Cocktails, wine bars and dives: drinking in Kuala Lumpur for grown-ups.
Cocktail bars, wine bars, dive bars and gastropubs: drinking in Kuala Lumpur for grown-ups.
PS150 hides behind a toy shop facade on Jalan Petaling in Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown, pouring cocktails across three rooms themed on eras of Indochina's past.
DrinkA menu split into five cocktail eras, from Vintage and Classic to Tiki, Disco and Contemporary
FoodSnacks only
TipLook for the toy shop front on Jalan Petaling; the entrance is behind the shelves, not the main door.
Coley in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, named for bartender Ada Coleman, pours classics like a claypot-aged Hanky Panky and sat No. 83 on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026.
DrinkClaypot-aged Hanky Panky, a nod to Ada Coleman
FoodBar snacks
TipStart with the claypot-aged Hanky Panky, the house take on the classic that gives the bar its namesake.
JungleBird in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, is a rum-focused cocktail bar named for the Jungle Bird, the drink created at the Kuala Lumpur Hilton in 1978.
DrinkTiki-leaning rum cocktails including the bar's namesake Jungle Bird
FoodTropical bar bites
TipOrder the house Jungle Bird first, the Campari and dark rum classic with a documented Malaysian origin.
Penrose on Jalan Petaling, Kuala Lumpur, peaked at No. 8 on Asia's 50 Best Bars in 2024 before slipping to No. 64 on the 2026 extended list.
DrinkConversation-driven cocktails built on alcohol, flavour, taste, body and dilution
FoodNo kitchen
TipSeating is bar-counter only, so book ahead; the format is built around talking to the person pouring your drink.
Three X Co hides behind a barbershop in Bangsar Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur, and was named Best Bar in Malaysia at No. 32 on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026.
DrinkClassic-leaning cocktails under a mural of a Chinese opera diva with martini and cigar
FoodSnacks
TipLook for the barbershop front inside the mall on Level 3; the bar door sits behind it, not behind a bar sign.
Bar Trigona on the sixth floor of the Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur ranked No. 38 on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026, and was Malaysia's Best Bar in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
DrinkHoney-led cocktails such as the Trigona Bee's Knees, built with Malaysian farmers
FoodSmall plates
TipThe bar is named after a stingless bee found across Malaysia; order the Trigona Bee's Knees, a honey twist with toasted coffee.
Jann KL on Level 7 of the Four Points by Sheraton in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur, pours cocktails built around Malaysian street flavors like tau fu fa.
DrinkTea Sangria and Soya Cincau, cocktails built around Malaysian street flavors
FoodNo separate food menu; sits inside the Four Points by Sheraton hotel
TipThe cocktail names double as a tour of Malaysian childhood flavors, so ask staff which one is closest to a drink you already know.
Pahit on Jalan Sin Chew Kee in Kuala Lumpur is Coley's gin-focused sister bar, marked outside only by a neon sign that reads Juniper and Joy.
DrinkGin flights from a list of more than 150 labels
FoodSnacks
TipThe neon sign says Juniper and Joy, not Pahit; that is the giveaway you have found the right shopfront.
Soma Cocktail Bar in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, twists classic cocktails with local ingredients like jackfruit, tau foo fah and dark rum syrup.
DrinkNangka Daiquiri and Tau Foo Fah with Dark Rum Syrup, local twists on classic cocktails
FoodNo food menu; cocktails only
TipThe Tau Foo Fah with Dark Rum Syrup is the drink regulars order twice; ask for less syrup if dessert-sweet is not what you want.
Concubine sits inside the restored Kwai Chai Hong alley in Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown, pairing modern Asian cocktails with heritage shophouse murals.
DrinkModern Asian cocktails referencing Chinatown's shophouse era
FoodTapas-style small plates
TipKwai Chai Hong's murals draw daytime crowds for photos; come after 17:00 once the bar itself opens for drinks.
Heli Lounge Bar in Kuala Lumpur serves cocktails on Menara KH's working helipad, which lands aircraft by day before it opens as a bar at night.
DrinkCity-view cocktails served on a working helipad
FoodBar snacks
TipTake the lift to the 34th floor lounge first, then climb two more flights of stairs to reach the open helipad deck.
SkyBar on Level 33 of Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, faces the Petronas Twin Towers directly and remains one of the city's best-known rooftop rooms.
DrinkSkyline cocktails facing the Petronas Twin Towers
FoodBar bites
TipArrive before sunset to get a rail-side table facing the towers; the deck fills up fast once the lights come on.
Vertigo on the 59th floor of Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur on Jalan Conlay pairs Southeast Asian tapas with a smart casual rooftop dress code at night.
DrinkHandcrafted cocktails paired with Southeast Asian tapas
FoodSoutheast Asian tapas
TipSmart casual dress is enforced at the lift lobby; flip-flops and sleeveless shirts will not get you up to the 59th floor.
