There are a lot of places with excellent food in Malacca. The key attractions are the diversity of cuisine and the unique design of restaurants which provide absolute dining experience of its own. Most of the food found in Malacca can be categorized into four different groups as below
Each category has its own winners, so let’s have a closer look at the best food in Malacca, including rich exotic restaurants as well as small cafes and stalls.
Nyonya Cuisine
- Donald and Lily’s
This Nyonya cuisine restaurant was established in 1980 and it was published in New York Times magazine! It’s a huge compliment for a restaurant selling local delicacies and the reason behind is simply because of the delicious traditional Nyonya cuisine! That is why there are always a crowd of people and endless queues – It is in fact one of the most popular restaurants in Malacca.
photot credit: HungryGoWhere
Here are some of the most popular dishes:
- Laksa (Curry with coconut milk, spices and rich fragrance);
- Taukwa Rojak (rojak with pineapples, cucumber, tofu, fish-ball mix and their sweet & spicy sauce);
- Curry Chicken Rice.
Location
No 16 (Ground Floor) , Jalan KSB 1 | Taman Kota Shahbandar, Melaka 75200, Malaysia
Opening Hour
Tue – Sun 8:00 am – 4:15 pm
Price range and dining options
Quite affordable prices vary between $5 – $20. You can eat breakfast, brunch or lunch there.
Contact
You can find the page of the restaurant in Facebook or contact them by phone: their number is +60 12-292 3157.
- Nyonya Makko Restaurant
This restaurant with local cuisine is quite famous among big companies and families with children. Everybody can often found something unique for himself in this crowded and popular place.
photo credit: Rebecca Saw Blog
Some food you’ll want to try:
- the tenggiri fish in assam pedas;
- sotong chili garam;
- beef rendang;
- the chendol kacang dessert.
- ayam pok teh (highly recommended!)
Location
No. 123, Melaka 75000, Malaysia
Price range and dining options
The restaurant serves both lunch and dinner. If you plan a big event be sure to make a reservation. It’s really cheap to eat there, you can eat a lot, spending only 5-10$.
Contact
Phone number +60 6-284 0737
- Nancy’s Kitchen
This place has been the best play to eat in Jonker Walk and it’s easy to understand why. Along with nice, friendly atmosphere you’ll have the best local food and good service.
People recommend to try there:
- sek bak (braised pork);
- sambal sotong petai (sambal squid with bitter beans);
- poppiah;
- Nonya Laksa;
- chendol;
- kedongdong drink.
Don’t forget to eat these delicious dishes along with white rice for a perfect match of taste.
Location
Jalan Hang Lekir off Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Malacca
Opening Hours
Sun – Mon 3:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Wed – Thu 3:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Fri – Sat 3:00 pm – 12:00 am
Price range and dining options
As mentioned in most of the tourists’ comments, this place is not so children friendly and it will not be easy to go to Nancy’s Kitchen with a big company. But if it’s only two or three of you don’t miss your chance to taste original and exotic food of local cuisine there! The place is good for breakfast and brunch, lunch, dinner and spending a good time late at night.
Contact
Phone Number 06-283 6099
- Amy Heritage Nyonya Cuisine
This restaurant of local cuisine is famous for two reasons: friendly ambience and tasty, homely prepared food with rich taste and fragrance. But be careful – almost all food there is sweet. If you are ready for such exotic dishes we recommend you to order first:
- the otak otak amongst;
- sago gula melaka;
- pai tee cup;
- sambal jantung pisang.
photo credit: www.j2kfm.com
Location
75 Jalan Melaka Raya 24 | Taman Melaka Raya, Melaka, Malaysia
Opening Hours
Sun – Sat 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Price range and dining options
You may have brunch or lunch there, be sure to make a reservation on weekends and holidays.
Contact
The restaurant has no official web-site, but you may contact them by number 60 6 286 8819.
- Jonker 88
The small but one of the most visited place in Malaysia is not just a cafe – it’s a small museum with great atmosphere, the great variety of food, affordable prices and good service. On their website, you can find the whole menu of the place and people advise to try everything there. But the most notable dishes are:
- Chendol;
- Gula Melaka;
- Nyonya Laksa.
