KL City area guide

Discover the best restaurants, shops, bars and cafés in KL city centre

Thursday 30 June 2016

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Your cheat sheet to all the best restaurants, shops and things to do in the main areas of the city centre including Bukit Bintang, Petaling Street and Pudu.

KL City Centre

Art

Galeri Petronas

Galeri Petronas offers an active programme of exhibitions. Since its establishment in 1993, the gallery has hosted many exhibitions of art and design promoting...

Restaurants

Troika Sky Dining

One foot in and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into Tony Stark’s bachelor pad. Troika Sky Dining on the 24th floor of The Troika is run by...

Art

Ilham Gallery

ILHAM is committed to supporting the development, understanding and enjoyment of Malaysian modern and contemporary art within both a regional and global...

Bars and pubs

Frisky Rooftop Bar

Located above Market Place, this rooftop lounge is as good as it gets. With a panoramic view overlooking Petronas Twin Towers and its chilled, cosy ambience,...

Restaurants

Nobu

Nobu creates a genre and defies it at once. It’s the rebel child of the global fine dining scene – the brand that doesn’t follow rules; the...

Shopping

Avenue K

Avenue K has stepped up its mall game for also being a good spot in the city for lingering and engaging in leisure activities for both kids and working adults.

Restaurants

Oribe Sushi

On the ground floor of ViPod Residences, off Jalan Kia Peng, is Oribe Sushi, helmed by arguably KL’s most lauded sushi master chef, Chef Hideaki Oritsuki....

Restaurants

Sushi Hinata

price 4 of 4

Deceiving as the restaurant’s monotone façade may be, what lies inside compensates in brilliance. While the founding chef Hideaki Oritsuki has left Sushi...

Shopping

Books Kinokuniya

Popular with bookworms, Kinokuniya offers a large selection of books catering to almost every type of reader here. It's rare that you can't get the book you...

Restaurants

RGB & The Bean Hive

price 2 of 4

Probably so as to blend in with the surrounding houses, its nondescript white façade doesn’t do much to attract new customers, so you’d be...

Restaurants

Châteraisé Patisserie

The next time you’re at KLCC, drop by Châteraisé Patisserie for Japanese pastries such as fresh strawberry cream cakes (yes, like the...

Nightlife

TREC

KL never really sleeps, which means there are more bars and clubs for you to stay awake in. The Time Out KL team unveils the best spots at TREC, the latest...

Kampung Baru

Restaurants

Chunburi Seafood

price 1 of 4

Nasi dagang supersedes all at this corner restaurant, which has been around since 1989. The variety of curries and meats is easy to get lost in, but we prefer...

Restaurants

Rosdet Tomyam

price 1 of 4

This Kampung Baru institution packs in the crowds at night, and for good reason. Rosdet serves everything from Thai-style chicken, beef and fish to your...

Restaurants

Line Clear Kampung Baru

One of Penang's famed nasi kandar joints opens its first branch in KL so you don't have to go all the way to the island to get your fix of curry-drenched rice.

Restaurants

Nasi Lemak CT Garden

Needing little introduction, Restoran CT Garden is a household name for late night nasi lemak. Rice is packed into small canteen-style banana leaf wrappers...

Restaurants

Suraya Seafood

For a late-night (presumably post-clubbing) meal of beef-heavy bihun sup, kerang bakar and pulut mangga alongside other Thai-Kelantanese dishes, Suraya Seafood...

Restaurants

Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa Kampung Baru

Being one of the most recognised nasi lemak establishments in KL, they serve a basic helping of nasi lemak consisting of rice, a half boiled egg, ikan bilis...

Restaurants

Restoran Rose

You’ll find heaps of Minang migrants from the area at this ’70s Kampung Baru gem. Go for the properly executed nasi padang dishes (the daging cincang and...

Restaurants

Fatimah Selera Kampung

3 out of 5 stars
price 1 of 4

July 2008 They say Malaysia’s best Malay food is found in private kitchens. Consider Fatimah Selera Kampung your entrée to ‘mom-style’ Malay cuisine. Every...

Bukit Bintang

Bars and pubs

Taps Beer Bar

Craft brew institutions have come and gone in this city of ours, but Taps Beer Bar is showing remarkable tenacity in the face of our love for the big branded...

Restaurants

Drift Dining and Bar

4 out of 5 stars
price 3 of 4

This modern Australian restaurant whips up dishes using fresh produce with Asian flavours and cooking methods.

