Bars in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is so much bigger than I anticipated. There were several bars I wanted to visit but they were so spread out with a 15-30 minute drive in between! Given I was only in KL for 2.5 days, I mostly stayed around Changkat Bukit Bintang area. Listed below are some of the bars in Kuala Lumpur that I visited.
Opium Cocktail Bar
Opium has featured in a few blog posts as one of the best cocktail bars in Kuala Lumpur and I could certainly see why! The restaurant and bar is themed as mid-20th century China with dim lighting, raw brick, antique-inspired fittings and paintings and carvings.
We sat outside on their terrace listening to a wonderful Chinese harpist playing modern music with a twist. It was seriously impressive.
Opium offers an extensive menu with a short story on each cocktail. The glassware for each drink is sourced to match the themes and the cocktail is served with fresh garnish. The innovation, creativity and presentation was second to none. I loved The Fire Spirit with cinnamon, orange, chilli infused sailor jerry, campari, grand mariner.
If you don’t fancy a cocktail, Opium offers an extensive menu of single malt whiskies, Chinese rice wines, beers, spirits, and house wines.
Pisco Bar
Pisco Bar is situated in the Bukit Bintang area offering a chilled atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating. As the name suggests, there is a good selection of Pisco cocktails including standard, jalapeno, cuzco (with elderflower and white wine) and spice (£7-8).
Their best sellers also include Chilli Passion Martini and a Spicy Tequila based cocktail. If that wasn’t enough, they have some great twisted G&Ts. There are also happy hour offers on beer, wine and proscecco before 9pm.
If you fancy a bite to eat, Pisco Bar offers a great range of Peruvian and Spanish tapas.
Rock Bottom
Rock Bottom is a casual bar situated in Bukit Bintang with live Rock music. I was keen to visit after hearing the band from outside! They have happy hour on selected drinks (I think) before 9pm. Cocktails are around £5. A really fun, chilled bar in Kuala Lumpur!
The Rum Bar aka Kill Devil
Why this bar has two names, I don’t know! It is home to the largest rum collection in Asia with more than 300 labels sourced from around the globe. It has all the classic rums, old and rare and limited editions. A definite to visit if you love your rum!
Sky Bar at The Traders Hotel
If you want beautiful views of the Twin Petronas Towers, then this rooftop bar in Kuala Lumpur is the one for you! Located on the 33rd floor of the Traders Hotel (part of the Shangri-La group), Sky Bar is a bar and nightclub open until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays and 1am every other day.
During the day, it is open as a pool for the guests and we even saw people still going in at 8pm. The bar features cozy cabana booths in alcoves which are perfect for chilling with a cocktail and admiring the views. There are only a limited amount of cabanas with the view so make sure you book in advance. On the other side are woven rattan high tables and bar stools.
From 5-8pm they have Social Hour where selected drinks are a bargain price of RM18 / £3.5. Cocktail wise you can choose from Classic Gin / Vodka Martini, Apple Tini, Lychee martini or a Cosmopolitan. Happy hour also includes house wine and draught / bottled beer.
Cocktails are usually between RM38 and RM50. We loved the Bitter Cucumber with Hendrick’s gin, campari, peach bols, cucumber syrup and grapefruit juice. It’s an awesome bar to visit for the views, although the service was lacking.
Deep Blue
Deep Blue is on the 51st floor of The Faces Suites Hotel where we stayed. It is slick and ‘cool’ with beautiful (enclosed) views of the Petronas Towers.
The bar offers happy hours from 11am-1am Sunday to Tuesday and 11am-9pm on Wednesday to Saturday with Tiger Beer being the cheapest on offer at RM18 / £3.5. We loved the Sunset Dream cocktail with Gin, Wild Berry, Grand Mariner, Lemon Juice and Sugar Syrup (RM60 / £10).
East London Girl: Bars in Kuala Lumpur