Location
Jalan Hang Jebat and Jalan Laksamana, Melaka, Malaysia
Opening Hours
Sun – Sat 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Price range and dining options
This restaurant is highly recommended for families with children or cheap dining on a budget (average prices are 5-10$). Also, here you can always try the great dishes of local Malacca cuisine. Jonker 88 is good for breakfast and brunch, lunch, late night and having desserts.
Contact
You can find all information about this place on their web-site jonker88.com or contact the restaurants via e-mail (malaccadelight@hotmail.com) and phone number 019-3975665 (Jason) or 019-2517667(Jenny).
Café
- Geographer Café
Famous Geographer Cafe in Melaka is a great place for a meal, cold drinks or just chilling out. Very helpful stuff, nice music, and friendly atmosphere…no wonder that this cafe won twice a certificate of excellence from the well-known web-site like TripAdvisor. People are especially satisfied with ginger beer and pasta dish, but advise to try everything you found here. All meals will be great for sure!
Location
83, Jalan Hang Jebat, Melaka 75000, Malaysia
Opening Hours
Sun 8:00 am – 1:00 am
Mon – Sat 10:00 am – 1:00 am
Price range and dining options
Prices vary from 4 to 20$. The most expensive meal costs 15 RM, the average – 12RM. Asian and Malaysian cuisines are available, also vegetarian dishes and a bar.
Contact
Contact this cafe via phone (+60-6-2816813) or visit their web-site www.geographer.com.my
- The Daily Fix Café
This is the second most ranked by Internet community food place in Melaka. This cafe is famous for their coffee and delicious desserts. Among the long list of menu you may look for:
- pandan pancakes with gula melaka;
- tiramisu;
- oreo cheesecake;
- ham pie.
photo credit: tripadvisor
photo credit: caychia.blogspot
Some of the popular drinks are green apple juice, watermelon juice and ice cappuccino. But the most appreciated thing here is a great, lazy atmosphere where you can enjoy by just sitting and staring at the beautiful streets of Melaka.
Location
The Daily Fix is located inside a batik/souvenir shop called Next KK on Jonker Street. The full address is 55 Jalan Hang Jebat, Melaka 75200, Malaysia.
Price range and dining options
Quite affordable for Melaka people and tourists menu of the Daily Fix includes pancakes, sandwiches, espresso and local coffee, fruit juice and beers.
Contact
Phone Number 60 6-283 4858
- Hard Rock Café Malacca
This fancy place of classical American food offers a lot of western food, drink and excellent music! If you’ll be lucky to visit this famous place in famous Jonker Walk, at the heart of UNESCO-World Heritage Zone, try this dishes:
- chicken and chips with a very tasty smoky flavored sauce;
- chicken Caesar salad;
- nachos;
- steak.
Why the Hard Rock Cafe is worth visiting?
- The spectacular view.
- Great rock music and life concerts.
- Helpful staff.
- The best west cuisine in Malacca.
- The place offers diverse dining, nightlife and cultural offerings.
- Spacious (9,000-square-foot) place for dancing and having fun.
Considering all these, it is no wonder, that the Hard Rock Cafe became a favorite place among locals and a popular destination for tourist.
Location
Hard Rock Cafe | 28 Lorong Hang Jebat 75200 Melaka, Melaka 75200, Malaysia
Opening Hours
Sun – Thu 11:30 am – 1:00 am
Fri – Sat 11:30 am – 2:00 am
Price range and dining options
This Cafe of International cuisine offers breakfast and brunch or just chill out late at night. It’s better to make a reservation.
Contact
Visit their web-page www.hardrock.com or contact by phone – 2925188.
- The Baboon House
It’s not just a cafe with a funny name. it’s a small art-gallery and nice place for cozy beginning of the day. The Baboon House considered to be the best place in Melaka to eat burgers and pork bacon. As American tourists say, sometimes local burgers in The Baboon House are even better than in the USA.
Location
Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, 75200 China Town, Melaka, Malaysia
Opening Hours
Wed – Mon 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Price range and dining options
This place is really chip and prices begin only with 2 dollars. The most expensive meal costs 10$. The Baboon House is a great place to have breakfast and brunch.
