It’s overshadowed by the larger and glitzier malls nearby, but the service and entertainment tenants make Avenue K a good mall for the nearby residents.
Avenue K is one of the many malls in Kuala Lumpur’s “Golden Triangle” of nightlife and shopping. It is steps away from the city’s iconic Petronas Towers and with a direct connection to the LRT. With only 100 stores in its compact space, Avenue K Shopping Mall seems aware that it can’t compete with big malls like Berjaya Times Square and Pavilion. Instead, it is presented as a social hub and “far from a regular mall.” Their tagline, “Make Friends, Create Trends,” evokes a community space where people come to relax, not shop.
Layout
Avenue K is small but tall. There are about 100 tenants spread across eight levels. It has a simple oval layout with no hidden hallways. When walking through the central corridor, you will be able to see every shop. Escalators and lifts will be at either end of the mall. It doesn’t take long to walk from one end of the mall to the other, probably less than three minutes.
Shopping at Avenue K
Avenue K is more on the “lifestyle mall” end of the spectrum. Based on the shop tenants, it feels like its primary purpose is to service the residents living in the surrounding condominiums. The directory is overwhelmingly services and food outlets. Tourists getting off the LRT should only stop here for a quick snack. You can find the same or nicer food options at Suria KLCC, though it will be much more crowded.
The entertainment options are noteworthy for such an unassuming mall. There’s the massive SuperPark Malaysia, which spans two levels. SuperPark is an indoor activity park for children and adults. There’s also a kid’s bounce park, Manekineko Karaoke, and the escape room Breakout.
Clothing has an abysmal selection with only ten different stores. Aside from a handful of speciality apparel, it’s large chains like Cotton On and H&M. There are also discount clothiers like Good2U and Max Fashion. If you’re looking for some basics, Avenue K might be a good option since these large, relatively inexpensive chains are in one place.
Every other store category has three tenants or less. There are a few empty shop lots at Avenue K Shopping Mall, but not so many that it’s depressing. A couple of tenants to note are California KL, an English learning school, and Primrose Hill, a school for children up to Kindergarten age.
Food at Avenue K
Casual Dining – Level C and UC
Almost all of the food & beverage options at Avenue K are on level C and UC. These are all fast food chains or casual dining restaurants. On the Concourse level, there were four coffee shops in quick succession of each other, helpful if you’ve just gotten off a long LRT ride. You can find quick and cheap favourites like Taco Bell, Empire Sushi, and Stuff’d.
Food City – Level 2
The Food City is a Pan-Asian food court at Avenue K. There was exactly one “Western food” vendor, while the rest were Korean, Vietnamese and other Oriental cuisines. There is a drink menu on most of the tables. I don’t hang out in many mall food courts, but this is the first time I’ve seen beer on a menu. The seating looked comfortable, and there was a high degree of cleanliness throughout the space.
Upscale Restaurants – Level 3
Level 3 has a dimly lit avenue across from a set of elegant wooden stairs. Eateries on the upscale side are here, such as Natalina Italian Kitchen, Farmer’s Bar and Ming Ren Xuan.
Washrooms
The toilets are in the middle on each level, except on UC where they are at the end near the H&M. The facilities were standard, with sitting toilets and paper in the stalls. There was also hand soap at the sink.
Extras
Event Park Rooftop Space
There is a simple outdoor area on the roof of Avenue K. Go out the doors near the Superpark Malaysia entrance on level 4 to get there. Looking at the mall’s website, they have grand plans for this space. There’s nothing out here yet, not even any proper seats or benches. It’s just a rectangle of green lawn and a view of the Petronas Towers. Avenue K is a quiet mall, but you can come up here if you want to be alone or enjoy some outside time with some scenery.
AK Library
Also on level 4 is the AK Library, a bookshelf on the side of the corridor with some benches. The book selection is just what’s on these shelves. It’s not very interesting, but the AK Library is here if you need to kill some time without staring at your phone.
Saturday Worthy?
Avenue K is not the place if you want to shop. Every store at Avenue K has a bigger and better counterpart at one of the many nearby malls. It’s silly to come here to do serious shopping when Suria KLCC is next door.
Avenue K Shopping Mall Info
Address: 156, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50450 Kuala Lumpur
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm Daily
Nearest MRT Station: KLCC
Stores and Floors: Roughly 100 over 8 floors
Shop Types: Food & Beverage, Services
Anchors: Village Grocer, SuperPark Malaysia
