The best restaurants Malacca (Melaka)

This is one of Malacca's must-visit addresses, and you won't want to miss it if you're curious about Nyonya culture. Don't be fooled by the rather plain setting, which remains clean and neat. Don't hesitate to mingle with tourists and locals, many of whom appreciate this address. On the menu, you'll find the inevitable laksa, but we also recommend the chicken candlenut. Desserts are also very typical. As an added bonus, you'll benefit from Nancy's friendly welcome, and her cooking classes are a real treat.

They eat as in southern India, with their fingers, especially very good dahl and curries, on a large banana leaf.

With its decor combining traditional furniture, colorful murals and an abundance of plants, this restaurant located in a former shophouse offers a warm, relaxed atmosphere. It also boasts a terrace overlooking the river. The kitchen offers a wide range of Nyonya and Thai specialties, with halal, vegetarian and gluten-free options. Popular dishes include nasi lemak, pad thai and tandoori chicken. Prices are very reasonable and the food is top quality.

It's impossible to miss this big house on a corner of Jonker Street. Whatever the time of day, you'll find people sitting at bar stools facing the street. We love the informal atmosphere and the old walls that seem to hold all Malacca's secrets. While the place doubles as a restaurant, and while we welcome the vegetarian options, we prefer to linger for a drink or listen to a concert at the end of the day or after dark. Perfect for meeting other travelers.

About 30 Chinese, Indian and Malay food stalls with prices starting at 3 RM. Stand 35 offers real Malay cuisine: good and cheap.

In this little Indian restaurant, one likes to watch the artist cook préparer with a safe movement. Naan and délicieux delicious for some ringgits.

This small local chain, which has a few establishments, has taken over the famous chicken rice recipe and added rice balls to it. The rather bland rice balls are served in a clear broth and absorb the fat from the chicken, duck or pork with which they are served. The experience will suit those who do not like to eat spicy food. The service is a little rough and rushed, you won't have to wait long to be served, especially since the restaurant has created a machine to make the famous balls.

Here you'll find chicken dishes and steamboat. Plastic tables and chairs are arranged in air conditioning and on the sidewalk outside. The valet price is very attractive to 13 RM.

A local Chinese restaurant that offers excellent dim sum in a very dépouillé decor.

In a quiet part of the new town, it's at least a 20-minute walk from Dutch Square. But it's well worth the effort, as this Japanese address is one of the city's finest restaurants. Private lounges, sushi bars, closed booths or traditional tables are just some of the ways you can share delicious Japanese specialties. The extensive menu revisits the great classics. All products are extremely fresh and offered at very reasonable prices. Service is friendly but a little slow.

Vegetarian options are few and far between in Malacca. Shui Xian welcomes vegetarians in an unassuming setting. The experience is worth trying even if you usually eat meat and fish. Firstly, because it's good to taste something less heavy and more dietetic. Secondly, because you'll find all the traditional dishes of the region, including laksa and wonton mee, but without the slightest trace of meat. And if you swear by Western specialties, the restaurant even prepares a vegetarian hamburger.

The success of this address seems to grow stronger with each passing year. For some thirty years, Nyonya Makko has been delighting tourists and locals alike with recipes drawn from the traditional Peranakan and Malay repertoires. Try pongteh ayam (chicken curry) or lemak nenas udang (prawns with pineapple and coconut sauce). The large dining room, a little low-ceilinged but air-conditioned, is always full at peak times. You'll probably have to queue a little before you're seated around one of the round tables.

Malacca's most prominent address occupies a beautiful house in the Chinatown district and serves Spanish cuisine. You can choose to dine around the open kitchen or in one of the two dining rooms with their much more classical settings. Breogan officiates at the stove and whips up delicious tapas. Maria, his wife, takes care of service with a smile and a hint of Spanish accent. She will guide you through the tapas menu, which changes according to the chef's inspirations. It's a little expensive, but so good.

We literally fell in love with this address, which is housed in two adjoining houses. The first overlooks a pretty town garden with a fish pond and a pergola under which you can cool off or have lunch. The second faces the street and features two charming rooms, furnished with country-style wooden tables. The café serves delicious Peranakan cuisine. We highly recommend trying the award-winning laksa, a rich, fragrant broth served with chicken and shrimp.

All the good reasons in the world come together to test this address. First of all, the setting, which is both eclectic and has retained some of its original features. Secondly, you can enjoy some of the best burgers in Malacca. The tastiest is without doubt the grilled chicken burger served with a delicious barbecue sauce. There's also a vegetarian option with mushrooms and homemade pesto sauce. Thirdly, a visit to Baboon House may well reveal the link between the baboon and this restaurant...

The Casa del Rio hotel restaurant opens its doors to outside guests in the evening. This is certainly the best restaurant in town for a Western meal. The elegant setting has the air of a Mexicanhacienda, which seems somewhat incongruous in these latitudes. But this is undoubtedly the Malaysian vision of exotic chic. Set on the banks of the River, the dining room has a few tables on the terrace, which are best reserved in advance. Excellent grilled meats and a wine list from around the world.