James Brooke Bistro & Cafe

Fantastic ambience on the water. Great atmosphere lighting to sit and watch the water and the action along the boardwalk. Delicious laksa! My mom wanted western food but I wanted local and they had both. I would have been happy to go back for every meal. Service was great and prices were very reasonable.

Don’t let the lovely waterfront location and colonial feel fool you, the food is delicious. The service is friendly, the beer and wine a welcome addition. My husband is still raving about the fish curry, a boneless filet in top notch curry sauce. My butter chicken made me so happy. We ate here twice and both times ordered local rather than western items. Such an atmospheric view and feeling.

If you do come here, it would be for the waterfront view and the cosy garden atmosphere. If value-for-money is your top priority, look elsewhere, especially when it comes to the local delicacies. But I must say the prices are more than reasonable for the locale. Not that they are badly done - the Sir Charles Laksa was delicious but very close to the Mi Rojak Ayam you can find at the Kopitiam. Staff were very helpful and responsive. It was great to walk along the Waterfront after a nice dinner.

Had a delicious meal here, their Sarawak Laksa is Gluten Free!! Most of their dishes involving rice or rice dishes are coeliac friendly!! Food was so flavourful and the local food was incredibly well priced considering the waterfront location of the restaurant! Staff were very friendly and attentive, it’s a shame we found this place on our final night as I would’ve loved to have come back for another meal.

Went for a late evening beer and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere, friendly service and cold drinks.

We actually just stopped for drinks and the owner or manager gave us free ice cream for our kids. It was a hot day and we had just walked the waterfront. Lovely atmosphere and unique decor with books on Sarawak and Malaysian culture. Very friendly staff.

We ordered the Sarawak Laksa and the Wild Borneo Laksa. Both tasted very good!
Both the service and the atmosphere are good.
Nice little place at the waterfront.

The place is very nice with a beautiful view. We had the family grilled chicken. This was very good! The other dish was the buttered chicken which was nice but nothing special. Both of us had a juice and we spent about 73 MYR in total. So its a little expensive.
They didn't serve both dishes together (the buttered chicken came about 10 minutes earlier). In my opinion this should not happen cause we'd like to eat together.

Go for the wild Borneo Laksa, really delicious!

First time trying Sarawak Laksa, it is really nice. The potato wedges and sweet potato wedges were delicious! They were well seasoned / marinated. Food was slightly delayed as we came in a group of 10, which perhaps the staff may not have anticipated. They do have grab orders to fulfil as well.

Ate here twice and the food was good and the ambiance relaxing- quirky furniture and quiet music. If you sit near the entrance there are great views of the river and the fountain light show at night in the distance. It is also one of the few places to serve beer, as many local restaurants frequented by locals are dry. highly recommend it....

Had a great Chicken Curry (signature dish)!

My parents and I initially wrote this off when we first walked past - what a mistake!! We ate here twice during our week in Kuching. Excellent value for money: sure, a little pricier than your usual cafe but an excellent place to spend the evening with a cold beer and delicious laksa. My dad particularly recommends the dory fillet. The staff were very helpful with my mum's shellfish allergy.

This restaurant has very delicious food and drinks. The prices are relatively high compare to the other restaurants. But, besides the quality of the food and drinks, it is surrounded by the river view and a beautiful garden. The visitors who mostly come to this restaurant are tourists.

The food is heaven on a plate! Excellent cooking and fantastic taste. Spice but right on the edge.
I can recommend the orange chicken! I wanted the plate not to end so delicious. Also the laksa is very good!
Service is shy but very friendly.
The restaurant is situated at a great spot at the river with a nice view.
Whenever i will be back in Kuching this will be the place where i will go again definately!

Good food, good service, great location, well worth it.

This restaurant became our go-to place for coffee or meals as it's so nicely located on the waterfront, and the food is good.

The coffee is very strong, get a half cup and top it up with milk.

Laksa is excellent.

Highly recommend it.

Very good food and service. Good environment beside the river. Ordered Sarawak laksa and Borneo laksa. Both are good.

Our favourite place to eat everytime we visit Kuching. Tried all dishes on the menu and they are all delicious.

Probably the best Western food available in Kuching, now that THE JUNK food standards have dropped. Great ambience for afternoon beer and beautiful River view.

It's a rainy day, and I sit there enjoying the river view. The food is ok but quite pricey, but a significant portion.