In Short: Possibly the best coffee in Bali, super funky atmosphere, perfect chill out space.
Check any foodie site, search result, blog, or app while looking for the highest rated coffee joint in Bali and I’d find it hard to believe if you didn’t see a common theme running through them all, Revolver Espresso. Sure, we can all get a little jaded about reviews and ratings, but you’ve gotta think that a place that dominates Bali’s top listed cafes, like Revolver Espresso does, must be doing something pretty damn good to be there! Let me assure you, they are.
Revolver Espresso is gradually expanding its coffee ambitions with a Baby Revolver location, but we decide to check out where it all began at its “big gun” location (Sorry! Couldn’t resist!) in the heart of Seminyak. Tucked in an alleyway just off the main strip, walking into Revolver feels like you’ve discovered the funky, secret stash of caffeine-cool that only locals know about. It’s a little bit bohemian with a sprinkle of Melbourne café chic, all pulled together in true Balinese style. The “speakeasy” atmosphere runs throughout the space with eclectic rooms branching off in all directions. Little nooks perfect for that D&M catchup with a BFF or communal tables to just chill out with mates after a scorching day at the beach.
We find a quiet little corner in a back room and get stuck in with a flat white, and because we’ve just come in from the sweltering heat, a Killer Chiller frozen choc-mint iced coffee. Revolver’s mission is to “get the best beans from the best farmers” and get it to the customer at the highest quality possible. One sip of the flat white and I’d say… mission accomplished. We drink a lot of very, very good coffee around the world and I’ll be honest, I was truly surprised to find one of the best cups right here. As soon as it hits the tongue, you know they got the balance of strength and smoothness perfect.
The brew works just as well in the Killer Chiller frozen choc-mint, as its dominant notes stand up to the other flavours and sweetness. Sometimes experiencing how a coffee asserts itself and also compliments other ingredients can be a mark of its expert craftsmanship. The Killer Chiller is spot on in the sugar department. Not too sweet to overshadow the other notes, it’s a delightfully refreshing, and deliciously decadent, naughty treat. Don’t tell anyone, but we also order another in caramel flavour. Oh man, I could drink these by the gallon!
Slurping down a chiller can make a growing boy hungry, so it’s obviously quesadilla time. Yep, everyone knows the best chaser to an iced coffee is Mexican, so we order the Ransom quesadilla. The warm, gooey, cheesy little triangles are side-kicked by sour cream and guac, of course. The melting cheddar oozes from its toasty soft wrapping as each bite releases the flavours of the fresh cream and spicy guacamole combo. With the occasional sip of the chiller as an interlude, you could just as easily be in a cantina down old El Paso way.
Back to more traditional brekkie bites. The Lawless Eggs Benny with a double barrel of expertly poached beauties, smothered in a smooth, creamy hollandaise, all sitting atop succulent bacon and crispy toast, is breakfast perfection. You can get breakfast all day long at Revolver Espresso, so if you’re rolling out of bed after a “big one” on the strip the night before and the sun is on the other side of midday, fear not, there’s sore-head sustenance on tap.
With coffee of this quality only an order away, and a long walk back to our villa in the cards, we sneak in another cup for good measure. This time we test the magic of the barista with a tried and true cappuccino. As you’d expect by now, it’s just too delicious to sip and talk at the same time. So we sit in silence, scraping our plates for the last traces of hollandaise and devising a plan to ensure we end up back at Revolver Espresso this time tomorrow.
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