Barefoot Blondie — Restaurant in Gili Air

Pros: The coffee and other drinks are very good. The space is very nice and inviting.

Cons: Food is overpriced for the island and limited in selection and quite basic. They don't have dessert options if you are gluten-free (GF). They do have GF bread for sandwiches but the upcharge is pretty high.

Staff members are generally nice but per owner's policy, they get pushy and ask you to order more food if they see you using their wifi. This has happened even when I still have unfinished food/drinks that I'm working on and ordered just 40 mins ago. They've honestly made me feel unwelcomed even though I've been here 3x in 1 week - both by myself and with friends - for the coffee and vibes, and would have returned if they weren't so pushy.

Update: I received a very insulting personal message via Instagram from the owner after posting my review. I’m including her note as a screenshot and some context below. I’ve left the text of my original review unchanged but am reducing the star rating.

Context: I just started writing reviews consistently for the first time on Gili Air because of how helpful I found other people’s reviews to be during my trip. I learned however that reviews aren’t anonymous on Google and especially not on a small island.

My comments about feeling uncomfortable with the service in my review were based on my experiences on my 2nd and 3rd visits to BFB. But after my 1st visit with friends I had been quite charmed by the upstairs space and had reached out to the owner on Instagram to compliment her and ask if she’d be down to have coffee to chat about starting a business in Indonesia as a foreigner. She said she was busy but was nice about it. I said no worries and said I’d appreciate if she could introduce me to others on the island but no worries if not. I didn’t hear from her after that and 4 days passed. I went back to the cafe twice more and was made to feel uncomfortable both times by being asked to spend more by staff because I was using their Wi-Fi. [As a solo traveler, I was mostly reading a novel on the Book app which doesn’t require Wi-Fi and I also took a bunch of photos of my food and drink. I did open my laptop to send a few emails though, but regardless it was odd being observed and asked to spend more, especially since there were points when I was literally the only person in the cafe.]

I was surprised when the owner sent me an aggressive message on Instagram insulting me at a personal level for leaving a poor review. I’ll just include a screenshot for you guys because I’m shocked at the gall and lack of professionalism.

And in case you’re curious, I did respond to her message and said my review was based on my experience and I could chat if she felt it was unfair. I assume she was not interested because she did...

The (not so) hidden gem of Gili Air.

Perfectly-located in the Main Street from the harbor, this little coffee and food place breathes freshness and good quality products!

The friendly staff will ensure that comfort is maximized whilst you won’t have to wait too long for your food. Perfect for when you are hungry or in a hurry to catch the boat.

The food is fresh and clearly home-made. We had bagels (mine had chili mayonnaise and amazingly tender chicken). It was exactly what I was looking for in my lunch. The food is just wauw! For those who can’t take gluten, they evidently thought of that as well.

For drinks, we had a mango smoothie with some chia seeds and a lime soda. To finish it of, we also took two coffee; espresso and americano. It was the best coffee we’d had since our stay on Air!

Finally, the atmosphere in the upper restaurant is really nice. The 3-leveled floor breaks up the room nicely and creates a cozy feel. The open view combined with the fresh colors creates the ‘feng shui’ vibe that you seek on your holiday or work environment. Awesome!

The only thing I find disappointing is the lack of room in my stomach and money in my wallet so I could order more and eat more. I guess all amazing things should not last too long otherwise they aren’t special.

To the owner; you’ve set the place up amazingly and we will certainly come back if we get the chance!

Summary Food: 10/10 Staff: 10/10 Atmosphere: 10/10

Would definitely recommend to have a breakfast...

One of the cafes nearest the harbor, with decent coffee and WiFi. If you love bagels and toasts, this is the place for you. The seating inside is very quiet and perfect for working, most people come to just reconnect on work life and they also have sockets + strong WiFi. The menu is ok, the food to me was so so. The toast was just ok, also it did not help that no gluten free option. The price is reasonable but note there’s tax to add after. The ice cream is probably the only one in the island that has proper gelato, and the coffee I would go back for, even if a little bit more expensive. The cinnamon roll was not impressive to me either, perhaps because still with gluten.

Management to work on: menu to have gluten free options, vegan options, and to adjust menu to actual pricing. I was ordering affogato and I was told the price in menu is different - that is unfair. I had to pay separate ice cream and the extra shot.

Best recommended for: best cafe with wifi, good coffee in gili air island, cafe with...