AB Coffee Brewers is located along Melaka’s Jalan Bunga Raya. — Picture by CK Lim (New users only) It's tax relief season! Get up to RM300 when you save with Versa! Plus, enjoy an additional FREE RM10 when you sign up using code VERSAMM10 with a min. cash-in of RM100 today. T&Cs apply. By Kenny Mah Tuesday, 26 May 2026 9:18 AM MYT MELAKA, May 26 — Just beyond the bustle of Jonker Street — and by that I include the wider tangle of Heeren Street, Jalan Tokong and little alleys such as Lorong Hang Kasturi — Melaka’s coffee culture has settled into something of a permanent café hop.Tourists drift from one specialty coffee stop to another, admiring hand brews at Coffeebar 125+ or squeezing past camera-toting influencers outside The Coffee Jar (both cafés are favourites of mine, by the way, and come highly recommended).The area thrives on its own curated charm: heritage façades restored for the Instagram generation, espresso machines humming behind century-old shutters.This trip we decided to turn away from the familiar current of visitors and wander towards Kampung Jawa instead. Further down lies Jalan Bunga Raya, once among the busiest commercial stretches during Melaka’s post-war heyday.Today the road is still full of locals seeking their regular bowls of wantan mee or plates of char siew rice — classic Malaccan eats that those who grew up here appreciate, as much for the nostalgia as their flavours.Here the atmosphere is a far cry from Jonker Street. Fewer tourists, for one. Gibraltar. — Picture by CK Lim This is where we find, facing the main road but surprisingly unobtrusive, AB Coffee Brewers.The café feels shaped by the memory of Jalan Bunga Raya itself. This was once a lively corridor of colourful store fronts in the 1950s, though much of that energy has faded as businesses shuttered and younger generations moved elsewhere.Rather than resisting that history, AB Coffee Brewers folds it into the design of the space. Terracotta floor tiles, inspired by Melaka’s long relationship with clay craftsmanship, lend the room an earthy warmth.That same warmth repeats in the effusive greetings we received upon entering the space. The baristas are more than happy to go through their menu with us, sharing their suggestions for coffee and little bakes. Filter brew. — Picture by CK Lim I decided on the Gibraltar, a drink I haven’t seen on a coffee menu in years. Two shots of espresso tempered by a modest amount of steamed milk.Served in the thick-walled Libbey Gibraltar glass from which the drink takes its name, I can’t help but notice the layers suspended in the glass, dreamy and delicate.Though often compared to a cortado — and known elsewhere as a noisette, Tallat or Garoto — the Gibraltar belongs to the brisk coffee culture of San Francisco, where it emerged sometime around the mid-2000s.Its appeal lies in proportion. There is enough milk to soften the bitterness of the espresso, enough coffee to maintain structure and depth.Not as airy as a cappuccino, not as severe as a straight shot. More enjoyable than either, if you ask me, given the right mood.Equally compelling is their filter brews. The one we chose is made with Ethiopia Nigusse Nare Murango Lot Q beans, roasted by Cheras micro-roastery Arkib.The fragrance carries notes of dried fruit and warm sugar, each mouthful layered with gentle sweetness. ‘Chai masala’ cheesecake. — Picture by CK Lim This is a coffee that rewards patience, revealing different textures and flavours as the temperature drops.Every sip feels like a breather from the Jonker crowds, especially with the well curated ambience. The lighting is soft without feeling dim, encouraging visitors to settle into their seats rather than rush through their cups.The food menu leans towards home-style bakes and desserts. First, a chai masala cheesecake; this Basque-style rendition has deeply bronzed edges with a softly trembling centre. We detect cardamom and nutmeg, but above all: heady cinnamon, my favourite.Then there is the panna cotta, the café’s specialty that is made in-house. Depending on when you visit, you can sample different takes on this Italian dessert.The sirap bandung version carries the fragrance of rose through sweetened milk, while a seasonal orange variation cuts through the cream with bright citrus oils and a faint bitterness. ‘Kuih talam’ panna cotta. — Picture by CK Lim But my favourite has to be their kuih talam panna cotta. Pale green and perfumed with pandan, it balances grassy sweetness against the savoury richness of coconut milk. A touch of salt smoothens the creaminess and sweetness.Light, yes, but it feels decadent nonetheless.What AB Coffee Brewers offers, ultimately, is an unassuming “drop by if you like” atmosphere that has become increasingly rare in heritage districts polished for tourism.Here, customers are encouraged to linger over coffee, sink deep in conversation, or simply lepak for an hour or two without feeling hurried along by queues outside the door. The café has an unassuming, ‘just drop by’ atmosphere. — Picture by CK Lim Perhaps that is its greatest luxury. Away from the dense throngs orbiting Jonker Street, AB Coffee Brewers still feels calm, separate from the churn of Melaka’s café circuit.Will that serenity survive the years ahead? Who can say? For now, though, it remains a space worth savouring slowly.AB Coffee Brewers87, Jalan Bunga Raya, Kampung Jawa, Melaka.Open daily 8am-8pmPhone: 017-948 3543IG: https://www.instagram.com/abungaraya* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.