Cafes in Ipoh – 9 Best Coffee Shops 2023

Best known for Concubine Lane, street art and old town charm, there is also a multitude of coffee shops and cafes in Ipoh to enjoy.

Ipoh’s coffee shop and cafes are mainly based in old school colonial style buildings, often blessed with courtyards and huge open spaces. Some of the best coffee shops in Ipoh can also be found away from the old town area (Grab taxis are so cheap here).

From brews with views to a Harry Potter themed cafe on Concubine Lane, here is our guide to the best coffee shops and cafes in Ipoh (all of which are open as of December 2023):

You might like – Things to do in Ipoh, Malaysia >

1. Platform 9 ½; the Harry Potter Cafe in Ipoh

‘Potter’ along to Perak in Malaysia and you’ll discover a (unofficial) Harry Potter Cafe in Ipoh called Platform 9 ½ (‘cos 9 ¾ might result in legal action from J K Rowling eh).

Located along the famous Concubine Lane, Ipoh’s Harry Potter Cafe is a magical place with lots of theming and interiors plus special themed coffees and cold brews like butter-beer and butter cream soda float.

The coffee here too is surprisingly good and much cheaper than some of the other coffee shops close to Concubine Lane.

Perhaps the best spot to pose for photos and enjoy your coffee at Platform 9 ½ is the themed courtyard, which is next door to the cafe and recreates an English style cobbled street complete with bookshops and other British building frontages – kinda cute.

There is also a rainbow staircase to pose on plus a balcony with seating that looks out over the courtyard and Concubine Lane below.

Read our full guide to visiting Platform 9 ½ coffee shop in Ipoh here >

Opening Hours: Open daily from 11am weekdays (and from 10.30am on weekends and public holidays) until 6:30pm.

Address: Platform 9 ½, 22 Panglima Lane, 30000 Ipoh

You might like – Guide to Concubine Lane in Ipoh >

2. être Patisserie

Located in the Taman Canning neighbourhood and supplier of sweet treats to many of Ipoh’s top restaurants, etre Patisserie coffee shop is a little slice of heaven (plus cake).

With bright white interiors and incredible cabinets full of decadent desserts, we’d rate this as one the best coffee shops in Ipoh.

The first thing you see as you walk in is a very delicious dessert range from mille feuille to caramilsed croissants.

We opted for a matcha canale and a raspberry macaron which did not disappoint; the hot drink range was also really good.

Very European in style and dessert range, we visited just before Christmas so the place was decked out in incredible decorations plus had themed treats like gingerbread men mille feuille wearing Christmas hats.

CK Travels tip – combine a trip to Etre Patisserie with a visit beforehand to Canning Dim Sum, just a short two minute walk down the road. The dim sum here is incredible (and colourful!) and very good value plus staff showcase each dish at your table. Arrive early if you want to get a seat as this is one of the most popular restaurants in Ipoh, especially at weekends.

Opening Hours: Open daily from 10am to 6:30pm (to note though it was closed one weekday when we tried to visit so if you are making a special visit, drop them a line beforehand).

Address: être Patisserie, 30, Jalan Lee Kwee Foh, Taman Canning, 31400 Ipoh

You might like – Kek Lok Tong Temple in Ipoh guide >

3. Chloe.co Cafe in Ipoh

Another Ipoh cafe / French patisserie that opened in the old town in late 2022 very near to Concubine Lane, Chloe. Co is a large, lucious cafe with quirky desserts like strawberry monster scones.

They specialise in all-butter croissants (think Nutella croissant, almond croissant etc) plus Berliner boules (donuts) and canales. 

We tried a matcha canale for 7 MYR and a smiley face scone. We liked the fact our hot drinks were also served with small chocolate chip biscuits – nom!

Probably the largest cafe in old town Ipoh taking up two shop spaces, Chloe Co cafe is warm and welcoming (very good air-conditioning) although it is a little more on the expensive side.

Not our favourite Ipoh cafe experience but it is a nice place to escape the hustle and bustle of Concubine Lane and devour picture perfect pastries in comfortable surroundings.

