Makan La Vie _ Gili Air — Restaurant in West Nusa Tenggara

As a South African, who grew up in a country which arguable serves some of the best steak in the world, I think it’s safe to say I have a decent gauge in terms of measuring good meat. The restaurant is absolutely a classic take on a steak house with some French flair! I had the full course, my starter was the smoked salmon which melts in your mouth with every bite, the portions are incredibly generous and the flavors are the chefs own unique secret! Then for my main I had a 700g tamohawk medium done and it was perfection with each bite once again! The dry aging method used by the chef is unique and the barbecue used to prepare the meat adds the most incredible smoky flavor which you want from a wood fired barbecue, it’s a very unique taste! For a desert I went with the chocolate and ice cream, which was a very nice take on a lava cake, beautifully done nice and crispy in the outside and fluffy and explosive with chocolate sauce on the inside! To drink I had a passion fruit cocktail, dine with the restaurants own in house made syrup and quality tequila, it was absolutely delicious! The decor, cutlery and tables are beautifully laid out, the color palette goes perfectly and the owners Caroline and Mederic are very special people with a great energy. I’ll definitely be back! When you are on Gili Air and you are a meat lover, you can simply not fail to dine here, it’s an absolute must!!! Thanks for bringing down quality steak to...

Mul, the manager/supervisor, was very professional and welcoming. You can really tell he loves and believes in the place he works for — well done! It was a fantastic experience overall, from the owner to the entire team, but Mul truly made the difference. The food was outstanding. Of course, the prices are higher than the average restaurant in Gili Air, but absolutely worth it. This French restaurant is located along the main street. We stopped because we noticed the fridge where they dry-age their meat — and it definitely caught our attention! I had dinner here with my girlfriend. The restaurant is elegant yet warm and inviting. The staff made us feel comfortable from the very beginning, taking the time to explain and recommend dishes and the different cuts of meat. We started with the octopus — incredible. Then we tried the dry-aged sirloin, which was super tender, and the filet, also very good, though the sirloin was definitely our favorite. The lamb was soft, juicy, and perfectly paired with the ratatouille — simply delicious. For dessert, we had the crème brûlée, divine and surprisingly light, and the fruit crumble — if you’re a chocolate lover, you already know...

The decor is beautiful, the staff were incredibly friendly, and we love the business’s commitment to local, sustainably sourced ingredients.

Unfortunately the food wasn’t very good. We both ordered seasonal fish, with dauphinoise potatoes and ratatouille.

The ratatouille was great but the fish was overcooked (and therefore dry) and the potatoes were burnt. The potatoes were clearly black on top and tasted bitter.

Both the chef and owner told us that the potatoes weren’t overdone and this is how they are supposed to be. We refused to eat them because they tasted bitter (and in the restaurant’s defence they didn’t charge us for them).

When the owner asked us how the fish was, and we said dry, she explained that they source seasonal fish and this was a different type to usual.

I get that this is a new restaurant and hiccups happen, but the defensive attitude (alongside being told that the black charred food was correct and we were wrong) didn’t sit very well with us.

We also thought the menu was a bit too narrow (the only options for mains are steak, chicken stew, seasonal fish or lamb; plus sides). A couple more options for mains would be better in...