Account

Welcome

Sign in to save places, build lists, and keep your score.

Search

The Best Places to Eat and Stay in Malaysia

Sections

Tap to add or drop a section. At least one stays on.

Eat + Stay, change section

Departments

A department belongs to one section, so choosing one narrows the list to it.

Kinds of places

Cuisines

  1. Geometric burgundy headboards and deep-green tiled bathrooms with brass oval mirrors set the tone at this 466-room hotel in TRX, Kuala Lumpur's newest financial district, connected directly to The Exchange mall. The rooftop bar runs on spice, building cocktails around star anise, cardamom, and clove. Downstairs, the restaurants split between farm-to-table Malaysian and a retro Italian-American room that commits to the bit.

    The awards


  2. Named for a Scottish governor who once ran Penang, this eight-suite boutique hotel in historic George Town wears its colonial bones without apology. A mosaic-lined pool with a swim-up bar anchors the garden, the art on the walls was commissioned for the space, and the suites pair blonde wood and crisp linens with Bang & Olufsen sound systems. Two restaurants, a wine bar, and a cigar lounge handle the evenings. The UNESCO heritage center is a short drive away.

    The awards


  3. Floors 100-and-something inside Merdeka 118, the tallest tower in Southeast Asia, is where you'll find this Park Hyatt, which commits fully to the altitude. The 252 rooms come with soaking tubs, personal dining spaces, and windows that make Kuala Lumpur look like a scale model. There's a spa on the 99th floor offering salt therapy and steam, which is either very calming or very on-the-nose, depending on your mood.

    The awards


  4. A colonial building on the Andaman Sea waterfront, now a 146-room boutique hotel in Marriott's Autograph Collection, with marble bathrooms and furnishings that nod to the building's original bones. Three venues cover the day: Malaysian cooking at Lili, aged meats at Blacklinen, and Good Society running café to cocktail bar on the same shift. George Town's temples and markets are a short walk, and the seafront pool is exactly what a Penang afternoon calls for.

    The awards


  5. A lagoon-ringed boutique hotel a short ride from KL's shopping corridors, Villa Samadhi trades towers and traffic for carved wooden screens, polished floors, and the sound of birds. Villas vary from garden nooks to rooms with open-air Jacuzzis or private plunge pools. A thatched rooftop lounge serves drinks above the treetops. The city is close enough to dip into and far enough to forget.

    The awards


  6. The French accent is the whole point here: Sofitel positions itself in a luxury market full of lookalike brands by leaning hard into its Frenchness, and this Kuala Lumpur outpost obliges with Art Deco nods, ornate mirror frames, and marble bathrooms dark enough to feel theatrical. The hotel rises in green glass above Damansara Heights, with pan-Asian, Cantonese, and Mediterranean restaurants on site when you'd rather not venture out.

    The awards


  7. The Chow Kit takes its name from the neighborhood around it, once famous for its markets and a reputation that respectable guidebooks used to skip past entirely. It's a boutique hotel, designed by a Brooklyn firm, whose rooms channel the area's old gambling-den energy through colonial-era furniture and details that stop just short of gilded excess. The open-plan Chow Kit Kitchen and Bar anchors the ground floor with a pan-Malaysian menu and a crowd that isn't all guests.

    The awards


  8. The circular lobby sets the tone: high ceilings, a nod to old colonial grandeur, and just enough contemporary polish to remind you Marriott's Autograph Collection had its hand in the renovation. This heritage hotel in the heart of KL has been around forever, and the Reading Room, with its deep colors and plush upholstery, suggests it peaked sometime when afternoon tea was non-negotiable. A handsome place to stay if you want history with your thread count.

    The awards


  9. The pool deck sits high enough above Bangsar that the city spreads out beneath it like a planning model, which is a good argument for checking in here. Alila is a brand known for beachside villas, but this tower hotel above the low-rise neighborhood handles skyscraper luxury with the same minimalist ease. Rooms are on the upper floors, the in-room comforts are generous, and downstairs you'll find a French nose-to-tail restaurant and a lush Asian all-day spot.

