The best restaurants Kuala Lumpur & Selangor

This café-restaurant, hidden away on the second floor of an old shophouse on Jalan Merchant, is very popular with young locals, who flock here for weekend brunches. It offers a pleasant, trendy setting: three singularly decorated rooms, indoors or on the covered terrace, in a neo-industrial style. The menu features local, Western and fusion dishes, as well as pastries. Don't expect great gastronomy, but rather comfort food that can be very satisfying. Ideal for a gentle start to the day.

Open late at night, Han Kee is a popular, casual Chinese eatery with a terrace that's ideal for blending into the typical Chinatown atmosphere. Han Kee's menu offers a wide choice of dishes, available in different portion sizes. Ideally, you should order several to share, accompanied by a beer to round things off. The menu is accompanied by images to help you discover new flavors. Depending on the time of day, you may have to wait a little, but the service afterwards is very efficient.

Virtually nothing has changed in this delightful dining room since 1927, when the Selangor State Laundry Guild moved here. Since then, Nyonya cuisine has made a name for itself. Try the top hats, stuffed with various ingredients, as well as laksa noodles and claypot herbal chicken. For dessert, theais kacang will bring your meal to a pleasant close. Drizzle with kopi or tea, direct from the Cameron Highlands. A great place to discover Malaysian cuisine.

This is one of the best Italian restaurants, not in Petaling Jaya, but in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding area. You can dine in the large air-conditioned colonial-style dining room, or on the veranda overlooking a pretty lake and overlooking the garden. The setting is wonderfully romantic, especially in the evening. The dishes on the à la carte menu are highly sophisticated and a little out of the ordinary. The carpaccio is based on wagyu beef and juniper, the spaghetti carbonara is revisited with smoked cod belly, and all the products are carefully sourced.

Fancy indulging in a few delicacies from the land of the rising sun? Let your steps guide you to the Hilton Hotel. Restaurant Genji is quite simply the best Japanese restaurant in Petaling Jaya. You'll find fresh fish in sashimi and sushi dishes. If you fall on a good day, you'll be lucky enough to find sea urchin, scallops or fatty tuna. And if raw fish isn't your thing, you'll find grilled wagyu beef, kebabs or delicious soups. All served in an elegant, well-kept setting.

This restaurant chain specializes in dim sum, theChinese ravioli steamed, pan-fried or fried, served in small portions in bamboo baskets. You'll find around thirty varieties on the menu: with coriander, shrimp, chicken feet, seaweed, pork with BBQ sauce or giant ones like the signature bi pao, the house specialty... You can pair them with rice or fried vegetables. Not light, but very good. The place is popular with the locals, and you'll often have to queue, especially at weekends.

You'll inevitably be approached by the touts on Jalan Alor, and there's no guarantee that you'll reach Meng Kee on an empty stomach. This would be a pity, as this restaurant with its huge terrace is always full and serves delicious grilled or steamed fish. You can also try the crab, albeit a little expensive, or the delicious Kam Heong clams prepared with shrimp paste and lots of spices. On the other hand, skip the undercooked chicken wings or the satay skewers with their light sauce.

A bar-restaurant with a trendy, urban feel. We come here first and foremost for the bao, the stuffed Chinese rice buns, which are to die for. We particularly recommend the pork bao, with its inimitable melt-in-your-mouth texture. But the rest of the menu also stands up well, with marinated vegetables, soups, ravioli and other seasonal specialties. Vegetarian options are also available. After a certain hour, the second floor becomes more festive, and you can simply enjoy a drink at the bar.

One of the oldest Chinese restaurants in town, and also one of the best. The setting is modern, with perfect lighting and soft background music. Try shark fin soup with crabmeat or Peking duck. Great variety of dim sum too. Attentive, friendly staff. Our only regret is that the air-conditioning is on full blast, but that's not the prerogative of the only restaurant in Kuala Lumpur...

This cantine transports you to the USA for a taste of burgers that couldn't be more original. The setting is urban and modern, with smooth concrete and wooden tables. An entire wall is covered with clippings from around the world. Sandwiches are homemade, and if the menu doesn't inspire you, you can compose your own. Try a fusion option, like the Nasi Lemak burger, or, for those who like it spicy, The Bomb tackles the most stubborn of palates. Very busy, the place is quickly packed at peak times and taken by storm at weekends.

This food court, located in a shopping mall, recreates a village where several of Kuala Lumpur's most renowned establishments have a stand and offer their cuisine. The focus is on Chinese cuisine. You can try Kim Lian Kee's famous hokkien mee noodles, Campbell Mini Popiah 's delicious popiahs or Chua Brothers' noodle soup with fish balls. This is a very popular spot, as locals love to spend time in the malls and eat in the cool, protected from the heat outside.

It would be a shame to come to Malaysia without trying out a good Chinese restaurant. In a décor reminiscent of ancient China, with gilded woodwork, dragons and labyrinths, you'll find Cantonese specialties at their very best. Braised sea cucumber, fish head and mushrooms, thick abalone soup and fish mouths, tofu with a hundred-year-old egg are just some of the curiosities you'll want to try if you've got a strong stomach. Don't worry, you'll find much more classic dishes that are still refined. Appropriate dress required.

If you're planning to do a little shopping and pack some last-minute souvenirs, your steps will inevitably lead you to Central Market. The Ginger is the perfect restaurant for a bite to eat between stores. The decor is to die for. The drapes give this tiny restaurant an intimate, oriental charm. The cuisine comes from all corners of Southeast Asia, Malaysia and Thailand in particular. We loved the fish and chips with Thai sauce and the jungle fern salad!

This restaurant pays tribute to the fifth King of Siam, from the Chakri dynasty. You'll find yourself in a Thai establishment, conveniently located away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The place is much appreciated for its fine cuisine, served in a simple yet elegant setting. Big eaters will complain about the undoubtedly somewhat meager proportions. Nevertheless, you'll find the great classics brilliantly executed. Perhaps you'll try the crispy tamarind duck for a change.

Here you'll find the great classics of Malaysian cuisine. Despite the rather hurried staff, the food is enjoyable, especially the nasi bojari (a mixture of rice, beef and shrimp) and nasi lemak (rice cooked in coconut milk, served with various toppings). Try the campur ice cream for dessert. The setting, with its wire screens and bright tables, is pleasant. Madame Kwan's is a small chain of restaurants that can be found in Bukit Bintang's Pavilion Mall or Bangsar's Shopping Centre.

This Indian restaurant, which is open all the time and very friendly, is a real eye-catcher: it specialises in rice. Served with chicken, fish, in biryani, the combinations are multiple. You can also opt for the nasi campur (mixed rice), which is actually a buffet of varied dishes and, at best, regularly replenished. Several breads are also available, from roti to naan, including dosa, a type of bread that is very popular in southern India. The prices are very affordable and the address is suitable for vegetarians.

This popular restaurant in the Bukit Bintang district offers excellent cuisine. The setting is reminiscent of an old house, with well separated spaces and decorated with tropical plants, most pleasant. The menu includes assam fish (a mixture of fish and vegetables in a spicy soup) or rendang tok ayam kampung (chicken curry). The titles of the dishes will not tell you anything, a priori, so don't hesitate to ask the waiter to decode the specialities for you. For a real immersion in Malaysian gastronomy.