Seminyak nightlife has a bit of everything to offer no matter how chilled or luxury you want to go or what type of music you’re into.

Seminyak used to be seen as the posh cousin of Kuta, still filled with Australians, but rather than them being 17-year-old Aussie kids on schoolies, or bogans in Bintang shirts, it was filled with the more well-to-do Australians who wanted to get dressed up on their holidays and wear a nice outfit each night.

It’s also where a lot of backpackers used to come before Canggu started taking over the world (by which I mean island obviously!!!)

But Seminyak’s still got a load of great nightlife. Don’t discount it yet. I always stay in Seminyak and I’ve been knocking about Bali for a long time now.

When I wrote about Canggu nightlife I went by days of the week as that’s how the bars and clubs work there. But in Seminyak, most places are busy no matter the night. Well, that is apart from the first place I’m going to write about of course 🙄.

 

La Plancha

La Plancha is located just along the beach in Seminyak. If you head to the end of Jalan Arjuna, or what they’ve more sensibly been renamed as Double 6 street now, and go straight onto the beach there are two options as to the type of beach bars you’ll hit.

On your left, there are all the locals renting out surfboards and deck chairs from plastic seats underneath umbrellas (some have one or two beanbags but not a lot). If your idea of nightlife starts pre-sunset and you’re on a budget (or maybe just would quite like to actually interact with some people from the country you’re in) going there for a sunset beer is your best bet.

That’s all you’re going to be able to get though; a Bintang (25,000-30,000 IDR), fizzy drink (10,000-20,000 IDR) and a Smirnoff ice at a push if you’re really unlucky.

Turn right instead and you’ll see bar after bar along the beach with beanbags in front. La Plancha is about halfway along and the most popular one of this strip of beach bars.

There will be more options of drinks at these beach bars than if you were to join the guys at the surf rental on your left but the prices will, of course, be more too.

The bars are beautiful. I never tire of looking at all the cute umbrellas and beanbags as the sunsets. I mean really….

There is live music at most of these bars although some of it can get a bit obnoxious therefore it’s advisable to sit away from the speakers just in case.

La Plancha also sometimes has events on a Wednesday which can be very popular. The other bars become dead just after sunset so I wouldn’t plan your whole night around hanging out in them. Most people stay at them for a couple of drinks post-beach for sunset then head home to shower and go out for cheap eats or pizza in Seminyak or just more drinks away from the beach.

La Plancha is also one of the best places for New Year’s Eve if you ever happen to be in Bali for then.

 

Cocoon Beach Bar

Like La Plancha, Cocoon Beach Bar is better for a Sunset drink than your whole night unless they have an event on.

 

It’s not got the best view of all the places that call themselves “beach clubs” in Bali but there’s also no minimum spend to sit on the loungers by the pool and during happy hour (from 5pm- 7pm) buckets of Bintang work out at the same cost per beer you’d pay on the beach at one of the surf rentals places.

Can’t really complain about that.

 

Double-Six Rooftop Sunset Bar

Double Six Hotel is just next to Cocoon and for a while, they’ve been running a promo where it’s 50% off drinks on Thursdays from 4pm – 11pm. I can only apologize if that promo has stopped by the time you read this.

The view from the sunset bar at Double Six Hotel is magnificent and one of the best you’ll find in the area. It almost looks like something you’d find down in Uluwatu.

Like the two suggestions above, don’t bank your whole evening on this one though, you’re going to want to move on.

 

40 Thieves

If you’re feeling some speakeasy vibes and good cocktails to get your evening started head to 40 Thieves on Petitenget. Located above Mad Ronin, the ramen and craft beer place in Seminyak, the bar has amazing cocktails.

They also have frequent jazz nights and a happy hour from 10pm-12am every evening.

 

El Nacional – Rum Bar

After wine, rum is my favorite drink and I haven’t been here yet. Go for me, tell me how it is. I NEED TO KNOW.

El Nacional has the largest collection of rum in Indonesia, with over 200 bottles and counting.

You can find it above Mad Sparrow on Petitenget.

