Grumpy Bagels KL Review

I'm an American who knows a good bagel, so when I saw Grumpy Bagels blowing up all over social media in Kuala Lumpur, I was excited and a little skeptical. I first spotted it while researching what to eat in KL, and then I caught the founder on the local news talking about opening a second shop.¹

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In this guide 6 sections

A lot of aesthetic cafes in KL go viral for the photos, and the food ends up being just okay. We were spending three months in KL, so we had to go test Grumpy Bagels ourselves and see if it could hold its own against the bagels we're used to back home. It passed, and Grumpy Bagels is worth the wait.

Is Grumpy Bagels Worth It? My Quick Answer

• Our score: 9/10. The bagels have real chew, and the food lives up to the hype.
• What to order: the everything bagel with scallion cream cheese, the garlic cream cheese bagel, and the triple chocolate bagel
• Price: about RM100 for three bagels and two lattes. That's a bit high for KL, but fair for the quality.
• The wait: 20 to 40 minutes near opening. Go in the mid-to-late afternoon to skip it.
• Where: 5 Jalan Kamuning, off Jalan Imbi, a short walk from The Exchange TRX mall
• Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on Tuesdays (check its Instagram before you go)
• Good for: a proper bagel fix and a slow breakfast, not a laptop session

Want to stay nearby? Grumpy Bagels is in Imbi, right next to Bukit Bintang, where we lived for three months, and it's the area we'd stay in.

Watch Our Full Taste Test

Want to see our live reactions (and the line)? You can watch our full video review below!

Arriving at Grumpy Bagels: What to Expect

We got there pretty close to opening, and I was shocked to see a 20 to 40-minute line already. Looking back, it makes sense. It's a breakfast place! They run the line really well, though. You scan a QR code at the door, get a number, and track your place in line on your phone.

The wait is outside in the KL heat, but they have chairs and big industrial fans set up for you. Be warned, those fans are strong. My only real complaint was that my hair got completely messed up while we waited!

Once you get inside, the space is great. It's a trendy cafe with huge windows and tons of natural light, which is perfect for photos. It's a big room with plenty of tables, so even though it's loud and busy, it never felt cramped.

What We Ordered at Grumpy Bagels

You order at the front counter, where all the bagels sit in a glass case, and they bring everything to your table. We went all out.

1. Everything Bagel With Scallion Cream Cheese // The Classic Test

We had to start with the classic test. The bagel had nice weight to it, and the texture was spot on, with that chewy bagel feel we look for back in the US. The scallion cream cheese was full of flavor, but it's a little thinner and sweeter than what you'd get at a New York deli.

2. Garlic Cream Cheese Bagel // The Surprise Favorite

This one was a real surprise! It came toasted, with a layer of roasted garlic baked on top and garlic cream cheese stuffed inside. It tasted almost like a cross between a bagel and garlic knot pizza crust. If you love a savory breakfast, you can't go wrong with this one.

3. Triple Chocolate Bagel // A Dessert Bagel Like a French Pastry

I've never seen a stuffed chocolate bagel like this before. It had chocolate over the top with toasted almonds, and the inside was stuffed with a rich chocolate filling that tasted like a French pastry. It wasn't too sweet, either, so it felt balanced.

4. Toffee Nut Latte // Poured Right to the Brim

They gave us beautiful latte art on this one. It was poured right to the brim, so I had to be really careful with that first sip. It was light and frothy, and the nutty toffee flavor came through right away.

5. Dirty Matcha Latte // For Matcha Lovers

This one had a deep green color and more latte art on top. If you're a matcha lover, you're going to love it! The matcha is strong and earthy, and since it's a dirty matcha, the espresso shot balances out the green tea and gives you a good morning kick.

Grumpy Bagels Prices and Tips

• Prices: our spread of three bagels and two lattes came to about RM100, or roughly $23.25. That's a bit high for KL, but fair for the quality.
• Best time to go: skip opening time. Go in the mid-to-late afternoon, when the breakfast rush is over and the line is shorter.
• Working from here: leave the laptop at home. Nobody rushes you out, but it's loud and busy, so come to eat and enjoy, and save the work for a quieter cafe.
• Staying nearby: Bukit Bintang is a short walk away, and it's where we lived for three months. Our guide to where to stay in Kuala Lumpur compares the areas.

Our Verdict on Grumpy Bagels

Going in, I expected a trendy spot made for Instagram photos. I was really happy to find out the food actually lives up to the hype. The cream cheese is a little different from what we get back home, but the chew of the bagel and the quality of everything else are so good. If you're an American missing a proper bagel, or you just want a great breakfast in KL, Grumpy Bagels is worth the trip. Just go in the afternoon if you want to save your hair from those fans!

See where it landed in our ranking of the 13 best restaurants in Kuala Lumpur. Visiting from out of town? Our Kuala Lumpur travel guide covers where to stay and what else to do.