12 condo-based restaurants and cafes to check out in KL & Selangor

Residents of these condominiums and serviced apartments are fortunate to have good food practically at their doorsteps.

1. Vivande Café at Tivoli Villas

For visitors in need of a calm hideout, Vivande Cafe is one of Bangsar’s luckiest finds – tucked inside the Tivoli Villas condominium, it remains open to the public (simply register at the guardhouse), overlooking a pool encircled by colonnades. Fans of terrariums will also appreciate this artistically inclined cafe, which seems to be the HQ of Ohsum Mossum Terrariums.

Address: Tivoli Villas, Jalan Medang Tanduk, 59100 WP Kuala Lumpur.
Read review of Vivande Cafe.

2. Yuk Bebek at Gembira Residen

Yuk Bebek is primarily a food delivery initiative armed with recipes by an Indonesian chef with 25 years of experience. But you’ll also find their flagship offerings, such as the Bebek Goreng Empuk (fleshy duck that’s slow-cooked for four hours in 14 traditional herbs and spices) daily at their base in the condominium cafeteria of Gembira Residen in Taman Gembira.

Address: Condominium Cafeteria, Gembira Residen in Taman Gembira, WP Kuala Lumpur.
Read review of Yuk Bebek Indonesian Food Deliveries.

3. The Kitchen Project at Verticas Residensi

Staked out by swimmers and suntan-seekers, this idyllic poolside cafe primarily caters to the populace of Bukit Ceylon’s Verticas Residensi and Lanson Place, but it won’t refuse the rest of us who covet a respite from urban claustrophobia. Register with Verticas’ security staff – easy and efficient – and take the elevator to the fifth floor for a slice of family-friendly serenity in the sky.

Address: Level 5, Verticas Residensi, 10, Jalan Ceylon, Bukit Ceylon, 50200 WP Kuala Lumpur.
Read review of The Kitchen Project.

4. Hubba Hubba at Seni Mont Kiara

Look for the tell-tale pink sign: Perched on the first floor of the Seni Mont Kiara condo, Hubba Hubba’s third branch brings a new thrill to the neighbourhood – this suburban sanctuary with a verdant view would serve seamlessly well for a solo lunch, a teatime tete-a-tete, or sundown wining and dining. Bonus points for the convenience of free public parking in this building.

Address: SENI Mont Kiara, 2A, Changkat Duta Kiara, WP Kuala Lumpur.
Read review of Hubba Hubba.

5. Drift Dining at 38 Bidara

Sydney-born chef Angus Harrison helms the kitchen here, the latest move in a career that has taken him from Tetsuya’s in Sydney to Luke Mangan’s Salt tapas in Seminyak, Bali. The focus is on local produce with influences from across the globe, described by Drift as “a slow continuous movement with friends from one flavour to the next.”

Address: 38 Bidara, Jalan Bedara, Off Jalan Nagasari, 50200 Kuala Lumpur.
Read review of Drift Dining.

6. M-Ti-Cup Studio at Centrio Pantai Hillpark

A Taiwanese-inspired cross between a private kitchen and a coffee bar? Malaysian couple Damien Chong and River Ho have created a singular space in a SoHo suite in Bangsar South, open four afternoons a week – it’s a calm, intimate hideout where the welcoming husband-and-wife team can genuinely interact with guests, serving a compact selection of home-cooked fare and freshly brewed beverages made with Taiwanese-roasted blends. Chill out indoors while Blossom Dearie’s jazzy voice wafts out of the speakers, or grab one of M-Ti-Cup’s books on Van Gogh to browse outside on the sunny sixth-floor balcony.

Address: A-6-3A, Block A, Centrio Pantai Hillpark, Bangsar South, WP Kuala Lumpur.
Read review of M-Ti-Cup Studio.

7. ‘Simplicite’ Simplicity Sandwiches D’Alamanda Cheras

Making sandwiches might seem like a simple task, but the most satisfying ones are prepared with lots of heart and skilfulness; this modest bakery cafe – run by buddies Hong and Eric – does an admirable job in bringing customers bread they can believe in.

Address: Ground Floor, D’Alamanda Condo, Jalan Pudu Ulu, 55300 Cheras, WP Kuala Lumpur
Read review of Simplicity Sandwiches.

8. Knock Knock at Pantai Panorama

Folks who knock on the entrance of Bangsar South’s Pantai Panorama apartments might be pleased to find friendly Okinawan native Megumi Matsuda within, welcoming guests with homemade cakes and fresh coffee.

Address: Pantai Panorama Condo, Jalan Kerinchi, Kampung Kerinchi, 59200 Kuala Lumpur

9. Benjy Café at e-Tiara Subang Jaya

This cosy, welcoming eatery is the ideal neighbourhood destination for comfort food, prepared with plenty of thought and heart to deliver satisfying flavours.

Address: G-10, E-Tiara Serviced Apartments, Persiaran Kemajuan SS16, Subang Jaya, Selangor.
Read review of Benjy Cafe.

10. Aji-Ya at OBD Garden Tower

Taman Desa has plenty of Japanese eateries tucked inside various condominiums – this is one of the most popular bets.

Address: OBD Garden Tower Condominium, Taman Desa, Off Jalan Klang Lama, Kuala Lumpur.

10. Littlepeople at Avantas Residences

A breath-of-fresh-air sense of humility infuses this cafe, formed by three friends who openly call themselves ‘small potatoes’ in KL’s coffee-brewing scheme of life. But while Jun, Jan and Ang prefer to remain self-effacing, Littlepeople looms large as more than a blip on the cake-and-caffeine stalker’s radar.

Address: G-01, Avantas Residences, 162 Jalan Klang Lama, 58200 WP Kuala Lumpur.
Read review of Littlepeople.

11. The Midnight Baker at Seni Mont Kiara

Baked fare for the entire family: The chicken sandwich is constructed with satisfying bread, fresh and flavoursome, dense but yielding, stuffed with a substantial balance of tender, well-marinated meat and wholesome vegetables. The pesto tomato quiche succeeds as a light, savoury meal, while the scones come crumbly-buttery, infused with real vanilla and served with kitchen-made cream.

Address: SENI Mont Kiara, Jalan Changkat Duta Kiara,, Mon Kiara, 50480 WP Kuala Lumpur.
Read review of The Midnight Baker.