Opening hours: Open daily from 10.30am to 10pm (one of the few Ipoh cafes that stays open until late)

Address: 55, Jalan Market, 30000 Ipoh

You might like – the best coffee shops in Melaka, Malaysia >

4. Flufff Pancake Cafe

Flufff is all about sssublime… sorry, sublime souffle pancakes served with coffee or tea.

Located immediately next door to Chloe.co, Flufff is another new restaurant and cafe in Ipoh (it opened in late 2022).

Whilst Flufff’s interior may feel like a school canteen, it is all about the pancakes.

We visited on a couple of occasions and both times went for the biscoff caramel coffee souffle (very good value at 18 MYR and enough for two). This was a fine, fuffy jiggly souffle pancake, with cream, caramelised coffee sauce, nuts and a bounty of biscoff crumble.

Other Flufff pancake flavours included, Nutella hazelnut souffle, niko neko matcha souffle plus mixed fruits and strawberry and cream souffle

Visitors are asked to order via a QR code on the table then pay at a nearby counter – on our first visit, our biscoff pancake arrived literally seconds later after paying.

As well as coffees and cold drinks, this also a nice place for brioche buns, French toast and big breakfasts. We tried their pasta dishes; mushroom aglio olio and smoked duck aglio olio for 22 MYR. Both were good but nothing spectacular – stay for the pancakes!

Opening Hours: Open daily from 12pm until 10:30pm

Address: Flufff, 55A&57A, Jalan Market, 30000 Ipoh

You might like – Things to buy in 7-Eleven Malaysia stores >

5. Purple Moon Lover Cafe in Ipoh

One of the most weird and wonderful Ipoh cafes we visited was Purple Moon Lover, located in the Canning neighbourhood (around a 15 minute taxi ride away from Ipoh old town).

Talk about quirky cushions and interiors! Purple Moon Lover is a curious Ipoh cafe that puts the bling into coffee bean.

The chairs are golden throne style chairs with bird upholstery and larger than life cat cushions. There is also a Manga comic book library if you want to bring out your inner ‘otaku’.

Better yet, Purple Moon Lover has the best themed treats and desserts in the whole of Ipoh. This cute coffee shop has Totoro themed cakes and Belgium poo poos (we aren’t sure to be honest), plus Christmas deer lollipops during our visit in December 2023 (all of these incredible desserts cost 18 MYR).

Another speciality of Purple Moon Lover is amazing meringue coffees that come with cute characters on top. We went for something more straightforward – a hot latte for 9.50 MYR and cold mint choc drink for 14.50 MYR

To be honest, we didn’t rate our drinks (the mint choc drink was plain & not very minty) but Purple Moon Love is worth it if you want some decadent desserts or instagrammable and cute cakes.

Opening hours: Open 7 days a week from 10am on weekends and 11am on weekends until 8pm.

Address: Purple Moon Lover, 53, Jalan Lee Kwee Foh, Taman Canning, 31400 Ipoh

You might like – guide to Saloma Bridge, Kuala Lumpur’s most ‘lit’ free attraction >

6. Aud’s Cafe

We discover Aud’s cafe in Ipoh quite by chance, after stumbling on it after exploring the nearby bookshop located in a former bank vault (Book Xcess Ipoh – one of the most interesting things to do in Ipoh old town).

Unlike some of the other Ipoh old town cafes, Aud’s is all about the quality of coffee and drinks. The vintage interiors are a world away from the modern cafes you’ll find elsewhere but we loved this place.

We were drawn in by the ice-cube coffee (which didn not disappoint) – it even came with serving instructions which felt very Willy Wonka-esque.

Other hot and cold drinks at Aud’s cafe included a whole range of avocado smoothies plus a half coffee, half cola drink – now that will be one heck of a caffeine blast.

Simplistic with warm and welcoming staff, Aud’s Cafe is an old town Ipoh coffee shop that is well worth seeking out.

Opening hours: Open Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm

Address: Aud’s Cafe, 97, Jalan Sultan Yusuff, 30000 Ipoh

You might like – things to do in Langkawi, Malaysia >

7. Old Town Kitchen cafe

One of the cheapest coffee shops in Ipoh, we really enjoyed the cold Kopi at Old Town Kitchen Cafe (and the food was scrumptious and inexpensive too).

