Gili Trawangan east coast (mid-strip)
★ 4.2(760 reviews)
Pesona Resort Restaurant is the in-house dining at Pesona Resort on Gili Trawangan's east coast, open to non-guests. Reliable Indonesian classics, decent Western menu, daily breakfast buffet (110k for non-guests), mid-range pricing 80–180k IDR per main. Best for guests already staying at Pesona, or travelers wanting a hotel-restaurant safety net.
# Pesona Resort Restaurant Gili Trawangan: The Reliable Hotel Dining Pick
Pesona Resort sits mid-strip on Gili Trawangan's east coast, and like most mid-range Gili T hotels, its restaurant is open to non-guests. The food isn't going to make anyone's "best of Gili T" list, but the kitchen is reliable, the breakfast buffet is genuinely good value, and on an island where many independent restaurants struggle with consistency, the hotel-restaurant operational discipline is its own selling point.
Three distinct meal periods, each with its own appeal:
Breakfast (6:30–10am): Buffet format with 30+ items. Hot eggs cooked to order at a station, bacon, sausage, fried rice, mie goreng, fresh tropical fruit, yogurt, granola, pastries, breads, jams, juices, coffee, tea. 110k for non-guests, free for resort guests. The most ambitious offering on the menu and easily the best value at Pesona.
Lunch (11am–3pm): A la carte menu, mix of Indonesian and Western. Lighter portions than dinner. Pool-side seating is permitted for non-guests at this time slot.
Dinner (6–10pm): Full a la carte menu with daily seafood specials. Beachfront seating for guests, garden seating for non-guests during peak.
Nasi campur Pesona (110,000 IDR): Mixed plate with rice, beef rendang, ayam betutu (Bali-style spiced chicken), sambal matah, lawar vegetables, tempe orek, fried egg. The most representative Indonesian option — try this first.
Sate ayam (95,000 IDR): Eight chicken skewers, peanut sauce, lontong (compressed rice cakes), sambal. Classic. Properly grilled over coconut shells, not gas.
Gado-gado (75,000 IDR): Steamed vegetables, boiled egg, tofu, tempe, peanut sauce, prawn crackers. Vegetarian-friendly version available.
Beef rendang (140,000 IDR): Slow-cooked, properly reduced sauce. A safe and reliable order.
Pizza margherita (120,000 IDR): Mid-range hotel-pizza standard. Decent, not distinguished. For real pizza on the Gilis, go to Biba on Gili Air.
Western breakfast a la carte (95,000 IDR): If you don't want the buffet — eggs, bacon, hash, toast. Simpler portion, properly cooked.
Cocktails (95–150,000 IDR): Standard hotel-bar program. Mojitos, margaritas, gin and tonic. Pool bar serves the same.
Bintang large (60,000 IDR).
For non-guests, the 110k breakfast buffet is the smartest order at Pesona. The spread covers Western, Indonesian, and continental properly:
Hot items (cooked to order): Fried, scrambled, omelet (with chosen fillings), poached eggs. Pancakes. Crepes.
Hot stations: Bacon, pork sausage (yes, really — this is one of the few places on Lombok with pork on the breakfast buffet), grilled tomato, hash browns, baked beans, sautéed mushrooms.
Indonesian station: Nasi goreng, mie goreng, bubur ayam (chicken porridge), sambal options.
Cold spread: Fresh tropical fruit (papaya, watermelon, pineapple, dragon fruit, banana), yogurt, granola, muesli, cold cuts, cheeses, smoked fish.
Bakery: Croissants, Danish, white bread, brown bread, jams, peanut butter, Nutella, honey.
Drinks: Brewed coffee, espresso (separate machine), tea, fresh juice (orange, watermelon, mixed), milk, hot chocolate.
Quality starts strong at 6:30 and drops noticeably by 9am as items deplete and aren't always restocked. For best buffet experience, arrive 7–8am.
Open-air dining pavilion with garden setting, immediately adjacent to the resort pool. Beachfront access via a 2-minute walk through the resort grounds. The atmosphere is comfortable hotel-restaurant — table service, proper place settings, ceiling fans, no air-con in the dining area.
For non-guests, beachfront tables are reserved for in-house guests during peak meal times (7:30–9am breakfast, 7:30–9pm dinner). At off-peak times, the staff are flexible.
Vegetarian: Clearly marked on menu, multiple options. The Indonesian section is particularly strong (gado-gado, vegetable curry, tempeh dishes).
Vegan: Some options with modification. Buffet has plenty of fruit, plain bread, and Indonesian veg dishes.
Gluten-free: Some options. Inform staff for kitchen modifications.
Halal: Most dishes halal by default. Pork is on the breakfast buffet and a few menu items — staff flag clearly.
Kids menu: Yes — kid-portioned pasta, chicken with rice, fries, ice cream.
Power: PLN with generator backup. Hotel-grade generator means seamless transitions during cuts.
Water: Hotel-grade facilities — reliable, including hot water in the bathrooms (rare on the Gilis).
Mosquitoes: Hotel grounds maintained, less of an issue than independent beach bars. Coils and repellent available.
WiFi: 50–80 Mbps in the dining area, hotel-managed. Reliable.
Cards: Accepted with no surcharge for resort transactions.
Hotel guests already staying at Pesona Resort. Travelers staying at nearby budget accommodations who want a one-time hotel-buffet breakfast. Anyone wanting Indonesian food in a more polished setting than warung. Mid-range travelers prioritizing reliability over indie character.
Skip Pesona if you want destination-quality dining (try Pearl of Trawangan), if you want backpacker pricing (eat at central warungs for 30–50% less), or if you want a beachfront sunset experience (the east coast doesn't get sunset).