 

Baker Street Social

Like 40 Thieves, Baker Street Social is another speakeasy with delicious cocktails and soothing music to get your night started in the right way.

This one’s located above Shearlock Barbershop & Coffee on Petitenget. All 3 of these bars are located close enough to each other you could always do a little bar hopping between them.

 

Motel Mexicola

I said hotel, motel, holiday Innnnnnnnn.

No just me?

Fine

Motel Mexicola is one of my favorite places to go out in Seminyak.

You’d think it would play reggaeton, and whilst there was quite a large part of me that was disappointed it doesn’t play my favorite booty-shaking music, it does bust out the old skool cheesy choooooons.

The owners also walk round at two points every evening just pouring tequila into peoples’ mouths and the décor there really is beautiful.

It’s the type of place where people get drunk and dance on tables and no one cares.

And you know what, I’m here for that.

Their Cinco De Mayo Party is one of the best on the island if you happen to be in Bali for then too.

 

Potato Head Beach Club

Potato Head is one of the most well-known beach clubs in Bali and one of the longest-standing ones.

The building is cool, the cocktails are cool, the clientele are cool and their infinity pool is cool.

Most backpackers I met when I first got to Bali went to Potato Head for sunset at least at some point and sucked up the 500,000 IDR minimum spend for a single day bed, which really wouldn’t be hard to reach anyway, even though they were traveling on a budget.

They also have cabanas with a minimum spend of 800,000 IDR but that would be split between however many of you rent the cabana rather than per person.

On a normal day Potato Head is great for cocktails and in the bar areas there isn’t even a minimum spend. Get there early at about 4pm and you’ll easily be able to find yourself a good table to sit at for sunset.

Potato head also has a lot of famous DJs that play there. It’s not my type of music (mostly house) but other people go nuts for that shiz so I assume it’s good?!?

I’ve even been there on one of those cooler nights, even thought let’s face it I should have really just been in Old Man’s in Canggu, and despite the far too cool music it was good fun and packed.

 

Mixwell

Mixwell it the most well known gay bar in Bali and if you fancy an utterly fabulous night with performances throughout the night, or if you wanna pick up people of the same sex, this should be where you head.

 

La Favela

I both love and hate La Favela in Seminyak.

No guide to of Seminyak nightlife would be complete without it. They used to have a reputation for being a bit racist i.e. foreigners could go in wearing what they wanted but Indonesians would have to be wearing shoes and a shirt and show ID to prove their ages. My Indonesian friends never seemed bothered by this so I continued going and they have now, it seems gotten better and they just discriminate against all men!!!

Men now can’t enter wearing a singlet, which has also caused a lot of enterprising locals to stand outside selling plain t-shirts so no fear if you find yourself randomly outside on a night out wanting to go in but in a singlet. For 50,000 to 100,000 IDR you can buy yourself a very badly fitting t-shirt right there and you’ll be sorted.

Women, you can still do whatever the hell you want.

The music is fun in La Favela; there are 4 or 5 different bar and dance floor areas over 3 floors. They play pop, reggaeton, hip hop, and RnB. If you don’t like the music in one room just move rooms. It’s the most like a nightclub of the recommendations on this list in Seminyak.

The drinks are very expensive though and it gets very busy downstairs. If you need a bit of space, head up a floor as there’s usually plenty of space on the floors above.

Given the price my friends and I, being the cheap travelers we are, used to always go across the road to the Coco Mart before going in. There we’d be able to buy a few cheap drinks to have on their steps and tables before heading into La Favela (it’s Asia, marts have seating inside and out!).

If you lose your friends in La Favela don’t expect to ever find them again. It’s not possible; it’s too big and too busy.

You just need to make new friends now.

 

You know I was going to include Red Carpet and Frankensteins in this too and then I thought I’d just save you. Red Carpet is very clearly trying to be fancy (It’s opposite La Favela so you can poke your head in and see for yourself) and Frankensteins is kind of more of a quirky theme bar. There’s a show every night and it’s great if your kids want some face paint or it’s Halloween. Less so if you want an actual fun night out in Seminyak with your friends.

 

Got any other places you’d recommend for Seminyak nightlife? Let me know in the comments below.