- Location, location, location!
- Cafe number 1: Carpe Diem Cafe & Restaurant
- Cafe number 2: Taste
- Cafe number 3: The Banyan Tree
- Cafe number 4: Coco Cafe & Ice cream
- Cafe number 5: Coffee & Thyme
Gili Trawangan, fondly known as Gili T, is the most developed of the three Gili Islands. Gili Meno and Gili Air are certainly not undiscovered, but if you’re after aesthetically pleasing cafes and delicious smoothie bowls for breakfast whilst looking out onto white sands and blue waters, then Gili T is the place for you.
We’re big fans of coffee – those of you following us on Instagram will be used to our cafe hunting endeavors! We tried lots of cafe’s on Gili T and not all of them made the cut – here are five we loved.
Location, location, location!
All these cafes are on the main stretch on the east of the island, which makes them very easy to find as that’s where a lot of the hotels and beautiful beaches are. This side of Gili T is also where the harbour is for boats arriving from Lombok, Bali and the other Gilis, so if you’re waiting to board or have arrived before check-in time at your hotel, these are all perfectly located to kill time in a yummy way!
Just a note on the all important air con: Pretty much all the cafes on Gili T will have air conditioning, but sometimes it’s in a room upstairs or towards the back of the cafe – if you’re after a break from the heat but you don’t get that freezing hit of aircon as you walk through the door, don’t panic, friendly staff can point you in the right direction!
Cafe number 1: Carpe Diem Cafe & Restaurant
This cafe caught our eye as we were walking past thanks to the stunning selection of baked goods on display in the window! The next day we went back for our coffee and pastry pick me up. The team here are so friendly and kind. There were a couple of small kids in that day with their tired parents and the staff were happy to entertain the little ones, carrying them around the cafe and chatting away to them.
The cafe itself is decorated beautifully, with large parrot murals and very on trend rope lights. The cafes on GIli T all scream ‘boho beach’ and this is no exception.
We ordered an iced latte, long black and crombolino pastry and were not disappointed. The coffee was great quality and the pastry was delicious! We were half expecting it to be a bit anticlimatic because so many amazing-looking pastries are, especially in South East Asia unfortunately, but this was great!
Carpe Diem is also a restaurant, while we didn’t try their food, it is well rated and the food coming out looked very good. Plus the kitchen staff were super busy, which is always a good sign.
Cafe number 2: Taste
We went here a couple of times for an afternoon coffee because 1) the coffee is great and 2) the atmosphere is so chill.
Sitting on the beach with the sand between your toes is such a great way to spend an afternoon and the servers are so lovely you don’t feel any stress or pressure to move on. We actually spent about an hour here after finishing our coffees just playing cards and chilling out with no issues.
For people who really like their coffee this was way up there, and (as always) the order was an iced latte and hot long black.
This place does also do food but we didn’t eat here and their food menu looked to be on the pricier side so I would hope the quality is worth it.
Cafe number 3: The Banyan Tree
This place looks tiny when you first walk in but it has a large upstairs seating area which is airconditioned and an outdoor balcony overlooking the sea.
It seems to be very popular with digital nomads as somewhere a little bit quieter to get some work done. While it definitely gives off that vibe, it also has some great music playing and friendly waiters who are never short of a smile.
The building is beautiful, with high ceilings and exposed brick work that you’ll notice is very similar to some of the older buildings on the island if you go for a wander through the winding streets.
In addition to the lovely coffee there is a great selection of sweet treats that are mainly vegan along with a large menu that I would have liked to have tried if we were on the island another night (we found Banyan on the last day!).
The cafe also promotes sustainability and eco-friendly initiatives, which is especially important on such a small island that relies on shipping it’s produce in from nearby Lombok and Bali.
Cafe number 4: Coco Cafe & Ice cream
This cafe is such a vibe, it’s constantly bustling as it’s right by the harbour and serves great coffee, cakes, smoothie bowls and avocado toast.
We popped in here on our first morning for a pick me up brunch and it totally hit the spot. The music is great, the staff are chaotic but lovely, and everything tastes delicious. It’s pretty small though so find a table and hold it for dear life! It’s worth it.
Cafe number 5: Coffee & Thyme
The first thing you’ll notice about this cute cafe is the servers’ outfits! They’re something between a Venetian gondolier and bumble bees! The team are lovely, busy and never far away.
The art in this cafe is beautiful, I loved the design wall behind the counter – it’s so fun and boho I had to sneak a picture.
The coffee here is a great but so are the cakes and pastries – pop in for a quick coffee, stay for a slice of cake and recharge. If you can snag the little booth in the window this place is also the best cafe for people watching. We ended up staying here for ages watching life on Gili T go by.
And there we have it, five of the cutest cafes in Gili Trawangan for you to get your coffee fix. Most of the cafes on Gili T cater for more than just coffee and tea so if you’re after brunch, or cake, or somewhere to set up your laptop for a few hours and get some work done – these will definitely serve your needs.
We’d love to hear if you’ve tried any of these and if you have any others to add to the list. Leave a comment so we can see!
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