Book online

Bars and pubs

Pisco Bar

Pisco is Spanish, but not quintessentially. It’s a marriage of Spanish hot bloodedness and the poised, chic ambience that we’ve come to expect in a...

Book online

Restaurants

Wong Ah Wah (WAW)

What started off as a humble stall selling barbecued chicken wings for the post clubbing crowd has grown into a commendable Chinese restaurant.

Restaurants

Al Andalus

price 2 of 4

Tucked behind the Indonesian embassy in KL, Al Andalus remains a well-known secret to Middle Eastern food fans. Cooking up a storm of Arabic, Moroccan and...

Restaurants

The Bean Belt

price 1 of 4

A café from Indonesian-based coffee company Degayo, The Bean Belt is one of the better cafés in the city centre. For one, they’re in charge of every process in...

Music

No Black Tie

The city’s best jazz venue is now a firm favourite on the city scene as an entertainment hotspot. The intimate wooden interior provides audiences with a...

Restaurants

Neroteca

3 out of 5 stars
price 3 of 4

April 2008 With floor-to-ceiling shelves stocked with Italian kitchen staples and the widest selection of Italian wines in Kuala Lumpur, a deli case bursting...

Shopping

Basement Record Store

Selections here are strictly of the punk genre, but we did see the soundtrack to 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower', a more mainstream approach to classic rock....

Nightlife

CEO Neway

A karaoke joint offering a mix of English, Mandarin and Canto-pop as well as J- and K-pop tunes, Neway is a good place if you like to karaoke in a clean,...

Restaurants

Dining In The Dark

price 4 of 4

Located above Ten on Changkat, Dining In The Dark – a new concept restaurant by Werner Kuhn who also owns El Cerdo – opened on the last week of November 2012....

Book online

Restaurants

Tarbush Express

price 1 of 4

The uncorrupted deliciousness of meat on a spit is glorified at Tarbush’s express kiosk, where aromatic lamb and chicken spin on metal rods in grease and char...

Pudu

Restaurants

VCR

One of KL's most good-looking cafés is perched on Jalan Galloway, a curiously unusual option for a contemporary coffee spot. The café is remodeled from a...

Bars and pubs

Barlai

When it comes to pulling off a nondescript bar entrance, trust The BIG Group to execute it with class and subtlety. The group’s newest opening, Barlai,...

Restaurants

Hong La Qiao

4 out of 5 stars
price 3 of 4

November 2013 Parking is terrible, traffic is frequently a nightmare, and recent construction has only made the situation worse. Changkat Thambi Dollah, the...

Restaurants

Restoran 168

When the wantan noodles arrive here at Restoran 168, you’ll thank us for your enforced restraint. The perfectly al dente but surprisingly plump noodles...

Restaurants

Pudu Wai Sek Kai

price 1 of 4

Jalan Alor may be the mecca of KL street food but Pudu’s Wai Sek Kai is a TV producer’s dream. Hawkers ply their business under the glare of street lights...

Restaurants

Sek Yuen

price 2 of 4

Unsurpassed consistency and perfect execution of Cantonese fare put Sek Yuen in the upper echelon of Chinese dining in KL. Yes, the restaurant has been around...

Restaurants

Kedai Kopi Yuyi

This charming kopitiam is famed for its pork noodles, but patrons unwilling to endure the lengthy preparation time for the popular dish could do worse than opt...

Restaurants

Cendol Sulaiman

price 1 of 4

The scenery here is not the most appealing – you basically share a dining space with a fruit stall, an abandoned construction site and a few derelict shops....

Shopping

Syarikat Kemajuan Penternakan Kong Seng

This generic, grey-walled shop is one you’d walk right past until you hear the gentle chirping of baby birds. Fluffy yellow chicks are kept in cages for sale,...

Shopping

Pudu market

Established more than half a century ago, this wet market is one of the most comprehensive in the city, offering a plethora of vegetables, meat, clothing and...

Shopping

Sung Poh Trading

A visit to Sung Poh joss stick shop will see effigy maker Mr Thong huddling over piles of shaved bamboo sticks and a huge pot of glue every morning. The 50...

Health and beauty

Lee Ying Hair Dressing Salon

Ever wondered how your grandparents went about getting perms, shaves and haircuts back in the day? Probably somewhere like Lee Ying Hair Dressing Salon, the...

