Malacca Restaurants and Dining

(Malacca / Melaka City, Malaysia)

Malacca has an impressive range of restaurants and foodstuffs owing to the many cultures that have made the place what it is. There is everything here from exquisite European dining to tasty noodles and curries sold by street-side vendors.

Dining out in Malacca is generally cheap, although touristy areas naturally cash-in. The eateries around Chinatown, along the river, and down at the markets of the Portuguese Settlement, are all worthy.

What to Eat, and Where

Laksa noodles are one of the top Chinese dishes in town, hailing from the Peranakan culture, which was brought over by early Chinese settlers. There are many restaurants and eateries in Malacca which have chosen to specialise in Peranakan cuisine.

Chinese food proper is well represented in Malacca and the Jonker Street area is the best bet for sampling dumplings and noodles. A chicken casserole dish with brown-bean sauce is also worth trying, as is duck soup. For a taste of India and a traditional banana-leaf meal, head to the Little India district, based along the Jalan Temenggong and the Jalan Bendahara.

The Eurasian favourite here is chicken curry devil, while crab with chilli-tomato sauce and baked marinated fish are both popular Portuguese dishes. The Portuguese settlement is a good choice for Portuguese-themed restaurants, with seafood dining options being particularly noteworthy here.

The streets all around Dutch Square, and along the Malacca River, are also brimming with restaurants. Many of them are open-air and there is nothing like dining out on a dish of deep fried sea bass washed down with Malay beer.