This closet of a space is accessible via a discreet door behind Naughty Nuri’s, the beloved Balinese pork ribs house that racks up a full house nightly. At this point, we’ve seen one too many speakeasies channeling the Prohibition vibe, so décor-wise, P&C is cosy, but nothing to shout about.
What’s worth celebrating is the omakase concept. You’ll receive a double-columned placard; tick one box from each category. The first column lists a range of flavours (do you like your cocktail sweet, spicy, bitter, earthy or zesty?) while the other spells out the hard liquors (choose from a variety including absinthe, brandy, gin, saké, vodka or tequila). Traditionalists would do well to check off the boxes marking ‘smoky’ and ‘whisky’, which results in a cocktail reeking of masculinity.
We were immensely pleased with what we got. Thirsty for some bubbly, we also challenged the bartender to balance champagne’s delicate flavours with umami (sweet and savoury) nuances. The cloudy champagne that came drew a few testy looks from us, but all it took was one sip to fall in love with it. P&C is a non-smoking venue, which makes complete sense, given its confined space.