French fare was once truly rarified in the Klang Valley, occupying a considerable niche position among the spectrum of global cuisines that are available across the city. More often than not they are relegated to more refined palates given its scarcity, and venerated for their adaptations in haute epicureanism. But that isn’t strictly the case today, given how many new French restaurants and bistros have sprouted across both Kuala Lumpur and its greater vicinity.
Venerated for its storied technique and recipes, French cooking has long represented the peak of gastronomy as an art form, with chefs across the globe making the obligatory sojourn to France with the hopes of learning the trade. Such is the reverence around French cooking that in some instances, one may even go so far as to consider it as being a foundational pillar of Western cuisine, with UNESCO having listed it as one of the world’s few ‘intangible cultural heritages’.
Historically, what we know of French cuisine today finds its roots within aristocratic circles from the Medieval Period. As is the case now, recipes often rotated along with the changing climate to better suit seasonal produce on offer. But one staple remains all the same: the incorporation of good cheeses and wines. The practice of plating and presentation was also established during this time, with grand displays that featured the use of gold leaf and rich colours often making an appearance on feast tables in a testament to French showmanship.
With its proximity to greater Europe and eminence as a cultural hub for the continent, the profile of French cuisine would be shaped by trade, especially through a broader availability of exotic ingredients that were otherwise not native to the region. This would later lead to the conception of haute cuisine in the 17th-century, encouraged by François Pierre La Varenne who insisted on breaking away from staid food traditions of the period in favour of more delicate, refined flavours. But it was Georges Auguste Escoffier who would set the leylines upon which modern French cooking continues to rely, demarcating such practices as the brigade system of designated cook stations, to codifying mother and daughter sauces.
Many of these traditions can still be savoured in the bastions of French cuisine scattered in the city, but it does take some looking to know where to place your reservations next. To give you a better head start, peruse our selection of the best French restaurants in KL and Selangor below.
The French restaurants in KL and Selangor that you should know about
An easy choice to start with, Entier French Dining has managed to do what precious few French restaurants in the Klang Valley can manage: become a household name. This is so much the case that the restaurant has nearly become inextricably intertwined with the premise of French dining in Kuala Lumpur. But rest assured, that reputation is well deserved. Founded by Chef Masachi Horiuchi, whose experience in kitchens spans across some of France’s most decorated restaurants, Entier approaches cuisine by honouring tradition first.
This is to say that where technique is concerned, he leaves nothing to chance. But it’s his mastery of local bounties and French staples that truly exemplifies Horiuchi’s approach in French food, as evidenced by such creations as their signature stuffed quail with foie gras, and new novelties conjured by head chef Romain Fabre, such as Tanjung Malim caviar set atop a sweet potato blini. It is no wonder how they were the latest establishments to receive a nod on the Michelin Selects list this year.
Operating hours: 12pm – 4pm, 6pm – 10pm (opens daily)
Getting there: Take the Kelana Jaya LRT line and alight at the Bank Rakyat Bangsar stop. Then cross the pedestrian bridge over to Alila Bangsar, before taking the elevator up to the 41st floor.
What we liked:
The stuffed quail is a beautiful sight to behold, served whole and yielding a fragrant stuffing of foie gras, raisins, grapes, and duck bacon.
Additional Information
Address:
Entier French Dining, Level 41, Alila Bangsar, 58, Jalan Ang Seng, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
French cuisine is elevated, or at least, that is the most conventional assumption that most people tend to maintain. But with bistros sprouting up left and right, that definition is beginning to morph into a more comprehensive understanding of cooking that extends beyond degustation menus, as evidenced by the popularity of Brasserie Leon in TTDI. A popular dinner date address, its pared-down elegance expresses Parisian casual chic in a way that is put together, as evidenced by wood-panel walls and small chandelier fixtures, without being pompus.
The menu is the same, with core bistro foundations done well. Steak frites, or fries with your choice of steak, is the name of the game here. Obviously, order yours pink for full effect if you want to properly enjoy the exceptional quality of meats on offer here, served tender with robust flavour. Beyond beef, don’t forget to also give the lamb a try, which eschews its typically gamey tendencies with thorough seasoning.
