Joli Best View Cafe

Hilltop cafe above Jemeluk Bay

Perched up the slope above Jemeluk Bay on Jl. Ketut Natih, Joli Best View Cafe lives up to its name. From the upper floors, you look straight across Amed’s curving shoreline to Mount Agung, with scooters parked at the bottom and a short climb of steps between street and sea of sky.

Views, levels and access

Most guests come for the panorama: “epic views of Amed”, “one of the best in town”, especially at sunset when Agung and the bay glow. Several reviewers mention new upper decks and a top floor with big floor cushions and beanbags, plus enough motorbike parking below. Do note the trade‑offs: a climb to reach the cafe, blazing sun in the eyes before it dips, and one reviewer (Google) reports a hidden 2 cm floor drop that caused a fall, something staff say has happened to others.

When to come and how it feels

Opening hours run from 07h00 – 22h00 Monday–Thursday and 07h00 – 23h00 Friday–Sunday, so you can drop in after early-morning snorkeling at Jemeluk for a tropical smoothie bowl and mango juice, or linger over sunset cocktails. Several visitors time their arrival around 17:00–17:30 to enjoy the view before the sun drops, with others warning that 16:00 in a 30°C heatwave made the terrace uncomfortably hot until the breeze picked up.

Music, atmosphere and service

Even on busy nights, staff are repeatedly described as “amazing”, “attentive” and “always smiling”. Live music a few times a week – often acoustic sets – turns it into a relaxed mini‑venue where birthdays are celebrated with songs, free shots or a filmed memory, and solo travellers say it “felt like home”. A few guests note small service slips (mixed-up table numbers, long dessert waits), but most praise how issues are handled, from ice for an injured knee to partial refunds for disappointing dishes.

What’s on the plate and in the glass

The menu mixes Indonesian staples and Western comfort food: Nasi goreng campur with tempe tofu satay for 50k, ayam santem, fish satay, pepes in banana leaf, grilled fish sambal matah, fish curry, honey chili fish, spring rolls and grilled seafood plates around 100k including rice and veg. On the international side you see calamary rings, Pizza ala Amed, carbonara, chicken potato salad, potato cheese balls and breakfast smoothie bowls. Cocktails (pina colada, mojito, arak mojito, creamy espresso martini) sit alongside strong iced oat lattes, fruit juices and teh jahe.

Food reviews range from “best meal in Bali” and “superb quality fish and prawns” to “just ok” or “soupy and salty curry”. One couple had an excellent dinner of honey chili fish and fish curry on one visit, then found the same dishes overly sweet or bland a few nights later and waited nearly an hour for black rice pudding, highlighting some inconsistency between kitchen shifts.

Vegetarian, vegan and value

Vegetarians and vegans generally feel well served, with gado gado, veggie curries, tempe–tofu coconut curry, nasi goreng with tempe tofu satay and several vego options praised as flavourful and full of vegetables. One diner notes that vegan choices aren’t clearly labelled on the menu despite a sign downstairs, so you may need to ask staff. Pricing comes up often as “fair”, “warung-level with no added taxes”, and many guests remark that the view and live music come without a minimum spend, unlike a large sunset restaurant across the road.

Beyond the cafe: trips and fresh catch

Several loyal guests describe Joli Best View evolving from a small cafe into a multi-floor hangout, some even bringing in fresh spearfished Wahoo for Joli to cook. Others mention a fishing and spearfishing trip arranged by the owner, followed by a custom seafood feast and villa pickup after dark so they didn’t have to cross the road with children.

For travellers who care more about atmosphere, sunsets and easy-going hospitality than fine-dining precision, Joli Best View Cafe feels like Amed’s unofficial living room above the bay.