Gili Air east coast (near Turtle Point)
★ 4.6(487 reviews)
Warung Turtle is a casual beachfront warung on Gili Air's east side, near the Turtle Point snorkel area. Known for fresh Indonesian dishes at fair prices, excellent gado-gado, and some of the best rendang on the Gilis. Expect 30,000–80,000 IDR per dish and a laid-back beach atmosphere.
# Warung Turtle Gili Air: Real Indonesian Food on the Beach
Gili Air's restaurant scene includes a lot of "tourist Western" places serving underwhelming pastas and burgers at inflated prices, and a smaller number of genuine Indonesian warungs serving actual Indonesian food. Warung Turtle is squarely in the second category — a casual beachfront place where the gado-gado peanut sauce is made fresh daily, the rendang is slow-cooked, and the prices don't carry a foreigner premium.
Rendang (80,000 IDR): The house specialty. Beef slow-cooked in coconut and spices until the sauce reduces to a thick glaze. Proper traditional preparation takes 4+ hours, and you can taste the difference versus the 30-minute versions at tourist restaurants. This is the reason to come.
Gado-gado (45,000 IDR): Indonesian peanut-dressed vegetable salad. The peanut sauce here is made daily from roasted peanuts with palm sugar, tamarind, and chilies. It's richer and more complex than bottled versions at other Gili restaurants.
Nasi campur (55,000 IDR): A mixed rice plate with small portions of 5–6 different dishes. Best option if you want to sample multiple things in one meal.
Mie goreng (40,000 IDR): Solid version with pink shrimp and crispy fried shallots. A reliable pick when you don't want to think.
Fresh juice (25,000–35,000 IDR): Made from whatever fruit is in season. Dragon fruit, watermelon, and papaya are usually available year-round. Avocado "juice" (really a blend) is dessert in a glass.
Beachfront seating on the east coast with direct views of Gili Air's Turtle Point. Plastic chairs and rustic wooden tables, not fancy. Sunset views from the beach side. Lunch is more relaxed than dinner — evening hours can get crowded.
The menu clearly marks vegetarian options, and most meat dishes can be made vegetarian by substituting tempeh or tofu. Vegan requests are accommodated but specify (no egg, no shrimp paste). Halal by default — the warung is run by a Muslim family.
Anyone wanting a real Indonesian meal at fair prices on Gili Air. Budget travelers who want to eat well without paying tourist restaurant markups. Solo travelers who appreciate casual friendly service. Couples wanting a casual beachfront dinner without the formality (or price) of a beach club.
Consider elsewhere if you want an upscale date-night restaurant, if you specifically need Western comfort food, or if you need dinner reservations for a fixed time (Warung Turtle is walk-in only).