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With many fine-dining establishments becoming mainstays in Seminyak in Bali, Santanera aims to bring a high-quality restaurant into the heart of Canggu – without losing the relaxed atmosphere of the area.
Over the past couple of years, Canggu – a coastal village in Bali that lies roughly 10 kilometers north of Kuta – has enjoyed growing popularity among surfers, digital nomads and tourists alike.
Unlike Seminyak – famous for luxury spas and hotels as well as fancy restaurants such as Mama San, Canggu is well-known for its laid-back atmosphere and beach activities. While hanging out in Seminyak is widely considered a glamorous choice, Canggu offers a more chilled vibe.
With that being said, there are not many places in Canggu where people can go in their best attire without sticking out like a sore thumb.
Enter Santanera.
From the outside, the three-story contemporary restaurant looks like a glasshouse. Inside, one can see charmingly arranged dining tables with a spiral staircase leading to a second-floor mezzanine that presents a private dining room. The restaurant – which opened to the public on Nov. 18 – also plans to open up a lush rooftop for events. The whole establishment seats 140 people.
When The Jakarta Post visited Santanera during its first week of opening, the restaurant was filled with locals and foreigners alike. There were several tables for four and it was easy to imagine the ladies from Real Housewives sitting there and letting their hair down (while looking fabulous at the same time).
Several fit-looking guys covered with tattoos with black shirts sat next to us with their dates – still looking stylish despite looking quite tough. There were also ladies with their evening gowns hobnobbing – as well as artsy-looking guests and hipsters alike enjoying their cocktails.
Mix of taste: Santanera aims to bring a mixture of top-notch Latin American flavors, European influences and local ingredients. (Courtesy of Santanera) (Personal archive/Courtesy of Santanera)
The artwork that decorated the backdrops of Santanera was particularly impressive. Working alongside local tattoo artist Due Hatue – a fixture among Canggu visitors and residents – one of Santanera’s owners Julien Cabrol designed Santanera to balance style and cozy environment. The dining room is also filled with plants to add to the relaxed atmosphere.
For the menu, two gastronomic experts from Colombia – Andres Becerra and German Rincon – masterminded the kitchen. They collectively decided to merge the classic Latin American taste with European and Asian flavors. As a result, Santanera combines Latin American flavors with European influences as well as local ingredients into the restaurant.
The highlights of the menu during the Post’s visit included slow-cooked beef skewers that can either be eaten like satay or put it on rice arepas and munched taco-style, as well as yellowfin tuna tartelette – crunchy and melt in the mouth. For the main course – the recommendation is the pork tomahawk with cauliflower puree that is soft and sweet at the same time. The dessert menu is not disappointing – compressed watermelon with strawberry and crunched white chocolate that is both sour and sweet.
For a restaurant with such an atmosphere, the menu is not crazy expensive – ranging from Rp 70,000 (US$5) to Rp 490,000 for appetizers and main dishes and around Rp 120,000 for cocktails.
Santanera was fully booked upon opening, probably because it is the new place in town. However, it is not without challenges.
The service was quite slow during our visit, and of all the waiters only one was knowledgeable enough to explain the menu to us. It is important that restaurant servers have product knowledge and are able to provide high-quality and fast-service despite busy hours.
It will be interesting to see how Santanera fares in the future. But for now, it seems like it is in it for the long run.
“Certainly, Canggu needs more [places like] this – if you think of it,” said 30-year-old Cabrol.
Challenges
Cabrol revealed to the Post in an interview that his business partners and he initially planned to wait to launch the restaurant as a result of uncertainties amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was not until a colleague informed them that there was a piece of land in the heart of Canggu that was quite affordable.
“We were like ‘Okay, this is really good. Maybe this opportunity will not come again’”, said Cabrol, adding that it was difficult to find a good spot in Canggu nowadays at a reasonable price. 
High-quality: Santanera aims to combine high-quality service with style and a relaxed ambience. (Courtesy of Santanera) (Personal archive/Courtesy of Santanera)
For months, Cabrol led the project mostly by himself while the rest of the team members – most of them in Europe and Australia – prepared to move to Bali.
Santanera was initially scheduled to open in June this year, but due to the public activity restrictions (PPKM), Cabrol conceded that they experienced many delays, especially in delivering materials from outside Bali. In the end, Cabrol thought it was for the best.
“If we opened in June, there would have been PPKM […] and then [we would probably be] in a bad situation,” he said.
Cabrol said his team was also surprised by all of the help and advice that they received from other restaurants – many of them would be their competitors.
“We’re super thankful for that,” he said.
Commenting on Santanera’s stylish-yet-cozy atmosphere, Cabrol said it was their vision from the beginning – a high-quality atmosphere that is still cozy and accessible.
“We want to bring the highest level, so it’s a great place for you also to bring your best outfit. If you’re covered in tattoos and you look a little bit grunge, it’s also a place you can come. We don’t want only people in tuxedos. It’s a mix of everything,” said Cabrol.
There are limits, however.
“If you’re wearing flip flops and swim shorts, unfortunately, we would prefer that you get changed first,” he said.
Starting from IDR 55,500/month
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