City dining guide
11 guide-listed restaurants — Michelin, Bib Gourmand, Black Pearl, Must-Eat List, World's 50 Best and more. Reference quality signals; never ranked by commission, no in-app checkout.
Perched atop a skyscraper, the restaurant affords panoramic vistas of KL's skyline. Chef Sidney Schutte hails from the southern shores of the Netherlands. His menu is a delectable amalgam of French techniques, Nordic sensibility and Asian twists; seafood and vegetables are his strong suits. His dessert is the final bow, imparting depth and sweetness. With a menu spanning 3 hours, it's the perfect setup for a date.
WebsiteFor over 30 years, this stall has been selling chicken rice cooked to order over charcoal in claypots. The dish comes with Cantonese pork sausage and ginger, and has a crispy crust at the bottom. You can add salted fish, which imparts extra aroma.
Just as bak kut teh is Malaysia's iconic dish and soul food, this restaurant also has a place in the hearts of locals. It’s particularly popular for lunch. The bak kut teh soup has a characteristic mild flavour that’s well-balanced with a subtle use of herbs and light, sweet flavours. The dry, spicy version has a richer, thicker consistency. The four shop houses that line the boulevard offer plenty of seating and absorb the noise and energy of the street.
This simple shop has been selling authentic Hakkanese food in an unremarkable neighbourhood for over 20 years. The must-try Hor Poh lui cha is a sheeny green soup served with steamed rice. Made with ground sesame seeds, peanuts and mint leaves, the soup is nutty and aromatic. The Hor Poh dumpling with dried tofu, garlic and pickles enrobed in a thin skin is also popular. With a range of tasty offerings at bargain prices, this place is always busy.
The two-storey restaurant doubles as a museum to display the owner’s antique collection. The father-and-daughter team serves authentic Nyonya home-style dishes, many of which are meant to be shared. Try their pie tee, or crispy pastry cups filled with finely diced vegetables, fried onions and shrimps dressed in a homemade chilli sauce. With unlimited free refills, pandan lemongrass tea is the perfect drink to quench the heat of the food.
A Fukuoka native, the chef worked in Europe for years before opening this place – an oasis set in lush greenery outside the city centre. At dinner, the tasting menus include five or nine courses, meticulously crafted with classic French techniques and using local ingredients. With an array of harmonious textures, the corn dish is inspired by the chef's visit to Cameron Highlands, encapsulating his culinary vision and childhood memories.
🕐 We-Su 18:00-22:00
WebsiteVantador’s vintage yet modern interiors are drenched in soft lighting. Aussie and Spanish beef is either dry-aged for up to 30 days in unsalted butter, or vacuum-sealed and wet-aged in its own juices for 14 days. Steaks are precisely grilled over charcoal and wood to desired doneness, striking a fine balance between smoky and full-bodied, meaty flavours. Non-steak dishes are also available, together with meticulously prepared desserts.
WebsiteFrom the blue façade and a terrace reminiscent of pavement cafes, to the oversized painting celebrating joie de vivre, the restaurant formerly known as 2OX transports diners to a Parisian bistro with its relaxed, convivial vibe. Helmed by Chef Dominic, the kitchen creates modern, sophisticated dishes that are deeply rooted in the French traditions. Most ingredients are imported from Europe; the artisanal cheeses are especially worth trying.
The restaurant has a rustic edge with vintage canteen-style furniture that evokes waves of nostalgia across a dimly lit venue. Limapulo (which means fifty in Malay), is managed by a team of Malaysian chefs. It’s best to choose plates for sharing and be sure to order the popular Nyonya laksa – a standout dish indeed. The signature sate has a special sauce homemade from star fruits and pineapple. Some menu items are only available on certain days.
🕐 Mo-Sa 11:30-15:00, 18:00-22:00
This local chef of Chaozhou descent, whose career boasts stints in upmarket kitchens, strives to break culinary boundaries at Jie. Her two 10-course tasting menus feature creative Chinese fare that often involves Western techniques and painstaking preparation. Free-range chicken soup with almond milk is slow-cooked for hours to build up layers of flavours; serrano ham adds extra depth. Book at least two days ahead.
Born into a Chinese family of chefs and formally trained in Gallic cuisine, the head chef strives to add a French spin to Chinese gourmet classics. The tasting menu embodies his culinary vision – crispy duck is aged for seven days making it juicy and tender; the must-try botan ebi dressed in fermented Chinese tofu sauce is marvellously ingenious. The chef occasionally pops out of the kitchen to serve the food himself and chat with diners.
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