The restaurant’s pastry section. (Photo courtesy of Charlie Bar & Kitchen)
On the ever-growing and popular Jalan Petitenget in Seminyak, Bali, a new restaurant and bar has been making waves recently. Charlie Bar & Kitchen, which opened its doors a few months ago, is definitely eye-catching in terms of design: the space resembles an eclectic private mansion, and yet welcomes tourists and visitors to step in to have a meal or a drink or two at the bar.
The ground floor houses a bistro and bakery, radiating a laid-back and relaxed atmosphere, while the upstairs is reserved for a bar lounge, that usually gets crowded during the night, when DJs and musicians step into the spotlight to entertain the guests.
Charlie Bar & Kitchen is somewhat shrouded in mystery: the myth goes that it is owned by a eccentric man named Charlie, a philanthropist and bon-vivant who is constantly traveling the world and therefore hardly around.
In reality, of course, the venue is owned by an international collective of designers and artists.
“We are four partners, all very different, thus complementing each other,” said Julia Saunina, one of the owners. “Ivan is a former football hooligan, who in his early twenties was at the helm of one of the largest football fan associations in Russia. Sergey is a bartender-cum-restaurateur with almost 20 years of experience in the industry despite his young age. Joe is a DJ by calling, with an MBA and marketing career back in Europe.”
Similarly to Joe, Julia decided to leave behind a successful career in corporate marketing in order to pursue her entrepreneurial aspirations. What brought the three Russians and the Englishman together, she added, was the ambition to create something different.
“All of us are quite young, and we want to work, create and go big,” Julia said with a smile. “Therefore, here in Bali, all of us had entrepreneurial aspirations, and at some point they developed into an idea of a venue like Charlie, a place which is more than just a bar or a restaurant, but the kind of venue that all of us were missing — a home away from home for global travelers like ourselves.”
While the food — classic dishes from all over the world, served with a gourmet twist, yet still affordable — is prepared by executive chef Meidy Zuhri, who has worked in France and Dubai, the bread and pastry is the responsibility of chef Putu Sukanuaba, who used to be the head baker for the ruling monarch of Dubai before coming back to his home country.
“We have it all from simple pasta dishes to more sophisticated sous-vide meats to exquisite signature desserts,” Julia said.
The dishes served in the restaurant are as important as the drinks that can be found on the menu. To guarantee a high quality of the cocktails, the team behind Charlie engaged a mixologist.
“Most of our cocktails were created by Carson Quinn [a Jakarta-based cocktail mixer] especially for Charlie,” Julia said. “All come with no sugar added, using fresh ingredients where possible.”
Among the customers’ favorites are the Mountain Salted Pomelo, a gin-based cocktail with muddled fresh pomelo, lemon, home-made sorbet and mint; Charlie’s Old Fashioned with homemade rosella syrup served with a crystal-clear ice block; and Naga Fizz, which is served with dragonfruit-infused gin and homemade rose petal syrup.
“Our Saturday Bloody Mary menu also deserves a special mention,” Julia said. “We serve six different Marys, from Japanese with shochu to Italian with a touch of Chianti, each with its own gourmet canape on the side.”
Of course, opening a new restaurant and bar in Bali is always a gamble, given the strong competition that has only grown more fierce in recent years. But business has been very satisfying so far, and Julia said she was confident Charlie would have no trouble standing on its own. The secret, she revealed, lies in its appeal to attract a big variety of customers.
“Charlie is a place where you can pop into for a loaf of gourmet bread and a great takeaway coffee in the morning,” she said. “It is a place where you can come and work a bit, taking advantage of our super-fast Internet. One can come alone and eat at the bar, or with a bunch of friends and lounge on the sofas. One can eat, drink, enjoy the music, at times even dance.”
As the day progresses, she added, the lighting changes and with it the mood and the dynamics, as if the place is following the rhythm of its guests.
“Charlie is more than a bar or restaurant,” Julia said. “It’s a lifestyle venue.”
Charlie Bar & Kitchen
Jalan Petitenget 5Seminyak, Baliwww.charliebali.com
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