Stall
- Putu Piring Tengkera
It’s not all about luxury restaurants – sometimes you just need quick, tasty and simple snack during the day. One of the stalls in Melaka can offer you this and even more. With such stalls you will forger about gourmet restaurants for sure!
The small stall belongs to a married couple, who manage to do all work by themselves. Just remember, that the best time to enjoy the putu piring is while they are still warm and fluffy. But you couldn’t wait to eat them anyway.
photo credit:Rebecca Saw blog
Location
252, Jalan Tengkera, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia
Price range and dining options
If you are in a hurry, you can always have something like their humble rice cake or other two “putus” (putu mayam and putu buluh). The small but delicious cake with young coconut and on a banana leaf will help to forger about hunger and good mood. Bonus: everything is cheap and is done in a few minutes!
Besides three fresh “putus” you can always buy pre-packed Gula Melaka and Nyonya Curry Powder there.
Opening Hours
6.30pm – 10.30pm (Closed on Sundays)
Contact
+60 6-282 1505
- Klebang Coconut Shake
This stall considered to be the best place to get a fresh, yummy cocktail you never tasted before. Delicious and chip place is always welcoming locals and tourists of Malaysia.
Location
Klebang, 5, Melaka, Malaysia
Price range and dining options
The famous Coconut Milk Shake topped with vanilla ice-cream costs only 2 RM. Also, you can try good nasi lemak here.
Contact
+60 13-399 4061
- Popiah Stall @ Jalan Bunga Raya
Actually, there are two stalls there, which can make every fan of Chinese cuisine happy. The best and always fresh Chinese food in Malaka is here – on small stalls right in front of Madam’s King Emporium.
Don’t forget to buy and try:
- zhu you zha popiah
- BBQ sotong;
- sotong and kangkung;
- fish balls; fried bean curd skin;
- prawn crackers;
Location
The Popiah Stall is situated right in front of Madam’s King Emporium.
Opening Hours
1:30pm – 5:30pm, 7.30pm-10.30pm
Prince range and dining options
Chinese cuisine, popiah food. Quite affordable prices.
- Cockle stalls in Jalan Bunga Raya (longkang siham)
Eating at the cockles stalls in Jalan Bunga Raya is an experience you won’t forget. Just imagine: you’re seated in a small stool on the steer and eat still bloody cockles, motorcycles constantly ride past behind you and a lot of people are so close, that they are just inches away from knocking you off.
Sounds like a small adventure, right? But it’s just a quick way to eat while walking on a back alley of Jalan Bunga Raya.
photo credit: vkeong
Why this experience is worth to try?
Strange, but all they have in order to cook this tasty food are two pots of boiling water, a few strainers and a chopping board. While waiting for your food, you can try one of the different sauces or eat seashells. It’s a little bit exotic way to eat for tourists and a great way to have quick and delicious lunch in Melaka.
What can you eat there?
Among seashells there is a star dish like Cuttlefish with Kangkung (can be ordered either with boiled or grilled cuttlefish) and, of course, the fat and bloody cockles.
Price range and dining options
It’s actually cheap to eat like this and you can enjoy a lot of different seafood there. Each plate of cockles/lala/snail costs flat RM1.50.
- Cendol Bukit Rambai (Aunty Koh)
Before you get there, be aware that you are close to try the riches and creamiest cendol ever, And after this other cendol will be just tasteless.
If you are not afraid of such perspective go and find this small stall in Melaka you will be totally in love with. It’s true, that it’s hard to find this place, cause the owner of it, aunty Koh has a stall right behind her house, which is situated far from the town. But it will be a picturesque and all in all pleasant drive.
Location
Cendol Bukit Ramai is hidden in a small kampung called Bukit Rambai and located far away from the town. If you don’t want to get lost here are GPS coordinates – N2 14.804 E102 11.516.
Opening Hours
It seems that aunty Koh doing this small business only out of interest. She opens her small shop during the weekend for a short period of time in the afternoon (opens only around 12-1pm till finish) So consider yourself lucky, if you come in time and taste this best cendol in whole Malaysia.
Price range and dining options
Besides rich cendol with coconut milk you can also buy Tai Bak there, tasty Nyonya dessert. Everything is fresh, super deliciuos and homemade.
