Best Burgers in Kuala Lumpur: Ramly and Beyond

The best burgers in Kuala Lumpur come in two forms: the Ramly burger, a griddled street burger sold from roadside stalls after dark, and the halal smash and grilled burgers of Bangsar, Bukit Bintang, Mont Kiara and Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI). Start with a Ramly stall for the local benchmark, then compare it with a restaurant burger.

The Ramly burger is a Kuala Lumpur story. Ramly Mokni and his wife, Shala Siah Abdul Manap, started making halal patties at home in the city in 1978, and the brand opened its first patty factory in 1984. At the stall, the cook fries the patty on a flat griddle, often wraps it in a thin omelette, and finishes it with mayonnaise, chilli sauce and shredded cabbage. Halal is the default on most of the city’s burger menus, so beef and chicken lead and pork is rare. Look for the JAKIM logo, Malaysia’s official halal certification, on the door.

Burgers in Kuala Lumpur: key facts

• Local specialty: the Ramly burger, cooked on a griddle and often wrapped in egg, sold at evening stalls and Ramadan bazaars.
• Neighbourhoods to explore: Bukit Bintang in the centre, then Bangsar, Mont Kiara and TTDI for sit-down burger restaurants.
• When locals eat: late. Street stalls and mamak restaurants, run by Indian-Muslim Malaysians and often open around the clock, keep the city eating after midnight.
• Currency: Malaysian ringgit (MYR).
• Getting around: LRT, MRT and monorail lines cover the centre; ride-hailing apps fill the gaps.

Every guide we publish on Kuala Lumpur is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. To compare cities, browse all our burger restaurant guides.