Masjid Jamek

Nightlife

Under9

A place that plays underground music from literally, underground. Taking place in a basement, Under9 is an events venue championing the alternative, not just...

Bars and pubs

Omakase + Appreciate

We like Omakase + Appreciate for many reasons. First, it’s a speakeasy bar. Although liquors and drinking are absolutely legal here, its secretive...

Restaurants

Chiap Tong

Walking into this 1942 institution is like getting sucked into a time warp. There’s a sense of drowsiness that envelops this non-descript shop, and...

Restaurants

Laguna Restaurant

This restaurant near Lebuh Ampang may look a bit camp for a first-timer, but it’s the food that does the talking. Owner Mr Tan is passionate about...

Restaurants

Soong Kee

price 1 of 4

Soong Kee is easy to find – spot the tinted glass door and you’ll find crowds crammed together behind the entrance. The slurping sound is...

Restaurants

Bakti Woodlands

price 1 of 4

Come lunchtime, it can be tough finding a seat at this popular Indian vegetarian joint. In the heart of bustling Masjid Jamek, there’s always a lively...

Restaurants

Mansion Tea Stall

Located in one of the oldest apartment buildings in Masjid India, this restaurant formerly known as Al Amnah is famed for their teh tarik, roti sardin and roti...

Restaurants

Lashio May

Burmese sisters Coral Theint and Xiang Xiang have been operating this second-floor business for seven years. Specialities include fried pork with pickled...

Restaurants

KL City Restaurant

price 1 of 4

Forgive the generic name of this 20-year-old Lebuh Ampang gem but we promise you the food here is anything but. The Chettinad-style food here...

Restaurants

Betel Leaf

May 2013 There’s a reason the area around Lebuh Ampang seems like a foreign country to me, and that’s because I have never walked through it. But a...

Restaurants

Restoran Santa

price 1 of 4

Kulwant Singh named his business after his father, Santa, and his signature chapattis have grown into the stuff of legends over the last 14 years.

Restaurants

Restoran Bunga Raya Indah

price 1 of 4

One of the best banana leaf experiences in the city hides within a dim first-floor lot along Lebuh Ampang. In 1962, the operation moved from Malacca to KL and...

Petaling Street

Restaurants

Lai Foong Restaurant

price 1 of 4

With a large sign in English that reads ‘Lai Foong Restaurant’ facing the road, you’ll find it hard to miss this decades-old coffee shop....

Shopping

Central Market

Formerly a wet market, Central Market has undergone extensive refurbishments. It has been designated a Heritage Building and is now a Centre for Malaysian...

Restaurants

Onn Loke Kopitiam

price 1 of 4

Hotel Loke Ann and its dearly missed kopitiam has been gone for about three years but Uncle Lee who ran the kopitiam is back in business. The kopitiam is now...

Bars and pubs

PS150

Located in Chinatown, what was previously a brothel, house and warehouse (in no particular order), is now PS150, a cocktail bar headed by famed bartender Angel...

Restaurants

Merchant's Lane

price 2 of 4

This calm little hideaway is located above an old shop next to the Advance Tertiary College building. Inside, the café uses a teal and pink colour...

Restaurants

Lian Bee

price 1 of 4

Hokkien mee is hawker staple where everyone has a firm and personal idea of how it should taste. Do you like it heavily coated in dark soy sauce, springy and...

Restaurants

Lucy in the Sky

price 2 of 4

Setting up a café in Old KL can only mean one thing: This is a comfy space for vagabond freelancers, students and backpackers. Lucy in the Sky is a...

Bars and pubs

The Attic Bar

While The Attic Bar doesn’t claim to be a speakeasy, it certainly has the attributes of one. It’s located discreetly on the rooftop of the Travel...

Restaurants

Coffee Amo

Walk into the Petaling Street Art House (first floor) on Jalan Sultan and you’ll find a café next to it with a name more appropriate for an...

Restaurants

Restoran Kim Lian Kee

price 1 of 4

For more than 80 years, KLites have sought comfort in the city’s best hokkien mee at Kim Lian Kee – how can any noodle stall rival the birthplace...

Restaurants

Madras Lane Assam Laksa

price 1 of 4

No, this asam laksa isn’t as good as what you’ll find in Penang. But we’re not in Penang, are we? A serving includes the usual garnishes...

