If you read my blog religiously, thank you {Mom}. If you don’t, you may or may not know that I’m slightly obsessed with brunch. Mimosas in the middle of the afternoon, catching up with gal {and guy} pals, and an aesthetically pleasing environment. Sign me up yesterday. If you are one of the long time readers of the blog {Mom}, you’ll know that I seek out brunch in every new {and old} destination I visit. Kuala Lumpur was no exception.
If you fancy reading more of my brunch guides, you can find them here. Otherwise, keep reading to find the most Insta-worthy, drool-worthy brunch spots in Kuala Lumpur. All of these restaurants and cafes are centrally located, making it easy to hit all of them over the course of a few days.
Merchant’s Lane
This was hands down my favorite brunch spot I visited in Kuala Lumpur. Was it easy to find? Absolutely not. But it was definitely worth walking up and down a random street, approximately one million times, with my umbrella in tow as the sky drenched me in it’s tears. Once I found the pale, blue, door, my heart skipped a beat with excitement {what can I say, I love brunch}.
The appearance of me shuffling in like a wet dog didn’t deter the staff from seating me, so I happily made my way to a small wooden table in the main dining area. Actually that’s not true. First the waitress asked, “Inside or outside” and, forgetting for a moment I was in Malaysia, I immediately answered with the latter. Although the outdoor terrace is to die for, I remembered my love affair with AC while traveling through Southeast Asia and asked to be moved back indoors. The wet dog sure is demanding.
Overall, my experience at Merchant’s Lane was marvelous. Every inch of the restaurant is Insta-worthy, and the menu was extensive. Sure, I didn’t know what half of the items were initially, but what I did order didn’t disappoint. I opted for the ‘Kuli Eggs’, because it sounded exotic and I like eggs. The description on the menu is as follows: Curry dahl and chickpea sauce with eggs and melted cheese, served with roti canai on the side. While it was delicious, it definitely wasn’t what I expected. That being said, it still remains my favorite meal in Malaysia!
Side note: Apparently, the building used to be a brothel in Kuala Lumpur! Scandalous brunch choice if I do say so myself.
Address: 150, Jalan Petaling, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia {MAP} – Merchant’s Lane can be very difficult to find as the entrance is quite hidden. It was described to me as being located above a souvenir store near ATC (Advance Tertiary College) & sharing the same facade as a stationary shop call Kiat Loong Stationery Supplier. To be honest, none of this really helped me. I just kept walking back and forth and keeping my eyes super peeled for the blue door.
Instagram: @merchantslane
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 10:30 AM – 8:00 PM, Saturday & Sunday 09:30 AM – 8:00 PM {Closed on Wednesdays}
Lim Kee Cafe
I must admit, I solely went to Lim Kee Cafe because of it’s stunning exterior. With white tile, wicker chairs, and green shuttered doors, it’s Insta-heaven. While the interior is not as charming, it’s still moody and tasteful. The menu is limited to drinks and a few sweet treats – just your standard in terms of cafes. They do have a few sandwiches should you choose to attend around brunch-time. The cafe is named after the owner’s Chinese surname, Lim, which translates to forest.
I spent over an hour at Lim Kee Cafe, taking in the sights, people watching, and enjoying the warm breeze of the afternoon. When it comes to taking my own photos, I usually manage to find {somewhat} discrete ways of doing so. In this case, however, there was no way around it. I had to set up my tripod in the middle of a busy sidewalk, while customers and onlookers alike took a keen interest. In fact, as I was later scrolling through Lim Kee Cafe’s tagged Instagram photos, I found a photo someone took of me – taking a photo of myself {I’ll link it here for shits and gigs}. Awkward turtle, am I right?
Regardless, Lim Kee Cafe is worth a visit if you find yourself in Kuala Lumpur. I hope it makes all of your aesthetic dreams come true like it did for me.
Address: 66-68, Jalan Sultan, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia {MAP}
Instagram: @limkeecafe
Hours: Daily 9:30 Am – 6:00 PM
LOKL
Literally across the street from my hostel {1000 Miles – highly recommend} sits a very popular, LOKL cafe… see what I did there? LOKL is indeed a local favorite, but it’s gained attention from travelers throughout Kuala Lumpur. And it’s for good reason – this place is charming to a ‘tea’… okay, I’ll stop. But honestly, not only do they have great drink options, their brunch game it top notch. With a western-style food menu, and Malaysian style coffee, LOKL has something for everyone.
To read more about this beautiful cafe {and scope some more insta-worthy brunch images} check out Malaysian Flavours blog post, here.
Address: 30, Jalan Tun H S Lee, City Centre, 50100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia {MAP}
Instagram: @loklcoffee
Hours: Monday, Wednesday – Sunday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Tuesday 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
The Toast Co. {EDIT: Permanently Closed}
Another centrally located brunch spot, The Toast Co. is a unique restaurant offering open faced sandwiches, as well as very limited gluten-free-friendly options. The bold, colorful exterior draws you in, while the vintage interior convinces you to stay. The cafe is decorated with relics from the ‘old days’ giving the entire place a cozy feel. Add some exposed brick {which they have} and you think you’ve stumbled upon a trendy spot in the East Village.
I can only speak to one dish off of the menu: the sriracha duck rice bowl {insert drooling emoji here}. Safe to say it was a delight. Think comfort food – with a Malaysian twist. This is not a restaurant I recommend to my gluten-free folks out there. But show up for the Insta-shot, order a coffee, juice, or tea, and enjoy the ambiance.
{EDIT: After drafting this post, I found out The Toast Co. has permanently closed this location. They will, however, be moving so I wanted to keep the information available in case anyone still wishes to visit. As well as to inform anyone that was planning to visit that this location have closed their doors. I will update as soon as I find out the new address, etc.}
Address:
Instagram: @thetoastco
Hours: Daily 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM
etc.
I completely stumbled upon etc. when I was wandering around central Kuala Lumpur. It began to torrential downpour {as it does in Southeast Asia}, and wasn’t letting up anytime soon. Quickly, I made the executive decision to follow the black and white tiling I noticed in my peripheral vision, and what a solid choice that was.
Personally, I ventured into the cafe for tea, but once I saw the drool worthy items being delivered to others around me, I knew I discovered a brunchin’ gem. The best part – it’s vegan friendly, offering a {meat-free} mushroom burger. They don’t only cater to vegans though, and offer an extensive menu filled with pasta, salad, chicken, seafood, and breakfast favorites. The staff are very allergy conscious as well which always deserves an A+ recognition in my book.
The interior is minimal, spacious, and clean. My favorite touch was the neon ‘etc.’ sign hanging on one of the white walls. I plan to return to etc. next time I’m in Kuala Lumpur and I hope you do the same!
Address: 198, Jalan Tun H S Lee, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia {MAP}
Instagram: @cafe_etc
Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM, Closed Monday
Do you have any favorite KL brunch spots that weren’t on this list? Let us know in the comments down below.
