Kuta in Lombok is one of my favorite new places that I’ve discovered. I spent a few weeks traveling through Lombok basing my entire stay in the southern town of Kuta. Kuta has turned into something of a mini Canggu in recent years with bountiful amounts of cafes and restaurants but without the huge crowds.
Between surfing, diving, and enjoying the incredible beaches that Lombok has to offer, I loved also being able to come back to the main town and having amazing food and coffee.
This list will go in to detail on my favorite cafes and restaurants that I discovered while visiting Lombok. This list is sure to grow as I return to the island and as more and more cafes are developed!
Make sure to read my Lombok Travel Guide for everything there is to know about the South Lombok area as well as my favorite beaches in South Lombok!
Map of all the highlights of Lombok:
Best Cafes in Kuta, Lombok
I’m not going to hide it but I’m a sucker for beautiful cafes offering good coffee and tasty brunch style food. Bali, and in particular Canggu has the best cafes in the world but Kuta in Lombok is definitely taking notes. There are a plethora of amazing Instagram worthy, Aussie style cafes that have popped up in Kuta in recent years. I suspect more and more cafes will pop up in the future as well.
Whether you’re into food Instagramming, good Bohemian vibes, brunch style food, or just like good coffee, the selection of cafes in Kuta, Lombok will have more than enough to satisfy you.
Bush Radio
Located in the heart of Kuta, Bush Radio is one of the staple cafes in Lombok. Their industrial chic vibe invites you in to relax and enjoy a cup of amazing coffee. Their food is quite delicious as well with some of the best avocado toast you’ll find on the island.
Kenza
Located across the street from Bush Radio, Kenza is perhaps the most Instagrammable space in Lombok. Their outdoor and indoor space screams to have photos taken. Their coffee and food is just as good as they are aesthetic.
Mushroom Espresso
Mushroom Espresso is a small little shop at the edge of the main town that serves fantastic coffee. They are on the smaller side so there’s no room here to do work but it’s good for a in and out coffee. They also serve great Argentina style empanadas which was unexpected.
Munchies
Munchies is another great cafe located next to Kenza and Bush Radio. It has a true Bali style interior with ample amounts of rattan, open air space, and comfortable couches. They also serve coffee from around Indonesia and you can see which beans are being used for your brew.
The food is also fantastic as they serve all the cafe classics like avocado toast, smoothie bowls, and various egg dishes.
The Breakery
The breakery is located on the main strip of Kuta and is one of the only proper bakeries in town. They make all their pastries fresh from their ovens and they are true to the taste. They specialize in making croissants, pain au chocolats, and various types of bread.
The quality of the pastries is very good and as they were open early, it was the perfect snack before going on an early surf trip. They also serve coffee and have an inviting interior for getting work done.
BARA
Bara is an upscale Bali style cafe on the main strip of Kuta. They have a perfectly decorated interior with ample amounts of rattan, greenery, marble, and a large plunge pool. The space is large and inviting and perfect for all meals of the day, as well as getting work done.
I came here for the rendang pizza which was incredible. I love the Asian flavors fused into a pizza and this was done wonderfully. They also have a proper Napoli style oven so you know the pizzas will be good.
Gratitude
Gratitude was is another solid cafe on the main strip of Kuta. The food here is solid with fantastic omelets, smoothie bowls, and other breakfast classics. The inside is also spacious and welcoming and a perfect place to get work done.
Milk Espresso
Another staple in the Kuta, Lombok cafe scene, Milk Espresso delivers with their coffee and food. The space is inviting with plenty of open air space as well as an indoor AC’d room. It’s the perfect place to grab brunch, have a good coffee, and get some work done.
Nohi
Nohi has by far the best view of any cafe in the town of Kuta. I came here regularly to do some work and it is the ultimate digital nomad cafe. They have a large upstairs space with views of the neighboring hills and coconut tree farms. There’s plenty of plugs and comfortable seating for you to do your work and take any Zoom calls. The coffee and food were decent as well and I would recommend only the smoothie bowls here.
Siwa Resort
Siwa Resort is not a luxury hotel with incredible views of Kuta and the bay. It’s also home to a fancy cafe and restaurant that has plenty of views and seating. I came here just to take some pictures as it was on the way to the beaches nearby and the views did not disappoint. If I had more time in Lombok, I probably would have come here for an afternoon coffee.
Best Restaurants in Kuta, Lombok
In addition to the countless cafes in Kuta, there are also some amazing dining options as well. Just like in Bali, Kuta is quickly becoming home to great food of all cuisines. I had incredible burgers, pizzas, tacos, seafood, and even Szechuan style Chinese food in Kuta, Lombok. Of course, if you’re fiending for local Indonesia fare (I don’t blame you), there are more than enough solid warungs to satisfy your cravings.
Tasty Hesty
Without a doubt, Tasty Hesty has the best local Indonesian food in Kuta, Lombok. It’s located right on the beach with a great upstairs space offering chilled vibes. It is the perfect spot to grab a local Nasi Goreng or Ayam Goreng after a hard surf session. There are many other warungs in Lombok, but I couldn’t get enough of the food at Tasty Hesty.
The nasi goreng seafood at this spot was among the best Nasi Goreng’s I’ve ever had in my entire life. I never tried the other dishes but suspect they would also be of top quality.
Knalpot
Knalpot is a more upscale restaurant located on the main strip of Kuta. By upscale, I mean it serves a bit more refined food than the other restaurants nearby but by no means does it mean you need to dress up in anything more than shorts, tank top, and flip flops! The space is also one of the largest and most inviting interiors of all the restaurants in Kuta.
