The 10 Best Coffee Shops and Cafés in Kuching, Malaysia

The Coffee Clinic, as the name suggests, serves some of the best coffee in Kuching. A team of skilled baristas work their magic to create a variety of flavours, including the mouthwatering Hazelnut Latte. Add in the wooden décor and it almost feels like you’re sat inside a European cottage. Expect a selection of cakes and strong Wi-Fi with regular live music. Combine everything and you’ll understand why this is one of our top coffee shops in Kuching.

Craving an iced cappuccino on a hot Sarawakian afternoon? Head to Black Bean Coffee on Carpenter Street. Apart from serving a selection of freshly roasted beans from Java, Sumatra and Sarawak, it also provides a cosy environment for a drink. Step inside the small café and find coffee-related paraphernalia decorating the shelves, and drinks served in locally-made pottery. We recommend getting a plate of homemade cookies to snack on with your drink.

Fans of fast cars and motorbikes should head to Feast n Furious Café along Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman. The short walk from the waterfront is worth the effort to enjoy a good coffee at this car-themed café. Inside, life-sized model cars and motorbikes compete for floor space with excited customers looking for a photograph. This is one of our favourite Instagrammable coffee shops in Kuching. Both Western and local food including Sarawak Laksa are available too.

For a Kopitiam (coffee shop) experience in Sarawak with an iced coffee and breakfast, check out Chong Choon. Serving up a variety of dishes including fish porridge and Sarawak Laksa, it’s a local favourite. The environment is small and crowded and you’ll probably need to share a table. But the food and chance to experience life here is well worth it.

This coffee shop in Kuching attempts to recreate an air of Sarawak’s colonial era. Named after James Brooke, the first White Rajah, the café-cum-restaurant is a hit among mid-range tourists. With a casual garden atmosphere and views of the river, it makes a nice spot to unwind in the evening. You can order a variety of coffee and tea as well as cold beer. The menu includes every Malaysian’s number one snack roti, along with the Cake of the Day. Pro tip: Drink here on a dry day and enjoy the sunset from the garden.

Oriental Park Kolo Mee is another of our favourite local Kopitiam-style coffee shops in Kuching. Apart from the ultra-cheap iced coffee and teas, it also serves some of the city’s best Kolo Mee (a type of dried noodles). As with other top spots in Kuching, the shop bursts with hungry customers at breakfast time. In Malaysia, this is a sign that the food is the best of the best. We suggest coming here for an early breakfast and coffee before a day trip to Bako National Park.

For a buffet-lunch and refreshing drink near the Cat Museum, check out Ketumbar Kafe. Stroll around the city and it’s clear to see the warm relationship towards their feline friends. Since the museum lies a little further from the centre, this coffee shop in Kuching is an ideal place to have lunch and a drink after spending time at the museum. Just remember that Ketumbar Kafe closes at 3:00pm.

Rusty Bean & Batter is among the top coffee shops in Kuching for Sarawakian millennials. Despite being a few kilometres south of the waterfront, it still attracts a decent number of tourists. Anticipate a laidback atmosphere with a predominately young crowd. Drinks range from green tea and coffee to smoothies and our recommendation: the Caramel Cappuccino Frappe. As a bonus, delicious homemade cakes perfectly compliment any drink, making an ideal spot for brunch.

Sukha Café combines a 90s-style coffee shop with eccentric decorations. Few coffee shops in the City of Cats provide the rare experience of photographing bicycle parts dangling from light bulbs and vintage radios on the shelves. Head down for a drink to experience its uniquely quirky design and ambience. The lunch meals between 11:00am and 3:00pm are excellent value for money too.

Coffee lovers who crave high quality and rich flavours tend to rate Earthlings Coffee Workshop among the best coffee shops in Kuching. Internationally trained baristas blend and brew coffee beans to perfection. Expect a variety of old favourites to the more unusual homemade ET-themed drinks. And don’t forget to order one of the cakes to snack on while savouring the high-quality coffee!