Old-school cafes in Melaka
Melaka is home to numerous attractions that include food spots that has made the state a popular tourist destination in Malaysia. Besides the street food and speciality dishes that hails from here, you’ll also find cafes hiding out in alleyways and on streets in the vicinity of Jalan Hang Jebat, or Jonker Street.
We rounded up eight cafes with old-school charm near this well-known street that you can visit for delicious food in comfy spaces.
1. Vintage Green Cafe – old-school book cafe
Image credit: @vintage_green_cafe
Vintage Green Cafe is a charming cafe that lets you get away from the bustle of local attractions in a cosy space surrounded by books and knick-knacks. It’s the sort of spot you can expect to find in a town steeped in history.
They happen to be housed inside The Daughter, a quaint shop in the area that sells vintage and preloved items, which lends to the cafe’s old-timey feel.
Image credit: @vintage_green_cafe
Patrons with appreciation for old things and books can scout out postcards, knick knacks and more while ordering food and drinks.
Bookworms will be glad to know that they’ll get to pick out any book on the shelf to read while dining here too. Spot a variety of English and Chinese fiction and non-fiction books from as low as RM5.
Various seating arrangements at Vintage Green Cafe
Image credit: @vintage_green_cafe
You won’t be missing out on Melaka’s popular offerings at this cafe either. A speciality that is popular in the state – gula melaka – is incorporated into their drinks, including Gula Melaka Black (RM10), Gula Melaka Latte (RM10) and Gula Melaka Matcha Latte (RM11).
There are breakfast plates and desserts to fill up your bellies too, such as a Cake of the Day (RM10/slice) with options of cheesecakes and more, and their hearty Fully Full (RM20) – an all-day breakfast platter of bread, sausages, egg, bacon, ham, and salad.
Address: 13 Jalan Bunga Raya 75100 Melaka City, Melaka
Opening hours: Thu – Tue 9AM-5PM (Closed Wednesdays)
Telephone: 012-205 5422
Vintage Green Cafe Instagram
2. Alley No. 5 – cafe in a heritage house with onde-onde cheesecake
One of the fun parts of playing tourist in Melaka is finding hidden gems that aren’t easily spotted by many. Alley No. 5 happens to be one of these tucked-away spots in town.
This cafe is located in a heritage house on a quiet laneway – you might miss out on their discreet entrance if not for the wooden sign out front and rattan chairs on its porch. It’s a whole different ballgame once you’re inside the cafe, where a spacious, cosy space awaits that is flooded with natural light and fitted with various seating arrangements.
Grab a seat and cool off with their Affogato (RM10) for espresso and vanilla ice cream, or Shakerato (RM12) for foamy, chilled espresso. They also serve a selection of alcoholic drinks, with options such as Tiger (RM13) or Guinness (RM14) by the bottle.
Image adapted from: @mary_ding93
Don’t miss out on their unique Onde-Onde Cheesecake (RM12/slice), which blends Melakan speciality of palm sugar and rice cake with cheesecake. Other cakes you’ll find here are Lemon Cheesecake (RM12/slice) and Matcha Cheesecake (RM12/slice).
Croissants with fillings of Tuna (RM8) or Ham, Egg and Cheese (RM10) are other light bites you can order here.
Image credit: @msfoodhunter
Address: No.7 Jalan Kampung Kuli 75200 Melaka City, Melaka
Opening hours: Mon – Wed 12PM-8.30PM | Fri & Sat 12PM-6PM & 8PM & 12AM | Sun 12AM-8.30PM (Closed Thursdays)
Telephone: 016-415 5097
Alley No. 5 Facebook | Instagram
3. The Upper – plant-filled cafe serving Western mains
Image credit: @david_lee_491
The Upper is a plant-filled retro cafe in Little India. They occupy two floors of a heritage building in the area, and have become popular for their Instagram-worthy decor that include neon signs and vintage-inspired decor.
Image credit: @donamic_ng
Aesthetic decor aside, the cafe serves Western cuisine such as steaks and pastas for hungry patrons. Start off with appetisers such as Buffalo French Fries (RM10) and Crispy Fried Calamari (RM12), before delving in their mains. Their menu features hearty dishes such as their speciality The Upper Fish & Chips (RM28) with in-house dipping sauce, and Smoked Duck Aglio Olio (RM18) which has a slight kick.
