10 restaurants in heritage buildings in Kuala Lumpur

These eateries occupy buildings that date back decades, mostly originally constructed before the nation’s independence, reflecting a rich sense of history in formerly crumbling spaces that have been revived for contemporary customers.

1. Peter Hoe Café

1. Peter Hoe Cafe

Peter Hoe Café (freshly relocated from Chinatown) is one of the latest attractions at The Row, a street of shop-houses that were once terraced residential homes whose origins have been traced to the 1920s. This charming stop feels like a secret treasure trove – a genial café offers complete, no-fuss meals of salads and pastas, alongside a boutique that abounds with eclectic wearables and homeware. Other restaurants on The Row include French favourite 2OX, Nyonya hotspot Limapulo and live music destination Timbre.

Address: 56-1, First Floor, The Row, Jalan Doraisamy, 50300 Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur
Read reviewPeter Hoe Café at The Row
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2. Leaf & Co

2. Leaf & Co

Battered but not beaten, ravaged but reborn: Time has taken a relentless toll on this two-storey shop-house on a corner of Chinatown, but after having weathered colonial rule, a World War, and decades of commercial wear-and-tear – most recently as a pharmacy – this address is now a new heritage hostel named Mingle Kuala Lumpur, with an in-house café called Leaf & Co. The café’s repertoire spans East and West – for a taste of both, the crunchy-juicy buttermilk fried chicken leg with Malaysian fried rice, Indonesian sambal terasi and Thai-dressed sweet-sour salad makes for a fulfilling meal.

Address: Mingle Kuala Lumpur, 53 Jalan Sultan, 5000, Kuala Lumpur
Read review: Leaf & Co at Mingle Kuala Lumpur
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3. Manja

1. Manja

Manja is part of Old Malaya, an atmospheric cluster of restaurants in a refurbished building originally constructed in 1919. The menu succeeds in layering familiar Malaysian flavours and textures with influences from across the globe – try the Borneo Coconut Tuna (morsels of line-caught tuna sashimi with extra virgin coconut oil, organic coconut milk, roasted desiccated coconut, cashews, red rubin basil and chives, with a side of tapioca chips). Other recommended outlets at Old Malaya include Italian pizzeria Luce and contemporary Malaysian establishment Antara.

Address: Old Malaya, 66, Jalan Raja Chulan, , 50200 Kuala Lumpur
Read review: Manja at Old Malaya
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4. Chocha Foodstore

1.4 Chocha Foodstore

Chocha founder Shin Chang says his outlet aims to “set an example for stopping unnecessary demolitions of old buildings by revitalising our part of KL and Chinatown.” Chocha conveys a raw, almost unvarnished authenticity shored up by charming embellishments (check out the lovely, leafy courtyard), squeezed into a former brothel on the same street as smash hits Merchant’s Lane (one of Petaling Street’s most popular cafés) and PS150 (a terrific bar).

Address: 156, Jalan Petaling, 5000 Kuala Lumpur
Read review: Chocha Foodstore at Petaling Street
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5. Sarang Cookery

1. Sarang Cookery

Focusing on the soulful flavours of traditional Peranakan cooking, Sarang Cookery is a place for pie tee, ayam sioh, kari kapitan and assam heh, alongside other local favourites like mee bandung, lontong, assam laksa, soto ayam and much more, located on the same row as VCR Café on Jalan Galloway.

Address: 8, Jalan Galloway, 50150 Kuala Lumpur
Read review: Sarang Cookery at Galloway
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6. LOKL Coffee Co

LOKL
Photo from LOKL Coffee Co, Facebook

LOKL takes pride in its location in the historic heart of KL, serving sandwiches with local twists and hand-filtered coffee in a bright, airy space surrounded by neighbours that include merchants selling coconuts and craft shops weaving rattan furniture.

Address: 30 Jalan Tun H S Lee, , 50100 KL City Centre, Kuala Lumpur
Find: Contact details and map for LOKL Coffee Co

7. Pit Stop Community Café

2. Pit Stop

Pit Stop Community Café is a social enterprise by independent citizens with a heart for KL’s urban working poor and homeless. A short stroll from Central Market, the café is taking on a mission that’s complex and challenging, including offering warm, nourishing meals to anyone in the neighbourhood who needs them.

Address: 101, Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, 50050 Kuala Lumpur
Read reviewPit Stop Community Café at Tun H.S Lee
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8. Hoppers

3. Hoppers KL

Occupying a former lawyers’ office in Pudu, Hoppers retains remnants of that legal legacy, with constitutional textbooks artfully scattered across this two-storey premises, which serves appam-style pancakes inspired by South Indian and Sri Lankan traditions, infused with Malaysian flavours.

Address: 76, Jalan Pudu, City Centre, 55100 Kuala Lumpur
Read review: Hoppers KL at Pudu
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9. French Feast

2. French Feast

French Feast turns a former residence on Tengkat Tong Shin into a restaurant with a ravishing old-world charm. It’s the kind of venue where the hours will float by effortlessly, as dish after dish of honest, hearty Gallic cooking emerges from the kitchen in a captivating setting.

Address: 20, Tengkat Tong Shin, Bukit Bintang, 50200 Kuala Lumpur
Read review: French Feast at Tengkat Tong Shin
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10. The Berlin

2. The Berlin KL

Inspired by the grit and glitz of the German capital, this new hidden venue offers a slice of gemütlichkeit in KL’s bustling Chinatown. Look for the little red door inside Agosto Guesthouse. The Berlin is mainly a bar, but it does also serve diner-style hot dogs.

Address: 208, Jalan Tun H.S Lee, 5000 Kuala Lumpur
Read review: The Berlin at Tun H.S Lee
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