7 Beautiful Cafes in Kintamani With Epic Volcano Views

Kintamani is famous for being home to Bali's second-tallest volcano, Mount Batur, which sees hundreds of people climb to its summit early each morning for incredible sunrise views. But if hiking up a mountain at 2am isn't for you, there is another way to enjoy the region's stunning volcanic vistas - the cafes!

In the last few years, many modern cafes have popped up along the ridge of the Batur crater, each offering breathtaking views over the area's volcanic landscapes. On a clear day, you can see over Mount Batur, the black lava fields, Lake Batur, and even as far as Mount Agung (Bali's tallest volcano).

But with so many cafes in the region, which are the best ones to visit? After exploring most cafes in Kintamani over our countless visits, we’ve narrowed down our absolute favourites.

Visiting the Cafes in Kintamani: Things to Know

Where are the best cafes in Kintamani?

If it's a stunning view of Mount Batur you're looking for, the best cafes are found along Penelokan Main Road in Kintamani. All of the cafes are just a short distance from each other, so it's easy to go cafe hopping along the road - this is what we like to do, so we can check out as many as possible!

When is the best time to visit?

Cafes in Kintamani stay open all year round, whatever the season or weather. Many have both indoor and outdoor seating areas.

The best time of day to enjoy the cafes is in the morning. Many cafes open at 5:30-6am, which is perfect if you want to watch the sunrise over Mount Batur and the valley. But even if you're not an early riser, you can still enjoy the cafes all day.

However, hardly any cafes stay open after dark. Most shut between 6:30-8pm (shortly after sunset). So if you want to visit a cafe for dinner, it needs to be early. And don't expect to pop by for evening drinks.

Do you still need to pay the entry fee to Batur Geopark?

Yes, Kintamani's cafes are located inside the protected Batur UNESCO Global Geopark so you’ll need to pay a small fee to enter the area.

The fee is 50,000 IDR ⓘ for foreign tourists or 20,000 IDR ⓘ for domestic tourists. You'll need to pay this in cash at the designated checkpoints as you first drive into the Kintamani region.

Our Top 7 Favourite Cafes in Kintamani

1. Paperhills Cafe

Paperhills Cafe is our favourite cafe in Kintamani and the one we'd recommend visiting if you don't have time to explore multiple. The stylish multi-level cafe has tiered seating that cascades down the Kintamani crater edge, with amazing views over Mount Batur and the stunning volcanic landscapes.

The cafe has a playful "Palm Springs" aesthetic, with white and beige walls accented by pops of pastel pink, blue, and green. There's no shortage of photogenic corners, so don't forget your camera!

There's plenty of space for groups of all sizes, with cosy daybeds, large sofa areas, solo bar stalls, and multiple floors of indoor and outdoor tables.

Paperhills has a great all-day food menu, serving everything from homemade pastries (don't miss the cromboloni!) and indulgent brunch dishes to burgers, rice bowls, salads, pasta, and much more.

The huge cafe recently expanded even further and opened its very own pool club on the lower floors, with a large infinity pool, heated jacuzzi, bar, daybeds, and plenty of netted hammocks.

On our recent visit, we spent the morning relaxing on a daybed in the pool club, which had a 400,000 IDR ⓘ minimum spend between us. We easily spent this on breakfast, coconuts, and coffee.

Being a cloudy day, we were some of the only people here and spent a good few hours chilling in the hot tub, enjoying the epic volcano views!

If you don't want to commit to a daybed, there is a small fee to use the pool club. However, there are often promos offering free pool entry, so be sure to check in advance.

2. Pahdi Specialty Coffee

Pahdi Specialty Coffee opened in Kintamani in the summer of 2023 and currently holds the impressive title of the largest specialty coffee shop in Southeast Asia.

Despite its huge size, the cafe is easy to miss from the main road. It sits just below the crater rim and is only reachable by an inconspicuous lift at street level. Once the lift doors open, you're met by an enormous cafe with towering ceilings, elegant modern furnishings, and an amazing wrap-around terrace with breathtaking views.

Unlike many other cafes in Kintamani, Pahdi steers away from the iconic Instagrammable style and has gone for a classier, more upscale vibe, focusing heavily on quality. This is what makes it one of our absolute favourites.

The cafe is known for its fantastic specialty coffee, with four house coffee roasts and several creative cold brews, many using local Kintamani coffee beans.

As coffee lovers, we can confirm that this was some of the best coffee we've tried in Bali - and that's a bold statement given the high standard here!

It also has a gourmet food menu, with delicious Asian and Western dishes served from brunch to dinner. We particularly love the croissants and pastries here (try the pain au chocolat *drool*). In our experience, Padhi has some of the best food of any Kintamani cafe.

Most tables are indoors, making it one of the better options for a cold or rainy day (it can happen in the mountains!). Even if the weather's not great, you can still enjoy the views from the huge panoramic windows. There are also a handful of smaller tables and bar stalls on the terrace if you want to sit outside.

Despite its size, Padhi is one of the busiest cafes on the street and can get full up, so it's best to either book in advance or arrive early to get your table of choice. It gets particularly busy on Saturdays when there's live music all afternoon.

