time here is to hire a day bed and lie around as waiters bring you fresh cocktails. Before you do that, however, there are a few things you need to know about hiring a day bed. Firstly, day beds incur a minimum spend. At the time of writing, this was IDR 1million, which is about AUD95, €63 or US$68. It’s not cheap, but you don’t come here for cheap, you come here for glamour. And if you spend a few hours here, drink a few cocktails and eat, you’ll have no problem meeting that minimum spend. Secondly, day beds are in very high demand. In the peak season, it’s best to arrive as early as possible. Potato Head opens at 9, and we recommend you get here right when it opens.
If you miss the day beds, you’ll go onto a waiting list. In the meantime, don’t despair – take a seat at the bar, or drop your bags in one of the lockers provided, and jump in the infinity pool without any worries.
How to enjoy the best sunset view in town
Perhaps the most popular time to visit Potato Head is for sunset, to catch the renowned views across the Indian Ocean. Try to get a seat in Potato Head Lounge, the central bar/restaurant area, so you can enjoy sundown with a cocktail. Your best chance to beat the crowds is to arrive about 2 hours before sunset. Your other option is to reserve a table in one of the restaurants.
Potato Head Lounge is a great place to while away the evening. The cocktail list here is impressive and full of theatre: we recommend the Volcano Agung, a rum, pineapple, honey and arak cocktail that comes in a smoking, bubbling bowl, or the Bali Island iced tea, served in smoking teapot. Like most places in Bali, the cocktails are much better value than the wine. If you want to eat here, the all day menu lends itself to most tastes, and includes sandwiches, burgers, and sharing plates. If you’re hungry, try the beer braised ribs or the steamed clams with lemongrass, chilli and ginger. Alternatively, treat yourself to a table in one of the complex’s specialist restaurants.
Where should you grab the best food?
If you don’t fancy eating at Potato Head Lounge, have a look at the other restaurants, which range from casual pizza (Pizza Garden) to authentic Indonesian fine dining (Kaum) to seafood with a zero waste policy (Ijen).
Kaum: Traditional Indonesian food, fine dining style
On the first floor by the beach, tucked away from the party atmosphere of the beach club, is Kaum, with its long communal tables and stunning sunset views. Kaum, which means “tribe”, celebrates Indonesia’s culinary traditions. The restaurant uses indigenous cooking methods, native ingredients and flavours, in locally made ceramic tableware. This is traditional food, elevated to fine dining style. We recommend the Nasi Goreng Cabe Asap, a beautiful version of this Indonesian favourite. Also, do try the Ayam Betutu Klungkung, a slow roasted baby chicken in Balinese spices, wrapped in a banana leaf.
Ijen: Eco-friendly and seriously delicious
Ijen is the latest addition to the Potato Head family, opening in September 2018. It’s an exciting concept: a zero waste restaurant with a minimal environmental impact. This carries through everything, from building materials, cooking technique, lighting, flooring, menus, and creative use of food waste. The focus is on fish, caught sustainably and cooked on an open wood fire with traditional spicing. We recommend you try whatever is on their daily specials menu. It’s freshly line caught and may be something you’ve never tried before. Sides are also interesting – try the roasted cauliflower with keluwek tahini, pickled tropical fruits and grilled bean salad.
What you need to know about live events and club nights
Potato Head isn’t just about the sun, the cocktails and the food – it’s also about the music. Come for one of the regular club nights, festivals or one off events. Sun Down Circle is a monthly club night featuring international and local DJs. Past acts include Hot Chip, Mr Scruff and Horse Meat Disco and its style is described as eclectically ambient. All Night Long is another regular event in the beach club’s intimate deck area, featuring visiting international artists. Potato Head Beach Club is also the regular host for the Ultra Beach Bali EDM festival and VICE birthday party weekenders. Not to forget also the fabulous NYE parties. To keep up to date with events, subscribe on Facebook and Instagram.
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