The Best Kuala Lumpur Restaurants

Kuala Lumpur is a city obsessed with flavour. By day, it’s the scent of smoky satay from a street cart; by night, it’s dry-aged wagyu and craft cocktails with skyline views. Here, fine dining isn’t precious, and hawker food isn’t humble – it’s all part of the same rich, rojak mix. Whether you’re after a Michelin-starred tasting menu or just the best nasi lemak of your life, this city will feed you well. Read on to discover our pick of the best Kuala Lumpur restaurants. 

Family-friendly restaurants 

Botanica+Co 

All three Botanica+Co locations feel like they were dreamt up inside a greenhouse – high ceilings, trailing greenery and enough space for strollers and sleepy toddlers. The menu leans global but lands safely with all ages: think wood-fired pizzas, handmade pasta and charcoal-grilled steak. Adults can settle in with botanical cocktails and bar bites. 

RGB Coffee at The Bean Hive 

Tucked away in a leafy corner of Jalan Damai, this home-turned-kopishop is beloved by families for its warm hospitality, excellent all-day breakfasts and pet-friendly seating. Vegans, vegetarians, coeliacs and meat-eaters alike can find something delicious on the menu, whether it’s a potato rosti with tempeh bacon or an espresso tonic. 

Regent Chinese Cuisine

Awarded in the Top 20 Best Restaurants by Tatler Dining Malaysia, this is Cantonese dining with flair. Dishes are made exclusively with ingredients flown in from Hong Kong, while the menu stays true to tradition with favourites including typhoon shelter-style fried fish skin and chicken in Chinese rose wine. 

Table & Apron 

Set in the quiet lanes of Damansara Kim, this understated bistro has a loyal following of food-savvy locals. Start with the sourdough (baked next door at their own Universal Bakehouse) and don’t miss the fried chicken, a recipe that founder Marcus Low has tweaked to perfection over 14 years. The vibe is easy-going and communal, with sharing pitchers on the cocktail menu.

Restaurants with a view 

Marini’s on 57 

There’s drama from the moment you step out of the lift at Marini’s – top-to-bottom windows frame the Petronas Towers just metres away. Inside, suited couples and international business types sip G.H. Mumm champagne while carving into tins of beluga caviar. The Italian-leaning menu is as good as the view and earned itself a Michelin Guide nod in 2025. 

Vertigo at Banyan Tree 

Aptly named for its dizzying perch 59 floors above the city, Vertigo draws a stylish after-work crowd and cocktail lovers in search of a skyline. The menu takes a relaxed approach, featuring Southeast Asian–inspired tapas like chicken karaage and satay skewers that complement drinks by the talented mixologists. Come for the sunset, stay for the DJ sets. 

Fuego at Troika Sky Dining 

This isn’t your usual sky bar. Fuego’s terrace is fiesta-ready with Latin-inspired small plates, guacamole made fresh and chilli-laced tiger prawn ceviche. The view? A panorama of downtown Kuala Lumpur and the Twin Towers, made even better with a Cava-blend cooler in hand.  

Best Kuala Lumpur street eats 

Nasi Lemak Wanjo Kampung Bharu 

A local institution since the 1960s, Wanjo’s nasi lemak is Kuala Lumpur’s benchmark. The coconut rice is impossibly fluffy, paired with sambal that bites and pleases in equal measure. You’ll queue beside taxi drivers, students and suit-clad office workers – proof of its citywide appeal. 

Soong Kee Beef Noodles 

Simple, no-nonsense beef noodles are the draw at this 80-year-old Chinatown stalwart. The minced beef sauce is umami-rich, poured over springy egg noodles, with a side of sliced beef brisket in clear broth. It’s a fast-moving operation with timeless flavours. 

Lai Foong Lala Noodles 

Donning a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand, Lai Foong Lala Noodles has come a long way from its street stall roots – and now occupies two whole shop floors. Order the signature lala bihun, which comes swimming in a ginger-heavy, rice wine–spiked broth loaded with fresh clams.  

