Hillside Kokol

I had to visit this place after it went viral on TikTok! This cafe is on a hill, a bit far from Kota Kinabalu city center. The drive takes about 30-40 minutes, depending on traffic. The road goes through forests and villages, so drive carefully. The place is beautiful and very relaxing. There's plenty of parking, and it's easy to find a spot if you go during non-peak hours. To enter, you need to buy food or drinks. They have a good selection of beverages, snacks, pastries, and pizza. The prices are what you'd expect at a regular cafe. There's lots of seating, and what I loved most is that the cafe faces the sea, it's the perfect spot for watching the sunset. The restrooms are clean, the space is large, and there are many great photo spots. When I was there, I saw some ongoing construction, so maybe they're adding more features soon. If you're looking for a relaxing spot to unwind and catch a beautiful sunset, this is definitely a place you should check out.. Kudos to the management of Hill Side for creating such a wonderful place!

Hillside Kokol is one of KK’s most recommended sunset café spots. Especially if you enjoy views above the city and sea, relaxed vibes, and taking pretty photos while sipping coffee. It’s worth the hill drive for an evening chill session and scenic sunset setting. The view is great, but the café is quite average. Do note that it closes at 7 PM.

A wonderful ans beautiful spot for those who looking for sunset/sunrise or aesthetic photoshoot. You will need to spend and buy drinks before entering the premise. Personally for me the drinks and food is quite overpriced. RM10 just for tea and size of the pizza is really small too. Nothing really special about the food menu. There’s bakery as well inside it. People come here especially for the view, it will be very crowded during the weekend and you will need to find a parking spot up the road and you park at the roadside as well (park at your own risk). Staff is welcoming and they do assist in arranging the chair and table if you are in a big group numbers. Other than that, everything was okay, great experience, amazing view, nice interior decoration but drinks and food was overpriced in my opinion. Currently they are upgrading the Garden area, hopefull they will add more and more interesting thing here.

Everything was perfect here, the food and drink it is so cafe-ish, the service is the best and the location here is awesome. Food and drink is just right here, coffee orange chilling and refreshing at the same time. Flat white very good with deep dark roast. Lasagna is just nice as goes with the hot dog bun. Why I say service is best because the owner worry my 3 year old baby have difficulty eat lasagna and hot dog so she compliment with hot fresh rice and cream mushroom soup. The location is just amazing right on the spot. Amazing view of KK city with the sea.

Hillside Café at Kokol Hill, Sabah is a wonderful place to visit if you’re looking to enjoy a beautiful environment and scenic views. The café is located on higher ground, offering a refreshing escape from the city with cool air, greenery, and a calm, relaxing atmosphere. The moment you arrive, the peaceful surroundings and open views immediately stand out. The panoramic view is definitely the highlight here. On a clear day, you can enjoy a wide view of the hills, clouds, and sky, making it an excellent spot for photography or simply sitting back and appreciating nature. The café layout is well-designed, with seating areas positioned to maximize the scenery, allowing guests to fully enjoy the surroundings. It’s a great place to unwind, have conversations, or spend a slow afternoon with friends or family. The overall ambience is cozy and inviting, especially for those who enjoy cafés with a natural, outdoor feel. The environment alone makes the trip up to Kokol Hill worthwhile. That said, the matcha drink was a slight disappointment. The taste was quite light and lacked the rich, bold matcha flavour that matcha lovers may expect. While it was drinkable, it didn’t quite match the quality of the setting. Overall, Hillside Café is still highly recommended for its view, environment, and relaxing atmosphere. It’s an excellent spot to enjoy nature, even if the drinks could use some improvement.

Before heading up the hill, we stopped at this cafe for a quick break. Parking was a bit tricky in the area. When we approached the counter, we were informed that each person is required to order at least one drink, which is good to know. However, when we chose from the coffee section, the staff asked whether we wanted our coffee with or without caffeine. While it’s interesting that the cafe offers decaf options, the staff could have explained it more politely, and the menu could benefit from clearer wording—something like “caffeinated” or “decaf” would make ordering much easier and less confusing. Besides coffee, we also ordered two ham and cheese croissant sandwiches and chicken popcorn. We took a seat next to the balcony. The view was beautiful, and many customers enjoyed snapping photos. The cafe’s vintage/retro décor also adds to its charm.