50
Mar/Apr 2015
1
Comida,
bebida, fiesta
*
L
Some restaurants are a nice place to start your evening before a
party; Motel Mexicola starts the party for you
et’s get one thing
out of the way early.
If you’re after a nice,
quiet romantic meal,
Motel Mexicola is
not for you. It’s loud,
it’s brash, it’s fun. It’s
sexy, it’s chic, it’s cool and it is
lively. But it is not quiet.
That is not to say that the restaurant is only
for the young and slightly foolish, far from it.
When the first impromptu dancing occurred
on our visit it was early enough for young and
fashionable twenty-somethings to be joined
by kids with their families and those of a slightly
older generation. If you like having fun, this will
not disappoint.
The ethos of this restaurant was summed up by
one half of owner partnership Adrian and Nicky,
both of whom were at the forefront of the
dancing, when Adrian opined that if something
is truly of high quality it should appeal to eightyear-olds and 80-year-olds equally.
It’s not just about partying here, Motel Mexicola
takes its other responsibilities very seriously.
www.essential-bali.com
“It’s a riot of ebullient, joyful colour, outside and in… it’s a long way from
a rijsttafel with gamelan playing in the background, but somehow Motel
Mexicola manages to capture an essence that Bali and Mexico share: a
love of playfulness, a sensual spirituality, a chilled kind of attitude.”
www.travelfish.org
There’s no cutting corners with anything from
the colourful, adventurous and slightly manic
interior décor that brings a slice of Mexican
life right into the heart of Seminyak, to the
high quality of food and, why of course, the
wonderful cocktails that utilise tequila on many
occasions. The only person who does cut
corners is the surfboard maker who has pride
of place as a living, working artspace in the
centre of the restaurant.
The space around him is an amazing
kaleidoscope of colour, inspiration and
fascination centred around a garden area with
a crazy variety of seating options from bench
tables to high benches, low garden tables,
booths and a bar area. Fans are ubiquitous
and help keep the temperature of this open air
space down, which is ironic as it is infinitely cool
in its own right.
1. Loud and proud:
The exterior artwork is
a statement of intent
2. Chipping in: The
guacamole is above
and beyond the norm
3. Sweet thing: Try
to leave room for the
tempting churros
4. A good ribbing:
Get your hands dirty
with the pork ribs
*Food, drink, party