Best Craft Beer Bars in Gili Islands for Serious Beer Drinkers
Words by
Budi Santoso
When people talk about the best craft beer bars in Gili Islands, they are usually surprised to find any at all. These three tiny coral islands off the northwest coast of Lombok were, for decades, better known for cheap Bintang buckets and full-moon parties than for anything resembling a serious beer scene. But over the past five years, a handful of bars and restaurants on Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air have quietly started pouring craft taps, stocking imported bottles, and even experimenting with small-batch local brewing. I have spent the better part of three years island-hopping between the Gilis, drinking my way through every tap list I could find, and what follows is the most honest, ground-level guide I can put together for anyone who cares about what is actually in the glass.
The Craft Beer Awakening on Gili Trawangan
Gili Trawangan is the largest of the three islands and the one most tourists associate with backpacker chaos. The main strip along the eastern coast, Jalan Pantai, is still dominated by reggae bars and happy-hour cocktail deals. But if you walk about 200 meters inland toward the night market area, you start to find places that take beer seriously. The shift began around 2019 when a few expat-owned bars started importing kegs from Bali microbreweries and rotating taps seasonally. It is not Berlin or Portland, but for a car-free island with a population under 3,000 permanent residents, the progress has been remarkable.
What most visitors do not realize is that the local Sasak community on Trawangan has its own drinking culture, centered around ballo (palm wine) and arak, which predates any bar scene by centuries. The craft beer movement here exists in parallel with that older tradition, and the best bars on the island are the ones that acknowledge both.
1. Scallywags Bar and Grill (Jalan Pantai, East Side of Gili Trawangan)
The Vibe? A polished beachfront bar that feels like it was airlifted from a Bali resort but with a surprisingly serious beer program underneath the resort polish.
The Bill? Expect to pay between 65,000 and 95,000 IDR for a craft pour, which is steep by Gili standards but fair for what you get.
The Standout? Their rotating tap list, which has featured beers from Bali's Island Brewing Indonesia and a few guest taps from Java-based microbreweries. Ask the bartender what is on draft before you sit down, because the menu board is not always updated.
The Catch? The beachfront seating fills up fast after 5 PM, and the service can get sloppy when the dinner rush hits around 7:30. If you want a quiet beer, come before 4 PM on a weekday.
Scallywags sits right on the main beach road, and it is one of the few places on Trawangan where you will find a dedicated beer menu rather than just a cooler full of Bintang and Heineken. The owner, an Australian who has lived on the island for over a decade, told me he started the tap program after getting frustrated with the lack of options during the low season when supply ships from Bali were unreliable. He now keeps a small cold room specifically for kegs, which is a luxury on an island where most businesses share a single ice delivery route.
Most tourists walk past Scallywags assuming it is just another overpriced beach bar. The detail they miss is the chalkboard near the back of the bar, which lists the IBU and ABV of every beer on tap. That alone tells you this place is different.
2. Gili Trawangan Night Market (Central Gili Trawangan, Inland)
The Vibe? A chaotic, fluorescent-lit food market where you can eat grilled fish for 35,000 IDR and then walk ten steps to a stall selling imported craft bottles.
The Bill? Craft bottles here run 55,000 to 80,000 IDR, depending on the brand and how well the stall owner knows you.
The Standout? The small cluster of drink stalls on the market's western edge that stock bottles from Kura Kura Brewery and a few Indonesian craft labels you will not see on the beach road.
The Catch? The market is loud, crowded, and open only from around 6 PM to midnight. There is no seating to speak of, just plastic stools and shared tables.
The night market is where locals actually eat, and it has become an unlikely hub for craft beer on Trawangan. A few vendors started stocking bottles from Kura Kura Brewery (based in Bali) after tourists kept asking for something other than Bintang. It is not a bar, and there are no taps, but the selection of bottles is wider than what you will find at most proper bars on the island. I have seen bottles from Java's Beer Garden and even a few Belgian imports tucked behind the counter.
Here is the insider tip: go on a Tuesday or Wednesday night. The market is less crowded, the vendors have more time to chat, and you can sometimes negotiate a better price if you buy three or four bottles. On weekends, the market is packed with drunk backpackers and the craft bottles sell out fast.
