What’s New This Summer on the Gili Islands? 6 New Places to Try
The Cutting Board, Gili Trawangan
The Gili Islands are never completely still.
Yes, the beaches stay beautiful. The horses still pass by slowly. The bikes still wobble down sandy lanes. The sunsets still pull everyone to the west coast. But every season brings a few new places worth knowing about — a new café, a new restaurant, a new activity, a new reason to cross from one island to another.
This summer, there are some especially good new additions across Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno.
Some are food-led. Some are experience-led. Some are easy daytime stops. Others are better saved for dinner, diving, or a slower island afternoon. What they all have in common is that they add something fresh to the Gili Islands — and they are all part of the GiliPass network.
So if you have visited before and want to know what has changed, or you are coming for the first time and want a few newer places to add to your list, start here.
Quick list: 6 new places to try on the Gili Islands this summer
If you just want the names, these are the six new GiliPass places to know about:
The Cutting Board — Gili Trawangan
Dirty Burger — Gili Trawangan
Moody’s Café & Vinyls — Gili Trawangan
Meno Cooking Classes — Gili Meno
KAI, The Spice Table — Gili Air
Gili Divers — Gili Air
Together, they cover a nice mix of what the Gili Islands do well: casual food, proper dinners, island cafés, hands-on experiences, and world-class diving.
1. The Cutting Board — Gili Trawangan
The Cutting Board, Gili Trawangan
Gili Trawangan has never been short of places to eat, but The Cutting Board adds something useful to the island: a proper steak-focused dinner option, with a premium feel, and exceptional meat cuts.
This is one for the travellers who eventually reach the point in their trip where they want something more substantial. After a few days of smoothie bowls, beach snacks, nasi goreng, pizza and seafood, sometimes a good steak dinner is exactly what the evening needs.
The Cutting Board is best suited to a proper sit-down evening meal. It is the sort of place to keep in mind for date night, a celebratory group dinner, or the evening when you want something more filling, and premium, before heading out into Gili T’s nightlife.
Gili Trawangan can sometimes feel like two islands in one. By day, it is beaches, bikes, diving, snorkelling and cafés. By night, it becomes dinner, drinks, live music and late bars. The Cutting Board fits naturally into that second version of the island.
With GiliPass, guests receive a complimentary dessert with steak orders. The offer is valid for dine-in only and limited to one per table.
2. Dirty Burger — Gili Trawangan
Dirty Burger, Gili Trawangan
Every island needs a good burger place.
Dirty Burger is a strong addition to Gili Trawangan because it does something simple that travellers always want: burgers, sides, casual energy, and food that makes sense after a beach day, a dive day, or a night out.
This is not the kind of place that needs a long explanation. It is exactly the sort of easy, satisfying food stop that works well on Gili T. Come hungry, bring someone else, order properly, and let the sides do their job.
Dirty Burger is especially useful for groups. Gili T attracts backpackers, couples, families, divers, digital nomads and people passing through for only a night or two. Not every meal needs to be a big decision. Sometimes the best choice is the one everyone can agree on quickly.
That is where Dirty Burger fits. It is casual, straightforward, and easy to build into almost any Gili T day.
With GiliPass, you can buy 2 burgers and get either 2 free small sides or 1 free big side. The offer is valid for dine-in only and cannot be combined with other promotions.
3. Moody’s Café & Vinyls — Gili Trawangan
Moody’s Café & Vinyls, Gili Trawangan
Moody’s Café & Vinyls brings a different kind of café energy to Gili Trawangan.
The island already has plenty of breakfast and coffee stops, but Moody’s stands out because it is not just about food and drinks. The vinyl angle gives it more character. It feels like the kind of café where you can slow down, sit properly, and let the morning take a little longer than planned.
That is valuable on Gili T. The island has a reputation for nightlife, but many of its best moments happen much earlier in the day: coffee before the heat builds, breakfast after a morning swim, or a quiet hour before diving, cycling or heading across to another island.
Moody’s fits that window well.
It is a good place to keep in mind for breakfast, brunch, coffee, or an easy morning reset. If you are staying on Gili T for a few days, it could easily become one of those repeat spots you come back to without really planning it.
The GiliPass offer also makes the timing clear: 10% off food and beverages until midday. The offer is valid for dine-in only and cannot be combined with other promotions.
So if you are wondering where to start the day on Gili Trawangan this summer, Moody’s Café & Vinyls is one to add to the list.
4. Meno Cooking Classes — Gili Meno
Meno Cooking Classes, Gili Meno
Gili Meno is the quietest of the three Gili Islands, which makes it a great place to do something slower and more hands-on.
Meno Cooking Classes are a good example of that. This is not just another meal. It is an experience — and one that fits the pace of Gili Meno particularly well.
