Single Fin is something of a legend with the local surfing community and may even be one of surfing’s spiritual homes globally. But does this cliffside spot really have what it takes to qualify as a beach club?
Our team went into review mode and headed to Single Fin for an afternoon in the Bali sun to find out and, of course, a few cocktails for their health. This is what they learned.
Introduction – Getting To Single Fin
Single Fin is in Pecatu near Uluwatu and it’s quite a long drive from most of the island but it’s quite convenient if you’re coming from Uluwatu.
The only challenge here is that you may find it hard to get a Grab or Gojek in the Uluwatu area, it’s a place where having your own transport is very handy.
Where Is Single Fin? Uluwatu, Pantai Suluban, Jl. Labuansait, Pecatu, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung (Badung Regency), Bali 80361
Website: Single Fin
Opening Hours: Single Fin is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day except for Sunday and Wednesday when it is open from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m! Single Fin, like every business in Bali, is closed for Nyepi.
What’s Inside Single Fin?
Single Fin has a pool, good views over the long lefts in the surf below, restaurant and bar facilities and later in the day, it has live acts making music.
Our Review Breakdown For Single Fin
All of our beach club reviews in Bali are conducted on the same basis, our team visits the beach club in question and rates the place out of 5 (1 is the worst, 5 is the best) in a series of 20 different categories.
They then return to the office and vote on the final score in each category, to ensure that the rating for Single Fin is representative of the consensus view of our team.
Then somebody writes up the review and it’s published. After publication, a review stays in place for, at least, one year until we have a chance to revisit the beach club and amend our review as necessary.
Pre-Club Advertising
Single Fin has a decent website but that’s all the pre-club advertising that we’ve seen for this spot by the Indian Ocean.
However, given that it’s within a stone’s throw of many of Uluwatu’s most popular tourist destinations, they may feel that they don’t have to advertise very much.
We like pre-club advertising though as it’s a sign that a beach club is trying to ensure it’s always packed to deliver the best possible vibe for their guests.
Location
Uluwatu’s not the easiest part of Bali to get to but it’s better than Ungasan where many of the beach clubs on the Bukit Peninsula are found.
If you’re going to visit Uluwatu Temple or the famous surf breaks on Uluwatu Beach (which is why Single Fin exists), then Single Fin isn’t far from either.
There’s not a lot within walking distance mind you, but if you’ve ever walked around Uluwatu then you’ll know that nothing is really within walking distance in this area.
Stunning views come with a price tag and that price tag is you need your own transport if you want to get around this area.
Booking Process & Seating Options
You can book online at Single Fin and the process is relatively painless. You should know that if you’re an hour late for a booking at Single Fin it’s cancelled (actually, it’s cancelled after 15 minutes but if you call the venue, they will hold it for up to an hour) and you will be fined a 150,000 IDR fee per person that you’ve booked for.
We don’t think this is unreasonable, mind you, many beach clubs will confiscate the entire minimum spend deposit if you don’t show up, so Single Fin is going easy on you.
However, it’s hard to get to Single Fin and if you’re coming from anywhere other than Uluwatu, you need to set off a lot earlier than the distances suggest in order to get there on time.
Otherwise, it’s clear what furniture you are getting and what the minimum spend is. However, it’s not always clear where you will be seated in the venue.
Overall, it’s not the best booking process, but it’s far from the worst too.
Entry Fee
There is no entrance fee at Single Fin and we heartily approve of that policy. We encourage all beach clubs in Bali to let people in to have a look round and maybe try some of their fantastic food and cold cocktails without any additional fees.
We just don’t feel you need to charge people to come in if you have a place people want to be in. We’d also note that there are seats for people without a minimum spend, which is also important.
Minimum Spend
If you sit in the restaurant there’s no minimum spend required in Single Fin. However, these seats are available on a first come-first served basis and if you’re travelling a long way to visit Single Fin, we’d say that it’s a “must do” to book a minimum spend seat to guarantee a seat.
The good news is that these are reasonably priced from 500,000 IDR (for a high chair on the deck) to 2,000,000 IDR (for a seat on a daybed by the pool). Given that the high chair seats two and the daybed seats four, Single Fin is not expecting you to spend a fortune per person.
Despite our misgivings, we still feature Single Fin in our best beach clubs in Bali with no minimum spend list.
Welcome And Security
We’ve been to Single Fin a few times and we weren’t welcomed to the venue at all, there was nobody on the door to do so.
Worse, there’s no security during much of the day and that’s not good given that there are real security concerns in Bali. We like bag checks because they help to keep Bali safe.
Single Fin could really use some improvement in this area.
Inclusions
If you agree to a minimum spend, you are provided with a towel (one per person) to use for free while you’re inside the venue.
This is the bare minimum of offerings from beach clubs in Bali and there’s no option to upgrade to a VIP or more premium service for an additional fee.
Service
We also don’t find the service very good at Single Fin, we know that this is a place for surfers to come alive and let their hair down, but we’re lost how they do that without someone to bring them an icy cold Bintang every now and again.
The service on our visits has been poor for this island where good hospitality is a standard. You have to find your own seat and work to get somebody’s attention to take your order.
Entertainment
During the day, the entertainment is simply piped music and while sometimes, it’s great music, sometimes, it’s not.
At nights, this is a popular spot for those who love to party and the DJs and live acts come on and the vibe completely changes.
