Flat Stanley Alila Seminyak BALI The Dandy Collection crosses continents to develop a new dining concept for Alila, combining the spirit of California with the flavours of Bali. Words: Catherine Martin • Photography: © Jon Tadashi Martin (unless otherwise stated)
W
ander along Seminyak’s bustling Jalan Petitenget
Alt Pizza came in as head chef. Together, they created Flat
– a 2km stretch packed with bars, restaurants
Stanley, a hip day-to-night venue that crosses the confines
boutiques and spas – and you’ll find all manner
of restaurant, bar and lounge.
of cuisines to tickle the taste buds. Indonesian fine-dining
The venture is a welcome boost to Alila Seminyak’s
experiences sit alongside streetside sambal stalls, while
dining offer – which includes Seasalt, a sustainable seafood
Mexican taquerias, Japanese sushi bars and healthy Hawaiian
restaurant overlooking the ocean, and a beach bar serving
cafés compete for the dining dollar of some 6 million tourists
international cuisine – and marks the latest in a series of
who flock to Bali every year.
enhancements. Now part of Hyatt, the 240-key property
Standing out from the crowd isn’t easy here, so when
opened on the beachfront in 2015, and went on to add a
Alila was looking to add a new dining venue to its Seminyak
three-bedroom penthouse in 2016, and the Studios at Alila
property, bringing something different to the market was
Seminyak in 2017, the latter a 64-unit extension occupying
crucial. As one of five Alila branded hotels on the island,
a nearby plot.
it was also imperative that the concept be suited to its
Flat Stanley is also housed in an independent building,
specific location – a prime spot in the heart of Seminyak –
and while its introduction serves to cater to Alila’s growing
rather than the rice paddies of Ubud or cliffs of Uluwatu for
number of overnight guests, its location at the junction
example, where two of its sister properties are located. And
of the resort’s main entrance is well positioned to attract
so, Alila turned to The Dandy Collection – an inventive bar
passing trade. A short walk or buggy-ride to the main resort,
and restaurant operator co-founded by Michael Goodman
the 120-seater restaurant sits on Jalan Petitenget, with an
and Rohit Roopchand – having observed the success of Neon
al fresco terrace out front for diners to soak up the street
Pigeon and Fat Prince in Singapore.
buzz. True to Alila’s ‘surprisingly different’ mantra, interiors
After a market analysis to determine the cuisines and concepts missing from the Seminyak strip, Goodman and
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are indeed different; after all, who would expect a pizza restaurant in Bali to evoke a retro modern California vibe?
Roopchand hit upon the idea of a quality pizza joint, and
The design scheme has been created by Goodman himself
tapped up a few of their best contacts to bring it to life. Harsh
along with his team at EDG, a multi-disciplinary studio
Roopchand, Rohit’s brother and the man behind Hong Kong
headquartered in San Francisco. A former chef, Goodman
hotspot Rummin’ Tings, was brought in for his expertise on
found his true calling in the concept development and design
the bar side, while Matt White, co-founder of Singapore’s
of hospitality spaces, and is now partner and Managing