3. El Lago Cafe

El Lago is another of the biggest and most popular cafes in Kintamani. And for good reason.

It has a chic, minimalist style, with plenty of seating overlooking the volcanic valley, and a fantastic Japanese-inspired menu, which is the biggest draw for most people.

Their all-day menu features the likes of Japanese eggs, chicken katsu rice bowl, various types of ramen, and an extensive sushi menu. There are predominantly seafood and meat options, with limited vegetarian dishes.

We recently visited El Lago Cafe while staying at their brand-new on-site accomodation, El Lago Hotel, which has three levels of modern rooms directly below the cafe on the crater ridge.

While our Standard Room was a little on the small side, it did have the most incredible views over Mount Batur from its huge windows - the perfect place to watch Kintamani's iconic sunrise from the comfort of our bed. We could also order room service from the cafe upstairs.

4. Montana del Cafe

Sister cafe to El Laho, Montana del Cafe is a chic and modern cafe in Kintamani that's perfect for soaking in the region's stunning vistas over coffee or lunch.

The all-white aesthetic and open-plan layout give it a light and airy feel, especially when there's a layer of fog in the valley and it feels like you're floating above the clouds.

There's plenty of seating both inside and out on the cafe's terrace, plus a large netted hammock suspended out over the crater edge - great to snap a few photos but not ideal if you have a fear of heights!

If you visit in the morning, you can enjoy the Western-style breakfast menu, with a selection of toasts, bagels, croissants, smoothie bowls, pancakes, and more. Pair your food with one of their signature coffee blends and you've got yourself a perfect morning in Kintamani.

Later in the day, the cafe also has a fantastic menu of creative Asian-inspired and fusion dishes, from the Korean mac croissant and furikake rice bowl to tom yum miso linguine and taco nori cauliflower.

Thanks to its gorgeous aesthetics and views, the cafe is popular with engagement and pre-wedding photoshoots, so don't be surprised if you catch one taking place during your visit. We saw a couple get engaged in this cafe last summer!

5. Ritatkala Cafe

Ritatkala is one of the smaller cafes in Kintamani, but also one of the most stylish. The chic crater-top cafe and restaurant has a lovely indoor dining area with tropical decor, elegant chandeliers, and large floor-to-ceiling windows offering stunning views of Mount Batur.

There's also a small terrace with deckchairs and tables placed along the edge for enjoying an al fresco drink in the sun while overlooking Kintamani's iconic landscapes.

With no minimum spend, you can pop into Ritatkala for a quick coffee or one of their signature teapots while watching the region's famous sunrise. I particularly love their warming Batur Tea, with cinnamon, clove, and apple cider, which is ideal for chilly early mornings in the mountains.

Or come by for longer and enjoy the cafe's full food menu, featuring many local dishes, including nasi goreng, and a handful of simple Western dishes, such as burgers, pastas, and salads. All dishes are free from pork and lard, catering to the region's many Indonesian tourists.

6. AKASA Speciality Coffee

AKASA Speciality Coffee is THE viral Instagram cafe in Kinatmani, so, of course, we had to head back for a visit. And surprisingly, it did live up to the hype.

Famous for its small walkway suspended over the crater edge, the rustic open-air cafe has several other fun photo-ops with a backdrop of Mount Batur and Lake Batur, including a huge pair of wings and several unusual floating rattan nests.

The cafe roasts its own specialty coffee in-house, using quality coffee beans mainly from the Kintamani region. If you enjoy the coffee, you can even grab a bag of beans to take home with you from the cafe shop.

Despite its popularity, AKSAKA still offers good value for money. Food and drink prices are surprisingly affordable. We tried the creamy spicy garlic mushroom chicken for only 49,000 IDR ⓘ, and it was delicious. We also love their indulgent croissants and cakes in the morning.

The main thing to note here is that the cafe can get very busy, and you may have to wait for a table. You also have to accept the fact that everyone will be taking photos at the Instagram spots, so it's not as peaceful as some of the other cafes on this list (hence why it's not our favourite).

7. Attalas Cafe

If you're looking for a more low-key vibe, without the elaborate photo spots and big crowds, Attalas Cafe is one of our favourite hidden gems in Kintamani.

The lovely little spot is smaller than most of its neighbours, but it's still usually the quietest of the bunch. It's never too difficult to get a table here. On our last visit, we practically had the entire place to ourselves!

Set over two floors, the cafe has a minimalist decor with crisp white walls, rattan furnishings, and plenty of greenery, giving it a dreamy, airy feel. There's indoor and outdoor seating, and all tables have fantastic views over Kintamani and Mount Batur. If you're a big group, head downstairs for the large bench-style tables.

Attalas has an extensive drinks menu, with a huge selection of coffees, teas, juices, milkshakes, smoothies, sodas, mocktails, and beers. It's a great place to pop by for a coffee and a slice of cake.

There's also an all-day food menu with various Indonesian and Western dishes, including sandwiches, burgers, pasta, pizzas, and more. Food prices are super affordable compared to elsewhere on the same road, with most dishes costing between 40,000-60,000 IDR ⓘ