The best bars in KL for a drink

Reka:Bar's nondescript shoplot location — sharing a street address with a dental academy and a Secret’s Recipe — belies the complexity of its cocktails. A self-described “post-modern flavour lab”, the space-age styling is very, well, science-y: bathed in blue lights, the bar top is dominated by a ​​rotary evaporator (also known as a rotovap, for the scientists and serious bartenders amongst us), while the drip tray spells out ‘Reka’ in braille, a fun fact for your next date night. There are two menus: a seasonal themed spotlight menu and the signature ‘The Domino Effect’, anchored in “permutation”, “transformation”, and “evolution”. (We did say science-y.) Every cocktail on ‘The Domino Effect’ is linked to the one next to it, like a domino of ingredients, resulting in “a chain reaction of delicious wonder”. Order the Naughty Congee, an homage to the classic ginger and congee pairing, featuring spiced rum, floral amazake and Bentong ginger extract. Also highly recommended is the Mango Going Gone, Reka’s take on the classic Negroni with a twist (the twist: Perlis mangoes).

Ah, the bee’s knees of bars, Trigona was the first Malaysian bar to make it to the World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2020 and ranked Malaysia’s Best Bar for three consecutive years by Asia’s 50 Best Bars. Named after the stingless bee that makes the highly-coveted honey used in the bar’s signature cocktails, Trigona is famed for carefully crafted creations spotlighting hyperlocal, sustainable produce and ingredients. For the new menu, titled ‘Foraged Malaysia’, the team foraged across the four regions of the country — Sabah, Sarawak, Peninsula and the Islands — to create 16 cocktails (with a few inspired by bak kut teh, laksa, and even teh tarik). A must-try is the Kunyit Royale, a concoction of Monkey Shoulder, Prosecco, Trigona honey, turmeric leaf, and four gingers.

There are over 500 bottles of whisky on offer at the fittingly named Whisky House. It’s a big range, but it’s likely you won’t have seen many of them before. The bar doesn’t focus on a particular country or region, nor is it guided by awards, brands or rarity; instead, its ethos is an enthusiasm to experience an extensive range of single malt whiskies and lesser-known bottles from all corners of the world without prejudice. To that end, there are exotic Japanese whiskies, limited-edition bottles of Scottish malts, and a wide variety of bottles from Canada, India, Taiwan and beyond. You’ll also find favourites such as Dalmore, Glenlivet and Singleton on the menu – with enticing bundle promotions available throughout the year.

If you find yourself in Taman Paramount — one of Time Out’s coolest neighbourhoods in the world in 2020 — you must end your day at Monster & Beer. A buzzing spot for craft beer lovers, there actually are at least 99 bottles of beer on the wall (sing it!) and a few on tap too. For recommendations, the bartenders are more than happy to match you with a brew from Belgium, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand or the UK. Pair with small plates of chicken and pork belly karaage, deep-fried small shrimp, gyoza, spicy wings, vinegar octopus, and more.

SSS has long been one of our favourite restobars, done the Chinatown way: super casual, super trendy, and a whole load of fun. The sleek, two-storey heritage shophouse is a fitting wine-and-dine setting; think of a delightful selection of natural wines from all over the world, including orange wines from France, sparkling reds from Italy and whites from Spain. (There are also beers and cocktails, if you prefer.) Sharing plates, courtesy of Eat Scintilla, seals the deal. Look out for pop-ups, tasting menus, and nights with deep house DJs on deck duty.

An oldie but a mightie goodie, Nomi Tomo (meaning ‘drinking buddies’ in Japanese) is the city’s first, and best, sake specialty bar. If there’s a deeper list of sake — over 80 bottles from junmai, ginjo and honjozo to sparkling, served cold, warm or hot — available in Kuala Lumpur, we don’t know of it; also on the menu are cocktails, highballs and Suntory. For bites, dig into chicken, beef and pork yakitori, katsu sando and sweet potato chips. Bring buddies, bump music, stay late, slam some sake bombs.

As one of KL’s most popular bars, Coley has one thing on its mind – good cocktails. It has placed in Asia’s 50 Best Bars in 2018, 2019 and 2020, and serves a carefully curated menu of cocktails that’s updated every so often. There’s a core selection of classics cocktails updated with contemporary Coley twists. The Koktel menu from the bar’s early days is still a favourite, with local-inspired drinks and ingredients.

Another of KL’s entries in Asia’s 50 Best Bars in recent years is JungleBird, the self-proclaimed Rumah Rum that stocks over 100 labels of both light and dark rums from all over the world. The bar exudes a charming tropical resort vibe, and serves on rum flights and rum cocktails, of course. Go for the bar’s namesake, the JungleBird cocktail.

A visit to PS150 in Chinatown is a transportive experience, with settings reminiscent of old fashioned Hong Kong dens alongside open-air spaces and an intimate bar area. The cocktail menu is divided into the different eras of the drink’s history, each offering original concoctions and classics with a contemporary twist. The focus is on Southeast Asian flavours and ingredients, so expect familiar flavours.

The cosy Pahit specialises in all things gin – from various versions of classic G&Ts to innovative contemporary gin-based cocktails. We recommend going for one of the fruit-infused G&Ts which are very easy to drink, or if you’re after cocktails the house signature Gin Pahit #2 is the bar’s interpretation of the classic Pink Gin.

Perched on the 57th floor of Petronas 3 Tower, the views here are spectacular – so spectacular that drinking is almost an afterthought. If you drink, order one of the cocktails made by skilled mixologists. Otherwise, the views are really the gist here. An Italian restaurant and cigar lounge are also fitted in Marini's, making it a one-stop choice for swanky tourists and post-work urbanites.

A marriage of fiery charm and the chic ambience of a good bar, Pisco Bar is a cool space that doesn’t seem hard-pressed to compete with its flashier neighbours. Instead, the bar is confident in its offerings of a trim yet inclusive selection of cocktails, wine, beer and liquors alongside a menu of fusion food. Nights are often soundtracked by a rotation of local and international DJs.

61 Monarchy is an unassuming lounge in which you can relax with a dram or two of whisky from all over the world. The focus at this laidback bar is whisky, and there are over 400 bottles displayed on shelves around the bar. Go through the whisky collection, or start with a whisky flight or any of their strong whisky-based cocktails.

This neighbourhood bar is a popular spot for fans of craft beer – the rotation of up to eight options on tap at any one point as well as the fridge which contains even more varieties from craft breweries around the world are huge plus points. Prices are affordable, and the casual atmosphere in this minimalist space is great for an evening with friends.

Craft beer specialists Taps Beer Bar offer a range of quality craft brews from all over the world – from popular American and European brands to underrated beers from around the region. IPAs, APAs, pilsners, lagers, stout and more are available both on tap and in bottles, and the bar’s rotating tap concept ensures it’s never short on variety.

Hidden behind a row of lockers above a nondescript shophouse, The Locker + Loft opens up to a laidback space that offers affordable quirky cocktails alongside addictive finger food and spicy bar bites. The cocktails at this neighbourhood bar feature inventive use of local and Asian ingredients and quality spirits.

The capable bartenders are HYDE are great at tailoring drinks to your preference, and the frequent use of homemade ingredients and blends are what set the cocktails here apart. You can find inventive creations and classic drinks from different eras given a contemporary twist, and the handsome space brings to mind a classy early twenties speakeasy-style bar.