Pinstripe Bar

Pinstripe is the cocktail bar of Viceroy Bali, the family-run luxury resort in Petulu, and one of the most polished places for a drink in the Ubud area. The resort describes it as a speakeasy inspired by the frivolity, elegance and glamour of an earlier era, and the room plays up the theme with a mahogany bar and a 1930s colonial-style interior. It sits with the resort's fine-dining restaurant, Apéritif, so it works well for a drink before or after dinner there.

The cocktails are the focus. The bar's mixologists have won awards for their work, and the list relies on in-house infusions and house-made aperitifs. Recent examples include a Papaya Leaf Amaro and The Novelist, a mix of tequila, mezcal, passionfruit and avocado oil, which show the bar's habit of bringing local ingredients into classic structures. The resort names its head mixologist, Panji, as the creator of its cocktails, and guests have mentioned a pool table among the bar's comforts.

This is a grown-up, elegant setting, and it suits couples and anyone celebrating a special occasion rather than groups looking for a party. Prices are at the upper end for Ubud, in line with the resort's luxury positioning. The bar is open to non-residents, and booking a table at Apéritif is a good way to make an evening of it. According to recent guides, the bar opens in the afternoon and runs until late evening.

Getting there requires some planning, as the resort is in Petulu rather than the town centre, about five minutes from central Ubud according to Viceroy. Metered taxis and ride-hailing pickups are not permitted within Ubud, so arrange a driver or ask your hotel to book transport for the return journey. Guests staying at the resort are taken around the hillside grounds by golf cart.

For anyone staying at Viceroy Bali, Pinstripe is the natural place to end the evening after dinner at Apéritif or CasCades. For visitors staying elsewhere, it offers a very different experience from the live-music bars of Jalan Monkey Forest, and pairs well with a dinner reservation at the resort. Allow an hour or two.