Amidst Bali’s diversifying dining landscape where newcomers arrive every month, Mosto remains one of the fixtures since opening in Berawa four years ago. The idea began with six friends from The Mexicola Group whose penchant for enjoying Australian natural wines led to the building of a physical space to enjoy them.
It’s a quaint elbowroom in Berawa, designed by Kelvin Ho’s studio Akin Atelier. Inspired by the wine bar scene in Sydney and the neo-bistros of Paris, the all-white brick façade gives way to dimly lit interiors that blend raw materials like polished concrete, pebblecrete, and terracotta for a warmth that emulates a friend’s chic apartment building.
That atmosphere extends to the dining experience, spearheaded by Executive Chef Lorenzo De Petris, whose résumé include MICHELIN-starred restaurants across England as well as famed kitchens in Australia and his hometown of Italy. The menu is a collection of shareable servings, an ode to communal dining (and the chef’s personal favourite way of eating). With a penchant for exploring locality as part of his creative process, each dish is an unconventional flavour mix-and-match between Middle Eastern, East Asian, Indonesian, French, and Italian cuisines.
The savoury Chinese pastry xian bing, for example, is filled with a tender, robust lamb rendang filling enriched by cotija cheese. Even simple classics like the house-made Spaghetti Trafilati, tossed in a smoky and unctuous emulsion of peppery oil and roasted Parmigiano Reggiano, arrives with the slight twist of kelor leaves that pleasantly cut the richness with their herbaceous kick. But, with a menu that keeps rotating, it’s best to come with no expectations and surrender to the evening’s surprise.
But the evening isn’t over until you’re perched at the bar. Here’s where the French bistro style is most palpable, with exposed wire racks suspending upside down wine glasses. Over 70 organic and low-intervention labels from small global producers are stocked in the glowing cellar, curated by seasoned sommelier and Mosto co-founder Nicolas Lento. If you find yourself unable to decide, the bartender is more than ready to recommend one that best suits your preferences. For the most adventurous connoisseurs, though, let the day’s special take you on a discovery of a new label, one that you might not have heard of before.
Still, the drink list never alienates those who don’t prefer to drink wines. The Not Wine menu is a clever twist on cocktails, designed to emulate the crisp mouthfeel and translucent visage of wines while retaining the smorgasbord of flavours. It is achieved by clarifying through milk punch processing, often with the addition of gelatin or agar-agar.
It’s clear that Mosto never takes itself too seriously, but that doesn’t mean they do things frivolously. Every part of the experience is intentionally made to complement each other, coming together to create an atmosphere of comfort, familiarity, and genuinity, beckoning diners to keep returning after every visit.
