Tristan Tanaya
Jun 24, 2026
They say all good things come in threes. And if the Mexicola Group’s next move is any indication, that may well be the truth. This July, the stopless crew behind the endlessly adored, eternally frenetic (in the best way) Motel Mexicola will be opening their third – and largest – outpost yet, up on the limestone cliffs of Uluwatu on Bali’s Bukit Peninsula.
Where the Seminyak original took its cues from Mexico City, and the Canggu sequel channelled the Yucatán, the Uluwatu branch of Motel Mexicola sets its sights on infinite coastlines, rugged landscapes, surf towns and free spirits of Baja California, the peninsular region of Mexico’s northwest that hugs the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez.
“This project was born from a strangely familiar connection between Baja California and Uluwatu,” says Mexicola founder and co-owner, Nicolaza Que Pasa. “For me, Baja has always represented a different side of Mexico – fresh, wild, unpretentious and deeply connected to the ocean. It’s a region where seafood is eaten straight from the water; where wines grow from unlikely desert soils; where meat charred over open flames is an event. Uluwatu carries that same laidback energy, with afternoons revolving around the waves and epic sunsets leading into late nights full of great food and music.”
Mexicola’s bulletproof creative brains trust has pulled no punches with the design and build, by far the group’s most ambitious to date. Once again, architect Carlos Cole of Mexico City studio Sensibilidad Applicada has led the charge, drawing on Baja’s majestic Spanish missions to transform the 2,500-square-metre site into a transportive tangle of rough stones, endless archways, enclaves, fountains and shrines, with more than 65 custom tile designs scattered throughout. Longtime collaborator, Australian artist Brent Smith (@biffybrentano), has brought his paintbrushes back out as well, consecrating the walls with his own unmistakeable flavour: a little cantina, a little casita and a little discoteca all in one.
Set to open with a capacity of 215, the sweeping indoor/outdoor venue – led by veteran General Manager, Adam Polly, and Experience Director (and Guadalajara native) Paulo Padilla – will eventually accommodate up to 350 across several distinct spaces, all kitted out with custom furniture and equipales (traditional woven chairs) direct from Mexico. Chief among these is a soaring 21-metre campanario (belltower) that ushers you right into the action, itself home to two bars – one on ground level, the other in the belfry. Even more bars await further inside, along with an open taqueria and asador, in addition to several dining areas, including the ‘kissing booths’ – a striking row of eight intimate, two-person banquettes. Throw in a DJ booth plus a separate stage and the occasional mariachi gig, and you’ve got a rager in the making.
In the kitchen, Motel Mexicola’s newly announced Culinary Director, Manuel ‘Manu’ Santos (ex-Barrafina, London), and Head Chef, Veracruz-born Manuel Bernal, have constructed a sprawling menu that swings effortlessly from street-food staples and snacks through to larger shareable plates. Tacos, as always, are a focal point, built on hand-pressed and house-made tortillas, loaded with the likes of beer-battered mahi mahi, lamb barbacoa, braised pork ribs and birria-style beef cheek. Enduring Mexicola clásicos also feature heavily, and a string of new seafood dishes (think smoked tuna empanadas, prawn aguachile, a tuna and scallop tiradito) brings a hit of Baja-inflected freshness.
The menu’s main attention-grabber, however, might just be the section devoted to the asador, a custom three-metre grill burning a blend of locally sourced rambutan wood and coffee wood. Here, the Pescado Los Cabos – a whole char-grilled snapper sheathed in salsa verde and smoked salsa roja – takes top billing, while garlicky Tijuana-style lobster in earthy pipián rojo and prawns smothered in a creamy, chile-fragrant zandareado marinade follow suit. Australian flank steak, meanwhile, gets the timeless carne asada treatment, with ancho-glazed pork ribs and achiote-marinated chicken rounding out the selection of meats.
As for the drinks, Mexicola’s long-standing Group Beverage Director, Denny Bakiev, has gone a toda máquina on a list that mines the depth and diversity of Mexico’s thriving cocktail culture. Margaritas are an obvious starting point, whether classic, frozen or dialled up with mango and chamoy, grilled corn and burnt butter, or strawberry, guava and chilli liqueur, among plenty more besides. Contemporary classics, such as the Paloma and the coffee scented Carajillo, also get a look-in, the former spiked with mezcal and pomelo, the latter sweetened by cajeta (goat’s milk caramel).
Baja’s influence is constant throughout, too. The Padre Kino, for instance, nods to the region’s grape-growing tradition, topping red wine with pandan and blood orange soda, just as tropical and desert fruits find their way into almost everything else, be it the guava-laced Agua Loca or the non-alcoholic aguas frescas, including agua de jamaica and limonada. This is all underscored, of course, by a thoroughly stocked back bar anchored by a 45-strong suite of Mexican spirits that runs the gamut from tequila and mezcal to the lesser-known sotol from the country's north.
By now, you know that the Mexicola crew does not do things by halves – and this latest undertaking is no exception whatsoever. Call it the white whale, call it the holy grail, call it whatever you like; just know that Motel Mexicola Uluwatu is the group’s most all encompassing ode to Mexico yet.
“This project is more than two years in the making,” says Que Pasa, “and we’ve looked well beyond the obvious references in order to introduce people to another side of Mexico they’ve never discovered before. We want to leave people in wonder.”
Motel Mexicola | Uluwatu
Jl. Pantai Bingin, Badung, Bali
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