- Baba Charlie Lee (nyonya kuih)
Don’t be scare of crowds, who buy just everything they see here. A small cake shop in a traditional wooden house is very popular among sweet-tooth and here is really the most big variety of cakes and biscuits.
This small place is specialized particularly in:
- all kinds of Nyonya Cake;
- Nyonya Popiah;
- cater for Buffet party.
Location
72 Lorong Tengkera Pantai 2c, Melaka 75200, Malaysia
Opening Hours
Shop : 10.30am – 3.00pm
Pasar Malam : 5.00pm – 8.00pm
Contact
You can reach “Baba Charlie Nyonya Cake” by phone (Phone Number: 019-666 2907) or by visiting their official page in Facebook.
Local & Asian
- Ban Lee Siang Satay Celup
Ban Lee Siang is one of the oldest original satay celup restaurants in Melaka. The key of success here is hot peanut sauce everybody just in love with. If you’ll visit this place, don’t miss the special dish – Dip Satay (Satay Celup).
Other tempting dishes in their menu:
- Restoran Ban Lee Siang Satay Celup;
- Blood Cockles;
- Century Egg;
- Fish Ball.
Location
45-E Jalan Ong Kim Wee 75300 Melaka, Malacca
Opening Hours
5.30pm – 12.30am
Closed On Tuesday
Price range and dining options
This place of Chinese cuisine offers you a lot of originally cooked dishes and affordable prices.
Contact
06 284 1935, 012-6515322
- Tengkera Duck Noodle Restaurant (Kedai Kopi & Makanan Soon Yen)
The medium stall offers you famous Malacca-style Duck Noodles, local food you will be lucky to try. You can have Duck Noodles like a soup or order a dry version. In Tengkera Duck Noodle Restaurant you’ll find:
- friendly ambiance;
- good service;
- original plating;
- famous and tasty local dish – Duck Noodles.
Location
Their address is 596, Jalan Tengkera, 75250 Melaka or GPS coordinates are N 2 12.272 E 102 13.721.
Opening Hours
6.00 pm – 11.00 pm (closed on Monday).
- Sun May Hiong Satay House
This place is also famous for their original satay sauce. Not like in other places, here the satay sauce is made of pineapples. The taste of it is very original and special, like the whole place by itself. A lot of people come here to try unusual pork or liver satay with great pineapple sauce. It’s delicious!
photo credit: Rebecca Saw blog
Location
50/50A Jalan Kota Laksamana 1/1 | Taman Kota Laksamana, Melaka, Malaysia
Opening Hours
Thu–Sun 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
Price range and dining options
You can have brunch or lunch here, but be aware, that credit cards are not accepted.
Contact
+60 6-281 7281
- Restoran Chop Chung Wah (chicken rice ball)
The place of famous Melaka chicken rice balls is located on big Jonker Street, almost in the center of the town, so it will be not hard to find it. Here you can taste original rice balls or moist, cooked to perfection Hainanese chicken.
Location
Jonker Street, Melaka, Malaysia
Opening Hours
Restaurant Chop Chung Wah is open 9 AM-3 PM, on weekends the restaurant works until 4 PM.
Price range and dining options
The place is good for family with children, outdoor eating, to try local cuisine or dine on a budget. Breakfast, brunch and lunch are available.
- Restoran Tong Sheng
Perfectly cooked seafood, reasonable prices and friendly atmosphere – no wonder, that there are always queues in this place. If you enjoy fresh seafood and want to spend a good time, just visit Tong Chen and be sure you ordered one of these notable dishes:
- cheese bee hoon that everyone raved about;
- prawns;
- salt baked crabs.
Location
Jalan Melaka Raya 6, Taman Melaka Raya, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia
How Can You Getting To These Malacca Restaurants?
1. Driving – Will be the best way to discover the hidden gems in Malacca.
2. Malacca Local Taxi – Unfortunately, most of the Taxi driver refuse to use the rates meter.
3. Private Car – 7 seaters MPV car services from your door step, the best option for family/group trip. You can also book a MPV car for one day trip, as they’re providing flexibility transfer service that will satisfy your special travel request.
