Our favourite restaurants to eat with kids in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is a culinary capital. There is every cuisine possible to try and find. And kids won’t be disappointed either with an array of fast food, western dishes and generally non-spicy asian cuisine. Nyle enjoys chicken rice, a dish local to Malaysia, and Alicia has tried most things we have thrown her way, and especially likes Roti Cenai - another Malaysia bread and dip dish.
But finding good places to eat in Kuala Lumpur can be difficult as there is so much choice, and when it is hot and h-anger sets in, it can be easy to fall into a mall and go with the easy-fast food option. We’ve been there, and that option is on this list, but we’ve also enjoyed a lot of other amazing food so consider this to be your ultimate guide to family friendly places to eat in Kuala Lumpur.
Tapak Street Food Market
This is a great place a 5 minute walk away from the Petronas Towers and KLCC park. It doens’t really get going until 7/8pm, but it is a square with food trucks around the edge meaning there is plenty of space for kids to play and be kids without irritating anyone. The food here is a mix of pizzas, burgers, Malaysian, chicken, milkshakes, fruit juices, nachos and an Asian-twist on all of these! I’ll be honest and say the food isn’t remarkable, and there is no alcohol, but the ambience is great. There’s coloured lights, the towers can be seen lit up in the distance, it’s safe, and on the Friday evening we were there, they had a live band. There’s also a small toy stall where the kids can spend some of their travel money! It’s also really handy if you are wanting to head to the Symphony of the Lake fountain show at 8pm, 9pm, or 10pm. And the churros are fabulous!!!
Jalan Alor Food Street
Street food is always a winner for family places to eat in Kuala Lumpur. It’s not just a foodie heaven, but also a full on experience. Jalan Alor has it all. It is an assault on the senses – the noise, the smells, the bustle and the varying extremes of food on offer, from obscure animals on skewers, to more common fish and shellfish on ice. It does get busy and so can be a challenge with a pushchairs, but there are also high chairs and we never struggled to get a table to sit down. This is where our two discovered chicken satay, a firm favourite still today. The smell of Durian as you walk past, to the desserts of chocolate fountains, bubble tea and hand-rolled ice-cream, as well as the serving of beer, will leave everyone in the family full and happy.
Dottys
Based in Suria KLCC not far from the fountains is a hugely family friendly eatery. Kids even eat free on a weekend. As well as a good range of main courses, and a kids section on the menu, there is an enormous cake cabinet for desserts! The food on offer ranges from salads, to soups, Malaysian, pizzas, chicken, sandwiches and lots more. It is delicious, fresh and healthy and the staff were great with the kids. We spent £45 for all four of us to eat, with drinks + coffees + desserts for the kids (which were huge) so this isn’t a budget venue, but it is very very tasty! For the amount of time you will likely spend around KLCC, this is a great place to have up your sleeve when food is demanded.
Sala
Vegetarian restaurants in Kuala Lumpur have boomed in the last 5 years and veganism is even on the cards. In Berjaya Times Square on the Lower Ground floor is a healthy ‘fast-food’ joint called Sala which is 100% vegetarian. It offers burgers, chicken wraps, burritos, tacos, nachos and even hotdogs and chicken nuggets that are all veggie meat, or pretend meat as the kids call it. It is freshly made to order and 4 meals with fresh juice drinks came to less than £30. Can’t recommend this enough - we came twice in the space of a week.
The Hungry Tapir
Being in China Town there are so many eating options. But if you don’t fancy Malaysian or Chinese food, there are other options. The Hungry Tapir offer vegetarian and family friendly dining in a really lovely setting on the edge of Petaling Street. In fact, The hungry tapir is the only vegan and vegetarian restaurant in Kuala Lumpur with a full serviced bar! It’s a fully vegan menu with everything from brekkies, to sausages, to pizzas, to salads and sandwiches - they even do a roast dinner on a Sunday. The kids didn’t even notice their pizzas didn’t have ‘real’ cheese on, and the salad and sausage and mash was delicious. The staff were again very friendly with the kids and for a meal for 4 with 4 soft drinks at less than £30, who can complain. They also serve alcohol and have a big cake cabinet, as well as vegan ice-cream.
