The non-alcoholic beverage movement in fine dining restaurants is growing stronger day by day, recognising, perhaps, the inexorable shift toward health and wellness even among die-hard foodies.
Chefs and sommeliers around the world have therefore adapted to the needs of the increasingly sober-curious, proffering in their establishments a selection of zero-proof cocktail pairings designed for titillation without intoxication.
This wave has now broached the shores of Malaysia and especially its epicurean hotspots identified in the MICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2025, with many a restaurant now offering non-alcoholic pairings in lieu of the traditional boozy ones.
These concoctions of fruit and vegetables are more than just an inventive way to cater to the untapped crowd of teetotallers and the health-conscious — they’re also avenues to express Malaysia’s terroir to its fullest, spotlighting herbs, spices, and fauna native to the country’s diverse biospheres without having to worry about sending diners home in a taxi.
Dewakan
Two MICHELIN Stars, MICHELIN Green StarMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2025
Malaysia’s first and, for now, only restaurant to receive two MICHELIN Stars — denoting “excellent cooking, worth a detour” — is Dewakan, which, in a portmanteau of local parlance, means "food from God". The restaurant is therefore situated as such, ruling the roost on the 48th floor of the swanky Naza Tower with a stunning view and equally divine spread of locally and sustainably sourced Malaysian ingredients.
This selfsame bounty — albeit pickled, fermented, or otherwise transformed in-house — is also what forms the basis of its non-alcoholic pairing menu with seasonal drinks like a binjai and ginger torch flower kombucha.
Dewakan is located at 48F, Skyviews, Naza Tower, Platinum Park, 10 Persiaran KLCC, Kuala Lumpur, 50088, Malaysia. Book your table here.
Au Jardin
One MICHELIN StarMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur and Penang 2025
Charmingly tucked within the confines of a smartly decorated warehouse in Hin Bus Depot (now a community hub for the arts) is one-MICHELIN-Starred Au Jardin, chef-proprietor Kim Hock Su’s temple to homegrown Penang produce as expressed through the gastronomic techniques of the French.
Signatures on the restaurant’s degustation menu include a house-made sourdough partially inspired by thosai (a local fermented flatbread) and served with tomato chutney butter, as well as a cognac and hay-aged roast duck.
Au Jardin is located at The Warehouse@Hin Bus Depot, 125 Jalan Timah, George Town, 10150, Malaysia. Book your table here.
Molina
One MICHELIN StarMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2025
If you’ve got a hankering for fresh seafood and vegetables (plus three hours to spare), MICHELIN-Starred Molina is the restaurant for you. It represents the zenith of modern European dining in Kuala Lumpur both gastronomically — its executive chef Sydney Schutte previously led Amsterdam’s Spectrum to Two MICHELIN Stars — and physically, with the restaurant sitting pretty on the 51st floor of a skyscraper in the heart of the city.
You’ll have plenty of time to savour the view as you work your way through the redolent five- to seven-course tasting menus, available, of course, with beverage pairings — boozy or otherwise. Get the latter, and you’ll be treated to all sorts of boundary-pushing — but delicious — flavours like an earthy, sparkly medley of mushroom, truffle, coffee, blueberry, and Asian nashi pear.
Molina is located at Herengracht 542, Amsterdam, 1017 CG, Netherlands. Book your table here.
Gēn
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Gēn translates from Mandarin to "root" — and likewise, reflects chef-owner Johnson Wong’s own journey to recreate his roots, inflecting treasured heritage dishes from his childhood with modern culinary edge. The MICHELIN-selected restaurant pays homage to local producers, weaving a tale of Malaysia with the purposeful use of regional vegetables like petai (stink bean), buah kelim (jungle garlic),and Harumanis mangoes.
Find them celebrated in their own right as individual courses on the tasting menu, as well as turned into bespoke juices for the non-alcoholic beverage pairing.
Gēn is located at Unit 6, 8 Gat Lebuh Gereja, George Town, 10300, Malaysia. Book your table here.
Hide
MICHELIN SelectedMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2025
The name of MICHELIN-selected Hide plays on the fact that it’s, well, hidden in a secluded corner of a high-rise serviced residence.
Don’t let the wordplay distract you from the restaurant’s culinary influences though, as it wears its Malaysian colours with pride that’s evident in every plate, platter and wine glass.
Local flavours uplifted with international ingredients and techniques feature all across the tasting menu with courses like a begedil (fried potato fritter) impregnated with black garlic and bone marrow, and a Maine lobster burger brushed with tandoori butter. Booze-free drinks like a sparkling yuzu intermingled with Southeast Asian kedongdong, or an invigorating mix of tomato juice, garum (fermented fish sauce), and pepper make for a non-alcoholic beverage programme worth sampling with every turn of the menu.
Hide is located at Concourse, Ritz-Carlton Residences, 105 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, 50450, Malaysia. Book your table here.
Nadodi
MICHELIN SelectedMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2025
Nadodi means "nomad" in Malayalam and Tamil, and you’ll certainly feel like one as you’re swept on a culinary journey spanning the regions and diverse cuisines of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and northern Sri Lanka.
There’ll be South Indian bites thoughtfully repackaged for the fine-dining setting — and plenty of it as you progress through the spice-rich eight-course menu, though the zero-proof cocktail pairing will be there to keep you company. Beverages dreamt up at the in-house bar include an easy drinker of rock melon, honeydew, yuzu, and soda; as well as a citrusy blend of grapefruit, curry leaf, and tonic water.
Nadodi is located at Level 7A, Four Seasons Hotel, 145 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, 50450, Malaysia. Book your table here.
Potager
MICHELIN SelectedMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2025
Executive chef Masashi Horiuchi is a man on a mission. Armed with a war chest of culinary secrets from some of Europe’s foremost legends — think Robuchon, Groult, and Rabaey — the Fukuoka native has set up shop in Kuala Lumpur’s verdant Bamboo Hills, where he slings produce-driven grub assembled with French techniques and underscored by Japanese precision.
The seasonal menu at Potager embraces local ingredients both on and off the plate — an attitude that carries over to its non-alcoholic beverage pairing with such libations as a corn-focused fizz, a layered pumpkin drink, and a tea brewed on a base of cacao husk.
Potager is located at P11, Bamboo Hills, off DUKE, Taman Bamboo, Segambut, Kuala Lumpur, 51200, Malaysia. Book your table here.
Terra Dining
MICHELIN SelectedMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2025
Fresh out of its shift to a new neighbourhood, locavore outfit Terra Dining is now working with a fifth-generation family-owned tea producer in its deliverance of a zero-proof botanical pairing menu.
The teas and tisanes are exclusive to the partnership, which both parties say they hope to carry for the long term.
Depending on the progression of the meal, the teas are fortified with ingredients like mangosteen, Thai holy basil, roselle, and Sambung Nyawa Batik (a semi-succulent herb with roots in traditional medicine) to better complement chef Chong Yu Cheng’s repertoire of contemporary French-Malaysian plates.
Terra Dining is located at 91 Jalan Aminuddin Baki, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, 60000, Malaysia. Book your table here.
All images are courtesy of the restaurants. Thumbnail photo is from Terra Dining.