Operating hours: 5.30pm – 11.30pm (Monday to Friday, closed on Tuesday), 11am – 3pm, 5.30pm – 11.30pm (Saturday and Sunday)
Getting there: Take the Kelana Jaya LRT line and alight at the Pasar Seni LRT station. Then transit to the MRT Kajang line and alight at the TTDI stop. After which, walk 5 minutes to Greens Terrace and head up to Level 1 to find Brasserie Leon.
What we liked:
While beef steaks may be their household specialty, the lamb shines with perfectly charred sides and its delectably seasoned flavour.
Additional Information
Address:
Brasserie Leon, 1-1, Greens Terrace, Jalan Wan Kadir 3, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
A Solaris stalwart since its inception, Le Gourmandin is a humble ode to France by Toulouse-born Fermin Rieu, who mans the kitchen, and his Malaysian wife Fadhilah Joni, who maintains order in the front of house. Dramatic velvet drapes by the windows, Art Nouveau posters and warm lighting usher in some romance of a French provenance, easily setting the scene for lunches and dinners that are prepared with painstaking care.
Best suited to those who enjoy red meats in their poultry, you’ll discover that many of Le Gourmandin’s best-selling plates happen to feature the use of duck. That is no coincidence of course, when Rieu insists on having at least three kilos of fresh duck delivered to his kitchen every day, with each part carefully divvied to serve different purposes; bones for a hearty stock incorporated into sauces, and meats that are transformed into confit or air-dryed magret seche slivers on salads.
Operating hours: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 10pm (opens daily)
Getting there: Board the 851 feeder bus and alight at the KL1023 Publika bus stop, then walk 6 minutes to Solaris, where you will find Le Gourmandin.
What we liked:
The duck leg confit served with garlic sauce delivers a savoury-sweet blend of heady flavours that gel on the tongue with every bite.
Additional Information
Address:
Le Gourmandin, D4-G4-01, 1, Jln Dutamas 1, Solaris Dutamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Situated in one of the world’s most geographically idyllic locations, the city of Nice boasts an equally befitting name; after all, it is short for ‘Nice the Beautiful’, or Nissa La Bella in Niçard, an Occitan dialect that was once native to the region. As a coastal resort hotspot that verges close on the Mediterranean, much of its food is notably influenced by echoes of neighbouring Italy. This includes a wider inclusion of fresh seafood, alongside the incorporation of pasta.
While it is rare to find traditional dishes of Nice origin in Kuala Lumpur, one bistro whom it takes its name after provides a good jumping-off point. A new sibling restaurant to complement the well-received Chateau Dionne, festive washes of flush coral, terracotta tiles, and lush greenery paint a picture of coastal refinement, while a menu that stretches as far as Naples is sure to convert newcommers into faithful returning diners. Especially after a heaven-sent bite of burrata with sweet figs.
Operating hours: 11am – 11pm (opens daily)
Getting there: Board the T787 feeder bus and alight at PJ707 Seveteen Mall, before walking 3 minutes to Nice Bistronome.
What we liked:
It may not strike as a common French staple, but trust in the creamy slices of burrata cheese that lends a richness and savoury layer to slices of sweet figs served with it.
Additional Information
Address:
NICE Bistronome, 939, Jalan 17/38, Seksyen 17, 46400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
As we’ve mentioned before, reliably good French food has typically been hard to come by in the Klang Valley, especially around the turn of the new millennium with a nascant global food scene that was just beginning to find firm footing in the city. One of the only French restaurants to have made considerable headway from the generation is Café Café, which continues to attract generously filled tables come weekends since opening its doors back in 2002.
Contrary to what its name might suggest, this isn’t a café, but rather a full-fledged restaurant run by two Malaysian chefs who have cut their teeth toiling in French kitchens. Highlights such as luxuriously comforting bowls of vegetable bouillabaisse with buttery flakes of cut cod fish, as well as a melt-in-your-mouth cut of beef tenderloin served atop Bailey’s cream and sprightly peppercorns are evidence of their experience imparted on a menu that is deliberately concise without coming off as miserly.
Operating hours: 6pm – 12.30pm (Monday to Friday), 6pm – 11.30pm (Saturday and Sunday)
Getting there: Board the T418 bus and alight at the KL1780 Perumahan Awam DBKL bus stop, before walking 4 minutes to Café Café.
