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Café Malabar is a Kerala and Malabar restaurant at 142 Arab Street, Singapore 199828, in Kampong Glam — open daily from 10 am to 10 pm, rated 4.9 stars across 600+ Google reviews. This page answers the questions guests ask most: halal, reservations, vegetarian dishes, delivery, parking, prices and how to walk here from Bugis MRT.
Frequently asked questions about Café Malabar
- Is Café Malabar halal?
- Café Malabar serves authentic Malabar Muslim-heritage cuisine — no pork and no alcohol are served on the premises. For certification specifics, message us on WhatsApp at +65 8133 5071.
- Do you take reservations? How do I book a table?
- Yes, Café Malabar takes reservations. The fastest way to book is WhatsApp at +65 8133 5071 — tap any Reserve button on this site, tell us your date, time and party size, and we confirm your table by reply.
- Is there vegetarian food at Café Malabar?
- Yes. Café Malabar has a full Vegetarian Favorites section, including Veg Dum Biryani from $7.90, Paneer Butter Masala, Kadai Vegetable, Channa Masala, Gobi 65 and Gobi Manchurian, plus vegetarian breakfast breads such as puttu, appam and idiyappam.
- Do you deliver? Which platforms?
- Yes — Café Malabar delivers island-wide across Singapore through Foodpanda, and is also listed on Kerala Eats.
- Where exactly are you and what is the nearest MRT?
- Café Malabar is at 142 Arab Street, Singapore 199828, in Kampong Glam — a few doors from Bussorah Street and a two-minute walk from Sultan Mosque. The nearest MRT is Bugis (EW12 / DT14), about six minutes on foot via Victoria Street and North Bridge Road.
- What are your opening hours?
- Café Malabar is open daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM (Singapore time), including weekends and public holidays.
- Do you cater for groups or private events?
- Yes. Café Malabar seats 80 guests across its dining room, buffet hall and lounge, and hosts birthdays, family gatherings and private hires. Message us on WhatsApp at +65 8133 5071 to plan a group booking or set menu.
- What is Malabar cuisine and how is it different from other South Indian food?
- Malabar cuisine comes from the northern coast of Kerala, where centuries of Arab spice trade shaped the cooking. Compared with other South Indian food it leans on coconut, black pepper, fennel and warm whole spices rather than heat alone, and it is defined by dum-cooked biryanis, layered Malabar parottas, mandi rice, seafood curries and wheat-and-rice breakfast breads like puttu, appam and pathiri.
- What should a first-timer order?
- For a first visit at Café Malabar, order the Signature Dum Biryani (from $10.90), a Malabar Parotta with Beef Ularthiyathu ($9.90), and finish with an Avil Milk ($7.50) or a hot Sulaimani from the Chaya Kada. See the full menu.
- Is there parking near Arab Street?
- Yes — there is public parking within a short walk of 142 Arab Street: metered street parking along Arab Street and Baghdad Street, and covered car parks at Golden Landmark and Bugis Junction. Parking in Kampong Glam is tight at weekend dinner times, so the Bugis MRT walk is usually quicker.
- What is the price range for two people?
- Expect about $35 to $55 for two people at Café Malabar, in Singapore dollars. Most main dishes sit between $9.90 and $16.90, chaya kada drinks start at $1.00, and sharing platters such as Alfahm Mandi for two are $25.00.
- Do you have a chaya kada — traditional Kerala tea?
- Yes. Café Malabar runs a working Chaya Kada, the Kerala tea-shop tradition of pulled tea and evening snacks. Sulaimani spiced black tea starts at $1.00 for a cutting, and the counter also pours Malabar chaya, Mundhiri Kattan grape tea, Bru coffee and Milo, hot or iced.
Kampong Glam
How to Find Us
Café Malabar sits at 142 Arab Street, Singapore 199828 — a yellow shophouse with a red-striped awning, in the row between Baghdad Street and Bussorah Street.
From Bugis MRT (EW12 / DT14) — about six minutes on foot. Leave by Exit B onto Victoria Street, walk east past Bugis Junction, cross Rochor Road and continue along North Bridge Road, then turn left into Arab Street. We are on the right, before Sultan Mosque comes into view on Bussorah Street.
Walking from Haji Lane takes two minutes; from Sultan Mosque, one minute down Bussorah Street and left onto Arab Street. Street parking is metered along Arab Street and Baghdad Street, with covered car parks at Golden Landmark and Bugis Junction.
Still wondering something? Message us — or browse the full menu.