Some trips are about the destination, and some are about the event. Our long weekend in Kuala Lumpur at the start of October was both: four days of eating our way around the city, rooftop drinks with the Petronas Towers glowing in front of us, and two days at Sepang International Circuit for the Malaysian Grand Prix. The racing was everything I hoped it would be. Getting to and from the track… less so. More on that below.

Thursday: Twin Towers and a lemon-tree dinner

We landed, checked in to the Element Kuala Lumpur, high up in Ilham Tower near KLCC, and spent the first few minutes with our faces pressed to the window: the whole skyline, KLCC Park and the Petronas Towers right there. Not a bad way to start.

Late afternoon we walked through KLCC Park to the towers for the obligatory neck-craning selfie. Race week was everywhere already: there was a Mercedes F1 show car on display at the base of the towers, and inside Suria KLCC the atrium had been taken over by a giant Grand Prix screen and fan setup.

Dinner was at Natalina Italian Kitchen in Avenue K on Jalan Ampang, a gorgeous dark-blue dining room with little lemon trees, marble tables and brass lamps. Lamb chops and pappardelle in a rich ragù hit the spot after a long travel day.

Friday: brunch, Bukit Bintang and the best night of eating

We started slow with brunch at Ra.ft Café, a few minutes’ walk from our hotel, complete with a bunny drawn in my latte and a big plate of eggs, sourdough and bacon.

In the evening we headed to Pavilion in Bukit Bintang, where Puma had set up a “House of Speed” event. Think a giant inflatable racing driver lounging outside the mall, and team banners for McLaren and Ferrari hanging over a packed fan zone inside. A quick shawarma stop at Damascus kept us going until we hit Jalan Alor right as the sky turned deep blue. Red lanterns strung across the street, satay smoke, plastic stools and wall-to-wall people: it’s touristy for a reason and you should absolutely go.

Jalan Alor night market at dusk with red lanterns strung over a crowded street
Jalan Alor just after sunset

We ended up just around the corner at Indian Empire for butter chicken, a rich lamb curry, biryani and more garlic naan than two people should eat. It was one of the best meals of the trip. We finished with a beer at Gravy Baby on Changkat Bukit Bintang, which is lively most nights.

Saturday: first day at the Malaysian Grand Prix

After avocado toast at VCR on Jalan Galloway (a must for coffee people), we made our way out to Sepang International Circuit, about an hour south of the city when the roads are clear. We had three-day passes for the K Grandstand, which cost US$490 each. We skipped Friday’s practice day to explore the city, so we only used two of the three days.

And the track itself is awesome for watching a race. The K Grandstand has a huge covered roof (essential in the Malaysian heat), and we looked down on a sweeping corner with the long straight and the pit buildings behind it, so you can follow the cars through several sections of the lap. Hearing the cars come through that corner for the first time gave me goosebumps. Me in Ferrari red, Steve in McLaren papaya: the friendly rivalry was strong all weekend.

A McLaren F1 car taking a corner at the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit
The view from the K Grandstand at Sepang

We got back to the city, dressed up and finished the night at Sky51, the rooftop bar on the 51st floor of EQ Kuala Lumpur, looking straight onto the towers. The view of the Petronas Towers lit up at night, with the red glow of the bar’s railing, is just unreal. If you only do one rooftop bar in KL, make it one with a tower view.

Me at Sky51 rooftop bar with the Petronas Towers lit up at night
Sky51, with the Petronas Towers right behind me

Sunday: Malaysian Grand Prix race day

Race day started with goodie bags in the car and high spirits… which slowly faded as we sat in traffic. It took us roughly two and a half hours to crawl the last stretch into the circuit. Once inside, we explored the hillside viewing areas, which have great views over the back of the circuit, before settling into the K Grandstand for the race.

The two of us in McLaren gear in the K Grandstand on race day at the Malaysian Grand Prix
Race day at the K Grandstand

Then the rain arrived and the start was delayed, with the whole circuit sheltering and waiting. It was worth it. Once they got going the race was amazing: the noise, the crowd, the colour of every team’s fans packed into the stands. Max Verstappen took the win, which neither the Ferrari fan nor the McLaren fan in our group wanted, but it was a brilliant race to watch. After the chequered flag the party kept going with a post-race concert from Martin Garrix, lasers and all, and we danced with the crowd until late.

Queue of cars inching toward the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang on race day
Race day traffic into Sepang

The not-so-great bits

I want to be honest for anyone planning to go to the Malaysian Grand Prix:

  • Getting there and back takes forever. On Sunday it took about two and a half hours to get into the circuit. Getting home was worse: we were packed onto a shuttle bus at around 10:45 pm, still sitting in traffic on the KLIA highway just before 1 am, and didn’t walk into our hotel until nearly 2 am. Budget way more time than you think, and bring water and snacks for the ride.
  • Very few food and drink vendors. For a crowd that size, there were surprisingly few stalls, and the lines were extremely long. You can easily miss part of a session just waiting for a drink. Eat a big meal before you go and bring whatever you’re allowed to carry in.

Would I go back to the Malaysian Grand Prix?

Absolutely. Kuala Lumpur is a brilliant city for a long weekend: incredible food at every price point, great rooftop bars, and the F1 buzz all over town during race week. Sepang is a fantastic circuit for watching the Malaysian Grand Prix once you’re actually in your seat. Just go in knowing the logistics are the hard part, plan your transport carefully, and don’t count on the circuit to feed you.

Where we stayed, ate and drank

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