KL Central Market
Since our last visit in 2019, KL Central market has had a bit of a revamp but now contains one of the best places to eat with kids in Kuala Lumpur. Spead over 2 floors there is a food hall on the bottom, and a range of restaurants on the 2nd floor. We opted for the foodhall, Makan Hall. It’s vibrant and full of atmosphere. There are 5-6 food vendors, and a drinks stall. It is all asian food, but you’ll find kid friendly food in the form of chicken and rice, noodles, Indian curries and breads. There’s more adventurous options for the adults, and that’s the best thing - everyone can choose what they want. For vegetarians we can’t recommend The Ganga enough - absolutely delicious indian cuisine - the Pan Puris are the best we have ever tasted. We ordered quite the feast and it cost less than £20 for the 4 of us. And once you’ve eaten you can spend some time exploring the market and the surrounding areas. Great place to eat if you are near Merdeka Square or Petaling Street - just a 5 minute walk from both.
TGI Fridays
Yes, I know TGI Fridays isn’t very Malaysian. However, I add it to this list for several reasons. 1. Kids get a free meal with every adult main. 2. All their burgers can be made vegetarian by asking for it plant-based (they don’t write this on the menu) 3. It is in Suria KLCC mall so if you have finished at the Scuence Museum, the towers, the splash park or KLCC playground, this is an easy choice for a replenishment. 4. Soft drinks are bottomless refills. They also organise various family activities - for halloween it was all decorated and a party was being advertised on 31st! Day-to-day they also have colouring packs for the kids to keep them entertained. A meal for 3 cost is less than £20 here!
Rex Cinema
There is a food court in the complex where the Rex cinema is based which has a very cool vibe. There is a bar with lager on draft (win!), a new york style pizza place (Phil’s pizza) which was delicious, a Borneo restaurant and a few other Malaysian restaurants.
Mr Naan, Little India
Little India is a great area for both kids and vegetarians - there are so many options to choose from. We stumbled into Mr Naan one lunchtime which is all vegetarian food. There was a buffet for 18RM (£3) per person, which had 4-5 different curries, poppadums, naans and rice to choose from. We opted rather for the menu which for the 4 of us with 3 curries, drinks, rice, naans and rotis was £27 total. The Tarka Dahl was delicious and the kids ate a lot. The restaurant was busy and family friendly so if you want somewhere ‘pinned’ to head to in Little India, you won’t go wrong here.
Traders Hotel
OK, so this is less a place to eat, but more for family-friendly drinks and a great rooftop bar for going with kids. The other way to get THE best view of the Towers is to head to the Sky Bar at Traders Hotel. This is free to enter if you have drinks, and even better if you coincide it with 241 cocktails during happy hour – and that’s cheaper than the £40 entrance fee to go up the Towers themselves. The Sky Bar also has an indoor pool which can be enjoyed as a resident. We loved it so much that during out second K-L visit we upgraded our usual accommodation standard and stayed here for 2 nights. From the Sky Bar you get amazing views of the Petronas Towers, the surrounding fountains and parks but also the rest of the amazing K-L skyline.
Namaste India
So we haven’t eaten in here, but we have ordered takeaway, and it was so good we ordered twice, and felt it deserved a place on this list. This is good for vegetarians and kids. The ‘bread basket’ got demolished in minutes, and the paneer butter masala, dahl makani and butter chicken were all well enjoyed. Make sure you also try the pineapple and pomegranite raita, and the crispy okra - both delicious sides. It’s not the cheapest place, with our takeaway costing £30, btu we had a feast and it was super delicious - and about half the price of what we would have paid in the UK.
Mall food courts
Not so much a recommendation, but rather reassurance! Kuala Lumpur is absolutely full of malls - and massive malls at that. Everywhere you look you will find another one. Within each mall there is generally a fast-food court, and an area of more ‘up-market’ / proper sit down dining. So if you find yourself with h-angry kids and not sure where to head, just dive into your nearest mall, enjoy the aircon and fill them up on some good old chips, chicken, pizza or whatever they need to stay on track with the tourist activities!