There used to be a time where a damn fine cup of coffee is all we need to stay in a cosy coffee shop for hours. But alas, times have changed.
With the amount of cafés mushrooming all over the Klang Valley, patrons are starting to take a lot of things into consideration whenever they visit a quaint little space filled with the smell of freshly grounded coffee.
Whether you’re just ordering a cup of coffee or having a brunch date with a couple of friends, a dining environment is probably the first and foremost thing that you will notice when you step into a cafè. Sometimes, even the least palatable coffees doesn’t concern patrons if the dining environment exudes a relaxing vibe. It goes on to show how the interior of a cafè could be a total game changer. Not to mention, a fun and stylish coffee shop can set itself apart from the other typical coffee shops due to its distinct characteristic.
In the past, we’ve featured cafés like DR.Inc, LOKL, and VCR for the uniqueness of their names. One thing we’ve noticed from the list is that all these cafés have another thing in common – their exquisite interior design and unique decorations. It suddenly hit us that they aren’t the only visually pleasing cafés in town, of course.
With that in mind, take a look at some of our current favourite dreamy cafes in town:
1. Rimba & Rusa by Wondermilk
From the team behind Wondermilk comes Rimba & Rusa, a 2-level café located at Sunway Nexis, a newly-opened shopping complex in Kota Damansara. With furniture mainly made out of wood and steel, Rimba & Rusa is blessed with a very chilled-out ambience, making patrons feel cosy and at home. It is very well-lit due to the natural sunlight that penetrates through the full glass window panels.
The interior features a distinctive visual palette, which almost felt like the place was extracted from an Wes Anderson film. The lightbulbs hang from the ceiling like a chandelier, lighting up the whole café when night falls. The café may get noisy at times as a children’s play corner is located on the 2nd floor.
- Location: Ground Floor, Sunway Nexis, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya.
- Opening hours: Tues-Sun, 8am-11pm (Fri, starts later at 4pm)
- Website | Facebook | Instagram
2. PULP by Papa Palheta
Blink and you’ll miss it. PULP by Papa Palheta is considered one of the best hidden gems in Bangsar as it is located just beside Riong’s Balai Berita building, the head office of the New Straits Times Press. The name Pulp derived from the word “depulping”, which is a process of extracting seeds to make coffee. Once a former paper-cutting room for the nearby Art Printing Works factory and storehouse in the early 1960s, the café is run by respected Singaporean coffee boutique Papa Palheta. It’s no wonder why people may find it hard to locate this café as its exterior looks like a warehouse.
Designed with subtle attention to detail, PULP is especially great for those who just wants to sip high quality coffee or nibble on light bites while feeling the warmth of the sunlight that pours in through the window. It has also earned quite the reputation for trendy travelers who are looking to buy freshly roasted espresso blends and single-origin beans or coffee gadgets. With coffee that is brewed professionally to perfection, this is also a place for professional training, cupping sessions, and workshops.
- Location: 29-01, Jalan Riong, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur
- Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday 9am – 7pm | Saturday and Sunday 9am – 10pm
3. Battery Acid Club
At first glance, it seems as if this shop is a page taken out of an interior design magazine, as Massimo Vignellil, the name of the iconic Italian designer is seen on the window wall. However, a sudden realisation may hit you upon entering the café that Battery Acid Club is no ordinary coffee shop; it is a discussion space for design enthusiasts or those who simply appreciate art. You may notice that the crowd is a mix of casual customers and artsy people who seem productive even when they’re just hanging out.
Co-founded by resident barista Aaron Tan and veteran desginer Swiss Ooi, the sharp-looking café takes on a contemporary minimalist approach to design. The back of the space is where retail store Objekt-Object is situated and it is devoted to a rack of clothes, as well as accessories, objet d’art, and furniture. Though it doesn’t provide breakfast food, it serves a wide selection of pastries from Petiteserie Desserts and Ling’s Kitchen. There’s no free wi-fi here, as the owners encourage patrons to engage in quality conversations. In fact, you can spend hours sitting in the café, sipping a cup of espresso-based coffee (creatively named after famed designers) while reading a book from their bookcase.
- Location: 21 Jalan SS21/34, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
- Opening hours: Open Tuesday-Friday, 8am-9pm; Saturday-Sunday, 9am-9pm
- Facebook | Instagram
4. Double A Cafe
This beautiful coffee shop just opened in May, but it’s quickly becoming a local favourite due to its eclectic interior design. This is all thanks to husband-and-wife team Aiman and Alia, who hired interior consultant Adrien Kent to create this quaint, little space in Pacific Place Commercial Centre, Ara Damansara. According to EatDrinkKL, the married couple decided to create this charming little café after taking a break from their corporate work.
Double A Café is uniquely designed to give patrons a homey, friendly feeling as it is furnished in a Scandinavian minimalist style. The flooring pattern is almost impossible to be overlooked as it makes the café a charming spot. Similar to most cafés, Double A features a wide selection of home made cakes from local bakers, including Gateauxlicious and Gulabakery. This is definitely a place for you to park yourself for hours while sipping a cup of coffee that was supplied and trained by Johor-based Monsta Cafe.
- Location: E-1-3, Pacific Place Commercial Centre, Ara Damansara, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
- Opening hours: Mon, Wed and Thurs, 1pm – 9pm | Fri, 3pm – 11pm | Sat – Sun, 12pm – 10pm
- Facebook | Instagram
5. Otherwise Cafe
One must wonder about the meaning behind the name of the café when they are about to step into Otherwise Café, one of the many coffee joints located in Petaling Jaya. It gives off a very eerie feeling as it is tucked away in a quiet neighbourhood in Kelana Jaya. Don’t let the café’s location fool you though, because Otherwise Café has got to be one of the most eccentric coffee shops we’ve ever seen. It is a quaint coffee shop that doubles as a wedding photography studio and hair salon by day.