A cooking class gives you a different way to connect with the island. Instead of only eating in restaurants, you get to learn something, make something, and understand a little more about Indonesian food along the way. It is also a useful option for travellers who want a land-based activity on Gili Meno, especially if they are not diving or snorkelling every day.
This is a strong choice for couples, families, solo travellers, and anyone who likes their travel days to include more than beach time. Gili Meno is beautiful, but it is also small and quiet. A cooking class gives structure to the day without making it feel busy.
It also works well as a break from the sun. Spend the morning swimming or walking around the island, then book a class and do something more memorable than another lazy afternoon.
With GiliPass, you get 10% off Meno Cooking Classes. Advanced bookings are recommended, and the offer cannot be used with other promotions or discounts.
5. KAI, The Spice Table — Gili Air
KAI, The Spice Table, Gili Air
Gili Air has become one of the best islands for travellers who care about food.
It has the relaxed beach feel people come to the Gilis for, but it also has a growing dining scene that goes far beyond basic island meals. KAI, The Spice Table, is most definitely part of that next step.
This is one of the more interesting new additions on the list because it works for both lunch and dinner, but in different ways.
At lunch, GiliPass holders get 15% off all food and drinks from 11:00 AM until 3:00 PM. That makes it a strong option if you want a more considered midday meal rather than just grabbing something quick between swims.
Dinner is where things get more distinctive. KAI offers a “First Table” benefit for GiliPass holders: 20% off the entire bill for food and drinks, valid for seatings at 5:45 PM only. Guests can choose from à la carte options, 5-course and 7-course degustation menus, signature cocktail journeys and wine pairings. The offer must be booked through their WhatsApp or booking system and excludes the Private Romantic Dinner package.
That makes KAI a strong choice for travellers who want one of their Gili Air evenings to feel a little more special. Not formal in a city sense. Still island. Still relaxed. But with more intention than a standard dinner by the beach.
If you are planning a Gili Air food day, KAI is one of the new names worth building around.
6. Gili Divers — Gili Air
Gili Divers, Gili Air
Diving has always been one of the main reasons people come to the Gili Islands.
The reefs, turtles, warm water and easy access to dive sites make the Gilis one of Indonesia’s most popular places to learn to dive, continue training, or simply get back underwater after time away.
Gili Divers on Gili Air is a strong addition for anyone planning their trip around the ocean. Whether you are looking for fun dives, a course, or a way to make diving part of a wider Gili Islands itinerary, having another GiliPass dive partner on Gili Air gives travellers more flexibility.
Gili Air is especially good for this kind of trip. It is quieter than Gili Trawangan, but still has enough restaurants, cafés and sunset bars to keep evenings interesting. It is also a good base for people who want to dive without staying somewhere too busy.
With GiliPass, you get 10% off all diving activities at Gili Divers. The pass must be shown on day 1 of any dive course for the discount to apply at the time of payment. Advanced bookings are recommended, and all standard diving prerequisites apply.
That last point matters. Diving is not like ordering lunch or booking a massage. Requirements depend on the activity, your certification level, your experience, and the conditions on the day. Always check directly with the dive centre before booking.
For anyone planning to dive on Gili Air this summer, Gili Divers is now firmly on the list.
How to use this list
The best thing about these six new places is that they do not all compete for the same moment.
You could start a Gili Trawangan morning at Moody’s Café & Vinyls, have a casual meal at Dirty Burger, then save The Cutting Board for a more substantial dinner later in the trip.
You could cross to Gili Meno and use Meno Cooking Classes as a slower, more local-feeling island experience.
You could spend a day or two on Gili Air, dive with Gili Divers, then make KAI, The Spice Table, your lunch or dinner plan.
That is the real value of the Gili Islands. The three islands are close together, but each one has a different rhythm. Gili Trawangan gives you the most energy. Gili Air gives you balance. Gili Meno gives you quiet.
This summer’s new additions fit that perfectly.
Final thoughts: the Gili Islands keep getting better
The Gili Islands do not need to reinvent themselves every year. They already have the essentials: clear water, no cars, beach paths, sunset views, diving, snorkelling, small island routines, and the feeling that everything can slow down for a while.
But new places keep the islands interesting.
They give returning visitors something fresh to try. They give first-time travellers better choices. They give each island more depth beyond the obvious beach-and-snorkel version of the Gilis.
So if you are coming to the Gili Islands this summer, do not just repeat the same old recommendations. Try something new. Book a class. Plan a proper dinner. Find a new café. Eat the burger. Go diving. Stay curious.
The islands are still the islands.
But there is always something new to discover.
Grab Your GiliPass
One pass. Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno. Savings across selected restaurants, cafés, beach bars, activities, wellness venues, dive centres and island experiences.
Before you decide where to eat, drink, dive or explore this summer, check what your GiliPass gets you.