Southern Rock Bangsar

Best Casual Dining Restaurants in KL 2022

Best Casual Dining Restaurants in KL 2022 – Hearty Meals with Friends & Family

While I appreciate an exceptionally crafted menu and the care that goes into fine food, my preferred outing is in casual dining restaurants that serve quality food best shared with family and friends. Here’s our list of the best casual dining restaurants in KL that we kept returning to again and again in 2022. (Click on the title links for details on each restaurant.)

Best Casual Dining Restaurants in KL 2022

Yeast

French Restaurant KL
Yeast Bangsar

Reasons to visit Yeast Bangsar: classic French bistro feel in one of Bangsar’s best brunch spots; the finest French bread in KL from the authentic in-house bakery; a wide selection of starters, appetisers and mains, all great for sharing; reasonably priced wine; sophisticated option for a special brunch occasion. 

Luretta D.O.P.

Luretta D.O.P. - Best Casual Dining Restaurants in KL 2022
Luretta D.O.P. , 1 Utama – Best Casual Dining Restaurants in KL 2022

Reasons to visit Luretta D.O.P., an Italian restaurant in 1 Utama: Charming, casual indoor/outdoor setting; good happy hour deals from 4 pm – 7 pm; Luretta’s own label of organic wine; don’t miss the focaccia gourmet, grilled pork fillet or risotto alla marinara – all made me feel I had been transported to Italia.

Southern Rock

Southern Rock Bangsar - Best Casual Dining Restaurants in KL 2022
Southern Rock Seafood Restaurant Bangsar

Reasons to visit Southern Rock Bangsar: some of the freshest seafood in Kuala Lumpur, good value for money, must-tries are the Around the World Oysters and Salmon Wellington. Get a 10% discount using the code YUMSEAFOOD!

Meat the Porkers

Porky Indian Cuisine KL
Meat the Porkers – Best Casual Dining Restaurants in KL 2022

Reasons to visit: porky Indian cuisine! Bacon and Cheese Naan and the Tandoori Pork Ribs are a must. My non-porky favourites were the Butter Chicken, Prawn Masala, Palek Paneer and Crispy Lamb Puri. 

Leen’s Middle East Kitchen

Syrian Restaurant KL
Leen’s Middle East Kitchen

Reasons to visit Leen’s TTDI: authentic, tasty Middle Eastern food; contemporary environment; great vegetarian choices; all of the starters; awesome freshly baked bread; a wholesome and nourishing meal. 

The Ganga Café Bangsar

The Ganga Cafe Bangsar - Best Casual Dining Restaurants in KL 2022
The Ganga Cafe

Reasons to visit The Ganga Café Bangsar: lots of vegan and gluten-free options; food made with heart; must try the Pranic Juice; Meeta’s Special Chaat and flatbread, flatbread, flatbread.

Afghan Lunch – Greater Action

Afghan Lunch, Greater Action KL
Afghan Lunch – Greater Action Refugee Centre

Reasons to visit Greater Action: authentic Afghan lunch, cooking classes and catering, all for a great cause. 

Fifty Tales 

Fifty Tales - Best Casual Dining Restaurants in KL 2022
Fifty Tales

Reasons to visit Fifty Tales: Mark off all the noodles available on their list; easy, familiar comforts that have been refined to appeal to an almost universal demographic; great sense of community and camaraderie just from the four-person team behind the counter.  (We also love their counter in The Back Ground at REXKL – Chu by Fifty Tales.)

Kenny Hills Bistro KL

Kenny Hills Bistro KL Four Seasons Place - Best Casual Dining Restaurants in KL 2022
Kenny Hills Bistro – Best Casual Dining Restaurants in KL 2022

Reasons to visit Kenny Hills Bistro KL: an elevation from their bakery-cafe concept to a bistro menu with wine and cocktails to match; their famed pastries and bread, the very attentive staff, the alfresco dining area, the cocktail bar and a top food menu to please just about anyone and everyone! I will definitely be heading back there armed with a group of friends just so I can try the other and will load myself up with pastries to take home. 

Copaa Desa Sri Hartamas

Copaa Desa Sri Hartamas - Best Casual Dining Restaurants in KL 2022
Copaa

Reasons to visit Copaa in Desa Sri Hartamas: upscale ambience, Asian-inspired menu with unique twists, interesting ingredients, excellent wine selection with thoughtful food pairing, an owner with some inspiring stories.