Various seating arrangements – from armchairs to benches and window bunks – at The Upper.
Image credit: The Upper
If you’re opting to fuel up on caffeine instead, go for their classic offerings of Americano (RM9) or Latte (RM10). There are also flavoured takes of caffeine drinks, such as their Soya Bean Coffee (RM11) – black coffee sweetened with soya milk – or Vanilla Latte (RM12).
Image credit: @daniel.chia_
Address: 52, Jalan Temenggong 75000 Melaka City, Melaka
Opening hours: Thu – Tue 12PM-11PM (Closed Wednesdays)
Telephone: 012-679 9231
The Upper Facebook
4. Second Floor Coffee House 貳樓咖啡 – coffee art
Level up your regular cup of coffee at Second Floor Coffee House, where you can request to have your favourite Disney animated figure or anime character in the form of latte art to top off your drinks.
Image credit: @chiaaayennn
To get a cup of coffee with personalised latte art, simply order a drink from their Hand Drawn Coffee Art menu list, which has options of Cafe Rose Latte (RM11.90) and Honey Coffee (RM9.90).
Their non-caffeine drinks such as Rose Milk (RM11.90) and Premium Chocolate (RM12.90) also come with these artworks, so even those who aren’t into caffeine aren’t left out of the fun.
Take a break at Second Floor Coffee’s eclectic space with vintage decor
Image credit: @gtr_myphotography
Besides their coffee drinks, Second Floor Coffee House also serves interesting milkshakes, including Milk Tea Milkshake (RM12.90) and Beershake (RM17.90) – which is similar to root beer, but with a touch of alcohol.
Once you get hungry, order from their menu where you can find pasta plates, rice dishes and more.
Image credit: @ziyi998
Their Signature Otak-otak Pasta (RM15.90) – spaghetti noodles tossed with savoury fish cake – is a good one to go with for flavourful pasta that has rich flavours of otak-otak. Likewise, their Fusion Rice dishes also features interesting, flavourful options such as their Salted Egg Fried Squid Rice (RM12.50).
Or try their Mille Crepe Cakes that come in eleven different flavours – from Signature Rainbow (RM14.90), to Gula Melaka (RM13.90) and Earl Grey (RM14.90).
Image credit: @2ndfloorcofeehouz_
Address: 25, Jalan TKL 2/17, Taman Kota Laksamana, Seksyen 2, 75200 Melaka City, Melaka
Opening hours: 11AM-12AM, Daily
Telephone: 011-6093 8793
Second Floor Coffee House Facebook
5. Sharing Plates – seven types of pancakes
Sharing Plates is a sister cafe of well-known The Daily Fix cafe on Jonker Street. This is why you’ll find similar Instagram-worthy aesthetics at this cafe – open-bricked walls and hanging ferns, and tiled walls and floors, for a tasteful blend of the old and modern decor.
Sharing Plate is is located just a convenient 3-minute drive away from Jonker Street
Image adapted from: Sharing Plates and Sharing Plates
A highlight among customers is their pancakes, which come in seven different flavours. Some interesting ones to get besides Classic Pancake (RM13) are Local Pandan Pancake (RM12) and Durian Pancake (RM17), which comes with durian cream and a drizzle of gula melaka syrup.
Their Salted Egg Yolk Pancake (RM17) is a savoury option worth trying out too, which is served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and a side of salted egg yolk sauce to go with fluffy pancakes.
Image credit: @whatameeraeats
If you’ve worked up an appetite before dropping by this cafe, there are rice dishes, burgers, pastas, and toasts on their menu too. This includes their Surf ‘N’ Turf Tacos (RM20), with sweet mango dressing over tender pulled beef and spicy garlic butter prawns.
Image credit: Sharing Plates
For drinks, they have flavoured coffees of Hazelnut Latte (RM11) and Caramel Latte (RM11), as well as signatures of Salted Gula Melaka (RM12) coffee and Signature Coconut Milk Latte (RM12).
