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If you're planning a trip to Gili Air and wondering which cafés to visit, you've come to the right place. We recently spent 5 days on Gili Air, most of which was spent in cafés and coffee shops (im not joking).
We absolutely love a good café: somewhere with a relaxed vibe, incredible coffee and delicious cakes or pastries. If you do too, you're in luck, because Gili Air is full of them. In fact, there were so many great spots that we couldn’t even visit them all!
In this post, we’re sharing our favourite cafés, coffee shops and brunch spots that you just can't miss if you're visiting the island.
Before we get into the list, let me just say that I was very impressed with the quality of coffee in Gili Air - that goes for breakfast and brunch too, all the food was delicious and beautifully presented. Therefore, I couldn't possibly rank them - they were all amazing in their own ways!
Chloe Butcher
1. Kopi Susu
Kopi Susu (which actually means "coffee with milk" in Indonesian) was one of our absolute favourite brunch spots in Gili Air.
The atmosphere here was so relaxed and chilled, with most of the seating outside surrounded by greenery and natural bamboo materials.
The main reason we were drawn to this cafe was its tapas-style brunch menu, you could choose 3 or 5 items to mix and match (much like the famous Copenhagen cafe in Bali).
The food was bright, colourful and absolutely delicious and the coffee was great too. I went for an iced coffee (which I always find harder to judge), but nonetheless it was tasty.
Overall, this spot ranks high on our list of recommendations if you love an aesthetic brunch spot with a relaxing vibe.
2. Teras Bambu
Teras Bambu feels really authentic and chilled, it's a tiny bamboo café with a terrace - the name does literally mean "Bamboo Terrace"!
We sat upstairs on the terrace on beanbags, with a view over the road and the surrounding greenery. It was such a beautiful, peaceful spot with local music playing in the background, exactly the kind of café you'd expect to find on a tropical island.
We visited for breakfast which was really good, though the cakes on display looked seriously tempting. I ordered the pancakes - not the best I’ve ever had, but still tasty, while the rest of the group went for fruit and smoothie bowls that looked almost too pretty to eat.
The coffee here was excellent too. I had another iced latte which was great and Rory went for an americano and gave it a big thumbs up, solid coffee all around!
3. Gili Coffee Roasters
Tucked away in the middle of the island, Gili Coffee Roasters is a spot we couldn’t resist coming back to, partly for the amazing coffee and partly because the breakfast menu was just too tempting.
As the name suggests, they roast their own beans and they even grow fresh ingredients in their garden for the cafe. The coffee was incredible, it was perfectly smooth and well-balanced, easily some of the best we had on Gili Air.
The breakfast was delicious too, our table had a mix of sweet and savory dishes which all received 5 stars. I had the french toast roll ups which were delicious and again, almost too pretty to eat. They have really delicious cakes too, Rory ordered the biscoff cheesecake both times which says it all.
They also sell beautiful mugs and gift sets, which I absolutely would’ve bought if I’d had any space left in my suitcase. Overall, Gili Coffee Roasters was easily one of our favourite cafés on the island, and well worth the cycle to get there.
4. Il Baretto Gili Air
Hidden away in the north of the island, Il Baretto is an Italian bakery and coffee bar that quickly became one of our favourites for coffee and pastries. We loved it the first time so we actually went back - it helped that it was conveniently close to the dive shop we were using, so it became our breakfast spot before diving.
The pastries were to die for, I had the cornetto crema (croissant stuffed with a lemon cream) which was absolutely delicious.
The coffee was great too, though on our first visit I ordered a large, which I found a bit too milky for my taste. On our second visit, I went for a small instead and it was spot on - smooth, balanced and perfect latte art.
Right next to the cafe is the only padel court on Gili Air, so it’s the perfect place to grab a coffee and croissant after a morning padel session.
Chloe Butcher
5. Barefoot Blondie
Barefoot Blondie is a lovely café right by the jetty - the perfect spot to grab a coffee as you arrive or before you leave the island. We visited just before closing, so it was super quiet, but the upstairs area was cosy with large seating areas so you could really sit back and relax.
We came for coffee and cake, which was all really amazing. The Blondielicious brownie was incredible, it was rich, gooey and perfectly sweet and the coffee had a smooth, balanced flavour with beautiful latte art.
The breakfast and brunch menu looked amazing too; we would’ve loved to try it if we’d had more time. Overall, Barefoot Blondie is a great little spot for a caffeine fix, sweet treat and a chill out.
6. ITALY Pizza & Cucina
This place might not look like your typical breakfast spot, but it turned out to be a hidden gem. It’s mainly a dinner restaurant (which we’d already been to and loved), but they also have an incredible breakfast/brunch menu.
The food is an Italian twist on normal breakfast items - I had scrambled eggs with their homemade focaccia, while the others ordered croissant sandwiches and breakfast-style amatriciana eggs, all of which were incredible.
They do serve coffee here, but if you’re only after a caffeine fix or a slice of cake, I’d head to one of the other cafés on the island. The main attraction at this spot is the delicious food!
Final Thoughts on the Best Café/Coffee Shops in Gili Air
I have to say, we were genuinely impressed with all of the cafés and coffee shops we visited - I don’t think we had a single bad experience!
I had a feeling Gili Air would deliver when it came to aesthetic cafés and great coffee, especially since Bali is known for its incredible foodie scene and I was right.
Gili Air has that same laid-back, stylish vibe, just on a smaller, more peaceful scale. It’s the perfect place to café-hop your way around the island, one iced latte at a time.
👋 We hope that you found this guide helpful! Before you go - don't forget to read our other Indonesia travel guides for more tips, suggestions & advice.