Whilst most of the ‘cool’ coffee shops in Ipoh charge between 8 to 16 MYR for most drinks, the Old Town Kitchen Cafe charges just 2.90 MYR for hot kopi and 3.90 MYR for iced coffee – and it was one of the best we tried (if you like strong coffee that is).

With friendly staff & great food, this is a perfect Ipoh coffee shop for budget travellers or those that just appreciate good value for money. After coffees, stay around for a rather n-’ice’ bowl of cendol (a popular Malaysian) for just 5.90 MYR.

Opening hours: Open daily from 11am to 9.30pm

Address: The Old Town Kitchen cafe, 49, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, 30000 Ipoh

You might like – things to do in Georgetown, Penang >

8. People’s Park Chang Jiang White Coffee

One of the more unique cafes in Ipoh that is as popular with locals as it is tourists, the People’s Park Chang Jiang White Coffee cafe is renowned for its traditional style coffees plus its interiors.

Quite unlike any other coffee shop, the Chang Jiang white coffee shop is based on a beautiful old worlde style wooden hut with Chinese furnishings in the People’s park, close to the river.

At night, the whole park is lit up by fairy lights so it is a magical place to enjoy a brew or two.

Given it is traditional Malay coffee here using condensed milk, the coffee isn’t for all tastes but other drinks are available. Here you can also try hot food dishes like Kaya Toast (we found this quite an ‘acquired’ taste – so sweet!).

After visiting People’s Park Chang Jiang White Coffee, head to Paloh Khoo Miu next door, one of Ipoh’s most beautiful Buddhist temples.

Opening hours: Open daily from 8am to 10pm

Address: 61, Jalan Bijeh Timah, 30000 Ipoh

You might like – Guide to Jalan Alor, KL’s most famous night market >

Our Final Best Coffee Shop in Ipoh

9. OldTown White Coffee Ipoh Padang

OK, whilst we know this is a chain cafe and not exactly an independent Ipoh coffee shop, the OldTown White Coffee Ipoh Padang is not a bad place to grab good inexpensive coffee in nice surroundings.

Overlooking Ipoh’s green Padang park and next door to Ipoh tourist info, this chain coffee shop has a HUGE menu of food plus the biggest range of oat milk drinks we’ve even seen.

They alo have a ‘Freezy’ iced coffee range boasting coffee bean treats like caramel peanut butter coffee freezy for 14 MYR.

We just went for the old town white coffee (hot) for 5.90 MYR hot – just remember don’t add sugar as it is served so sweet as it is (our spoons could stand up unaided almost given all the sugar)!

OldTown White Coffee Ipoh Padang is certainly a bare bones affair – there is no latte art here but is an OK place for coffee, snacks and more (escpecially if you want to escape the rain or sun after a long day of sightseeing).

Open until 11pm, the OldTown White Coffee cafe overlooking Padang Square has the longest opening hours of any Ipoh cafe and coffee shops – great for night owls in need of a caffeine fix.

Opening hours: Open daily from 9am to 11pm

Address: OldTown White Coffee Ipoh Padang, 3, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, 30000 Ipoh

Famous Ipoh coffee shops that have now closed down

Rene’s Cafe

This popular Ipoh town coffee with teddy bears appears to have closed down in October / November 2023.

Other Malaysia blog posts you might like

• Things to do in Ipoh Guide
• Guide to Concubine Lane in Ipoh
• Tasik Cermin (Mirror Lake) in Ipoh Guide
• Kek Lok Tong Temple in Ipoh
• Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh by Train or Bus
• Top things to do in Langkawi, Malaysia
• Cameron Highlands attractions: the ultimate travel guide
• Things to do in Georgetown Penang, Malaysia 
• The perfect 2 week Malaysia itinerary and travel guide
• Cameron Highlands attractions: the ultimate travel guide
• Tasting local Malaysian delights on a Kuala Lumpur food tour
• Top things to do in Melaka, Malaysia
• Jonker Street Night Market Melaka / Malacca guide
• Penang Street Food Guide
• The River of Life, Kuala Lumpur 
• Georgetown’s street art in Penang – ultimate guide

Did you enjoy our best Ipoh cafes and coffee shops blog post? Let us know in the comments or by sharing it on social media.

You can follow CK Travels on: 
Instagram
Facebook
TikTok 
YouTube
Pinterest