Reka:Bar in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, took its name from the Malay word for creation and reached No. 63 on Asia's 50 Best Bars in 2026.
DrinkScience-driven cocktails using techniques like clarification and fat-washing
FoodNo kitchen
TipIt runs as a cocktail lab with scientific kit, and the menu has used fermented durian, so ask the bar what is new.
The Attic Bar sits on the roof of Travel Hub Guesthouse on Jalan Balai Polis in Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown, with an alfresco terrace and an Italian kitchen.
DrinkClassic and locally-twisted cocktails with skyline views
FoodBar bites
TipGo up through the guesthouse lobby and ask for rooftop access; the bar is not visible from the street below.
Taps Beer Bar off Jalan Raja Chulan in Kuala Lumpur pours draught craft beer imported from small breweries abroad, with a new beer on tap every month.
DrinkRotating craft beer taps from around the world
FoodPub food
TipAsk staff which tap changed that week; the line-up rotates often and the chalkboard is not always kept current.
fono sits at the top of The Zhongshan Building in Kampung Attap, Kuala Lumpur, running listening-room drink sessions built around vinyl selectors.
DrinkCurated highballs and natural wine poured between vinyl sets
FoodNo kitchen
TipIt opens Wednesday to Saturday from 20:00; special listening sessions are announced on its Instagram, so check the week's line-up.
Beer Bank tucks behind Selection Grocery Store in Wisma Lim Foo Yong, Kuala Lumpur, stocking over 600 imported craft beers in a no-frills room.
DrinkOver 600 imported craft beers by the bottle
FoodBar snacks
TipWalk through Selection Grocery Store to reach the bar; there is no separate street entrance from Jalan Raja Chulan.
Kwong Cheung Loong Kopitiam Bar on Jalan Doraisamy in Kuala Lumpur runs as a daytime coffee shop that turns into a plain, cheap beer room after dark.
DrinkCheap beer and local spirits in a working-day kopitiam
FoodKam heong chicken and other zi char plates
TipCome for the kam heong chicken before the kitchen slows down; the room gets louder and more bar-like after 9pm.
Bar Micro in Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, hides above Provisions bakery behind dark curtains and low lighting built for small, quiet drinking groups.
DrinkSmall-batch cocktails from a four-founder mixology team
FoodBar bites, plus Provisions bakery downstairs
TipIt sits above Provisions bakery and coffee shop; look for the unmarked stairwell rather than a bar sign at street level.
Kiku on the third floor of Yap Ah Shak House in Kuala Lumpur is a Japanese-style jazz kissa, pairing vinyl jazz with sandos, donburi and coffee by day.
DrinkCoffee poured to vinyl jazz in a Japanese kissa setting
FoodShokupan toasts, sandos, donburi and ramen
TipIt is on the third floor with no lift sign at street level; follow the stairs up from Jalan Yap Ah Shak.
V88 Starhill sits inside an Eslite bookstore on Jalan Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur, running a vintage sound system curated by the fono team.
DrinkCoffee and cocktails paired with vinyl DJ sets
FoodCafe menu
TipIt opens daily from 10:00 to 22:00, so come in the evening when the vintage sound system is the point of the visit.
Havana Bar & Grill has poured mojitos and Cuban-style drinks from an old corner bungalow on Changkat Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur since the 1990s.
DrinkMojitos and Cuban-style cocktails in a Latin-themed room open since the 1990s
FoodCuban-hacienda style grill menu
TipIt gets loud and dance-floor-heavy after midnight; come earlier if you want the mojitos without the crowd.
Cabinet 8 hides behind a neighbourhood cafe on Jalan Sultan in Kuala Lumpur, building cocktails around oolong, lapsang souchong and pu'er tea.
DrinkMalaysian tea-infused cocktails using oolong, lapsang and pu'er
FoodCoffee and cocktails by day, cocktails only after dark
TipIt hides inside a daytime neighbourhood cafe on Jalan Sultan near RexKL, and debuted at No. 65 on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026.
@21 Rooftop Bar on the 21st floor of Hyatt Centric in Kuala Lumpur pours craft cocktails with a straight-on view of the Petronas Twin Towers.
DrinkCraft cocktails with panoramic Petronas Twin Towers views
FoodBar bites and quesadillas
TipThe kitchen keeps to five quesadillas, from larb gai to beef rendang; pair one with the Senorita Sting tequila cocktail.
Guided tour · 4 hours
What happens in KL after dark? This adults-only adventure reveals the side of Chinatown most visitors never discover - forbidden tales, hidden bars, and secrets the ci...
2.5 hours
Experience cocktail mixing with a bartender, then get ready for a scavenger hunt to explore 3 hidden bars in Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Discover the last Malay enclave in Kuala Lumpur on a guided walking tour of Kampung Baru. Enjoy a traditional Hi-Tea in a Malay home, savor local snacks, and end with ...