Ok coffee lovers, patisserie pilgrims, organic juice junkies and the ‘Seen on Sunday’ socialites among us. Here’s your definitive list of the best café bars, bakery-cum deli cafes and coffee outlets in the city. These will win you over for their vibrant coffee culture, quality beverages, tantalising breakfasts and brunches and sinfully sweet desserts.
1. Artisan Roast Coffee:
Like a seasoned pro, Artisan Roast Coffee has been serving top notch coffees since 2010. With passionate elite baristas at the helm, these guys really know how to deliver your perfect morning coffee. The food is good too with hearty sandwiches, french toasts and even a wholesome quinoa salad.
Where: 4, Lorong Rahim Kajai 14, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur.
2. Levain Boulangerie Patisserie:
For a bit of French flair and decadent French flavour, head to Levain Boulangerie Patisserie off Jalan Imbi. All your taste buds will be satisfied — both sweet and savoury — from freshly baked bread, pastries, cakes, pralines, cookies and macarons. Yum!
Where: Levain Boulangerie Patisserie, No. 7, Jalan Delima, 55100 Kuala Lumpur.
3. PULP by Papa Palheta:
If you want a proven formula, check in with the guys at PULP by Papa Palheta — the same people behind Nylon Cafe in Singapore. They really know their coffee, serving mainly strong single roasts. Each cup comes with a description to train you on the scent you should pick up. Who say’s you can’t get addicted to coffee?
Where: 29, Jalan Riong, Bangsar, 59100 Kuala Lumpur
4. Lepidor French Boulangerie Cafe Bakery:
This French owned bakery-cafe is nestled audaciously between rows of laundromats, camera shops and mamaks, but if you look past its exterior, it doesn’t fail to impress with its delicious croissants and cinnamon-cloaked cakes. If you’re really naught, ask for extra serving of French butter.
Where: No 38-G Block C, Zenith Corporate Park, 1, Jalan SS 7/26, 47301 Petaling Jaya.

5. Café Berlin:
Another addition from Europe, Café Berlin will impress you on all fronts with their modern coffee variations and large array of European patisseries including Germany’s schwarzbrot, vollkornbrot and brötchen, France’s famed baguettes and croissants and Italian ciabatta and panini.
Where: 1 Mont Kiara Mall, 50480 Kuala Lumpur.
6. Merchant’s Lane:
Smack in the heart of Petaling Street, Merchant’s Lane is a food-lovers haven combining the charm of Chinatown with a modern Malaysian twist. The cuisine is simple: Asian Fusion, Breakfast, Brunch, Burgers and Soul Food. That’s all you want on a Sunday morning, isn’t it?
Where: 150, Jalan Petaling, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur.
7. Yeast Bistronomy:
Rise each morning with this quaint, French-themed bistronomy aptly named Yeast (pun intended). This local Bangsar favourite is a bakery, restaurant and wine bar and of course, with their own yeast they create an assortment of French breads to match their famed almond croissant and rare smoked duck cheese puff.
Where: 24, Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.
8. Swich Café:
Switch it up with Swich Cafe, home to some of the best cakes in the city using seasonal Asian fruits like in their bizarre, yet tempting Musang King durian mud pie and guilt- pleasured Valrhona chocolate cake.
Where: Bukit Damansara Mezzanine Floor, HP Towers, 12 Jalan Gelenggang, 50490 Kuala Lumpur.
9. Grind 22:
Avoid the daily grind with what is fast becoming one of KL’s most popular venues. Their house blends of Kenyan, Ethiopian and Sumatran coffee beans work a treat, focusing on coffee-lovers favourites, flat white, Americano and cappuccino, finished with latte art.
Where: 22, Lorong Maarof, Bangsar Park, 59000 Kuala Lumpur.

10. The Grumpy Cyclist:
Are all cyclists that grumpy? Well, if you step foot in this TTDI haunt, you’ll never feel disappointed. Providing a relaxed space for people to hang out, regardless of whether they’re cyclists or not, this venue borrows its concept from the array of cycle cafés in Europe and Australia. Warning — cyclists and hipsters aplenty! Coffee is awesome too!
Where: 36, Jalan Datuk Sulaiman, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur.
11. Acme Bar Coffee:
These guys are the AM specialists having mastered the art of breakfast and brunch. Divulge in their salted egg yolk chicken strips and possibly the best poached eggs in town. It is on the pricey side, but if breakfast means that much too, you won’t leave unsatisfied.
Where: The Troika, Persiaran KLCC, 50450 Kuala Lumpur.
12. RGB The Bean Hive:
This cafe may sound like a 70’s disco band (think KC Sunshine Band), but it’s definitely coffee and not singing that they do best. Standing for Roast, Grind, Brew (or Rather Good Beans), RGB does exactly that; their renowned micro-roasting process (5kg per roast instead of the usual 60kg), offers some of the best joe in town — with their sim- ple black brew going for just RM5.
Where: 35, Jalan Damai, Kampung Datuk Keramat, 55000 Kuala Lumpur.
13. LOKL Coffee Co:
Keen to skip on the European and American inspired cafes and coffee houses popping up? LOKL Coffee Co keeps it local and masters everything you love about Malaysian breakfast, but with a modern twist: string hoppers toastie, Hainanese meatloaf and a good old-fashioned Malaysian kopi.
Where: 30, Jalan Tun H S Lee, 50100 Kuala Lumpur.
14. Rubberduck:
Where’s Wally or Where’s Rubber Duck? This place can be difficult to find, nestled in the maze that is Plaza Damas, but it’s certainly worth it for their freshly baked cakes and pastries, headlined by their famed Felchlin chocolate mousse, lemon tart and perfectly formed macarons. Their coffee is good and strong, too.
Where: Lot K-0-6, Dorchester Apartment Plaza Damas, 60, Jalan Sri Hartamas 1, Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur.
15. Juan Valdez Café:
Since the arrival of Narcos onto Netflix in Malaysia, my mates haven’t stopped with their Pablo Escobar impressions. Now, their less than convincing accents would not be out of place at Juan Valdez Cafe on Jalan Tun Razak and Jalan Ampang — a product of the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia. Featuring specialty coffee from Colombian producers, this place is a must.
Where: 348, Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur AND 156, Jalan Ampang, 55000 Kuala Lumpur.
16. Haikara Style Café and Bakery:
Sticking with the international theme, we finish our list with this Japanese operated cafe which serves great coffee and Japanese style food and drinks in Subang Jaya. “One coffee to go, thanks. Sayonara!”
Where: Jalan SS 16/1, e-tiara service apartment g-03, 47500 Subang Jaya.
If you disagree with our list or have alternative suggestions, join the conversation on Tourism Malaysia Facebook page.