Thymes Bar & Bistro

This place has eluded me for quite sometime mainly due to its location. It’s actually located along Jalan Sim Hua Seng (right in front of the locally popular Restoran Haji Tamrin) but what sets this eatery apart from the rest was the fact that it was once a bungalow that has been nicely renovated to its current state. I admit that it looks fancy and intimidating from the outside but after a nudge from my partner one day, we'd decided to just forgo any first impression and just go for it. And as we stepped into the place, we were thoroughly surprised to find out that the restaurant was actually more laid back then what we'd initially thought. It has a lovely 2 storey seating area and an al fresco area in front. If you’re planning to go during the weekends, it is advisable to call them beforehand to make a reservation, as they are usually packed with patrons (it was lucky for us that there's a single table for two available when we walked into the place without prior booking).

I was a bit surprised when I was given the menu as it was pretty extensive. The food ranges from your usual Western dishes to some local choices but with fine dining appearances. My partner’s personal choice for example, is your typical Crab Fried Rice but it comes with the actual crab shell and meat (with my partner seemed to be very enthusiastic in using their nutcracker to pry open said meat from its pinchers). And the verdict? My partner reckon that he will probably come back just for the dish, which says a lot about the taste. I took on their Grilled Chicken Chop (which was juicy with a medium sized portion) and we’d also shared an order of Buffalo Chicken Pizza (which I’m giving two thumbs up for its thin & crispy crust as well as the delicious chicken chunks on top).

** Current status – Has reopened and now known as a branch of Sage Cafe & Restaurant (as of June 2023)  

Updated on 25/05/2017 - Was very disappointed (and not to mention angry) with our second visit recently. All I can say is that avoid going there during peak days (such as after paydays, during public holidays etc) & do not EVER sit at their al fresco seating area as you will be totally invisible to them. We started ordering at 8.30pm and an hour later we still didn't get our food or drinks (mind you, I'd ordered ICE WATER - thank you very much!). When we check with them, the waitress thought that we'd just arrived and serve us the menu again! As it turns out, our original order was passed around & was 'accidentally' thrown out in the end. As if that wasn't enough, when we complain, they just looked at us as if we're overreacting & try to place the blame on us for supposedly moving tables (which I can assure you does not happen at all). Really, this terrible experience might be an isolated incident (but I highly doubt it since service doesn't seem to be their strongest point even before our unfortunate experience) but I'm just sharing my experience so hopefully you guys will get a better experience than I did.