Gili Meno: Quiet Island, Quiet Beer Scene
Gili Meno is the smallest and quietest of the three islands, and its beer scene reflects that. There is no microbrewery Gili Islands residents can point to on Meno, but there are a couple of spots that stock craft options for visitors who are willing to look. The island's character is defined by its turtle sanctuary, its salt lake, and its near-total absence of motorized vehicles. Beer here is something you drink slowly, on a hammock, watching the sun set over Lombok.
3. Mahamaya Beach Resort Bar (Northwest Coast of Gili Meno)
The Vibe? A boutique resort bar that opens its doors to non-guests in the late afternoon, with beanbag chairs on the sand and a small but curated beer selection.
The Bill? Craft beers are priced between 70,000 and 100,000 IDR, which is the most expensive on the Gilis but reflects the resort's import costs.
The Standout? Their occasional guest taps from Two Hands Brewing Co. in Bali, which rotate every few months. When they have it, the pale ale is exceptional.
The Catch? The bar closes at 10 PM sharp, and the resort occasionally restricts access during private events. Call ahead or check their Instagram before walking over.
Mahamaya is the kind of place that most budget travelers skip because it looks too fancy. But the bar manager, a young Balinese woman named Ketut, is genuinely passionate about beer and has built relationships with several local breweries Gili Islands visitors would never hear about otherwise. She told me that getting kegs to Meno is a logistical nightmare because the island has no proper dock, everything arrives by small boat, and cold chain management is a constant battle.
The detail most tourists do not know: Mahamaya sometimes hosts small beer tasting events during the dry season (May through September), usually on Thursday evenings. These are not widely advertised. You have to ask at the front desk or follow their social media to find out.
4. Regina Beach Bar (Southeast Coast of Gili Meno)
The Vibe? A no-frills beach shack with a thatched roof, plastic chairs, and a surprisingly decent cooler full of craft bottles.
The Bill? Around 50,000 to 70,000 IDR for a craft bottle, which is more reasonable than the resort bars.
The Standout? Their stock of Island Brewing Indonesia bottles, which are brewed in Bali but taste noticeably fresher here than on Trawangan because of shorter supply chains.
The Catch? The bar has no set closing time. Some nights it is packed until 2 AM; other nights the owner closes up by 9 PM if business is slow. It is unpredictable.
Regina is run by a Sasak family that has lived on Meno for generations. The father, Pak Wayan, started selling craft beers after his son returned from working in a Seminyak bar and convinced him there was demand. It is a family operation, and the beer selection is small, but the setting is hard to beat. You are sitting on the sand, looking out at the water, with a cold beer that is not Bintang.
The insider detail: if you come here on a Sunday afternoon, you might catch Pak Wayan grilling fresh squid on a charcoal fire behind the bar. He does not sell it as food, but if you are friendly and buy a few beers, he will usually hand you a piece. This is not on any menu. It just happens.
Gili Air: The Middle Ground
Gili Air sits between Trawangan's chaos and Meno's silence, and its beer scene occupies a similar middle ground. There are a few places with craft beer taps Gili Islands visitors can explore, and the island's small size means you can walk to all of them in under an hour. Gili Air has a larger permanent Sasak population than Trawangan, and the local community is more involved in the tourism economy here, which gives the bar scene a different feel.
5. Manta Dive Bar (East Side of Gili Air, Near the Main Jetty)
The Vibe? A dive-bar-meets-dive-shop where the beer selection is an afterthought to the scuba operation but has gotten surprisingly good in recent years.
The Bill? Craft bottles are 55,000 to 75,000 IDR. Divers get a 10% discount if they show their logbook.
The Standout? Their partnership with a small brewery in Mataram (Lombok's capital) that produces a lager specifically for the Gili Islands market. It is light, clean, and perfect after a morning dive.
The Catch? The bar is tiny, with maybe eight seats, and it fills up with divers after afternoon dives. If you want a seat, come before 3 PM or after 7 PM.
Manta Dive is primarily a scuba operation, one of the oldest on Gili Air, and the bar exists mostly to give divers a place to debrief. But the dive instructor who runs the bar, a German expat named Jens, has a genuine interest in beer and started sourcing from Lombok-based producers as an alternative to the Bali supply chain. The Mataram lager he stocks is brewed by a small operation that most people outside Lombok have never heard of, and it is one of the few beers you can drink on the Gilis that was actually produced on the same island chain.
Most tourists do not know that Manta Dive keeps a "secret" bottle of Balinese barleywine behind the counter, available only to regulars. If you go there three or four times and show genuine interest in the beer selection, Jens will eventually offer it to you. It is not listed anywhere.
