MANGUPURA, balitourismnow.com – When are you coming to Bartolo again? This favorite French-Italian restaurant in Uluwatu is now introducing vermouth-based cocktails for a more relaxed and social way to drink in Bali.
The combination of flavor and natural beauty creates a unique experience. Therefore, with the recent surge in tourist visits to Uluwatu, Bartolo has become their go-to for drinking and enjoying.
At Bartolo, the best nights have always been long. They begin with a drink, lead to another before a leisurely meal, more conversation, and one last cocktail.
Now, the Uluwatu favourite is leaning further into this European spirit with the launch of a new bar program focused on vermouth, aperitivo culture, and a more relaxed way of drinking.
Known for its French-Italian comfort food and welcoming atmosphere, Bartolo is growing into a destination where guests are just as likely to stop by for cocktails as they are for dinner.
With the bar now open until midnight, the restaurant introduces a new vermouth-focused cocktail menu alongside a dedicated bar food list designed for evenings that stretch into the night.
Originating in Italy’s aperitivo culture and later embraced in France, vermouth is a wine-based, aromatized spirit defined by botanicals and balance.
Titled Vermouth in Hand, the new menu explores vermouth both as an ingredient and as a way of drinking.
Through inventive reinterpretations of classic cocktails alongside original creations, the 15-drink list — categorized into aperitif, savoury, spiced, fruity, and bittersweet profiles — highlights the versatility of vermouth styles while offering something for every palate.
The program includes a collection of vermouths, fortified wines, and house-made infusions, including Bartolo’s own custom vermouth blend.
Rather than heavy or overly technical cocktails, the drinks are clean and balanced, combining European influences with tropical nuance and Bartolo’s signature easygoing style.
Each cocktail description also includes alcohol by volume (ABV), encouraging a slower, more convivial evening.
Among the standouts is the Bay Leaf Highball, a crisp and savoury mix of fino sherry, green olive, and preserved lemon, kept light at 4.8% ABV.
Sparkling and deeply refreshing, the bay leaf garnish gives the drink a distinctly Mediterranean character.
The Peach Sour layers fino sherry with peach cordial and toasted almond for a richer profile. Soft and sunset-hued, it is topped with velvety foam and toasted almond, balancing stone fruit sweetness with subtle nuttiness.
Meanwhile, the Cherry Royale combines extra dry vermouth, house cassis — a rich blackcurrant liqueur — and lemon curd into a bright, lightly sparkling serve crowned with silky foam and a maraschino cherry.
Bartolo also continues to experiment with Indonesian and regional ingredients in unexpected ways.
The Calamansi Paloma blends mezcal with calamansi — a small Southeast Asian citrus prized for its sharp, fragrant acidity — alongside kaffir lime and salted ginger foam, while the Cascara Negroni incorporates cascara — the dried husk of the coffee cherry — into a bittersweet take on the Italian classic.
Across the menu, refreshing spritzes, savoury highballs, and more spirit-forward creations showcase the versatility of vermouth across different moods and occasions.
To accompany the drinks, Bartolo has introduced a bar food menu centred around conservas — high-quality preserved seafood commonly served in Spain and Portugal.
Intended for sharing over cocktails rather than formal dining, the menu follows the same approach as the drinks: straightforward, balanced, and designed to bring people together.
For Bartolo, the shift represents a natural evolution rather than a reinvention. The atmosphere remains the same — warm lighting, lively conversation, and the feeling of finding a neighbourhood gathering spot on a European street corner, transplanted onto the Bukit Peninsula.
“Our new drinks menu reflects how we love to drink ourselves,” says Bartolo founder Rafael Nardo. “It’s social, relaxed, and designed for people who want to stay awhile. Maybe you stop in for a vermouth and conservas after the beach, maybe you stay until midnight with friends. Either way, it should always feel welcoming.” [oko]