If you’re looking for something to do on the way to or from Echo Beach, or simply for an excuse to go for a jaunt somewhere in Canggu, the Bali branch of Australia’s Deus Ex Machina is perfect. Its Bali “Temple of Enthusiasm” sits amid green paddy in lush gardens, offering up a cafe, a retail outlet, and all sorts of magical stuff — ok, surfboard- and motorbike-making in its complex of buildings out back.

Pull up a chair!

The sleek and shiny things inside the airy, very cool retail space will no doubt grab your attention first. If you’re looking for a surfboard, custom-made motorbike or bike, skateboard or simply clothes and accessories like hats, T-shirts, watches and sunglasses, this is where you’ll find them. It’s a whole adult (legal) risk-taking lifestyle store, after all. You really could walk away with a whole new life from here (and a very, very empty wallet). Don’t go in if you’re having a mid-life crisis!

You may just want to browse, which is quite alright; you’re not done yet. The cafe here serves up a wide range of great Asian and Western fare, though we’ve only been for brunch and lunch, and prices for the quality are very reasonable indeed.

Twins.

Breakfasts include a range of egg dishes — we tried the smoked salmon and poached eggs (60,000 rupiah) and they were very nicely done — as well as sweet fare like French toast and black rice pudding.

For lunch light noodle meals traverse Southeast Asia and include pad thai, Singaporean wok-fried noodles, Malaysian mamak mie and Japanese Udon. There’s a range of  baguettes, sandwiches and burgers and salads range from an excellent Thai duck version — Deus does its Thai dishes particularly well — through to a polenta salad and a Japanese seaweed one. Kids are looked after with their own menu too . Meals are around the 40,000 to 60,000 rupiah mark.

Arty photo of an arty mural of an arty bike.

The coffee is really smooth (cappucino 30,000 rupiah), with a good range of fresh juices, mocktails and other non-alcoholic drinks, as well as alcohol — the Dirty Deus is a Bintang over ice with a dash of sambal and squirt of fresh lime in a salt-rimmed glass (25,000 rupiah). We’ve not tried that but just writing that line made me thirsty.

All the shiny fast things.

If you’d like to explore, you can stick your head out back and see what’s going on in the workshops. Or go on, snare a bike and vroom away into that sunset.

Deus Ex Machina, Bali
Jalan Batu Mejan 8, Canggu;
T: (0361) 368 3385
id.deuscustoms.com

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