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Makan Café

4.3 (38 reviews)
InexpensiveMalaysian
Closed 9:00 am - 9:30 pm

Makan Café Photos

MAKAN CAFÉ ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Outdoor seating
Good for kids

Recommended Reviews - Makan Café

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Makan Cafe
Zoe H.

I LOVE LOVE Makan- after a day strolling through Portobello market there's nothing better than sitting down to a tasty plate of Malaysian cooking. For only £4.95 choose two dishes with either rice or noodles- the spicy red chicken and chilli chickpeas are my favourites. There is also great selection of starters- chicken puffs, crab claws, samosas and spicy crackers. Makan is a no frills eating venue but the food never disappoints.

Satay with rice! Really juicy.
Andrea N.

We went to this quaint, little cafe at about 9.30am and had the satay with rice (~£6), nasi lemak (~£6), roti canai (~£4) and teh tarik. As a Singaporean, I can tell you that the food was pretty authentic and extremely tasty. The satay was tender and well-seasoned, I couldn't resist a second helping. The teh tarik was also so good we ordered two more cups of it. Needless to say, we finished every last bit of what we ordered. A small downside would be that (obviously) it was significantly more expensive than what it would've been if ordered in South East Asia, but definitely still very affordable by London price standards. Eating here made me very, very happy.

Meike B.

Makan has been around for good few years. Located under the Westway it took over the cafe next door a while back. A firm favourite with locals it is busy throughout the week, not just on Saturdays when the area is taken over by tourists. It speaks for Makan that they do so well despite very basic tables and chairs and no interior deco to talk of. They offer a good choice of dishes and I always struggle to make a choice - not been disappointed yet, but quite frequently suffer from food envy when the person next to me is brought a plate that looks even more delicious than mine. Laksa is probably the most healthy as the only thing that prevents me from eating here more often is the dominance of fried food.

Sarah D.

For the best banana dumplings in town head to Makan Malaysian restaurant opposite Portobello market. The food is cheap and tasty, under a fiver for curry and rice, and a refreshing change from the many Thai restaurants that seem to populate the Notting Hill area. Choose from chicken, lamb or fish or from the many vegetarian dishes available. There is also a great selection of Malaysian cakes and freshly ground coffee. A great place to sit and watch the busy and colourful market opposite whilst you eat.

Sizzling chicken noodles.
Sauharda A.

Went on a cold day, craving something warm. This place was just what I wanted. Friendly staff greeted me upon entry and the queue was moving swiftly. Ordered the sizzling chicken noodles which tasted very good. It tasted fresh and was piping hot when it arrived. The prices on the menu are very reasonable and a person can leave happy and satisfied having paid under a tenner. Would visit again if I pass by.

English breakfast
Ayah W.

A family friendly place, in the heart of Portobello, owned by Malaysians. We were greeted by the owner with a smile and a welcome. I was sad we didn't sample any of their ethnic dishes. Instead my group and I got the English breakfast. To be fair this is probably not their specialty, so I will go easy on them. Although this was my first time eating an English breakfast, it was mediocre. I did enjoy all the halal meets on my dish, and the tea was delicious. I would go back to try their Malaysian food.

Qype User (daniel…)

The Makan Cafe on Portobello is another great example of an unprentenious, good quality eaterie on the Portobello Road. The interior is not anyway too fancy, in fact it can look a bit grubby at times. However, with Makan serving a variety of thai dishes, with the main meals consisting of either fish or chicken, it's a healthy alternative to some of the fast food joints (or the more prentenious and expensive restaurants in the local area), Makan is recommended as a enjoyable munch and a welcome relief after a day shopping at Portobello market.

Malaysian milk tea+fried chicken+rice=£7.3

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5 years ago

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4 years ago

Excellent food, went with my wife a couple of times and going again this weekend. What a gem of a find.

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10 years ago

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11 years ago

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10 years ago

Quick, cheap, delicious. Don't let the modest interior deter you, the food is excellent. Love the veg curries, crab claws and coconut cake.