Bocado KL 

Spanish Restaurant Kuala Lumpur
Bocado

Reasons to visit Bocado KL: the welcoming Chef Ignasi, the charming interior and alfresco patio, and the sizeable Spanish menu, must try the beautifully presented tapas.

Stretch 

Stretch Eatery Subang SS14 - Best Casual Dining Restaurants in KL 2022
Stretch

Reasons to visit Stretch: It’s always so great to support a new business, then when you discover how delicious everything they make is, it’s also incredibly easy! Entering through the downstairs door and climbing the small staircase to enter Jian and the team’s vision is an absolute pleasure, and this place will very quickly become a regular hangout for many. Don’t miss the perfectly portioned pizzas, salted and fried mushrooms, natural wines and cocktails.

The Siam

The Siam M-City - Best Casual Dining Restaurants in KL 2022
The Siam – Best Casual Dining Restaurants in KL 2022

Reasons to visit The Siam: authentic Thai food presented beautifully, value-for-money, an excellent range of meat-free options; casual and cheerful setting; must try the tom yum syphon, green curry, pad Thai, and mango sticky rice.

Osteria Gamberoni

Fresh Pasta Kuala Lumpur
Osteria Gamberoni

Reasons to visit: one a few, if not the only restaurant to make both dry and fresh pasta in-house in Kuala Lumpur; seafood; great value, authentic Italian food; quality drinks and an open and classy atmosphere; we greatly appreciated the hospitality from Chef Danieli, restaurant manager Simona, and bartender Sugu as well as prompt service from the waitstaff.

Gai by Darren Chin

Gai by Darren Chin
Gai by Darren Chin

Reasons to visit Gai by Darren Chin: While we would return for almost everything we tried, Jay Fai’s Crab Omelette and Lady Boss Nana Signature Tom Yum Seafood deserve special mention; we’ve barely scratched the wine list during our visit, so it would be interesting to pair the others we’ve seen with specific mains in future visits; calling the dishes “authentic” would be a severe understatement; casual and relaxed atmosphere; bragging rights for having dined at a Darren Chin restaurant.

Strato

Italian Wine Dinner - Best Casual Dining Restaurants in KL 2022
Strato, Troika Sky Dining – Best Casual Dining Restaurants in KL 2022

Reasons to visit Strato: a solid menu of Italian favourites with innovative sparks and twists on recipes thanks to the use of seasonal and local ingredients, quality wine and dinner events, comfortable yet stylish location with the option of alfresco dining.

Superfine

Canotto Pizza KL
Superfine

Reasons to visit: bright, modern atmosphere, friendly staff, notable coffee, home-brewed kombucha, the array of craft beer options, Canotto pizza, and super welcoming owners. 

Sausage KL Café & Deli

Sausage KL Café & Deli Mont Kiara - Best Casual Dining Restaurants in KL 2022
Sausage KL

Reasons to visit Sausage KL: The variety of homemade sausages available and Matt’s passion in perfecting them; I daresay I’ve had the best experience with haggis and black pudding here, which was a treat and a surprise; very hearty meals that will keep you full and happy for hours.

The Butcher’s Table

The Butcher's Table Sri Hartamas - Best Casual Dining Restaurants in KL 2022
The Butcher’s Table, Sri Hartamas

Reasons to visit The Butcher’s Table Sri Hartamas: free corkage, nitrate-free meats, big-filling dishes, affordability, really welcoming staff and owners, and of course the plentiful options of pork and meats. It’s common to have your meats with beer, so The Butcher’s Table also has an array of German ones for your choosing. 

What is your preferred dining style? What do you consider to be the best casual dining restaurants in KL for 2022? Where would you go to enjoy a hearty meals with friends and family?

Stay up-to-date with the latest gourmet and travel recommendations for Malaysia here and here.

4 Comments

  1. The Siam, of course! I love Thai! Or the Porkers – Indian pork…that’s new!

  2. This is an awesome list.

  3. KL definitely has more food options than London!

  4. That Salmon Wellington has left my mouth watering. I have never seen such an offering before.

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