Here are the restaurants in Gili Air that we tried and approved. The hardest part is deciding where to eat in Gili Air, as there’s so much choice, but we ate incredibly well! I hope this list comes in handy!
Without a doubt this was my favourite restaurant in Gili Air. We came here on our first day, straight after a long journey from Singapore, and I loved it instantly. The fresh juices are delicious, the food is divine, and the prices are very reasonable.
I had a fried aubergine dish with rice called Colonial, which I liked so much that I ordered it again when we came back a second time. Everyone else’s dishes were very good too!
The restaurant doesn’t have many tables, so if you go at peak dinner time, you may have to wait a while. See the location of Optimiz Prime here.
You can’t miss this restaurant – the best place to eat in Gili Air (in my humble opinion)!
Photo 1: Lunch at Optimiz Prime, pineapple and orange juice
Photo 2: Lunch at Optimiz Prime – fried aubergine with colonial rice
We went to Mamma Pizza to take a break from Asian food, and I would highly recommend it if you’re looking for a place to eat in Gili Air! We all ordered pizzas, which were delicious.
The restaurant is very popular, so if you can, book ahead , especially for dinner. We had to wait about 20 minutes for a table.
There’s also a Mamma Pizza in Kuta Lombok. See the location of Mamma Pizza here.
This fantastic beachfront bar and restaurant is the perfect place to spend the day. You can choose to sit on sun loungers on the sand or in wooden cabanas with cushions and full shade. There’s no need to pay for a table, you just need to order something from the restaurant. We had lunch here and the food was really good.
At high tide, the beach in front of Chill Bar is great for swimming. However, as with all the beaches we visited in Gili Air, there are plenty of rocks and bits of coral in the sand, so it’s worth bringing water shoes for your holidays.
When the tide is low, you can walk quite far out and then let the current carry you along the shore. The amazing thing is that you can see turtles here! Just be careful when getting out of the water though, as there are lots of coral rocks, some of which are quite high. The trick is to follow where other people are leaving the sea. We ended up with a few scratches because we definitely didn’t pick the best spot.😅
I didn’t go snorkelling in this sea current myself, but I stayed nearby to help Maria Rita, and what saved me were my water shoes, which I would definitely recommend bringing on your holiday to Gili Air.
Photo 3: Chill Bar, perfect for swimming at high tide
Photo 4: Beach cabana for relaxing and dining at Chill Bar
Photo 5: Beach cabana at Chill Bar, where you can watch the tide going out
Chupito is a lively Mexican restaurant with a fun interior! We really enjoyed the food, although the portions were a little small. Since we had to order more food, the meal didn’t turn out to be the cheapest meal, but I’d still recommend it. Check the exact location here.
Photo 6: One of the very cool walls at Chupito restaurant
Photo 7: One of the indoor areas at Chupito restaurant, we ate on the terrace
We didn’t have time for many other foodie experiences during our short stay, but I hope these suggestions give you a good idea of where to eat in Gili Air.
Also, don’t forget to also read the other posts about Gili Air:
