Gili Trawangan
A whimsical little pastel shack where you can order delicious smoothie bowls, iced lattes, burgers or local bites (try the chicken rendang!). Sit upstairs…
Must-see restaurants in Nusa Tenggara
Flores
Not to be confused with other Lucas venues in the street, this one is on the 2nd storey of a wooden building. Yellow ceiling beams and painted tables up…
Flores
This thatched, open-air dining room specialises in se'i babi, succulent smoked pork hailing from Kupang. Meal deals are 35,000Rp and include pork, white…
Gili Trawangan
Who needs Bangkok when you have Gili T? The most authentic Thai food this side of Phuket is served up in a cute little garden. The flavours are spot on…
Sumbawa
Clean and popular, this Chinese seafood house plates tender fish fillets, prawns, squid, crab and scallops in oyster, Szechuan or sweet-and-sour sauce…
Senggigi
An ideal family choice, this place spans the culinary globe from tuna carpaccio to burgers to Lombok’s own Sate pusut (minced-meat or fish sate). It also…
Sumbawa
Those craving things like French-press coffee, avocado toast, salads, granola or burritos – all exceptionally rare on Sumbawa – will love this cheap open…
Flores
At sunset the smell of grilled fish wafts through the air at this beachside market. Browse the many stalls and feast on what looks best. Remember to shop…
Gili Air
With a menu full of creative Indonesian and Western fusion fare, an ideal sunset location on the beach and chill EDM tunes after dark, Mowie's is the kind…
Sumbawa
A tasty fish shack teetering on the rocky shore at the island’s midway point. Dine on fresh catch, grilled or fried, in the ‘dining room’, or in one of…
Gili Trawangan
Homemade dumplings, wontons and broad noodles are the stars of this tiny Chinese restaurant that feels like a secret hideaway. You'll dine at one long…
South Lombok
A total tropical fantasy in bamboo and thatch. Sit under a palm tree while you dine on fresh fish caught by a local fisher. The chef is the owner's wife,…
Gili Air
Come for a swim and a sip with stunning views, and stay for dinner at a table on the sand. It puts on a full nightly seafood barbecue and cooks up some…
Gili Meno
Set on Meno's quiet western shore, this island-casual resto does crispy fish and other yummy Sasak dishes. At sunset, enjoy cocktails and live music as…
Lombok
A fantastic little thatch-roofed restaurant with lots of veggie options, fresh fruit juices and helpful English-speaking owners. Find it on the way up to…
Gili Trawangan
Boasts an elegant marina terrace, a wonderful nightly barbecue, a salad bar and fine wine. Among much competition, it's a contender for the best barbecued…
Sumba
Rural Sumba's version of a hip cafe with excellent coffee drinks and well-prepared local dishes at popular prices. Choose from the changing line-up on the…
Gili Meno
Defining ramshackle, this beach food stall serves up Indonesian faves, curries, pancakes and plenty of pasta, along with the views you came to Meno to…
Flores
As well as dirt-cheap Indonesian favourites like nasi goreng, Maumere's large night market, unsurprisingly, has plenty of stalls grilling fresh fish.
Gili Air
A cheap, friendly and artfully decorated option for tasty local food (try the tempe curry!). It's two blocks in from the boat landing.
Mataram
Cakra's middle-class families adore this modern bakery. It does doughnuts, cookies and cakes as well as local wonton stuffed with chicken.
Flores
One of the few eating options in Riung and right beside the pier, this is a convenient pre- or post-boat trip dining spot. Food is cheap and basic, but…
West Timor
Next door to Depot Remaja is this barely more modern, green-walled rumah makan. It's so clean the tiles sparkle and there's a small kiosk inside if you…
Kupang
This contemporary Kupang chain wouldn't be out of place in a Western city, except it specialises in se'i babi (smoked pork), not burgers. Spotless and…
Senggigi
This pub near the so-called 'art market' (which mostly offers cheap souvenirs) has typical Indonesian and Western choices along with pool tables, ball…
Kupang
At the same seafront site as his hostel, Edwin Lerrick dishes up excellent burgers and chips plus Indo standards throughout the day and night. The ocean…
Sumba
A decent choice beside verdant rice fields, this modern restaurant serves ayam (chicken) in more than 20 ways, as well as beef and seafood Indonesian…
Gili Meno
The most visible cog of the Rust empire (which includes Meno's one grocery) has a great waterfront position overlooking the beach. It's renowned for its…
Gili Meno
Webe Café is a wonderful location for a meal, with low tables sunk in the sand (and some under shade) and the turquoise water just a metre away. It scores…
Flores
At a bend in the road with a river bubbling below, you'll find this wooden, open-air restaurant surrounded by bamboo. Big servings, fresh food and a not…
Gili Air
On a crossroads in the heart of the main village, this spotless corner cafe (the slightly Westernised adjunct of the more rootsy Warung Muslim,…
Labuan Bajo
A triple-storey bakery and popular breakfast spot. Takeaway on the ground floor, a comfortable ikat-adorned lounge in the middle and an ocean-view rooftop…
Sumba
Clean but over-styled (cue wallpaper scrawled with country names and both ikat and guitars on the walls) El Cafe has strong wi-fi, live music on Saturday…
Sumba
Set back from the main road in a walled compound, this open-air restaurant, complete with water feature and karaoke, has excellent versions of Indo…
Flores
Westerners are drawn to this rattan-walled, plastic-flower bedizened dining room with tire chairs out the front. It can be hit and miss, but you'll find…
Kupang
This is first-rate Chinese Indonesian food. It's spotless with an enormous range of veg, chicken, seafood, noodle and rice dishes. Get the ikan bakar rica…
Labuan Bajo
This beach house-chic restaurant rambles beneath whitewashed rafters above a boat posing as a bar. Mains have an outdated fine-dining feel, but bubbly…
Sumba
This small restaurant with a wooden bar, tables and some rattan lounge chairs is plastered in framed quotes that will make you laugh and cringe. A pizza…
Sumbawa
Dine cheaply at the night market, located in and around the soccer field. There’s fish and chicken sate, mie goreng (fried noodles) and nasi goreng (fried…
Flores
Long-running, popular place with a nice porch overlooking the rice fields. The special here is the Moni cake. The gado gado comes recommended and there…
