Gili Air southwest coast (sunset side)
★ 4.4(1,180 reviews)
Scallywags Gili Air is the Gili Air sister to the well-known Gili Trawangan restaurant, serving the same mid-range international menu (Western, Indonesian, fresh seafood BBQ) on a beachfront stretch on the southwest sunset coast. Mains 90–220k IDR, daily 7am–11pm. Reliable choice for travelers wanting consistency over experimentation.
# Scallywags Resort Restaurant Gili Air: The Reliable Beachfront Pick
The Gili Air branch of Scallywags opened a few years after the Gili Trawangan original and has carved out the same niche on the quieter island: mid-range international dining with a nightly seafood BBQ, sunset beachfront seating, and the kind of operational consistency that comes from a multi-island restaurant group rather than a single-owner indie cafe. It's not the most exciting dinner on Gili Air, but it's reliably the most predictable.
Fresh seafood BBQ (180–350,000 IDR/person, depending on selection): The signature offering. Display case at the front of the restaurant with snapper, tuna, mahi-mahi, prawns, squid, and lobster (when in season). Pick by weight, choose grilling style (whole-grilled with chili-lime, or sambal-glazed), pair with sides (rice, salad, fries, vegetables). Comes out 25–35 minutes later. The most fish-confident dinner on Gili Air.
Beef rendang (150,000 IDR): The Scallywags rendang is slow-cooked properly (4-hour reduction) and is the best non-Italian, non-warung Indonesian dish on the menu.
Burger (130,000 IDR): Beef patty, brioche bun, cheddar, bacon, hand-cut fries. The reliable Western dinner.
Spaghetti vongole (140,000 IDR): Clams, garlic, white wine, parsley. Decent — not Biba-level Italian, but a solid pasta if you don't want to walk the 2km to Biba.
Big breakfast (110,000 IDR): Two eggs, bacon, sausage, hash brown, beans, toast, grilled tomato. Reliable hangover/post-dive option.
Avocado toast (90,000 IDR): Sourdough, smashed avo, poached egg, chili. The brunch standard, done competently.
Cocktails (100–170,000 IDR): Mojitos, margaritas, espresso martinis. Happy hour 5–7pm offers two-for-one on selected drinks.
The seafood BBQ is the reason most travelers choose Scallywags over the cheaper warungs. Setup runs nightly 6pm–10pm with fish iced in a display case. Choose your fish by pointing, get weighed, agree on price (per 100g), choose preparation (grilled with chili-lime is the default), choose 2 sides included.
Approximate per-100g pricing: snapper 60k, tuna 80k, mahi-mahi 75k, prawns 85k, squid 50k, lobster 200k+ (when available, varies wildly).
A 400g whole snapper with rice, salad, and a side of vegetables runs about 280k. A small lobster runs 600k+.
The catch arrives early afternoon from local fishermen on Lombok mainland. By 8:30pm in peak season, the premium fish (tuna, snapper) often sell out. Arrive by 7:30pm if you want first pick.
Beachfront stretch on the southwest sunset coast, slightly south of the main sunset cluster (Mowie's, Chill Out). Open-air dining pavilion with bamboo roof, beachfront tables on a wooden deck, plus low cushion tables on the sand for cocktail seating. Sunset views are full and unobstructed.
The atmosphere is more "comfortable resort restaurant" than "barefoot beach bar" — staff in proper uniforms, table linens, full glassware. Some travelers love this, others find it less Gili than the indie spots. Choose based on your preference.
Vegetarian: Multiple options — vegetable curry, pasta, salads, several Indonesian dishes. Marked clearly on menu.
Vegan: Available with modification — vegan curries, vegetable pasta (no parmesan), tofu/tempe Indonesian dishes.
Gluten-free: Some options, including gluten-free pasta on request (additional 25k).
Halal: Most dishes halal by default; bacon and pork sausage on breakfast/burger menu. Staff will flag.
Kids menu: Yes — burgers, chicken nuggets, mini pasta, fries.
The booking system genuinely works — WhatsApp +62 813 5364 0540 a day ahead for dinner in shoulder season, 3+ days in peak. Beachfront sunset tables fill first; specify if you want one. Walk-ins after 6:30pm in high season usually get inland tables.
Lunch is walk-in friendly. Breakfast almost never needs a booking.
Power: PLN with generator backup. The BBQ runs on charcoal so it's unaffected by power cuts. Drinks bar uses generator.
Water: Bathroom facilities are above-average for Gili Air — closer to mid-tier hotel standard.
Mosquitoes: Coils burned at dusk. November–March is worst. Repellent available at the bar on request.
WiFi: Available, ~50–70 Mbps. Functional for casual use.
Cards: Accepted with no surcharge (rare on the Gilis).
Travelers who want reliable mid-tier dining without surprises. Groups with mixed preferences (Western, Indonesian, vegetarian, kids). Anyone wanting the BBQ seafood experience without going to the more upscale fine-dining options. Resort guests staying at Scallywags Resort itself.
Skip Scallywags if you want budget warung pricing (eat inland), if you want a more local indie atmosphere (try Mowie's or Chill Out), or if you specifically want the best Italian on Gili Air (go to Biba).