I half expect James Bond to shimmy down the cliff face sporting his inimitable black-tie number. It would not even faintly surprise were I to hear a request for a martini; shaken not stirred, of course. Having almost shimmied down a 35m escarpment in an inclinator to the Bali version of a Monte Carlo bar scene, the shadow of Bond is all too intoxicating. The Rock Bar, the swish new venue at the exclusive Ayana Resort and Spa (formerly the Ritz-Carlton) overlooking Jimbaran Bay of Bali, opened on July 31 to a rapturous reception, confirming its place among the local smart set.

Has it usurped anywhere in the perennial hotspot of Seminyak, Bali’s paragon of cool? No one would daresay. But tongues wag, the frisson is palpable and everyone agrees the Rock Bar, boasting crystallised rock formations, is pure eye candy.

The open-top bar, which sits 14m above the ocean on a rocky rim below the resort’s cliffs, has several levels from which to savour 360-degree views of the Indian Ocean and Bali’s southwest coast. I am doing just that when the peal of a saxophone resonates from the limestone cliffs at sunset. The rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Bali-based jazz player Chika Asamoto performing from somewhere on the cliffs sounds quite heavenly.

Music will be a constant feature at Rock Bar but, as the DJ booth nestled high among the rocks attests, it will be targeted at a fairly young crowd. Integrating natural elements, the bar was created by renowned Japanese interior designer Yasuhiro Koichi, whose works include restaurants Nobu Tokyo and Nobu Hong Kong. “The magic of the Rock Bar is to feel the sea close to you and enjoy the coastal scenery and the surf,” Koichisays.

On opening night, guests soak up the visuals from various vantage points and positions, including sofas on which it’s almost mandatory to recline, and a natural cave overlooking Ayana’s Kisik Beach. At low tide you can see 100m coral reefs. Joel Antunes, the resort’s visiting two-Michelin-star French chef, settles into people-watching from his perch near the main entrance.

And why wouldn’t he be comfortably at home here? His exquisite horsd’ouevres are making the rounds — though “perhaps not quite enough” is the whispered word — and his six-course degustation menu with paired wines at Ayana’s seminal restaurant, Davo, is being discussed reverently.

Sitting at the sunken bar, undulating waves a stone’s throw away, lends the impression you are floating in a boat, rendering you slightly dizzy, especially after imbibing a Blue Sensation, a cocktail concoction of vodka, Pepsi Blue, blue Curacao and ginger ale.

Routine drinks fare includes classic cocktails, such as strawberry or lychee bellinis, and about a half-dozen specialties served in fresh tropical fruit, which could hijack intentions of a good dinner. A Kecak Coco, for example, consists of white rum, coconut rum, pineapple juice, coconut milk and cream, presented in a whole fresh yellow coconut.

If the idea is to settle in for the night, the small kitchen concealed beneath a nearby rock formation offers tapas-style finger food, well sampled at the debut. Melt-in-the-mouth delicacies such as ceviche (raw marinated fish with avocado and tomato in delicate spices), mini spring rolls with rock lobster glazed in tamarind, and bite-sized desserts, such as chocolate mousse cigar and port-marinated berries, can be devoured for less than R80,000 ($9.50) a serve.

That’s not to preclude the piece de resistance, Degustation a la Joel, which was served over five nights, culminating in the Rock Bar opening. A taste of things to come, the fusion of Western and Asian-style cuisine will be emulated to a degree by Antunes’s protege, American chef William Gumport, who says: “Joel kick-started the menu but it’s very much the style in which I will be cooking (at Ayana).”

Gumport has worked at some of the US’s most famous restaurants, including Joel Robuchon at MGM Grand (Las Vegas), Bellagio (Las Vegas), and the eponymously named Joel Restaurant (Atlanta) where he worked with Antunes.

The Rock Bar will no doubt cement Ayana’s already solid reputation. The resort recently nabbed 13th place in Travel+Leisure magazine’s list of the top 15 resorts in Asia, the only Bali property to win a coveted spot. Still tourist heaven despite the recent Jakarta bomb attacks, Bali also scored Travel+Leisure’s Best Island in the World award this year, ahead of the Galapagos, Cape Breton Island (Nova Scotia, Canada), Kauai (Hawaii) and Mount Desert Island (Maine, US) in the top five.

Article by: The Australian – http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/