Malaysia is a country that’s full of culture, including our nightlife. With bars and speakeasies that incorporate Malaysian flavours into their drinks, there are unique experiences for everyone to enjoy.
Recently, Asia’s 50 Best Bars announced their 2024 list and it’s no surprise that a few Malaysian bars made the cut!
Here’s what Asia’s 50 Best Bars had to say about the winning trio!
Penrose (8th)
“Embellishing Kuala Lumpur’s increasingly exciting cocktail tapestry, Penrose is the city’s latest drinkers’ delight. Opened in August 2022, this is an elevated bar that embodies the principles of functionalism, simplicity and modernity. Spearheaded by Jon Lee, the intimate atmosphere, with a focus on bar-counter seating, allows the team to deliver a more intentional service that encourages conversations across the bar,”
“At Penrose, the essence of the cocktail is captured through five pillars: alcohol, flavour, taste, body and dilution. This conscientious structure enables the crew to create immaculate libations that pay homage to the classics while incorporating carefully chosen ingredients: for example, the Penrose Gibson adds shochu, sake vinegar, leeks and wasabi to its gin base.”
Penrose has also earned the Nikka Highest Climber Award 2024 and The Best Bar in Malaysia 2024 title!
Penrose is located at 149, Jalan Petaling, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur. You can check them out here.
Bar Trigona (36th)
“Bar Trigona speaks to its setting beyond the gilded walls of its host Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur. Head bartender Rohan Matmary, who took the reins from Ashish Sharma in October 2022, has used his tenure to solidify the bar’s relationship with the Malaysian farmers that supply the ingredients for its patriotic drinks programme,”
“Its latest menu, titled Colour Me Curious, elevates this mission to new heights, with proceeds from every drink going towards the revitalisation of local bee habitats. It follows a lineage of menus that put the country’s terroir into its cocktails, such as 2023’s Foraged Malaysia, which focused on indigenous and sustainable ingredients, as well as Herb Garden in Your Glass, former winner of the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award.”
Bar Trigona is located at the Four Seasons Place, 145, Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur. You can check them out here.
Reka (41st)
“Opened in 2021 in a residential suburb of the Malaysian capital, Reka has been on a swift rise as one of the city’s most creative cocktail outposts, with 2024 marking its debut on the ranking of Asia’s 50 Best Bars. Reka is the Malay word for ‘creation’, and the bar describes itself as a ‘postmodern flavour lab’,”
“Its interior certainly leans into futuristic and scientific imagery, with low ceilings and long neon lights that bask the bar in an effortlessly cool hue. Drinks also deliver on that promise, as co-owner and head bartender Joel Poon uses the four fundamental elements of salt, fat, acid and heat as the guiding pillars of Reka’s cocktail programme, elevated by advanced techniques and lab-grade machinery.”
Reka is located at 67M, Jalan Setia Bakti, Bukit Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. You can check them out here.
It is also important to note that 4 other Malaysian bars also made it to the top 100:
- Backdoor Bodega (Penang) taking the 52nd spot
- Three X Co (Kuala Lumpur) taking the 56th spot
- Coley (Kuala Lumpur) taking the 70th spot
- Junglebird (Kuala Lumpur) taking the 80th spot
A huge kudos to all the bars that made the cut!
If you’re looking for an elevated drinking experience, why not check out one of the bars mentioned above this coming weekend?
Also read: Study: Kuala Lumpur is the 6th Most Student-Friendly City in Asia, While Subang Jaya Ranked 27th