Shopping

Lee Wah Florist

One of the oldest names in the business, Lee Wah has been plying the flower trade on Jalan Tun HS Lee for decades. The store itself is not glamorous –...

Things to do

Findars

Located on the fourth floor of an inconspicuous shoplot along Jalan Panggong, Findars is a hidden gem that has truly stood the test of time. Although it...

Restaurants

Old China Cafe

price 2 of 4

One of the oldest restaurants in KL, spicy food has a starring role at this eatery although the less spicy options such as soya bean and tamarind are more than...

Art

Lostgens'

White washed walls and bare cement floors dominate the simplistic interior of this self-managed alternative gallery that champions innovative artists who...

Restaurants

Aku Café & Gallery

The owners of the prewar Old China Café have ventured into a more contemporary project – a nifty little café along Jalan Panggung. The space is a bit like your...

Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Chow Kit

Restaurants

Capital Café

A time capsule that feeds both the hungry and the nostalgic, the café has witnessed the change of many generations. Order kopi peng and a plate of the best...

Restaurants

Yut Kee

price 2 of 4

Amid critics who claim Yut Kee to be overrated, one cannot dispute the charm of its old Jalan Dang Wangi premises. The walls were literally fading, the mosaic...

Shopping

Yellow Kombi Vintage

Come weekend, opt for a good rummage amid the treasure trove of clothes and curios at the first floor of Campbell Complex, home to a dozen over bundle and...

Restaurants

Mohd Yaseen Nasi Kandar

4 out of 5 stars
price 1 of 4

Apparently, the claim is that the nasi kandar at Yaseen comes pretty close to a plate you would get in Penang. We visited on a Tuesday night around 9pm, and...

Restaurants

Sin Hua Bee bakery

The atmosphere bears no difference to a dusty old Chinese medicinal store, but the happiest sight at Sin Hua Bee is watching devoted chefs make ga lui beng...

Restaurants

Coliseum

We’ve had tons of other bars call themselves ‘institutions’. But having been around since 1921, Coliseum is one place that would turn around...

Shopping

Sogo

Sogo, which is situated on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, has become a major landmark along the street. The modern department store is well patronised for the...

The Row

Restaurants

League of Captains

price 2 of 4

The guys behind Pestle & Mortar amp up their cool factor with the opening of their first café/boutique on Jalan Doraisamy's The Row, so now fans can drink...

Restaurants

Timbre @ The Row

Make Timbre your new hangout spot for weekend nights or afterwork gatherings – this is one more place you can add to KL’s growing list of music venues....

Restaurants

Bacchus Wine & Tapas Bar

3 out of 5 stars
price 2 of 4

To be honest, what got us through the door was the happy hour wine offer: buy one free one at RM25 (3pm to 9pm). So we settled in and ordered the wine on...

Restaurants

2OX

From the team behind Maison Française comes French bistro and bar 2OX. Headed by Chef Thierry Le Baut, the restaurant on the Doraisamy stretch goes for a...

Shopping

Wheel Love Skateshop at The Row

Tricked out with all forms of inline skates, blades, bikes and skateboards, Wheel Love (you may know them from their PJ outlet) equips you with everything you...

Restaurants

Limapulo: Baba Can Cook

price 2 of 4

Limapulo has finally moved to its dream location on 50 Jalan Doraisamy, leaving behind its bare, former premises at lot 26 for a retro, Instagram-worthy...

Restaurants

Butter + Beans at The Row

If this fourth Butter + Beans outlet is of any indication, cafés in KL are finally growing up. Instead of the usual junk store/vintage chic interior, this...

Things to do

The Co.

Designed by Singaporean design firm FARM, boutique co-working space The Co. does double duty as an event and community space for freelancers and tech...

See more area guides

Things to do

Bangsar

Bangsar has gone through many phases – unobtrusive residential area, clubbing haven, arts and culture quarter, and now, café district. From the...

Things to do

Hartamas

Populated by expatriates and upper middle class families, Hartamas is fancy – even its name says so (‘harta’, treasure; ‘mas’,...

Things to do

Damansara

The wide land that is Damansara has the privilege of being both KL and Selangor. It can be confusing – Bukit Damansara for example, is not exactly near...

Things to do

KL City

Your cheat sheet to all the best restaurants, shops and things to do in the main areas of the city centre including Bukit Bintang, Petaling Street and Pudu.