Best Restaurants On Gili Air

As part of a month long trip to Indonesia where we took in parts of Bali and Lombok, our family of four enjoyed a 5 night stay on Gili Air, the nearest of the 3 Gili Islands to Northwest Lombok.

As part of our trip, we ate and drank at over 20 local restaurants, warungs and bars – and after doing copious amounts of research in advance of visiting most of those, I think I have a fair shot at giving you a run down of the best restaurants on Gili Air.

Some of these are better for breakfast, some for a quick snack and others are great for a full blown meal – with something for all budgets.

PokeGiliAir

When we arrived on Gili Air we had just spent five days at Holiday Resort Lombok, which although we really enjoyed, it also left us craving healthy food. So our first stop when we arrived on the island was PokeGiliAir – which does exactly what the name implies – fantastic Poke Bowls.

The concept is pretty simple, you get a sheet of paper and a pencil, and then work your way through it constructing your perfect poke bowl.

I went for a large (which is very large) poke bowl which gave me two protein choices and loads of toppings and ingredient inclusions. I went for fresh tuna and chicken along with the mango sauce and lots of veggies. It was divine and just what I needed after a bout of gastro illness. I could almost feel the vitamins and minerals absorbing in to my body and the double protein hit was much needed and very welcomed.

The drinks and setting were equally impressive and the matcha latte in particular was delish – I was very pleased they didn’t add sugar (something that was a theme on the island) as they really focus on being health conscious here. The beachfront setting was perfect and they gave us four brownie pieces as a complimentary finish – and these were honestly some of the best brownies I’ve ever tasted.

They also do breakfast Acai bowls although we didn’t try these. I’d say this is the perfect lunch or breakfast/brunch spot and it also has great sunset views as it’s on the north side of the island.

Makan La Vie

Sometimes you want cheap and cheerful and then sometimes you want something a little bit more upmarket – and that’s what Makan La Vie are going for. This French restaurant, run by a French couple with extensive hospitality experience in Asia is another from this list found on Jl. Mojo, but this one is totally on its own in terms of quality of produce.

If you are craving true western food, but want it with a touch of finesse, then this is the place for you.

We had a true three course meal with French wine when we visited Makan La Vie and we were all blown away by the food. We shared the Apero sharing platter to start, which consisted of three French cheeses (including goats cheese and brie), tuna rillettes, terrine and breads. This was the perfect starter between 4 hungry guests.

I then opted for the sirloin steak cooked medium rare, and they managed this to perfection – accompanied by french fries – which were freshly cooked and delicious, with the pepper sauce giving it a little more oomph. The kitchen is open plan, and you can see the quality of ingredients used. I saw the entire slab of sirloin and watched the kitchen staff slice my thick cut steak from it.

The staff were incredibly attentive, and kept our glasses topped with water and wine throughout the meal. We also had lengthy conversations with Gan who we learned a lot from about life on the islands, life on Lombok and the places he recommended we visit – as well as learning more about the nuances in language between the Indonesian islands.

All in all, this is a perfect place to visit if you want good French food and wine and we turned it in to more of a splurge as one of our more expensive meals on Gili Air.

Pituq

Our second day saw us hire bikes and ride around the islands. We found ourselves a little hot and sweaty and in need of a quick lunch, we accidentally found ourselves in Pituq – which has a beautiful garden setting and is almost always at least half full.

The reason I say we accidentally found ourselves here was that it is a vegan restaurant – and with no vegans in our party we wouldn’t usually opt for a vegan only restaurant. This actually ended up being a blessing as we opted for the Acai bowls which were incredible. So fresh, incredibly well presented and so tasty.

There were also so many dishes on the menu I could have ordered and been very happy as the menu was quite inventive, using natural ingredients rather then processed vegetarian meat alternatives for the bulk of the offerings.

Pituq is a great option any time of day.

Barefoot Blondies

Barefoot Blondies is one of a few really top food choices near the harbour on Gili Air. Take the main street from the harbour and you’ll find it around a hundred yards or so up on the right hand side. Take off your flip flops and take a seat in the really chilled upstairs seating area, playing relaxed music full of good vibes.

I make no exaggeration when I tell you this was the best breakfast I had in the whole month travelling through Bali, Lombok and the Gili’s – something we actually all agreed on as a family for once.

