Cactus Inn

My husband and I went several times during our holiday and had great food each visit. We eat vegan, and they handled our dietary needs really well. The service was friendly too. I’d recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Langkawi.

The staff are naturally friendly and remembered both us and what we’d ordered on earlier visits. One of the older staff members even shared a few secrets about the dishes. The room has a cozy feel, with lights and posters on the walls, and it’s in a laid-back area. We took what was probably a four-minute taxi ride from the tourist area, and it was worth it. We’ve already eaten here for three days and will return before we leave. This is our favorite restaurant in Langkawi, and in Malaysia too, without a doubt. The food is inexpensive for the quality, and the beer comes very cold in chilled mugs at a great price. We recommend everything we’ve tried. Our favorites were duck kerabu, crispy duck a la cactus, Thai style beef, sizzling beef, and butter milk king prawn.

The meal was delicious, and the fried pineapple with ice cream was a lovely finish, light and well balanced while still satisfying a sweet tooth. Prices were reasonable compared with similar places nearby, especially for the quality and service. The service team was all women, while the chefs and cooks were men. It was refreshing to see the women confidently running the front of house. They were professional, courteous, and efficient throughout our visit. We had a thoroughly enjoyable time.

The service was friendly and efficient each time we visited, and the place gets busy, so booking ahead is a good idea. Just remember it’s cash only. We’d stopped in a couple of times for breakfast before coming for dinner on our last night. I wish we’d had dinner here first, because we would have come back. Breakfast was tasty, especially the French toast and the Cactus breakfast, a huge plate with chicken or beef, potatoes, peppers, onions, tomato, mushrooms, and cheese. The local coffee was great too. Dinner was just as good. We shared crispy wonton and spring rolls, then I had a spicy chicken dish with fried rice while my wife chose whole snapper with mixed vegetables. Everything was spot on. We finished a lovely holiday meal with a well-chilled bottle of white wine that was very good value.