Thirsty for house-aged cocktails, million-dollar views and an award-winning repertoire? Head to Jati Bar at Four Seasons Resort at Sayan.
Sometimes, a simple drink merely won’t do. Sometimes, a special occasion or an unquenchable thirst for a trailblazing libation calls for something exceptional… something unforgettable. That’s where Jati Bar at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan steps in. Here, your top-quality tipple is paired with breathtaking jungle vistas, a global repertoire and an honourable nod to local culture – not to mention a trifecta of five-star dining destinations just footsteps away…
Oh yes fellow cocktail connoisseurs, you’ll want to roll out the superlatives for this one, because when it comes to refined wining and dining in Bali, Jati Bar is unparalleled. Award-winning and world-renowned, a drink at Jati Bar isn’t your typical sunset cocktail. It’s redefining your drinking rituals by presenting an elegant and open-air experience that surpasses all expectations…
And it begins the moment you step foot in Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, where you cross a dramatic treetop suspension bridge to come face-to-face with uninterrupted tropical jungle and sky-high lotus ponds. Wind down a wide teak wood spiral staircase – AKA the stairway to heaven – and that’s where the magic of Jati Bar begins to unfold…
Nature meets culture at Jati Bar
As progressive and innovative as Jati Bar is, its cultural island home has not been forgotten here. The breezy, open-air setting breathes in the jungle’s tropical lushness, teetering on the crest of a dazzling gorge and overlooking quintessential Bali: emerald green rice paddies, Ubud’s dense rainforest and the sacred Ayung River below.
This homage to Mother Bali is not lost in the menu either. Locally-sourced woods like coconut, bamboo and teak are used to barrel-age cocktails, while local artisan terracotta casks produce smooth, cohesive and complex flavours. This same terracotta is also used to slow-cook house-infused spirits and aromatic wines, honouring the traditional local ways of ageing spirits.
Even the cocktails themselves are representative of Bali’s natural landscapes, featuring locally-sourced produce and premium ingredients, many of which have been grown within Four Seasons’ very own on-site gardens. All of this, and that’s before we mention the team behind these concoctions…
Jati Bar’s conscious concoctions
Impressively so, Jati Bar’s menu is a melting pot of concepts, techniques and innovations – the collaborative work of the masterful Jati Bar mixologists, and Sufian Mahmoud, the zero-waste and culinary-led Head Bartender at Sundara Beach Club and Four Seasons Resort at Jimbaran Bay. A labour of love, collaboration and shared ideas, it’s the very best of both worlds, ensuring Four Seasons remains at the top of Bali’s bar game both in Jimbaran and in Ubud. And it shows…
Dedicated to minimising waste, the Jati Bar team honour Bali’s natural landscapes and local culture in more ways than one. They hand-pick botanicals, herbs and fruits from the resort’s gardens, and they work closely with like-minded local farmers and producers wherever possible.
The result? Innovative twists on cocktail classics, cleverly incorporating these homegrown ingredients and traditional techniques. We particularly love the barrel-aged cocktails that are designed to complement the bar’s sprawling teak wood interiors; a natural and earthy design that actually inspired Jati Bar’s name (‘jati’ means ‘teak’ in Indonesian).
Prop up the teak bar and try the Gin Martini – the first terracotta-aged Martini in Bali that undergoes a 42-day ageing process to give it an earthy twist on the classic. Or the Hanky Panky that revives a now-forgotten tradition of glass-ageing in Bali, made with gin, Fernet Branca and sweet vermouth. It’s a full-flavoured cocktail with a sweet edge, counterbalanced by a slightly bitter aftertaste.
And if you’re not into aged cocktails? Jati Bar’s menu is as bountiful as its blossoming surroundings, with classic and signature cocktails given a local twist (hello Pandan Colada!),alongside forgotten cocktails like the French 75 or Mint Julep, and of course, plenty of fine whiskeys, wines, digestif liqueurs and mocktails too.
The Jati Bar experience
It goes without saying that a tipple at Jati Bar will be one to remember, and like we said, it’s all about the experience here. Elegant, relaxed, and designed for lingering longer, Jati Bar is the perfect place for couples, families and friends to catch up over cocktails, and to continue on into the evening with award-winning cuisine and million-dollar views…
Come early to catch the golden glow of the afternoon sun as it dips down below a dense palm tree backdrop, and stick around until after dark for a true taste of Four Seasons’ culinary flair. Jati Bar itself serves light and leisurely bites (like afternoon tea, salads and grazing platters), and if you’re bringing the kids along, they can even get stuck into a milkshake-making class while you graze on five-star bites.
For something more substantial, stroll to one of three award-winning dining destinations. Sitting adjacent to Jati Bar is Ayung Terrace; the resort’s elevated open-air restaurant that specialises in avante-garde yet authentic Indonesian staples. You’ll experience the aromas, flavours and rituals of local cuisine across a sublime a la carte menu that’s been jazzed up to five-star standards. Think grilled local prawns seasoned with Balinese herbs and spices, or a braised beef rendang with corn fritters, a fern shoot salad and a creamy coconut sauce.
Then there’s the Riverside restaurant – a contemporary grill that sits beside the resort’s iconic pool on the banks of the river, dishing up European “Bistronomy” under a canopy of Banyan trees. Or for a true epicurean excursion, pair your Jati Bar visit with an intimate seven-course “Chef’s Table” Balinese dinner experience at Sokasi. At this riverside kitchen, ceremonial classics and forgotten recipes are cooked before you, like babi guling (suckling pig) and bebek betutu – tender duck slow-roasted in a traditional underground clay oven.
And when the evening is coming to a close? Meander your way back to Jati Bar, where post-dinner cocktails are served up beneath the stars. Now that’s a tipple to remember…
Jati Bar at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, Jl Raya Sayan, Sayan, Ubud, p. +62 361 977577.
This story is in partnership with Four Seasons Bali