    The awards


  10. Perched between ancient rainforest and the Andaman Sea, this resort wears its setting rather than fighting it, with kampong-style village architecture, indigenous building materials, and infinity pools that blur into the horizon. The spa and beachside restaurant both take their shapes from traditional Malay fish traps. When the jungle gets to be too much, touchpad blinds seal out every last leaf.

    The awards


  11. The purple accent lighting and wall-to-wall glass set the tone at this sleek city hotel in the Cheras district, part of the Meliá group's younger, more casual line. Rooms are modern and tech-forward, with the Loft category adding a separate lounge for longer stays. An outdoor pool looks over the KL skyline, and the all-day dining covers Malaysian and international ground. The Petronas Twin Towers and Merdeka Square are an easy ride away.

    The awards




  12. The rooms at this boutique beachside resort play a neat trick: black-and-white minimalism stripped back so completely that the palms and sea outside become the actual decor. Lone Pine sits under old shade trees on Batu Ferringhi's coast, with a pool, spa, and fitness center, plus enough drinking options that you can watch the sunset with a beer or disappear into the whiskey bar when the romance of it all gets to be a bit much.

    The awards


  13. Thirty landscaped acres meet the soft sands of Batu Ferringgi beach at this Shangri-La resort on Penang's north coast. Rooms open onto either gardens or sea, and the suites come with private verandas and butler service in the Garden Wing. The spa, the largest in Penang, leans into traditional Chinese and Malay treatments. Jungle treks, banana boats, and beachside yoga fill the gaps between pools, of which there are three, in case one was not enough.

    The awards





  14. Rank 119. 888 Hokkien Mee

    Minnan Noodle Shop

    The awards


  15. The awards


  16. Rank 119. Air Itam Sister Curry Mee

    Penang-style Malaysian

    The awards


  17. The awards


  18. Rank 119. Atelier Binchotan

    Charcoal grill Japanese

    The awards


  19. The awards


  20. The awards


  21. Rank 119. Bar Kar

    Seafood

    The awards


  22. Rank 119. Bee See Heong

    Malaysian

    The awards


  23. Rank 119. Bidou

    Nouvelle French

    The awards


  24. The awards


  25. Rank 119. Blacklinen

    Steakhouse

    The awards


  26. Rank 119. Blanc

    Contemporary European

    The awards


  27. Rank 119. Bōl

    Peranakan

    The awards


  28. The awards


  29. Rank 119. Ceki

    Peranakan

    The awards


  30. Rank 119. Christoph's

    Austrian

    The awards


  31. Rank 119. Cilantro

    French

    A French fine dining room inside a hotel suite property in Taman U Thant, run by a chef who once cooked at the Japanese Embassy and trained under some of France's heavy hitters. That background shows in the plates: French in spirit, Japanese in restraint, with European produce flown in within a day. Special menus track the seasons closely. The room has been around forever, which gives it the unhurried confidence that newer places tend to fake.


