Ruby's Cafe

Ruby's Cafe is a simple, family-run restaurant in the village area behind the harbour on Gili Air. It has a loyal following for Indonesian home cooking at fair prices, and holds a rating of around 4.7 from more than 800 Google reviews.

The dishes people come back for are the beef rendang, pumpkin curry, Javanese-style rice with chicken, green curry and nasi lemak, with spring rolls and fresh juices on the side. Several dishes can be made vegetarian, and staff are happy to adjust the spice level. Expect plates that look and taste like a home-cooked meal rather than restaurant presentation, which is the point.

Ruby's opens for lunch and dinner from 12:00 to 22:00 and is closed on Sundays. It is a small place, so at peak dinner time you may need to wait a few minutes for a table. It is a five-minute walk inland from the harbour, which makes it an easy first or last meal on the island.