The Smokehouse Hotel & Restaurant, Cameron Highlands

The Smokehouse is many things. It’s not only a hotel, restaurant, café, but a reminder of the old days. Originally Ye Olde Smoke House Inn, this place offered familiarity and comfort to the first British expats in Malaya.

Today, the hotel is under a local family’s management, but its heritage and British charm is far from lost!

Here’s what to expect if you plan to make a visit to this historic property!

The Smokehouse Hotel

We’ve never stayed here before ourselves but even if you’re not planning to, you can get a feel of the place just by entering the foyer, living space and dining area. There is a real fireplace, but it is only lit on cool evenings for hotel guests to enjoy.

Rooms are decorated similarly with the rest of the hotel. They have some private cottage-like rooms around the property as well.

If you’re interested in staying here, prices are typically RM300 and up for 2 people per night. It’s not the most expensive place you can stay in the highlands. But it is higher than average.

Restaurant

The onsite restaurant is next to the living space. What’s interesting is that the menu has a lot of British dishes like pies, fish and chips, Yorkshire pudding, and the like.

We’ve tried a few of these before but find them to be average. Nothing to shout about and it’s quite expensive too for what you get.

Café

On the other hand, we do like having tea or brunch here. The scone set for 2 is what we usually order. That said, they do only provide one cup with the pot of tea which we find odd. Teatime is best enjoyed out in the gardens in our opinion although there is a sunlit room if you prefer to have your meal indoors instead.

But the scones are delightful together with the fresh cream, butter and strawberry jam that comes with them.

Note: We’ve never been here for breakfast, but they do have Full English Breakfast and waffles besides other typical English breakfast options.

Garden

Arguably the best thing about this place is the garden at the property. The landscaping features a lot of different flowers, but also tropical plants.

It is generally tidy and there are pathways that will take you to the back of the gardens.

Since there are plenty of spots around the garden to sit down and soak in the natural beauty around you, we recommend that you do so.

There are a few garden tables outside for visitors who want to have their meals out. And interspersed among the greenery are some lost relics including a small cannon, multiple swing sets and benches too.

The garden looks bigger than it does from the front. You will be able to better appreciate the Tudor accents of the building if you see it from the back gardens.

Conclusion

Don’t skip The Smokehouse if you want to have to have scones or other British fare complete with a cozy setting and lovely gardens.

However, this is not the only place you can have such an experience (at a steeper price point). There is another eatery close by called the Jim Thompson Tea Room over at the Cameron Highlands Resort.