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13 years ago

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8 years ago

Delicious food! Nothing fancy about this place, but I have to say the food was really good! Friendly service too which always a bonus!

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Makan Café Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - Makan Café

A very enjoyable meal having spent the day visiting the Portobello Market and finding some gems are great prices.

Mentioned in 6 reviews

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Lagenda Malaysian & Chinese Restaurant - chicken satay at Lagenda Restaurant

Lagenda Malaysian & Chinese Restaurant

3.5(4 reviews)
1.1 miBayswater

Honestly, I was sadly disappointed by my recently meal at Lagenda…read more I ordered takeout via Uber eats and while the food came quickly, nothing about it was particularly enjoyable. First off, I ordered an avocado sushi roll and clearly requested the addition of cucumber. When I got the roll, it had no avocado and only one slice of cucumber in the entire thing. It also tasted strangely like fish (even though it's a veggie roll). I also ordered vegetable gyoza. I requested that they be steamed instead of fried but came fried and very very greasy with a bitter chili sauce. Bummer.

Lagenda delivers tasty Malaysian food, and it was just steps from our hotel…read more Let's start with the food...I enjoyed everything I ate. I started with a clear chicken and mushroom soup. The broth was better than a similar standard Chinese soup...it was kicked up with a healthy amount of black pepper. For my main, I had a salad of hard boiled egg, tofu, carrot, and cabbage in a chunky peanut sauce. It was not as sweet as Thai peanut sauce, and I appreciated it. Finally, I sampled some roti canai. Perfectly toasted roti bread with a savory and spicy chicken curry for dipping. The service was five star. The manager waited on us, and he was extremely friendly and attentive. He answered menu questions in detail and did not charge us for extra roti. So why no 5th star? My partner's laksa curry was too pungent and fishy tasting, and the prices are on the high side. All the above mentioned food, with some nonalcoholic drinks, cost 55 pounds w. tip, or $79 at the current exchange rate. Give it a try! I Would go back but order less.

Photos
Lagenda Malaysian & Chinese Restaurant
Lagenda Malaysian & Chinese Restaurant
Lagenda Malaysian & Chinese Restaurant

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Malaysia Hall Canteen

Malaysia Hall Canteen

3.7(25 reviews)
1.0 miBayswater
£

They say you can only come inside this basement terrace canteen located right next to the Malaysian…read moreHigh Comm, if you have a Malaysian passport or if someone with one brings you inside. Not me, I sneaked in somehow. Fav hang out for Malaysian students, abang, Kakak, Adik, Pakcik, Makcik and kakis. Cheap and result delectable Malaysia fares

This is the place if you want absolutely legit Malay food in London. The eating establishment (I'm…read morenot calling it a restaurant) is located about 8 minutes walk from Bayswater station. It seats about 30 persons and is furnished in a no-frills way similar to coffeeshops or hawker centers in Malaysia and Singapore. But rest assured - the place is clean, so is the food and the food handling looked appropriate. It is located in the basement of some economic accommodation hosted by the Malaysian embassy so they do specify that this is for Malaysians and their guests though they don't really check IDs. But the menu is in Malay and you do have to understand what food you are picking out as there is no printed menu or pictures so this 'advisory' makes sense. I had the nasi campur while I was there - 1 fried chicken drumsticks, a piece of egg omelette, acar, white rice and teh tarik. You had about 16 dishes to choose from. Everything looked and tasted exactly as I remember it in Singapore and Malaysia, right down to the yellow stains on the fingers from the fried chicken. It was wonderful. They also have items like nasi goreng (fried rice), Mee goreng (fried noodles), roti canai, nasi lemak rendang as well as Malaysian desserts. The prices are incredibly reasonable (my meal cost me 6.5pounds) so it must be one of the cheapest eats in London. In summary, absolutely worth a visit for Singaporeans or Malaysians craving Malay food and, for non-Malaysians looking for authentic Malay food, go find a Malaysian/Singaporean friend and go!