Restaurant Keng Nam Hai 

Crustacean and cognac lovers head to Keng Nam Hai for one thing: the XO Seafood Noodle. Named after its Hennessy-infused broth, the soup is served with palm-sized prawns and sambal on the side. This popular hawker hall can get raucous, especially after its TikTok buzz. 

Ming Kee Cantonese 

This unfussy restaurant with multiple outposts is all about Cantonese roast meats. The char siu is glossy and tender, the crispy pork shatters with every bite and portions of piping hot congee are generous. It’s a lunchtime favourite for locals who like their meals fast and flavour-packed. 

Jalan Alor 

Kuala Lumpur’s most photographed food street, Jalan Alor, doesn’t trade in subtlety. Neon lights, plastic chairs and sizzling woks set the scene for a sensory overload. Go for smoky satay skewers, spicy Thai-style cockles and deep-fried chicken wings washed down with icy Tiger beers or frothy teh tarik (pulled milk tea). 

Yut Kee Restaurant 

A rare window into Kuala Lumpur’s colonial-era kopitiam culture, Yut Kee has been serving Hainanese fare since 1928. The roast pork – crackly skin, savoury stuffing – is the highlight, but the kaya toast and chicken chop are classics in their own right.  

Special occasion restaurants 

Dewakan 

The only two-Michelin-star restaurant in Malaysia, Dewakan is a study in locality. Near-forgotten endemic ingredients, wild herbs and a no-waste approach rooted in sustainability form the foundation of an award-winning tasting menu. Chef Darren Teoh’s plates are cerebral and proudly homegrown. The dining room feels contemplative, drawing foodies, visiting chefs and culinary pilgrims alike.  

Beta KL 

A moody, design-forward venue in Kuala Lumpur city centre, Michelin-starred Beta takes diners on a journey through Malaysia’s terroir. Dishes like patin fish with aromatic ginger and oyster mushroom are inspired by the chef’s grandmother, while the 0.00% yeast bread with tapioca and abalone Lawas rice arrive as edible stories. The dining room also features a showstopping emerald bar.  

Entier French Dining 

Ascend to the 41st floor of the five-star Alila Bangsar and you’ll find Entier. The restaurant combines modern French cuisine with breathtaking views from a dining room inspired by the nave of a church. It’s a date-night favourite for the city’s creative crowd, with plates like pâté made from stuffed duck neck and foie gras with charcoal-grilled eel.   

Potager KL 

Sustainability is the quiet luxury at Potager KL – Bamboo Hills’ French newcomer from the team behind Entier. There’s a meditative quality to the space, which is huge and bamboo-clad, and the menu takes notes from Chef Masashi’s Japanese cooking style. Everything is local, from the Sarawak rice and the white corn from Cameron Highlands to the local T’Lur caviar and rich Malaysian cacao.  

Best cafes in Kuala Lumpur 

Marmalade Cafe 

Bright, breezy, and tucked into Bangsar Village II, Marmalade has been a brunch staple for two decades. The crowd? Mostly families and wellness types. You’ll find Time Out KL Best Healthy Eats–approved quinoa lemak and smoothies in every shade of green. Kids’ play areas make it even more appealing for longer stays. 

VCR 

Housed in a converted heritage building, VCR takes the caffeine scene seriously. Black-clad baristas pull meticulous espresso shots, and the brunch menu holds its own – from turkey ham French toast and soft-shell crab sandwiches to a big breakfast complete with housemade sausages. 

Breakfast Thieves 

An Australian transplant with industrial-cool bones, Breakfast Thieves sits in an old printing factory and attracts Kuala Lumpur’s fashion-forward brunchers. Dishes like the ‘Quackbonara’ spaghetti with pulled confit duck and ‘B.Marley’ mushroom toasties burst with colour.   

Yellow Brick Road 

Named Malaysia’s best cafe by Time Out magazine in 2015 and 2017, this beloved spot has found a new home in Damansara Heights, where the menu is as exciting as ever. Expect dishes like a matcha yuzu roll and vanilla flan French toast, plus a rotating cast of creative lattes made by a four-time Malaysian Barista Champion.  

Feature image: Dewakan. Supplied