Sembalun village (Sembalun Bumbung, north slope of Rinjani)
★ 4.7(198 reviews)
Sembalun Coffee House is a small specialty coffee roastery and cafe in Sembalun village, beneath Mount Rinjani's northeast slopes. It serves Lombok-grown highland arabica from beans roasted on-site, plus a short menu of breakfast and Indonesian dishes for Rinjani hikers and day-trippers. Affordable (coffee 25-45k IDR, mains 35-85k IDR), genuine, and a welcome stop in a village with limited proper restaurants.
# Sembalun Coffee House: Highland Coffee Beneath Rinjani
Sembalun is one of Indonesia's lesser-known coffee-growing regions — high-altitude (1,200-1,800m) volcanic soil on Mount Rinjani's northeast slopes, ideal for arabica. The coffee from this area has been quietly improving over the past decade as a few local cooperatives have invested in better processing methods. Sembalun Coffee House is the most visible expression of this — a small specialty cafe in Sembalun village that buys directly from Sembalun farmers, roasts on-site in a small drum roaster, and serves the coffee through every brewing method you'd find in a Jakarta or Yogyakarta specialty cafe.
The cafe rotates two or three Sembalun single-origins at any time, plus a house blend. Beans are sold both as ready-to-drink coffee and as 250g retail bags for travelers to take home (75k IDR per bag).
Brewing methods:
Tasting flight (75k IDR): three different brewing methods of the same Sembalun bean — espresso, V60, kopi tubruk. Great for travelers curious about how the same coffee changes by brewing method.
Short and Indonesian-leaning, designed for Rinjani hikers needing fuel and day-trippers wanting lunch:
Breakfast (35-75k IDR) — open from 6am for pre-climb hikers:
Lunch and snacks (35-85k IDR):
No alcohol — Sembalun is a conservative Muslim village.
A typical Rinjani-prep breakfast:
A coffee-and-cake stop: 50-75k IDR. Two people having lunch with coffees: 150-200k IDR. Cash only.
Affordable by any standard. The coffee program here is comparable to Jakarta or Bali specialty cafes that charge 60-80k IDR for a flat white — Sembalun Coffee House charges 35k IDR.
Small cafe — about 10-12 indoor tables and a small outdoor terrace with views toward Rinjani's lower slopes. Wooden interior, hanging plants, the roaster visible at the back, jute coffee bags as decoration. Soft acoustic playlist (mostly Indonesian indie and instrumental).
The crowd is mixed: pre-climb Rinjani hikers (6-7am), Indonesian families on weekend day trips from Mataram (10-12am), trekking guides between climbs, the occasional foreign coffee enthusiast who's heard about Sembalun beans, returning climbers grabbing celebratory coffee after their summit.
Owner Pak Hadi is often present — passionate about both coffee and Rinjani, happy to chat about either. He's a former mountain guide turned coffee roaster, and his perspective on both subjects is worth asking for.
Sembalun Coffee House is one of the most popular pre-climb stops for Rinjani hikers using the Sembalun route (the most common ascent path). Open at 6am for fuel before 7-8am trail starts, and Pak Hadi knows current trail conditions, weather forecasts, and which guides are reliable.
If you're climbing Rinjani:
Sembalun sits at 1,200m elevation. Mornings can be 10-15°C in the dry season (May-October) — significantly colder than coastal Lombok. Bring a fleece or warm layer for early visits, especially before sunrise. The cafe doesn't have heating, but hot coffee compensates.
Strengths: best coffee in central-east Lombok by a clear margin; directly supports Sembalun farmers; open before dawn for Rinjani hikers; Pak Hadi's coffee and trekking knowledge is real; tasting flight is a unique experience; bean retail bags make excellent souvenirs; cheap by any standard.
Weaknesses: limited food menu — not a destination dinner spot; closes at 7pm (no late evening option); cash only; tea drinkers will find the menu thin; cold mornings catch unprepared visitors out.
Best for: Rinjani hikers needing pre/post-climb fuel; coffee enthusiasts; travelers passing through Sembalun on a day trip; visitors who appreciate single-origin specialty coffee; anyone wanting a unique Lombok souvenir (bean bags); Indonesian families on weekend day trips.
Skip if: you want a substantial dinner (closes at 7pm); you don't drink coffee and want extensive tea; you want alcohol; you can only pay by card; you're a strict night owl who prefers late venues; you find specialty coffee culture pretentious.