6. Gili Air Hostel and Bar (Central Gili Air, Inland Path)
The Vibe? A backpacker hostel with a bar that punches above its weight in terms of beer selection, thanks to a well-traveled owner who has connections across Indonesia.
The Bill? Craft beers range from 45,000 to 70,000 IDR, making this the most affordable craft option on the Gilis.
The Standout? Their rotating selection of bottles from across the archipelago, including labels from Yogyakarta, Bandung, and Makassar that you will not find anywhere else in the Gilis.
The Catch? The bar is in a hostel, so it can get rowdy on weekends when the dorm rooms are full. If you want a quiet drink, avoid Friday and Saturday nights.
The owner, a Indonesian woman named Rina who previously managed bars in Jakarta and Yogyakarta, opened this place specifically because she was tired of drinking Bintang every time she came back to visit family on Gili Air. She uses her industry contacts to source bottles from microbreweries across Java and Sulawesi, and the selection changes every few weeks depending on what she can get shipped to Lombok.
The insider tip: Rina keeps a handwritten list of every beer she has ever stocked, along with tasting notes. If you ask nicely, she will show it to you and let you pick something based on your preferences. It is a personal touch that no other bar on the islands offers.
7. La Luna Restaurant and Bar (South Coast of Gili Air)
The Vibe? A Mediterranean-influenced restaurant with a small bar area that takes its beer as seriously as its wine list.
The Bill? Craft pours are 60,000 to 85,000 IDR. Wine is more expensive, so beer drinkers are getting the better deal here.
The Standout? Their Belgian beer selection, which includes Duvel and Chimay bottles that are imported directly and stored properly, a rarity on these islands.
The Catch? The restaurant is popular with couples and older tourists, so the atmosphere can feel a bit formal if you are in flip-flops and board shorts. Also, the kitchen closes at 10 PM, and the bar winds down shortly after.
La Luna is run by a French-Indonesian couple who split their time between Gili Air and Nice. They opened the restaurant in 2018 and have maintained a small but excellent beer program alongside their Mediterranean food menu. The Belgian bottles are their pride and joy, and they store them in a temperature-controlled unit that runs on solar power, which is itself a minor miracle on an island with unreliable electricity.
The detail most visitors miss: La Luna occasionally serves a house-made ginger beer that is brewed on-site using local Lombok ginger. It is not craft beer in the traditional sense, but it is fermented, it is local, and it pairs surprisingly well with their grilled octopus. Ask the server about it. It is not on the printed menu.
The Broader Picture: Local Breweries and the Future of Craft Beer in Gili Islands
When people search for local breweries Gili Islands, the honest answer is that there is no fully operational, dedicated craft brewery on any of the three Gili Islands as of my last visit. The logistical challenges are significant. Fresh water is scarce, imported ingredients are expensive, and the small local market makes it hard to justify the investment. However, there are rumblings. A couple of entrepreneurs on Lombok have been experimenting with small-batch brewing using local ingredients like Lombok coffee and tamarind, and some of these experimental brews have made their way onto bar menus on Gili Trawangan and Gili Air.
The closest thing to a microbrewery Gili Islands residents can claim is a small operation on the Lombok mainland, near Mataram, that produces a few hundred liters per month and supplies a handful of bars across the Gilis. The brewery does not have a taproom or a public-facing brand, but its lager has appeared at Manta Dive and a couple of spots on Trawangan. If the craft beer scene in the Gilis is going to grow, it will likely depend on this kind of mainland-to-island supply chain rather than on-island production.
What gives me hope is the generational shift. Young Sasak people who have worked in Bali's hospitality industry are returning to the Gilis with new ideas and higher standards. The same thing happened with coffee shops on Gili Air five years ago, and now there are half a dozen excellent cafes on that island. Beer will follow the same trajectory, just more slowly, because the infrastructure is harder to build.
8. Sunset Point Bar (Southwest Tip of Gili Trawangan)
The Vibe? A open-air bar on the western tip of the island, built for sunset watching, with a small but thoughtful beer menu that has improved dramatically since 2022.
The Bill? Craft options are 60,000 to 80,000 IDR. Standard Bintang is 35,000 IDR if you just want to save money.