The kids went for MC Blondie’s which were bacon, avocado and eggs on English muffins – and they loved them – with the bacon actually tasting good. Myself and Laura both went for Avacago – which was a really fancy Avo Toast – complete with a gorgeous pesto, feta cheese on their homemade bread and I topped it with two poached eggs which were perfectly cooked. IT WAS DELICIOUS!!!

For me, Barefoot Blondies has the perfect island vibe with some of the best food I had in a month. The latte art was also a match for the quality of the drinks.

Daun Thyme Mexican

If you are craving something a little different than the usual then Mexican food is usually a good shout, and we kind of stumbled upon Daun Thyme after having happy hour cocktails on the beach during sunset – and it was not only one of our best meals, but also one of the cheapest thanks to their Taco’s Thursday offer (I think every day is a taco day as it was Taco Wednesday the night before).

The tacos are 15k each at the time of writing when it’s a ‘taco day’ and our youngest went for 3 of these – which was far to much for her small 10 year old tummy – but still only totalled 45k.

Others in our group had enchiladas, homemade tortilla chips and fajitas – and everyone was really happy with the food. Everything seems homemade and the fact they had to check with the kitchen if they’d run out of certain menu items I took as a good sign of this.

The staff are lovely here (again a theme across the island) and the food is really high quality with large portions. Everything seems to come with the tortilla chips and extra dips so don’t make the mistake we made of ordering extra to chips to share – you probably won’t need them.

Gili Coffee Roasters

I found it hard to stay away from this place after my first visit and although not strictly a restaurant, Gili Coffee Roasters does serve some excellent lunch options – as well as the best passionfruit cheesecake you’re ever likely to eat.

What sets this place apart from other cafes and coffee shops? For one they serve up some insanely good coffee and iced matcha lattes. Secondly, they grow a lot of their own produce in their garden (which you are welcome to walk around at your leisure). They have a treehouse upper section with extra tables, power sockets and which is a quieter zone, as well as outdoor seats.

Don’t wait around for the lovely staff to take your order, as this is one place where you order and pay at the till, they then serve you at your table.

The passionfruit cheesecake was so good I had it twice, and on my first visit the waiter told me that the passionfruit had been picked that very morning from their garden – it doesn’t get much fresher than that!

It’s a nice chilled vibe in here and it is a perfect stop for breakfast, lunch or an afternoon treat – or simply just for a drink. It was so good I almost bought a Gili Coffee Roasters t-shirt, but just about had the willpower to stop myself.

GiliTik Streetfood

This was one place we went with very little in the way of research. We simply headed to the main street and took a punt – and the gamble paid off.

GiliTik is nothing fancy, but the decor is pretty cool with a beachy feel and swings as bar stools. We opted for a normal table as we were eating, with the options mainly consisting of street food from around the world – again, just as the name suggests.

I had the Korean Fried Chicken which comes in a gochujang sauce and this was the best dish we had in my opinion – after trying bits of what the others tried – which included Nasi Goreng, burgers and chicken satay – although all were eaten and enjoyed without complaint.

Good prices, easy food and kid friendly – we enjoyed GiliTik Streetfood.

Poutine Gili Air

Poutine is another top spot near to the harbour that is open from 7am until around 6pm serving mainly breakfast, pastries and cakes, along with some fantastic drinks.

This has to be one of the prettiest spots along the main road from the harbour with a lush garden setting and is a nice chilled escape from the hustle and bustle of the port that is merely 50 metres or so away.

We went here for breakfast and enjoyed pastries, coffee and fresh juices – all of which we loved. The best thing about it though is the setting and the vibe.

Mowies On The Beach

If you are searching for an idyllic beach spot on the south of the island and don’t want to venture far from the island then Mowies is a great option. It also happens to be on one of the nicest stretches of beach on Gili Air with pure white sand and crystal clear waters.

Perfect for just drinks or for simple but well made food any time of day (they also have a good breakfast menu) we loved Mowies for the laid back beach location, with decor and food to match,

As with most places on Gili Air, the staff are super friendly and although the restaurant and bar is part of a small boutique hotel, they welcome guests at all times – just don’t try and take a sun lounger as these are reserved for hotel guests only.

The food here is excellent, as are the drinks, and all at a fair price. The perfect white sand beach front location!