Founded by Malaysian fashion photographer Chuan Looi, the café is mostly furnished by local furniture company Dumpwerk. The café supports local talents by providing a performance space for live music events. Though most of the patrons chose the café for coffees and cakes, it’s clear that they were also there to check out the unique antique decorations. The most impressive feature is represented by a rack of decades-old antiques collected from all over the world by the owner. These antiques perfectly embodies the retro theme of the cafe, making it more otherworldly beautiful.
- Location: 6, Jalan SS 4D/14, Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
- Opening hours: Mon, Wed and Thurs, 5pm-10pm | Fri, 5pm-11pm | Sat-Sun, 10am-11pm
- Facebook | Instagram
6. Feeka Coffee Roasters
Jalan Mesui is perhaps best known as a place for fine dining and partying. But if you looked carefully, you’d notice the café located one block away from The Mesui Hotel as well. This clean-looking café, adorned with vintage styling and rustic touches, is better known for its brunch than its coffee. When it’s sunny, patrons can take a seat in the little courtyard outside the café. Though the space can get really crowded during the weekends, the atmosphere is relaxed nonetheless.
The name “Feeka” derived from a Swedish term, meaning “have a break with a drink and some food”. With an impressive array of freshly-baked pastries and cakes, patrons will most likely visit this place for a quick catch-up session with their friends while nipping at the light bites. The interiors of Feeka is softly lit, but it is beautifully decorated with a few unique decorations and contemporary elements.
- Location: 19, Jalan Mesui, Bukit Bintang, 50200 Kuala Lumpur.
- Opening hours: Mon – Thurs: 09:00–22:00 | Fri – Sun: 09:00–23:00
- Facebook | Instagram
7. Greyskymorning
There’s something about greyskymorning that makes us feel at peace, but we can’t really put our finger on it. Perhaps it’s the high ceiling that let light go further into the café, or perhaps it’s because almost everything was furnished in wood and metal, bringing a modern industrial feel to the space. It’s clear that the owner took a raw minimalist approach to create this quiet “hideaway” in Subang Jaya.
When we say “hideaway”, we really mean it because greyskymorning rests in the shadow of the industrial factories nearby. In a way, it’s meant to be accidentally discovered by patrons or for those who are seeking for a temporary hideaway from the city’s hustle and bustle. Admittedly, this place can get noisy during the weekends, but that didn’t stop some patrons from bringing their laptops over just to spend the rest of day working peacefully in this cosy home away from home. Not to mention, it seems as if every nook and cranny of the café was meticulously designed for a picture-perfect view.
- Location: EX8, No. 3 SS13/4, Subang Jaya.
- Opening hours: Tue – Sun, 10am – 11pm | Closed on Mon
- Facebook | Instagram
8. Thursdvys
https://instagram.com/p/2NWdgsovHu/
Thursday is the new Friday, because it is a perfect day for us to start looking forward to the weekends! Our feeling about this particular day is best represented by “Thursdvys”, a quirky coffee bar located in TTDI. Opened by best friends Hadri and Hanif, this café quickly became cafe-hopping Instagrammers’ favourite hangout spot due to its creative interior. From the angled wall to the designated “spotlight” corner (as seen in the picture above), every corner of the place is uniquely designed based on the owners’ imaginative minds.
The owners goes slightly bolder with the visual palette as well, making it visually pleasing for anyone who would walk pass the coffee bar. The owners made full use of the slanted wall by placing the window panels on it too, allowing ample amounts of natural sunlight to go into the café. Patrons can easily sink into the long window seat with a good book and a big cup of joe.
- Location: 22, Lorong Datuk Sulaiman 1, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur.
- Opening hours: Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, 10am–11pm | Sat–Sun, 9am–12midnight | (Ironically) Closed on Thurs
- Facebook | Instagram
9. Merchant’s Lane
A modern take on the heritage of Petaling Street, Merchant’s Lane is a cafe and restaurant that sees the transversing of local charm. But its history may surprise you, for Merchant’s Lane was actually formerly a Petaling Street brothel that has been refurbished into a beautiful cafe that’s sure to get you snapping away for photos to spam your Instagram feed with.
An oasis in the older part of the city that’s dotted with the kind of old world charm reminiscent of the cafes in Ipoh and Penang, Merchant’s Lane is perfect getaway from the concrete jungle. Its menu boasts a range of East-meets-West fusion dishes, perfect for those seeking comfort meals and brunch noms. It’s safe to say that once you’re there, you’d stay for not just the atmosphere but also the food. Oh, and the coffee/tea too of course.
- Location: First Floor, No. 150, Jalan Petaling, Off Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur.
- Opening hours: Daily, 10:30am – 8pm
- Facebook | Instagram
HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
- Softsrve Ice Cream & Dessert Bar
- Ahmad & Co. | Coffee and Cigar
- Three Little Birds Coffee
- Podgy & the Banker
- 46 by Project Gibraltar
- Nara Kitchen & Co. (New)
- Wild Sheep Chase (New)
Got any personal favourites that you think should be added to the list? Share with us in the comments box below or you know, just keep it as a secret so that no one will ever come and ruin your favourite spot 😉
(Sources: Poskod, EatDrinkKL)
