Warung Pantai is, perhaps, the classic Balinese beach club of the kind that existed long before the big brands and hotels came to town.
It’s not really aiming to compete with the likes of FINNS but we wondered what this simple beachside place had to offer, so we sent our team to investigate. And this is what they learned.
Introduction – Getting To Warung Pantai
This warung is in a nice location on Batu Belig Beach and while there’s no parking on site, there’s plenty of parking within a short walk and it’s not expensive.
Grab and Gojek should have no problem bringing you to this location for a fair price and they can pull up outside this warung on the ocean without any problems.
Where Is Warung Pantai? Jl. Batu Belig No.37, Kerobokan Kelod, Kec. Kuta Utara, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361
Website: Warung Pantai
Opening Hours: Open daily, every day except for Nyepi, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
What’s Inside Warung Pantai?
Warung Pantai is essentially an oceanfront restaurant and bar set up with some nice sun loungers available to their guests. Unlike most beach clubs, there’s no pool at this place.
Our Review Breakdown For Warung Pantai
All beach clubs on our site are reviewed against the same 20 criteria, they are rated from 1 (worst) to 5 (best) in each category.
Then, they have a final score from 20 (worst) to 100 (best).
We vote on the mark for each category as a team, to ensure the best representation of how our whole team feels about a place.
Once a review goes live, it’s there for a year (at least) until we revisit a venue.
Pre-Club Advertising
There’s no advertising whatsoever for this beach club and we wouldn’t really expect there to be any.
The prices here are so low that we can’t imagine they would support any online advertising, let alone stretch to billboards and the like.
This may not be a bad thing given how popular this spot can be as it’s located right next to the beach and sees plenty of walk-in guests.
Rating: 1/5
Location
Batu Belig is a nice beach and the neighbourhood around this warung is very new.
It’s not a long drive from Canggu but we should stress that if you’re coming from further afield, the traffic is likely to make your journey time a little stressful.
However, if you want a relatively unspoiled slice of the coast with Free Wi-Fi and friendly staff to serve you delicious food by the sea, you will be happy that you made the effort.
There are other restaurant and bar options in the area, but not as many as you might find around some of the bigger beach clubs.
Rating: 4/5
Booking Process & Seating Options
Warung Pantai has no website and it’s a very simple first-come, first-served kind of place.
If you want to enjoy their coffee and hospitality, you just rock up on the day and wait for a seat.
The good news is that while it is usually busy, it’s not usually so busy that you have to wait very long for a seat.
Rating: 1/5
Entry Fee
There is no entry charge at Warung Pantai and that’s just the way that it should be.
Every beach club should allow you inside to see the location properly and decide if it’s a good choice before you spend any money.
And if a small place working on a tight budget can do it, we have to wonder why some of the big-name places can’t.
Rating: 5/5
Minimum Spend
There is no minimum spend of any kind at Warung Pantai. You simply pay for the things that you consume. That means it was an easy choice for our best beach clubs in Bali with no minimum spend piece.
You can still use their sun beds on the beach if you get there before they fill up as well as sit at any of the tables in their restaurant.
We find that it gets busy from breakfast onwards at this charming spot, so you may want to get there a bit early if you want to guarantee a day bed where you can eat a meal.
Rating: 5/5
Welcome And Security
This isn’t the kind of place with door staff and thus, there’s no welcome beyond the friendly staff saying “hello” as you sit down.
There is also no security check, and while we encourage every beach club to carry out checks for everyone’s safety – we think that overall, this warung-style setup just doesn’t merit the expense of a security team.
Rating: 2/5
Inclusions
With no minimum spend, there are no inclusions of any kind and as there’s no swimming pool, they don’t include even a towel here.
You can bring your own towel, though, which is something you can’t do in most beach clubs and take a dip in the sea if you want to (we don’t recommend it – the tides in this part of Bali can be quite vicious and people get swept out into deep sea all the time).
There is free Wi-Fi throughout the venue though which is handy as it means you can work from breakfast to lunch, to dinner here without being bothered by anyone.
Rating: 3/5
Service
The service at this warung is very cheerful and pleasant but you’re expected to visit the bar and place your order and pay for it there if it’s very busy.
There is table service most of the time, and the staff are polite and kind.
Rating: 3/5
Entertainment
There is some basic pop music playing throughout the warung but don’t expect live DJs or live bands.