  32. Rank 119. Curios-City

    Malaysian

    The awards


  33. Rank 119. Dancing Fish

    Malaysian

    The awards


  34. Rank 119. Dominic

    Modern French

    The awards


  35. The awards


  36. Rank 119. Elegant Inn

    Cantonese

    The awards


  37. Rank 119. Entier

    Contemporary French


  38. The awards


  39. The awards


  40. Rank 119. Fook Cheow Cafe

    Noodle Shop

    The awards


  41. The awards


  42. The awards


  43. The awards


  44. Rank 119. Hide

    Malaysian

    The awards


  45. Rank 119. Il Bacaro

    Italian

    The awards


  46. Rank 119. Jaloux

    Italian

    The awards


  47. Rank 119. Jawi House

    Malaysian

    The awards


  48. Rank 119. Jie

    Innovative Chinese

    The awards


  49. The awards


  50. Rank 119. Jwala

    Indian

    The awards


  51. Rank 119. K

    Japanese

    The awards


  52. The awards


  53. Rank 119. Kazu

    Japanese

    The awards


  54. The awards


  55. The awards


  56. Rank 119. Kuki

    Shojin ryori Japanese

    The awards


  57. Rank 119. La Suisse

    Alpine

    The awards


  58. Rank 119. La Vie

    European

    The awards


  59. Rank 119. Li Yen

    Cantonese

    The awards


  60. Rank 119. Limapulo

    Peranakan

    The awards


  61. Rank 119. Ling Long

    French-influenced Chinese

    The awards


  62. Rank 119. Lucky Hole

    Barbecue

    The awards


  63. Rank 119. Malai

    Thai

    The awards


  64. Rank 119. Marble 8

    Steakhouse

    The awards


  65. The awards


  66. Rank 119. Mémoire

    Modern Pan-Asian

    The awards


    Address
    316 Lebuh Pantai, George Town, George Town, Pulau Pinang 10300, Malaysia · Pulau Pinang
    Hours

    Closed now, opens noon

    Wednesday Noon–2:30 PM, 6 PM–10 PM

    Online
    Website
  67. Rank 119. Nadodi

    South Indian

    Polished marble floors and black-and-white photographs set the tone for this fine-dining room on the seventh floor of the Four Seasons. The concept traces the migratory path of Kerala's nomadic tribes across an ancient land bridge to Sri Lanka, which is a more compelling founding idea than most restaurants manage. The chef, formerly of Bangkok's Gaggan, serves colourful set menus built around overlooked southern Indian ingredients and techniques.


  68. Rank 119. Nyonya Willow

    Northern Peranakan

    The awards


  69. The awards


  70. The awards


  71. Rank 119. Peninsula House

    Contemporary Australian

    The awards


  72. Rank 119. Pitt Street Koay Teow Soup

    Malaysian Noodle Shop

    The awards


  73. Rank 119. Potager

    Contemporary French

    Oysters from Penang, vegetables from the Cameron Highlands, a leek and lemon foam that has no business being as elegant as it is. Potager is a contemporary French tasting menu restaurant tucked into a quiet Segambut address, running both a full dinner menu and a shorter lunch option built around Malaysian seasonal produce. The cooking is careful and composed, the kind of place where the sourcing does the talking.


  74. The awards


  75. Rank 119. Sambal

    Contemporary Chinese

    The awards


  76. Rank 119. Seed

    European

    The awards


  77. The awards


  78. Rank 119. Shu

    Modern Chinese

    The awards


  79. Rank 119. Skillet

    Contemporary European

    The awards


  80. The awards


  81. Rank 119. Sushi Masa

    Edomae Sushi

    The awards


  82. The awards


  83. The awards


  84. The awards


  85. Rank 119. Tenmasa

    Japanese

    The awards


  86. The awards


  87. Rank 119. The Brasserie

    Modern French

    The awards


  88. Rank 119. The Pinn

    Malaysian

    The awards


  89. The awards


  90. Rank 119. Ushi

    Japanese

    The awards


  91. Rank 119. Vantador

    Steakhouse

    The awards


    Address
    38 Jalan 25/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur 50480, Malaysia · Kuala Lumpur
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 6 PM

    Wednesday Midnight–12:30 AM, 6 PM–11:59 PM

    Online
    Website
  92. The awards


  93. Rank 119. WhatSaeb Boat Noodles

    Thai Noodle Shop

    The awards


  94. Rank 119. Yun House

    Cantonese

    The awards



Browse a location

Current Location

Metros

Eat Score

The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

    How we score →

    Drink Score

    The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

      How we score →

      Stay Score

      Four fifths of the score is the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin Key outweighs a listicle. The last fifth is where it is: the ranked places to eat and things to do around it, and how safe the country is. When you sort by what's nearby, distance from you changes the order, never the score.

        How we score →

        Do Score

        The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

          How we score →

          Best Place Score

          The Best Place Score rates the area around a point, not any one place. The places are 60% of it: the best of what's within reach, weighed by distance. The setting is the other 40%: how life goes in that country (how people rate their own lives, how long and how well they live, how safe they are) and what it's like right there (the air, and the weather). If the score looks low, we probably haven't found enough critics out here yet.

          Near Me

          Sign in to see the best places near you

          Near Me ranks what's around you, wherever you are.

          Sign in with email

          New here? Create an account

          Or see the full worldwide list