La Plancha Restaurant Review

La Plancha Restaurant Review

The Walking Critic | Seminyak, Bali | January 2024

La Plancha has been one of my staple diet, must-visit places since pre-COVID days. It is one of those shabby chic, beach front Seminyak bars, that was once a kind of surfer’s shelter or fisherman’s watering hole. There is nothing fancy about it. Coloured glass buoys, dangle from the wooden rafters above like netted balls. They add a vibrant hue to this rather laid-back venue, along with the bright painted tables in purple and blue and green. Their surface tops are heavily distressed from the striations of sandy beer bottles and glasses. May be salty forearms.

As the daytime dissolves into evening, out come the rows of equally colourful bean bags and umbrellas. The perfect place to watch the Bali sunset, with your toes curling up in the sand and your ears filling with the calls of live music. Many a time I have just soaked up the twilight mood with my dear friend, Mr Bintang, beside me.

Today I was in a pizza mood fresh from the oven. Never a disappointment. A margherita pizza topped with loads of cheese and a pinch of fresh basil. I actually wanted a nasi goreng, but it seems that they don’t make them anymore or the menu has changed since my last visit. I didn’t mind. I was there for the atmosphere and memories past.