ALTA Café Bangsar — Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

Updated Review 5th Feb 2025

From my first visit to Alta Bangsar some time in between MCO 2.0 and 3.0, I fell in love with how quiet and laid-back this cafe is.. located at the popular stretch of Jalan Bangkung in Bangsar.

Every morning, people can be seen tucking into their coffee quietly while working, or engaged in quiet conversations.

◾Trout Roe Omelette RM32 with house made creme fraiche, smoked trout roe and fresh herbs - one of the very few moment where I actually had breakfast early in the morning and it felt good. The omelette was well-made with still runny texture, similar to the style of egg that I prefer. The trout roe gave it a lovely touch with its smokiness and explosion in the mouth (literally as the trout roe exploded when I bit into it). Simple yet awesome! ◾Artisanal coffee in the form of long black and flat white quickly provided us the kick and energy to brave the challenges ahead.

Their menu is given a change once in a while to keep a fresh perspective to the patrons.

Come dinner time this cafe turns into a bar serving their famous burger and other small plates + snacks, and the concept is loosely based on European wine bars.

Old Review: Sausage Egg McMuffin - upgraded version!

Once upon a time when I was still in my 20s, when Nokia and Motorola still ruled the market, I would wake up early and then start looking for breakfast place. One of my favourite places to go at that time was McDonald (please, don't blast me!) because some outlets open 24-hours and I love getting my Sausage Egg McMuffin fix. But now

Some time during between MCO 2.0 and 3.0, I brought her to Alta for the very first time as this cafe was listed in my note. We were having a tuna open sandwich which we thought was great coupled with great coffee - and then had to wait until recently to come back again.

Located one the first floor (above a dental clinic) of the quieter row of Jalan Bangkung in Bangsar, it felt like entering an oasis of serenity as I pushed the door opened. Everyone was seen doing their work quietly, while tucking into their morning coffee and breakfast (if any).

◾Green Omelette RM24 - Spinach, Rocket, Baby vegetables, Tomato & Aged Parmesan. Imagine the flat omelette (not the rolled ones) topped with tomato inspired sauce (forgot to ask exactly what it was) and then loaded generously with lots of rockets and spinach and then drizzled with shaved parmesan. ◾Trout Roe Omelette RM26 - Homemade Creme Fraiche, Trout Roe & Soft Herbs. Same as the green omelette but more interesting play of flavours with all the elements.. creme Fraiche, trout roe and the herbs combined to give an explosion of flavours (literally.. as the roe exploded as we took a bite) in the mouth. I was in love again! ◾Brunch Roll RM25 - Herby Sausage Patty, Fried Egg, Cheddar, Chili Jam Aoili on Brioche!! Man this brought me back to the memory of having Mekdi's popular breakfast but definitely in a more refined and atas way. To me, the chicken sausage patty was perfect with melted cheddar on top; perfectly fried egg with runny yolk on top of the patty; sandwiched between two soft but buns. First bite and the yolk just spilled on the plate - messy breakfast at its best! ◾Special mention - long black coffee which to me, was a good quality one as I could taste the fruitiness and acidity which normally "normal" long black didn't have.

Come Thursday until Saturday, they are opened for dinner where natural wines and dinner menu take over. Come for their signature burger (the brunch roll is their second best seller.. according to them!) Which I couldn't comment as I dont take beef.

Their menu also can once in a while to keep everything in fresh perspective, but their coffee alone warrant a...

Summary: A curious little cafe that gets some things right, but misses on others. Not cheap either, so choose your orders carefully

On the 2nd floor in Jalan Bangkung, it's a residential coffee shop that offers some above-average food and drinks. It's spacious with open kitchen and coffee bar, and a comfy place to work or read with lunch or coffee

Alta's burger is famous online - a dual-stack smash cheeseburger fully dressed with onions, pickle and secret sauce. I don't believe smashburgers have really caught on in KL, but the one we had today won't convince anyone. The beef was so undercooked it still fell apart when poked with a fork! Obviously bright red and raw inside, it was quite gross to eat. We showed it to the staff and they asked if we'd like a new burger, but after having a few disgusting bites (especially with the heavy sauce), it left us quite nauseous, so we didn't bother. We hoped they would take it off the bill, but they didn't, and in fact the chef literally shrugged when we sent it back! Not impressive!

The scrambled eggs and peppers tartine was unbalanced, with the peppers too sour and overpowering, as well as a bit soggy. With the scrambled eggs normally seasoned, this dish needed a stronger savory element.

In better news, the welsh rarebit with eggs was very good (the milk toast is an interesting touch, and the eggs were nicely gooey), and the homemade Stracciatella had a perfect texture and consistency, though I'd have preferred it with just olive oil and salt/pepper rather than the honey they served it with.

The best dish we tried was the anchovy orrechiete (they used conchiglie today) - the anchovies are delicious but not overly salty or fishy, nicely complemented with the minced shallots. The lemon on the side is a perfect balancing element. They let you squeeze it yourself, and I recommend being liberal. Pasta was perfectly al dente, and this is an example of how a simple dish done right is more than a simple dish.

They also offer a range of natural wines, which are priced above 200/bottle. Kind of a cool idea for a coffee shop, though, as with everything here, a bit pricey.

Overall, if you are nearby Bangkung, you could do worse than Alta, but I wouldn't travel to visit. Coffee was fine and some dishes were very good. On the other hand, we weren't impressed by how they cooked and handled the burger situation, and for the prices, EVERY-thing should be good, not just selected dishes. Coffee shops are a dime a dozen in KL, so I doubt I'll be...

I gave this place 5 stars two years ago, and after a few return visits, I figured it’s time for an updated review.

The quality of the burger has remained consistently good, the Alta you know and love : simple, no-fuss, no-frills menu that delivers what it promises. Unfortunately, the fries were pretty disappointing soggy and underwhelming. We ordered extra fries too thinking it should be good but dang was it a letdown.

What’s noticeably dipped is the service. It’s unclear whether you should seat yourself or wait to be seated. Sometime it takes awhile before a menu arrives, then you queue at the counter to order often greeted by someone who looks like they’d rather be anywhere else.

There were also instances where we sat down, only to be told we couldn’t sit there because we were just two people, and had to move to the patio which is quite hot. It’s a pet-friendly spot, and drinking water is self-service which is fine, but the overall experience felt less welcoming than it used to. AC is not really great here too if you’re looking for a spot to hang for many hours.

2 years ago : Superb burgers with burst of flavours! Heard a lot good things about the burgers here and came to try their signature Alta burger and Burger roll for variety. For burger lovers and big eaters, one burger may not be enough since the portion is quite small and has no sides. I personally feel that it was just right and I appreciate the thoughtfully curated menu.

Alta Burger - Dare I say, everything a burger should have is here. Angus beef, double patty, onions, special sauce on potato roll. The crunchiness of the onions brings out all the flavours of this juicy burger.

Brunch Roll - Herby sausage patty, fried egg, cheddar cheese, chilli jam aioli on brioche. Sounds a tad lacklustre based on description but I can assure you it will MELT in your mouth. The egg yolk oozes out and makes it a very wholesome meal.

Place is very laid back, airy and bright with an open kitchen so you can see the chefs hard at work. I highly recommend...