Address: 143 Jalan Bendahara 75100 Melaka City, Melaka
Opening hours: 10AM-11.45PM, Daily
Telephone: 013-520 8332
Sharing Plates Facebook
6. The Coffee Jar – micro-roaster coffee shop
Image credit: @aumlyme
Another hole-in-the-wall gem just a street over from the bustling Jonker Street is The Coffee Jar. They are known for their coffee drinks brewed with their own in-house coffee beans that are grounded in their shop so you know they take their cups of coffee seriously.
Image credit: @lynyee
Sample their freshly-ground coffee beans in their cups of Espresso (RM7) or Americano (RM8). If you prefer your coffee on the sweeter side, there are options of Latte (RM12) and Matcha Latte (RM12) too.
Image credit: @cheewah
Besides coffee, they also have freshly-baked cakes, such as Cheesecakes (RM11/slice) and Tiramisus (RM16/slice), as well as espresso-and-vanilla combo, Haafragato (RM18) for those hotter-than-usual summer days in Malaysia.
Address: No. 38, Lorong Hang Jebat, 75300 Melaka City, Melaka
Opening hours: Mon, Wed & Thu 10AM-5PM | Fri – Sun 10AM-6PM (Closed Tuesdays)
Telephone: 012-281 5100
The Coffee Jar Facebook
7. Coffeebar125+ – pour over coffee and bagels
Image credit: @ivankhs
A lesser-known cafe located just a three-minute drive from Jonker Street is Coffeebar125+, a neighbourhood coffee shop with eye-pleasing decor.
When they aren’t operating as an event space for local art-related events, they serve pour-over coffee and bagels for those who a classic pairing of caffeine and carbs.
Image adapted from: @mikalee_fitness
Choose from cups of Flat White (RM10) to Latte (RM11) if you find yourselves needing a caffeine booster. Or go with their non-caffeinated options of Homemade Kumquat Lemonade (RM6) and Masala (RM10), which is a flavourful blend of spices in hot coffee.
Coffee connoisseurs will have options of pourover coffee too. Try out different coffee beans from around the world, such as Bali Kintamani (RM20) and Honduras Caballero El Puente (RM16), which is served in a pot.
There are light fresh bakes to go with your drinks, such as HK Style Egg Tarts (RM4) and Portuguese Tarts (RM5), or bagels (from RM7) with fillings such as azuki cheese or cream cheese.
Address: 125 Jalan Tengkera, 75200 Melaka City, Melaka
Opening hours: Mon – Sat 9.30AM-4.30PM (Closed Sundays)
Telephone: 019-211 5883
Coffeebar125+ Facebook
8. Locahouz – floral art lattes
Image credit: @may_phang90
Another coffee shop in Melaka that is known for their over-the-top cups of coffee that come with pretty floral decorations is Locahouz. The cafe boasts one photo spot after another – including a plant-filled courtyard – but it’s their cups of coffee that draw steady streams of customers to their doors.
These floral drinks are part of their Drink Of The Day menu, as fresh flowers used for their latte art changes every day. But you can expect decadent cups of Amethyst Caffe Latte (RM15) and Lychee Cherry Blossom Cappuccino (RM13), which all come decorated with fresh flower decorations.
Image credit: @iceskycoldly
For food options, there are dishes such as Pork Burger (RM21.90) that has bacon and pork patty, and pumpkin paus that come with different fillings. Opt for the Kampung Cheesy Egg Pumpkin Bao (RM15), or their coffee-marinated Special Coffee Pork Belly Pumpkin Bao (RM24.50) that’s a treat for meat lovers.
Image adapted from: @ndaismail
Address: No 8, Jalan Bukit Cina 75100 Melaka City, Melaka
Opening hours: Thu – Tue 10.30AM-6PM (Closed Wednesdays)
Telephone: 019-679 3993
Locahouz Facebook
Cafes near Jonker Street in Melaka
Melaka is popular among locals looking to explore their own backyard for attractions and more. These cafes with vintage and eclectic decor are when you can go to for coffee and more while you’re playing tourist in the heritage state.
Read more food guides here:
- 15 cafes in KL for coffee connoisseurs
- 11 bakeries in KL & PJ for fresh bakes
- 11 cheesecake places in Klang Valley
Cover image adapted from: The Upper, @sabrinanoms and Sharing Plates