Pool Quality
There’s only one pool at Single Fin but that pool is quite big and it has stunning views over the Indian Ocean that are hard to beat. Being on a clifftop definitely has its perks.
We’d also note that the pool is clean and we’d be happy to swim in there during any visit to Single Fin (except, perhaps, on New Year’s Eve when every beach club pool turns a little too murky for comfort).
Menu/Drinks Pricing
We found the prices at Single Fin had gone up quite a bit since the last time we visited and an Icy Cold Bintang will now set you back 70,000 IDR (++) and cocktails are about 130,000 IDR each.
For some odd reason, the most expensive pizza at this Uluwatu hotspot is the Margherita pizza at 165,000 IDR with all the others (the ones with toppings) costing less.
Overall, we found the prices to be within the standard beach club range and Single Fin is neither cheap nor expensive.
Food And Drink Quality
We had a cheeseburger and a salad at Single Fin and while they were both perfectly acceptable for the price, neither of them was overly memorable either.
We did find that the cocktails were will mixed and strong enough and you can’t really go wrong with an icy cold Bintang in the Bali sun.
Sunset View
Single Fin has an amazing view over the Indian Ocean and this spot has to have one of the most stunning views of the sunset in Bali.
This is sadly marred by the huge numbers of people who pack into the venue at this time of night trying to see the sunset, mind you.
Want a bit more space at sunset? Check out all these beach clubs and find one more to your taste.
Music And Ambiance
Single Fin relies on piped music during the day but has live acts at night and they’re very popular. The party buzz is good at this spot, assuming you can put up with the onslaught of bodies after sunset.
Payment Options
You can pay by cash or card at Single Fin assuming you can get someone’s attention for long enough to do so. But there’s no option advertised for e-wallets, QRIS or crypto payments.
Exit Process
Leaving Single Fin is as easy as entering and as with entering, nobody will wish you farewell or bon voyage.
The service really isn’t the strong point at Single Fin.
Transportation
Single Fin suffers from the same problems as everywhere else on the Bukit Peninsula. It’s hard to get to and while there is parking for those who drive themselves and Grab and Gojek can drop off at Single Fin without any issues, leaving is a different matte.
You will find that if you order a Grab or Gojek from Single Fin after sundown, you’re going to wait a long while for a ride.
If you foolishly leave Single Fin without a ride, you will be constantly accosted by the taxi mafia who want to charge one arm and two legs for a ride. It’s a shame and we’d like to see authorities in Uluwatu deal with this – Single Fin certainly can’t tackle it alone.
Social Media Presence
Single Fin is clearly owned by a surfer, because despite having an up-to-date social media presence their Instagram, etc. feeds are full of excellent pictures of surfers catching waves and terrible pictures of Single Fin itself.
Yes, we know those long lefts won’t catch themselves but a club is meant to promote itself not the surf happening at the bottom of the cliff.
Other/General Comments
We like a busy beach club but Single Fin can get too busy, as the sun sinks towards the Indian Ocean things get stupidly crowded in this club (and this has happened on more than one occasion).
It kills the vibe. If Single Fin had a sensible door staff and security team, they’d reduce the number of people coming in. We’d rather pay an increased minimum spend or even an entry fee than be crammed in like sardines.
You can avoid some of this by booking a seat in the pool area, but not all of it.
Our Overall Opinion Of Single Fin
Single Fin quickly moved upmarket from its humble beginnings as a surfer’s bar but something didn’t come with it.
It’s a nice spot to listen to live acts while drinking an icy cold Bintang or sucking down some cocktails but it’s super busy in the evenings which makes it a bad place for food after the sun sinks below the horizon.
And the service is dire and that makes trying to order such a frustrating experience that we often see people give up and walk out of this club.
Want a different beach club experience? Check our our reviews of Flamingo Beach Club and Savaya Bali too.
FAQs
Can You Swim At Single Fin?
Yes, there’s a big pool at this beach club in Bali and you can easily swim at Single Fin. However, you should be aware that this is one of surfing’s spiritual homes and the surfers come here to party after a long day in the Indian Ocean.
We can’t imagine getting in the pool after the sun sinks below the horizon as it’s packed with people who have had, at least, one icy cold Bintang too many.
What Can You Do At Single Fin?
You can enjoy stunning views from the clifftop, eat fantastic food, and enjoy a swim during the day. At night, it’s more of a drinking venue with live acts and sometimes, great music, and sometimes, not so great.
Is Single Fin A Family-Friendly Venue?
There’s no policy at Single Fin that prevents children from entering this venue and in the early part of the day, there’s no reason that they shouldn’t join parents for some food and drink while admiring the surfers on the long lefts down below.
However, as the afternoon wears on and more and more cocktails are sunk by the guests, we don’t think that Single Fin remains a family-friendly venue and you’d probably want to leave before the surfers stop looking for surf on the waves and retire to Single Fin for some serious drinking.
Who Owns Single Fin?
Tai Graham, a former professional surfer who famously came from humble beginnings, is the owner of Single Fin. He created it as a place where surfers could experience a good time at the end of a day in Bali’s hot sun.
Final Thoughts On Single Fin
Single Fin is a decent cliffside club with some wonderful views over the Indian Ocean. The only thing lacking at Single Fin is the service.
We expect a certain standard of service in Bali and it’s actually quite shocking when it’s not delivered. We don’t expect miracles, but somebody showing us to our seats and taking our order shouldn’t be too much to ask for.