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Malaysia Hall Canteen
Malaysia Hall Canteen
Malaysia Hall Canteen - Aubergine in coconut milk

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Aubergine in coconut milk

Putera Puteri

Putera Puteri

3.0(2 reviews)
0.8 miBayswater

A down home Malaysian restaurant in the neighborhood. The place is small and often crowded and it…read moretook a while to find a table there. We ordered Hainan chicken fried rice, duck in coconut sauce, char kuey teow, and chicken rendang. Our companion asked for a chili pepper sauce,nwhich was quite hot and complimented the dishes. Unfortunately they were out of several dishes as they were in the process of swapping out their menu offerings.

Having eaten at this restaurant before, I was keen to go back for some more of their rendang and…read moreroti. A free-standing sign outside the entrance read "please wait to be seated". Dutifully, I stood by the sign and waited. A middle-aged, English looking and speaking man in a white shirt (which I later found out from a member of the waiting staff was the manager) shouted across to me (he was leaning on a chair at the time by one of the outside tables); he had evidently assumed I was not hearing impaired and was English speaking. However, with the noise of the rush hour traffic (it was approximately 5.15pm), I miss heard him and thought he said to wait (apparently he had said "go ahead in", or something similar. He then spoke again, this time louder, with no attempt to come closer, and with an expression that came across as one of annoyance, saying "do you want to sit inside or outside" , to which I replied "inside". He then led me to a table saying "you can sit here", and left me. Shortly after, a young asian member of staff in a black shirt took my order; thankfully, he was very pleasant and attentive. While eating, the manager in the white shirt reappeared and gathered the waiters and waitresses together and spoke to them at considerable length and loud enough that it was impossible for me to ignore. Fortunately, I was eating alone and not trying to have a conversation with a dinner date. Sadly, although the rendang is good, it is not good enough to make me want to go back to this restaurant again. I do not appreciate being shouted at from across a restaurant so that I have to strain my ears to hear and raise my voice in response so as to be heard. Perhaps the sign "please wait to be seated" should be changed to "please wait to be shouted at".

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Putera Puteri
Putera Puteri
Putera Puteri

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Gold Mine - Salted Fish Fried Rice with Diced Chicken

Gold Mine

3.9(96 reviews)
0.9 miBayswater
££

Great food! Good service and decent ambiance. I really enjoyed the food here. It's certainly some…read moreof the freshest and best ducks I've ever had. It was great! I also had the dim sum shrimp dumplings. Two dishes that were filling for one (and I eat a lot). The food was packed with flavor and it was a good experience. When in Chinatown, be sure to check them out and enjoy!

Originally I was going to meet family here for a meal (most likely Chinese food) but life happened…read moreand it wasn't logistically possible this trip. Before leaving London, I had to have Chinese food at least once. My relatives living here mentioned it was pretty good so I had to see for myself. I looked on Yelp and found Gold Mine. It wasn't too far away from us and the pics looked good. Reviews were mostly all good too so we decided to dine here as our last dinner in London. It'll also be a month before we get to eat rice again so we had to get our last fix in. The restaurant is spacious and a typical looking Chinese restaurant. Staff here all speak proficient English and Chinese. Most of the customers were Chinese so that was a good sign. Mink and I took a look at the menu and ordered Hot & Sour Soup (Chicken and Seafood), Half Roast Duck Cantonese Style with no bones, Salted Fish Fried Rice with Diced Chicken and Hot Tea. It didn't take long for our order to get to us because we ordered as the restaurant started filling up and beat the dinner rush. By the time our order got to us, the restaurant was full. The food overall was quite good so we can see why. We did add gratuity but felt a little pressured to do so when paying but overall, it was a good experience dining here.

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Gold Mine
Gold Mine - Half Roast Duck Cantonese Style w/no bones

Half Roast Duck Cantonese Style w/no bones

Gold Mine

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Makan Café - malaysian - Updated May 2026

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