What we liked:
The vegetable bouillabaisse impresses with its bold flavours comprised of aromatics such as garlic, saffron, and thyme that take pride of place, complemented by fresh cod fish.
Additional Information
Address:
Café Café, 175, Jln Maharajalela, Kampung Attap, 50150 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Built upon the bedrock of an already well-loved French bistro of days bygone that used to take the moniker of 2OX, Restaurant Dominic continues to retain much of its charm and appeal with comfortable ease. Led by namesake owner and executive chef Philip Dominic and his wife, Sara, the laborous proving grounds of Austria and Italy have led to the rise of their crown jewel situated along the fashionably covetable Jalan Doraisamy stretch. And we don’t use the term fashionable lightly, either.
Sporting a chic al-fresco dining area that leads into an elegant main alcove swathed in cream-washed wood panelling and dark furniture, Restaurant Dominic is equal parts a treat for the eyes and the tastebuds. Speaking of the latter, a Franco-Mediterranean menu that diverged just far enough from 2XO’s more conventional bistro offerings became a blueprint for success, as indicated by plates of ravioli served stuffed with bright tangerine ocean prawns and mascarpone, or roasted barramundi fillets on a bed of risotto cooked in smoked cheddar.
Operating hours: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm (opens daily)
Getting there: Board the Kelana Jaya LRT line and alight at the KL Sentral stop, before changing onto the KL Monorail. Then alight at the Medan Tuanku Monorail stop, before walking 6 minutes to Restaurant Dominic.
What we liked:
The roasted barramundi fillet is exceptional, retaining much of the fish’s bite without falling prey to mushiness, even when served with velveteen risotto.
Additional Information
Address:
Restaurant Dominic, 54G & 56G, Jalan Doraisamy, Chow Kit, 50300 Kuala Lumpur
Before Nice Bistronome, there was Château Dionne. Billed as a purveyor of French haute cuisine, co-founder and head chef Andy Choy’s debut venture into dining had in fact started with its original outpost in the cosmopolitan sprawl of Shanghai. Emboldened by his time working under such contemporary culinary luminaries as Guy Savoy and Gordon Ramsay, his own approach takes the same appreciation for fresh ingredients and seasonal adaptations to provide inventive delights.
As is the case with most traditional fine dining restaurants of a French provenance, the menu here is switched out every quarter to ensure that dishes make the most out of the produce that is available. Their latest Spring menu is indicative of this insistence on freshness, with a turbot dish cooked with artichokes and a buttery beurre blanc sauce proving especially delightful.
Operating hours: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm (opens daily)
Getting there: Board the T818 or T852 feeder bus and alight at K1170 Plaza Damansara (Barat), then walk 2 minutes to Château Dionne across the street.
What we liked:
Fresh turbot, which in itself is hard to come by in menus here, sumptiously prepared with a silky beurre blanc sauce, deserves a spot on your plate.
Additional Information
Address:
Château Dionne, 24G, Jalan Medan Setia 2, Bukit Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
As for another iteration on the traditional bistro formula in the very heart of downtown Kuala Lumpur, head over to the newly opened Les Bouchons for a treat. Finding enormous success in Singapore since the opening of its inaugural outlet in 2002, the famed restaurant expands beyond Lyonnaise fare that is typical for most bouchon-type eateries in France by offering a comprehensive selection of the country’s most notable comfort dishes.
Yes, steak frites is a signature staple that has to be included in every visit here, but you will be remiss not trying out one curiously named dish, dubbed the ’40 Garlic Chicken’. Served in a small ceramic pot, a whole chicken is browned and cooked to succulent perfection, basted in a heady butter sauce infused with sweet confit garlic and onions.
Operating hours: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10pm (opens daily)
Getting there: Board the Kelana Jaya LRT line and alight at the KLCC stop. Then walk 8 minutes to Les Bouchons.
What we liked:
The 40 Garlic Chicken is a must-have, staying true to its name with an assertively bold flavour that can only come courtesy of generously used aromatics. And possibly 40 cloves of garlic.