The Standout? Their "sunset flight" of three craft beers, served in small pours, designed to be enjoyed over the course of the golden hour. It is the best beer experience on Trawangan, full stop.
The Catch? The bar is exposed to the elements, and when the wind picks up in July and August, it can be genuinely uncomfortable. Also, the path to get here from the main road is unpaved and poorly lit after dark. Bring a flashlight or use your phone.
Sunset Point is where I send every beer-loving visitor who asks me for a single recommendation. The flight changes seasonally, but it usually includes one Indonesian craft beer, one Australian import, and one wildcard that might be anything from a German pilsner to a Filipino craft ale. The bartender, a local guy named Adi, has developed a real palate and will talk you through each beer if you show interest.
The insider detail: if you come here on a full moon night, the bar sometimes stays open past midnight and the owner brings out a special keg that is not available any other time. This is not advertised. You just have to be lucky or ask Adi directly if anything special is coming up.
When to Go and What to Know
The dry season, from May through September, is the best time to visit the Gilis for beer drinking. The weather is cooler, the bars are less humid, and the supply chain from Bali and Lombok is more reliable, which means fresher kegs and better bottle selection. During the wet season (November through March), some bars reduce their craft offerings because shipments are delayed or spoiled by heat and humidity.
Most bars on the Gilis accept cash only. Indonesian rupiah. Credit cards are accepted at a few resort bars, but the exchange rate is usually terrible. Bring enough cash for your trip, or use the ATMs on Gili Trawangan (there are two, and they are not always working).
The legal drinking age in Indonesia is 21, but enforcement on the Gilis is lax. That said, the local Sasak community is predominantly Muslim, and it is respectful to be discreet about drinking when you are walking through the interior of any of the islands, especially near mosques or during Ramadan.
Tipping is not expected but appreciated. Rounding up your bill or leaving 5,000 to 10,000 IDR is standard at bars where you sit and have table service.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the one must-try local specialty food or drink that Gili Islands is famous for?
The Gili Islands are most famous for ballo, a traditional palm wine tapped from coconut or sugar palm trees by local Sasak families. It is mildly sweet, slightly fermented, and usually sold in plastic bottles at small warungs for around 15,000 to 25,000 IDR. On the food side, ayam taliwang (grilled Lombok chicken with a spicy sambal) is the signature dish and is available at most night market stalls for 30,000 to 45,000 IDR per portion.
Are there any specific dress codes or cultural etiquettes to keep in mind when visiting local spots in Gili Islands?
The Gili Islands are more relaxed than mainland Lombok, but visitors should cover shoulders and knees when walking through village areas or near mosques, especially on Gili Air and Gili Meno where the local Sasak community is more present. Swimwear is acceptable on the beach but not in warungs or shops. During Ramadan, avoid eating, drinking, or smoking in public during daylight hours out of respect for fasting locals.
Is the tap water in Gili Islands safe to drink, or should travelers strictly rely on filtered water options?
Tap water on all three Gili Islands is not safe for drinking. The islands rely on rainwater collection and desalinated water, and the plumbing infrastructure is inconsistent. Most restaurants and bars use filtered or bottled water for drinking and ice, but travelers should confirm this before ordering. Bottled water costs 5,000 to 10,000 IDR at small shops. Bringing a reusable bottle and refilling at filtered water stations (available at most hostels and some cafes) is the most practical approach.
How easy is it to find pure vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based dining options in Gili Islands?
Vegetarian options are widely available on all three islands, with most warungs offering nasi campur with tofu, tempeh, and vegetable sides for 20,000 to 35,000 IDR. Fully vegan options are harder to find but are available at several cafes on Gili Air and Gili Trawangan, particularly those catering to Western tourists. Expect to pay 40,000 to 70,000 IDR for a vegan main course. Gili Air has the highest concentration of plant-based friendly eateries relative to its size.
Is Gili Islands expensive to visit? Give a realistic daily budget breakdown for mid-tier travelers?
A mid-tier traveler should budget approximately 500,000 to 800,000 IDR per day. This covers a guesthouse or budget hotel (200,000 to 350,000 IDR), three meals at local warungs or casual restaurants (150,000 to 250,000 IDR), two to three craft beers at a bar (130,000 to 250,000 IDR), and bicycle rental or a horse-drawn cidomo ride (30,000 to 50,000 IDR). Speed boat transfers from Bali cost 350,000 to 600,000 IDR per person each way, which is a significant additional expense.
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