The Balinese take their coffee very seriously, and so do Aussies. These Aussie owned coffee shops in Bali serve the best coffee.
Bali, Indonesia, also known as the “Island of the Gods” is known for being the ideal tropical summer destination for millions of Aussies. According to the Financial Times Review, the Indonesian government hopes to see 1.4 million Australians return to Bali by the end of 2022.
International travellers, (most especially) particularly Australians, are drawn to the island’s dreamy natural beauty, beautiful temples, white sand beaches and verdant rice fields – all of which radiate the utmost sense of calmness, peace and serenity like no other.
This is why Bali is the perfect place for Aussies to relax and take in the most exquisite views while doing one of the things they love most – drinking coffee.
With the build-up of tourists, Bali has established a vibrant coffee scene, especially as Indonesia is quickly growing to become Asia’s coffee capital. Australian entrepreneurs are finding creative ways to bring their love and expertise with coffee to the Balinese scene.
The province features cute spots to grab a coffee made with local beans, and most have been started by Aussies. Coffee is a crucial part of a typical Aussie’s day-to-day routine. Research shows that three in four Australians devour at least one cup of coffee per day. With the growing presence of Aussie owned coffee shops in Bali, there is no need to break out of your early morning coffee routine.
If you’re missing home, or simply want to satiate your caffeine cravings with a dose of high-quality coffee, here are 5 Aussie owned coffee shops in Bali you must add to your itinerary.
Side note, the coffees in Bali are mostly cheaper too.
Expat Roasters
For Bali first-timers
Expat Roasters initially started as a passion by award-winning head barista, Shae Macnamara and his family. The Macnamara family are originally from Sydney Australia, but they returned to Bali when they realised that there was a gap in the market for a wholesale coffee roasting business. Thus, in 2016, Expat Roasters was born.
Expat Roasters’ brand ethos is to foster the burgeoning coffee and barista community of Indonesia by introducing the culture of making good brew, which is why they also distribute their beans to other coffee shops in Bali. This is a genuinely Aussie owned coffee shop with great coffee in Bali.
With this in mind, Expat Roasters works closely and respectfully with Balinese farmers and producers to acquire the best, local products to make up their coffee collection.
After taking one sip of Expat’s coffee, you’ll experience a whirlwind of rich coffee flavours. The coffee is made from the finest quality of beans, so it goes down very smoothly. Most popular in Indonesia is their ‘Patria blend’, which consists of 100% Indonesian beans.
The interior and atmosphere of the coffee shop are urban-esque yet cozy. It’s open every day from 7am to 5pm, where you can also grab a sweet treat in addition to other coffee products and accessories.
KYND Community
For Instagram foodie bloggers
KYND opened up in 2017, next to the L Hotel in Seminyak, and was founded by Lauren Camilleri and Corryn Queenan.
Their goal was to open a 20-seat vegan cafe in Bali to encourage healthy eating by showing how vegan meals can also be exciting and delicious. Their number one, overarching mission is to spread Kyndness.
While their speciality is offering delectable guilt-free, plant-based dishes, KYND offers amazing coffee too. Plus, they’re open from 7:30am to 10:00pm so you can get your coffee-fix any time of the day, with any meal.
If you scroll through their Instagram, you’ll notice a pretty pink aesthetic. That’s because they have an insta-famous pink mural you can snap a picture with on the way out. With accents of neon and tropical decor, the cafe exudes all-around good vibes.
If you can’t get enough of KYND’s vibe, you can also pop into their sister cafe, GIVE Cafe, in Canggu, which functions as a 100% not-for-profit entity that works with charities in Indonesia.
Seniman Coffee Studio
For working wanderers
Seniman Coffee Studio lies at the heart of Ubud, which has been deemed the cultural capital of Bali. Seniman translates to ‘artist’ in Indonesian, and this is emanated through innovative furniture and glassware, which can also be purchased at the cafe.
Australian owners, David Sullivan and Rodney Glick designed a contemporary space devoted to providing its clientele with speciality organic coffee. Seniman’s coffee menu is creative and vast; it is designed as a flowchart to ensure that every person’s caffeine needs and preferences are met. Customers can choose from light, medium and dark roasts, with the flowchart explaining what these flavours are and how intense they are when roasted together.
Kadek Edi – Head roster (left)
Seniman is the ideal place to relax in the air-conditioning with your coffee while overlooking the flow of traffic and appreciating the Balinese way of life. Conversely, it’s also perfect for catching up on some work due to the lively yet soothing aura of the cafe.
The company provides beans and solutions to independent cafes, restaurants, hotels and domestic coffee distributors. You can even order from their website if you’re living abroad and don’t want to miss out.
Revolver Espresso
For the laid-back
Described as having a ‘Bondi meets Bali’ energy, Revolver Espresso is one of Bali’s OG speciality coffee spots and Aussie owned.
Founder, Katie Allan, came to Bali with her dad and brother for a surf trip in 2002, when she was just 20 years old. She would spend a few months in Bali each year, training for the World Surf League’s World Qualifying Series. She was injured, leaving her unable to surf competitively, and it was then she realised that she had deeply missed good old-fashioned Aussie coffee.
Inspired by the Balinese lifestyle, and in combination with her laid-back, hipster style, Allan set up Revolver Espresso in 2012 which only sat 30 individuals at a time. Now, the space houses 150 patrons.
Allan doesn’t keep her blend a secret; the beans are 40% Colombian, 40% Guatemalan and 20% Papua New Guinean. She told Indonesia Expat that the trick is to use the blend on the right day. For instance, she says that between day nine and fourteen is when the coffee beans are at their prime.
The cafe interlaces a warehouse-like interior with a touch of boho, so just when you feel like you’re in a New York cafe, you quickly remember that you’re actually in paradise.
Matcha Cafe Bali
For caffeine quitters/matcha aficionados
If you’re more of a matcha fan, check out Matcha Cafe Bali.
It’s a warm neighbourhood cafe that meshes Mediterranean and Balinese cultures, thanks to the founder, Matteo Larghi, who established the cafe in 2017.
Larghi was born in Italy, where he worked as a graphic and website designer. He yearned to see the world so he ventured off to Australia to live and work. In 2006, he visited Japan, where he first experienced the magic of matcha, recognising its wonderful health benefits and unique taste.
He decided to make further positive changes in his life – he practised yoga, took a year off on a sabbatical, and spent more time in nature. He travelled all over Asia, only to realise that Bali was the place that truly captured his heart.
Matcha Cafe Bali uses premium matcha sourced from the Uji hills in Kyoto, Japan. It has been farmed and grown from the way that it was 800 years ago. You’ll find that the matcha powder is an extremely vibrant green, which means that it is of supreme quality. The matcha blends in so seamlessly, that you’ll find no lumpy bits – all avid matcha drinkers know, finding clumpy matcha powder in your food or beverage is a crime.
The atmosphere is clean yet super homey, integrating tones of brown, beige and green. The menu consists of scrumptious salads and burgers, and they obviously have a wide coffee selection featuring classic flavours, so if one day you’re in need of a stronger caffeine kick the option of a cappuccino or espresso is there and ready.
If you haven’t tried matcha before, just note that the Japanese are among the healthiest and oldest living humans on earth. Perhaps you should give it a go.
To book a fantastic Bali getaway, click here for Renae’s favourite travel agent.
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