"Welcome to Five Senses Coffee"

My first contact with the Sea Circus crew was a quick email with the message “to ring Charlie about a cafe in Bali.” The mention of Bali quickly piqued my interest, and I jumped on the phone. Expecting a male voice on the end of the line, I was a little surprised when Charlie actually turned out to be Charlotte! Originally from the UK, Charlie (think a curly-haired Kate Winslet) found her way to Bali via Australia, where she developed a passion for coffee after spending some time with our friends Nolan Hirte and the Proud Mary crew. Along with her business partner Josh Herdman ( think Hugh Jackman crossed with Chesty Bonds), Charlie decided that the Seminyak scene had an opening for an intimate, fun venue and the long, testing gestation of Sea Circus began!

Opening a cafe in Bali requires a resourceful mindset and enormous persistence. Nothing is straightforward in Bali, with a bewildering and complex bureaucracy to negotiate and lots of local customs and rules which require respect and patience. Not to mention the random application of special ‘taxes’ that are part of doing business in Indonesia! Josh and Charlie stuck resolutely to the task and marshalled a team of builders, designers and architects to realize their dream.

Many months later and much wiser, Josh and Charlie finally opened Sea Circus. The circus theme runs throughout the venue, with multicoloured louvres adorning the entrance, lots of bright, eclectic furniture, a fun upbeat atmosphere and the coolest toilets ever! Charlie’s whimsical touches are evident everywhere, with recycled vintage cans holding flowers, the super cute locker concept and the occasional ‘Brit Pop’ moment on the play list. The first, and still the only Synesso Cyncra in Indonesia, sits proudly on the bar, kept in immaculate condition by a team of incredibly motivated baristas. On an island not known for its coffee quality, Sea Circus produces consistently excellent coffee and serves it in custom made cups from the effortlessly chic team at Gaya Ceramics in Ubud.

So if you’re headed to Bali and need a great coffee or some fantastic food, go see the team at Sea Circus. There’s always something happening, with a variety of cool themed parties taking place throughout the year. To stay in touch, check out Charlie’s amazing blog, or contact the Sea Circus Ringmaster to sign up for their newsletter.

Sea Circus
22 JL LAKSMANA [Oberoi Rd]
Seminyak, Bali
www.seacircus-bali.com

Hours of Operation
Monday to Saturday
8am – Late
Sunday
11am – Late