10 new restaurants, cafés, and bars in Malaysia to visit in June 2024

Nareo Donut is the latest addition to Taman Paramount’s dining scene and specialises in all things—you guessed it—donuts. Pillowy donuts can be found here, either generously glazed or filled with classic crème pâtissière and curds made in-house. Find mandarin yuzu donuts topped with torch meringue pie,  Boston cream donuts glazed in 70% dark chocolate, locally inspired coconut kaya donuts, and ethereally airy fried ring donuts rolled in cinnamon and cardamom sugar. 

See also: Where to eat and drink in Taman Paramount

The renowned pastry specialist, Flaaah, and crowd-favourite for coffee and matcha, Ono, have joined forces to create a new brunch haven situated in Suria KLCC. The collaborative café offers diners a chance to experience the best of both worlds and pair fresh croissants with their culinary soulmates—great cups of coffee. Find a selection of pastries from danishes to filled croissants and speciality beverages crafted by Ono. 

A new tapas joint has opened in Chinatown, equipped with Spanish classics and contemporary small plates. Helmed by Barcelona-born chef Ignasi Prat, diners can expect elegant Spanish fare served out of the restaurant’s open kitchen. Gambas al ajillo, a tapas must-order, can be found on the menu alongside grilled Atlantic octopus with chimichurri and saffron aioli, Black Angus tenderloin tartare topped with a cured quail egg yolk, and Spanish rice stewed in lobster broth with Carabinero red prawns. Pair plates here with a glass of its red wine sangria, crafted with a medley of fresh fruit, brandy, and orange juice. 

Steamed delights have never looked so good. Floccus Floccus is the latest addition to Chinatown’s impressive dining scene and brings traditional kuih to the heart of the city. The café and pastry shop have transformed steaming techniques into art forms, shaping chai kuih into goldfish and mung bean-stuffed angku into various types of sushi. Pair sweets here with its selection of beverages, from citrusy soda to a longan-infused refreshment. Located just above Fung Wong, you’ll be able to find Floccus Floccus once you spot an angku-shaped doorknob. 

Still in its soft-launch phase, Laut has recently opened in Mont Kiara and brought with it an alfresco dining concept to the suburb. The dining venue currently serves coffeehouse fare from espresso-based brews to fresh pastries, but in time, it will house a grill station to offer more substantial plates and an oyster bar to stay true to its nautical name. Its opening hours will also extend till midnight once its menu is fully developed. 

The second brick and mortar location of TUG Gelato has recently opened at Bangsar’s Jalan Telawi. The dessert spot proves one of the Klang Valley’s most sustainable, transforming imperfect produce and fruit into scoops of gelato and sorbet. Try its Mediterranean inspired avocado and pistachio gelato, indulge in a scoop of its strawberry cheesecake flavour, or cool yourself down with its soursop calamansi sorbet if it’s particularly hot outside. Alongside its signature range of gelato, you’ll also be able to find a selection of plated desserts like milk sorbet with hazelnut crumble. 

If you’ve been on the hunt for a restaurant that will feed you breakfast, lunch, and dinner, look no further than PJ’s recently opened Yum Yum Seng Seng. Its Asian-inspired menu has you covered for every essential meal and will even offer you the option of some after-dinner tipples. Order a noodle-forward brunch with its ramen selection of yuzu or tom yam ramen. If you’re craving , opt for its salmon mentaiko don or Thai-style egg and prawn don.

For those who swear by salmon, its menu is equipped with a section dedicated to the fish. Find salmon tataki with truffle ponzu sauce, salmon rice balls with seaweed and mentaiko sauce, and a salmon-heavy breakfast complete with avocado, edamame and chickpea dip, fried potatoes, and eggs. If you visit for dinner, you’ll be able to order a plate of pasta or try its Australian Angus striploin that you can pair with one of its cocktails, from kiwi soju to a lemon highball. 

Ending its two month hiatus with a new resident in the kitchen, Spacegrey is now furnished with a revamped menu. After a string of successful pop-ups that placed the spotlight on Nic Wong, better known by his Instagram handle, @applefishcakes, Spacegrey has made his expertise a permanent fixture of the restaurant. The space is now home to Wong’s signature sauce-slathered katsudon, which garnered a cult following after appearances at bars and restaurants across the Klang Valley. You’ll be able to try it at the new Spacegrey, alongside other new creations and mainstays from its former menu.

Despite its 9 year legacy as a pillar of our local dining scene, Skillet KL has made it onto our list of new restaurants for its recent revamp. Now located in Menara Hap Seng 3’s dining enclave, the restaurant’s new interior is sleek and aims to provide guests a fully immersive gastronomic experience, from its open kitchen and wine cellar to its social room where diners can sip on curated cocktails and indulge in canapés. 

Throughout its almost decade-long run, the restaurant has remained informed by modern European cuisine and guided by the culinary prowess of chef Raymond Tham. Skillet continues to pay homage to its roots with its predominantly European-influenced menu but now features locally sourced produce that spotlight the efforts of Malaysian farmers and showcase regional terroir. Fish on its new menu is ikan kurau or Indian threadfin from Port Dickson that is served alongside salt-baked jicama.

There is one constant that has remained unchanged throughout Skillet’s refresh and it is the menu’s Texture of Chocolate. Alongside new dishes that champion locally sourced produce, you’ll be able to tuck into a sweet course of a liquid nitrogen-filled chocolate sphere designed to be broken to reveal nine variations of chocolate.