This isn’t that sort of place, and we’re OK with that. Not every venue needs to go all out to entertain, we would be very happy to visit this place and just chill for an hour or two with the tunes going on in the background.
Rating: 2/5
Pool Quality
There is no pool, but the Indian Ocean at this beach club but with no entrance charge or minimum spend, that’s just fine.
Rating: 1/5
Menu/Drinks Pricing
There may be no cheaper beach club in all of Bali than Warung Pantai. And that’s part of its charm.
Cocktails here are just 75,000 IDR! That’s about half the price at any other beach club.
You can get a pizza for 65,000 IDR or avocado toast for just 45,000 IDR!
Overall, this is incredible value for money and if you’re in Bali on a very tight budget, you will want to check out this beach club.
Rating: 5/5
Food And Drink Quality
We weren’t expecting fine dining at the menu price set by Warung Pantai but we are happy to report the food is delicious and the portions are a decent size too.
The smoothie we had was excellent, full of fruit and flavour and very cold.
We also felt that the cocktails were amazingly alcoholic given how little you have to pay for them here.
Their homemade fries were delicious too. We’d happily come back to eat at this restaurant again and their breakfast menu looks absolutely amazing.
Rating: 4/5
Sunset View
Many people come to Bali for a sunset view and the location of this warung right on the beach means you get a premium view of the sunset.
You can see the whole light show from anywhere in the venue and you will be glad you were here as the sun dips below the horizon and bathes the skies in glorious light.
It’s worth the price of a taxi fare out to this warung without question.
Rating: 5/5
Music And Ambiance
We liked the piped pop music that they have in the background.
It’s nothing to write home about but it’s a pleasant change from the bland chill-out sounds that we hear in far too many beach clubs.
It produces a relaxed and pleasant vibe that ensures you can focus on your delicious meal and drinks without being distracted and it’s never too loud.
Rating: 3/5
Payment Options
Surprisingly, for a place that’s a little off the beaten path and which offers such excellent value for money – they do accept cards here as well as cash.
You will need to pay at the bar as you order your food or drinks and that makes sense to us.
They don’t have any option for QRIS payments though or anything more exotic like Bitcoin (BTC).
Rating: 4/5
Exit Process
This is a small beach club and you walk into the restaurant and find yourself a seat.
Leaving is similarly painless and you won’t have any trouble getting out of this club when you’re ready to go home.
Rating: 5/5
Transportation
This place is a bit of a drive and it’s 20 minutes from Canggu on a bike and longer by car.
It’s hard to find a Grab or Gojek when you want to leave if you’re going home in the evening, so we’d suggest booking early and being very patient when it comes to finding a ride or arranging a pick-up before you visit this beach club.
Rating: 4/5
Social Media Presence
There is a very basic social media presence for this warung, but you can probably wait until you have access to free Wi-Fi before you look at it.
It gives you a basic idea of what the place is like, but there are no regular updates and if you have questions that you want answers for, it’s unlikely that you will find them here.
Rating: 2/5
Other/General Comments
Warung Pantai is not pretending to be a high-end beach club. It is what it is, an unpretentious old school beach warung with some nice sun beds.
Rating: 4/5
Our Overall Opinion Of Warung Pantai
We wouldn’t make the journey out to this beach club very often but sometimes, when you’re in the mood for slumming it by the ocean – this is a solid option.
If you’re super broke and in need of beers on the beach, this is an amazing place to go with free Wi-Fi, tasty breakfast and cheap cocktails.
Rating: 63/100
FAQs
Can You Swim At Warung Pantai?
There is no swimming pool at Warung Pantai and we don’t recommend swimming in the sea here. The current is not safe and we’d recommend sticking to the shore.
What Can You Do At Warung Pantai?
You can enjoy tasty food and drinks and use the free Wi-Fi while lounging on sunbeds on the sand and soaking up the Bali sun.
Is Warung Pantai A Family-Friendly Venue?
Children are welcome at this beach club. However, there are no special facilities for kids and you will need to ensure they are kept supervised throughout your visit.
Final Thoughts On Warung Pantai
We like Warung Pantai, it’s cheap and cheerful and while it doesn’t compete with the heavyweights of the beach club world – it’s a great spot for some breakfast on the beach.
If you want another cheapish beach club experience check out our review of Old Man’s Bali and if you’re looking to push the boat out a little, don’t miss out on FINNS.
