If you want to spend an hour or so to relax in between sightseeing, here are our top picks for cafes in Cameron Highlands.
Many of these places offer coffee, refreshing beverages, scones, cakes, sandwiches, and hot meals. Some are much older than others but are still popular because of their European like ambiance.
Want to know which is our favorite? Keep on reading.
1. The Hidden Lab
Over at Cameron Fair in Tanah Rata township, is a small café that specializes in coffee. If you don’t feel like having caffeine, there are not many options besides South African Bush Tea (caffeine free) or bottled fruit juice.
Both the service and dining ambiance here feels warm and comforting. But big groups will not be too comfortable here as there are only small tables and few seats.
This little nook café has pastries, cakes, paninis, and sandwiches with salad on the side. You won’t have any scenic views here as the cafe faces a hotel.
And because of its central location, it can be busy in the mornings. It is particularly busy at 9am.
- Location: C-G-21, Cameron Fair, 39000, Pahang
- Opening hours: 7:30am to 7:30pm (Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)
- Contact: +605-485 1861
2. Cado Café
Cado Café is a new café in Brinchang township.
This is so far, our favorite café to visit when we’re in Cameron Highlands! Even if it’s by a noisy road.
You can read all about this café and our experience there over at this post.
- Location: Jalan Bandar Baru Brinchang, Brinchang, 39100 Brinchang, Pahang
- Opening hours: 10am to 10pm
- Contact: +6019-411 3808
3. Growing Seed Café
This modern café in Tanah Rata doesn’t open early enough for breakfast, but it does close quite late. It’s one of the more attractive cafes in Cameron Highlands.
They have a lot of plants to make up for their lack of a garden. More importantly, their menu has a lot to offer. And the café is work-friendly.
You can read our full review of Growing Seed Café here.
- Location: B8-1-7(S) HIJAUAN HOMES BLOCK B8 JALAN PMCJ, 2, Jalan Tengkolok, Tanah Rata, 39000 Tanah Rata, Pahang
- Opening hours: 11am to 10pm (Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)
- Contact: +6012-524 2900
4. Amsterdam Café
This quaint roadside café in Tanah Rata is popular with foreigners. Their coffee selection is wide, and the place is a comfortable breakfast spot if you’re staying in this part of town.
They have omelette, big breakfast, croissants, French toast, sandwiches, etc. The food is nothing to shout about but the coffee is good here.
If coffee’s not for you, they do have hot chocolate!
Note: Pesto pasta and mushroom soup are not worth ordering
Seating at Amsterdam Café is either inside, or outside.
- Location: 38, Tanah Rata, 39000 Tanah Rata, Pahang
- Opening hours: 8:30am to 4:30pm (On Mondays, they open from 9am to 5pm), Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays;
- Contact: +6011-1335 5122
5. The Lord’s Café
We’ve only been here a couple times but find that their food is decent – they have apple pies, scones, and cakes. They make their own jam for the scones!
Takeaway orders are popular here although you can sit down and enjoy their cozy and quiet atmosphere.
You can do some people watching too because the café is upstairs, and it gets some street views of Tanah Rata.
Their coffee follows a different style of preparation. They don’t prepare the coffee together with milk. Instead, there will be milk served with the coffee, and you will be able to add the milk to your coffee according to your preference.
In our opinion, tea is a much better option for beverages here.
The best thing about this café is its affordability.
- Location: Jalan Besar, Tanah Rata, 39000 Tanah Rata, Pahang
- Opening hours: 10am to 5pm (Closed on Sundays)
- Contact: +6019-572 2883
Conclusion
Take note of these cafes in Cameron Highlands if you want to go somewhere else for your tea break besides tea plantations!
If we had to choose our favorite, it would be Cado Café for the quality of their food and their spacious dining layout. That said, they’re also one of the most expensive options in this list!
PS: For even more options, we have a separate post on where to get the best scones in Cameron Highlands!
