I spent five days on Gili Air at the end of my year long backpacking trip around Europe and Asia. I had been traveling for 10 months by the time I got to Gili Air so I was on a tight budget, but luckily for me Gili Air has many amazing restaurants at all price points.
I didn’t have a single bad meal during my five night stay on the island and nearly all of my meals were under $5 USD.
Read on below to discover my favorite restaurants on Gili Air or click here to read more about my overall time spent on this island paradise : Year Long Honeymoon – April 2023: Heading Back to Europe.
Mama Pizza - Authentic Italian Pizza
Mama’s Pizza is one of the most popular restaurants on Gili Air, and for good reason! I tried their burrata pizza and a passion fruit mojito and was thoroughly impressed by the pizza. I could hardly believe I was sitting on a beach on a tiny island in Asia and not in Europe. Mama’s Pizza can get quite busy because so be sure to come early for a table.
Price: 100k-140k IDR or $6-$9 USD for a pizza
Location: Google Maps
Pituq Cafe - Vegan/Vegetarian
Pituq is a beachside vegan cafe with truly amazing and unique food. I tried the jackfruit gyro and it was delicious. I am not vegan and I was very impressed by the quality and flavor of the food. I wish I had come back to try more of the inventive vegan food, but it’ll have to wait for my next visit.
Price: around 80k IDR or about $5 USD for an entree
Location: Google Maps
Oranges - Local Food
Oranges is one of the most popular and highly rated restaurants for local food on Gili Air. When I visited I was absolutely starving so I ordered two meals for myself, the chicken cutlets (maybe not so local) and a vegetarian curry. Both meals were amazing and the staff were very kind as well!
Price: around 40,000 for an entree (under $3 USD)
Location: Google Maps
Pachamama - Organic Cafe
Pachamama is a cute cafe set on a back street on the island. It has many veggie, vegan and gluten free options, but serves meat as well. I had the eggplant burrito and it was so good. The mix of flavors and textures all came together perfectly. The quality of the food and the inventiveness of the dishes was truly beyond anything I expected on a tiny island in Indonesia.
Price: 75k-100k IDR ($5-$6 USD)
Location: Google Maps
Warung Mexicana - Local/Mexican/Vegan
This unassuming restaurant pleasantly surprised me. The menu is a mix of local and Mexican food with vegan options available. I went with the chicken burrito and while it wasn’t necessarily “Mexican” it was quite good. The fries served on the side were perfectly cooked and crispy but I wish the portion was a little bigger.
Price: around 45k IDR for an entree ($3 USD)
Location: Google Maps
Burger Lady - Burgers & Local Food
Burger Lady was unexpectedly one of my favorite restaurants. The food was delicious and I loved the local and Western options. I tried the crispy chicken burger with fries and of course the mei goreng.
Price: 40k IDR for Western dishes and 30k for local dishes ( $2-$3 USD)
Location: Google Maps
Barefoot Blondie - Coffee Shop & Cafe
If you’re craving some classic American breakfast food, this is the place to go. I ordered the “Mc Blondie” which is like a bacon McMuffin, and an iced coconut milk latte. The food and coffee are both delicious and worth the higher price (which is still very affordable by Western standards.)
Price: 50k-85k IDR ($3-$5.50 USD) for a meal, 25k-40k IDR ($2 USD) for a coffee
Location: Google Maps (close to the harbor!)
Krusty Warung - Local Food
This restaurant serves up local food at an affordable price. I tried a curry dish and a friend tried an interesting dish with several meat and veggies options surrounding a “rice volcano.” This restaurant isn’t a must try, but it was a good option during my five day stay on Gili Air.
Price: 30k-40k IDR for an entree ($2-$3 USD)
Location: Google Maps
Yadish Bar & Resto - Local Food
Yadish has a welcoming atmosphere and some of the friendliest people working there. I was hungry when I went so I had a a sweet and sour tofu dish which was amazing and veggie egg rolls which were just ok.
Price: I spent 105k IDR on an appetizer, entree and beer ($6 USD)
Location: Google Maps
Zipp Bar - Beach Resto
This restaurant is located right on the beach around the corner from the harbor. I had the gado gado which I enjoyed, but they have many Western options and other local options too. If you want to eat with your feet in the sand, this is a good place to do it.
Price: 40k-80k IDR ($3-$5 USD) for local food and 60k-100k IDR ($4-$6 USD) for Western food
Location: Google Maps
Other Options
I was only on Gili Air for five days and there were a few restaurants I wanted to try but didn’t get the chance to.
I heard good things about Bedagang, which is at a hostel but supposedly has the best burger and other Western food on the island.
I also walked by Allora and Kiosko cafe several times and both places looked great. Allora is Italian and Kiosko is a Spanish restaurant.
Let me know if you’ve been to any other amazing restaurants on Gili Air that I will have to try next time.
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