Knalpot is probably one of the best, if not THE BEST spot in Kuta to eat. The menu is very refined. All of the food is made with love and attention to detail. The quality is amazing, the chefs really know what they’re doing. The drinks are are delicious and unique because they are made with homemade ingredients that you won’t find anywhere else. The staff is friendly and the general atmosphere is warm and inviting.
Umibozu Ramen Bar
Who would have thought you could find solid ramen in a place as remote as Lombok? Ya me neither!
Umibozu is a hidden gem has exactly what you need. They have solid ramen made from chicken and seafood (sorry for all the pork lovers but you are on a Muslim island after all), as well as gyozas, tonkatsu, and other Japanese delicacies. I loved the curry katsu don here and was so shocked I could get something like this so far away. Highly recommend coming here when you need a break from the other foods in the area.
Seasalt
Seasalt is located next to Tasty Hesty and is the place to go for grilled seafood. Their prawns appetizer and grilled fish of the day is phenomenal. This restaurant also has a few Greek themed dishes but I wasn’t about to test these after spending so much time traveling through Greece.
KRNK
KRNK is located on the main strip in Kuta and is famous for their delicious burgers. They grill the burgers outdoor on a massive grill for everyone to see. The burgers are absolutely delicious and I ended up eating here twice. The space is also open and inviting with plenty of people frequenting the spot.
Treehouse Restaurant and Bar
Treehouse is my favorite go to place on Fridays. Their steak special consists of a 250g tenderloin steak served with unlimited sides of potato wedges, mashed potato, and vegetables. For 150k IDR, it’s one of the best deals in Kuta in my opinion especially for the quality of the steak.
Treehouse was also one of the places I would continually go back to for drinks as they served craft beers from Bali.
Cantina Mexicana – Satu Lagi
Cantina Mexicana is the best Mexican restaurant I’ve had in some time. They are a real Mexican style cantina serving real corn tacos in a relaxed chilled atmosphere. I tried many of their tacos and they are as close to Mexico as it gets for somewhere that is half way around the world. They make their own corn tortilla because they have to being so far removed from Mexico. The prices are high but is to be expected for a place with a nice vibe and delicious food. Again, these are legit tacos. Almost as good as the Mexico City tacos that I still dream about.
Come here for Taco Tuesdays as they have a special deal. Buy a margarita and get any taco for free. Their margaritas are actually quite decent as well!
Rocksalt
Rocksalti s another solid restaurant located on the main strip. They claim to have the best burger in town and the pictures did look very appetizing. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to try it myself but I would love to have put their burger against KRNK across the street!
The Mexican In Town
The Mexican In Town is the other Mexican restaurant in Kuta, Lombok. It doesn’t have the same vibe as Cantina as it opts for a more upscale island themed vibe. Nevertheless, they have damn good tacos albeit not as traditional as the ones in Cantina Mexicana.
Warung Bude
In addition to Tasty Hesty, I absolutely loved the local food at Warung Bude. This streetside stall served massive portions of nasi goreng, delicious soto ayam, and other local delicacies.
The place is popular among the surfers for their price to food ratio and I ended up eating here multiple times on my trip.
Mama Pizza
Without a doubt the best pizzeria in Lombok. In fact, this might be one of the best pizzerias in all of SE Asia. They have a proper wood fire oven that reaches extreme temperatures making proper Naples style pizza which I haven’t had since I was in Italy. Prices are higher than the rest of Lombok but for such a good pizza so far away from Italy, one can’t complain.
This place always gets busy so get early or be prepared to wait. Their Aperol spritz is also quite decent but nothing compares to their pizza!
Jiang Nan Lombok
Jiang Nan Lombok is an authentic Chinese style restaurant serving a lot of Szechuan themed dishes as well as various types of dumplings. I was pretty surprised to find something like this all the way in Lombok but that’s the beauty of these bohemian towns in Indonesia.
This restaurant even had xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) which were surprisingly tasty, albeit with a skin that was too thick. I tried their mala noodle dishes as well and they were pretty on point. Definitely a great option to go to mix it up from the burgers and pizza from the nearby places.
Is Kuta Lombok similar to Canggu in Bali?
I spent many months living in Canggu in Bali and absolutely loved my life there. However, much of this time was spent during the pandemic when tourism was non-existent and the only people living there were digital nomads. It was absolute paradise that of course was no sustainable.
Kuta, Lombok has a similar vibe to Canggu in the sense that all the foreigners are flocking to this area. It’s packed with great restaurants and cafes with more popping up every month. However, it is nothing like Canggu in that it’s 1/5th the size with 1/10th of the crowd. There is hardly any traffic to speak so traffic jams are not a thing.
The vibe is also noticeably different. Canggu in Bali has become somewhat of a trendy and posh getaway nowadays. Like an Indonesian Miami if I could compare it. Girls get totally dressed up to go out with heels on at times. Kuta is absolutely not there yet as it is so much more chilled. It is a surfing village first and foremost (although Canggu was also like this in the mid 2010) and people here are far less dressed up than in Canggu.
Nevertheless, there is a rapid development of villain Kuta with land prices exploding in recent years. More and more cafes and restaurants will open in the coming years so I would not be surprised if Kuta approached something like a Canggu within the next 5-10 years.
Didn’t know Kuta in Lombok had so many Bali style restaurants and cafes. These look amazing and definitely will have to visit next time instead of Bali!
Yes the cafes in Lombok are at the standards of Bali! Absolutely loved them.