Additional Information
Address:
Les Bouchons, Lot 183, 1st Floor Jalan Mayang, Off, Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, Kampung Baru, 50450 Kuala Lumpur
You probably know by now that many of France’s most revered culinary codes can be traced back to the royal courts, that much is true. But by no means are antediluvian codes of etiquette and stiff upper-lips still a prerequisite when dining at a properly solid French restaurant. Especially not at Chez Gaston, which occupies a delightfully sun-lit corner lot in Bangsar that prides itself on humility. No polished parquet floors, no chandeliers, no crushed velvet. Just a welcoming sense of homey comfort.
The lack of chi-chi flash is reflected in founder Florian Nigen’s decision to pivot away from the stylishly popular nouveau-French fare, preferring instead to champion provincial flavours as his father’s own eatery in Brittany would have done. You won’t be caught off-guard here, with such staples as onion soup cooked with bacon and the quintessential French favourite, beef bourguignon, staying true to Nigen’s love letter to home-cooked meals.
Operating hours: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm
Getting there: Board the Kelana Jaya LRT line and alight at the Bank Rakyat Bangsar stop, before walking 5 minutes to Chez Gaston.
What we liked:
Sinfully tender beef bourguigon that yields with the briefest of bites deserves a mention for a hearty meal here, enveloped in a decadent douse of red wine sauce.
Additional Information
Address:
Chez Gaston, 12G, Jalan Bangsar Utama 9, Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
In French parlance, a ‘potager’ refers to a kitchen garden, typically maintained by restaurants or some private homes for the sole purpose of growing edible and medicinal plants. If you live in the Klang Valley, that phrase is most commonly associated with one of the most emminent new dining destinations to open in the past five years. The brainchild of Chef Masachi Horiuchi, who turned outwards in search of his next culinary chapter after the success of Entier, Potager’s ethos is immediately visible in its hyper-modern setting, mastefully incorporating a garden at the very center of its restaurant space that wraps circutiously around it.
The philosophy here is rooted in a deep appreciation of the local terrior, which is best expressed through the evolving degustation menus that harness only the best of local produce from any given time in use for its dishes. Expect to find new-found appreciation for humdrum native produce commonly found in Malaysia’s many morning markets, such as white corn from the fields of Cameron Highlands, masterfully enriched with elevated techniques.
Operating hours: 6pm – 10pm (Monday to Thursday, closed on Tuesday), 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 10pm (Friday to Sunday)
Getting there: Board the SJ150 feeder bus and alight at the KL585 Taman Rainbow Jalan Ipoh stop, before taking a brief 8 minute Grab ride to Bamboo Hills to find Potager.
What we liked:
The sweet indulgence of a white corn soup made using kernels from Cameron Highlands is a brilliant expression of Potager’s commitment to using local ingredients.
Additional Information
Address:
Potager, P-11, Taman Bukit Bambu, Off, DUKE, Taman Bamboo, 51200 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur
DC Restaurant, the gem of Chef Darren Chin’s pantheon of F&B brands, maintains a venerated position as being one of the first restaurants in Malaysia to be awarded a Michelin star when the accolade first debuted in the country back in 2022. But even before that, it has already impressed local gourmands with its ingenious melding of French techniques with Japanese sensibilities, which has often resulted in degustation menus that are in equal measures innovative in their construction, but faithful to thei origins of both culinary planes.
With a seasonal menu that rotates across the span of every quarter, it’s not often that you’d find signature dishes from a restaurant that makes a point of reinventing itself as often as DC does. But you can expect staple ingredients that are often favoured by Chin, such as his renowned use of quality cuts of meat, whether it be Miyazaki wagyu or Italian carima beef from the Padina Valley. Japanese seafood is similarly prized here, with scallops and lobsters poached off rocky shores as fresh as they come.
Operating hours: 6pm – 11.30pm (closed on Monday)
Getting there: Board the T814 feeder bus and alight at the Komersial Tun Fuad bus stop, before walking 2 minutes to DC Restaurant.
What we liked:
When presented with your choice of mains, make a point of sampling any dish that incorporates the use of beef and be richly rewarded in kind with sinfully mouthwatering marbling that renders on the tongue.
Additional Information
Address:
DC Restaurant, 44, Persiaran Zaaba, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Note:
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.