Keeping it cosy
Bar Mizukami can seat a maximum of 10 people, making for a cosy setting.
Bar Mizukami
Bangunan Ming Annexe, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur
Business hours: 6pm to midnight (Tuesdays to Thursdays) and 5pm to midnight (Fridays and Saturdays)
Reservations: 016-301 6498
Inspired by the Japanese omakase concept where you leave the details to the chef, Bar Mizukami does not have any menu (for now).
Owner and mixologist Shawn Chong tailor-makes drinks based on customers’ preferences.
Just tell him your preferred alcohol base and taste, and he’ll whip up classic cocktails with a unique twist.
Expect the likes of old-fashioned cocktails like Cosmopolitan or stronger ones like Manhattan or Boulevardier.
The name of the bar is an amalgamation of Japanese words mizu (water) and kami (deity). Kami also means “us” in Malay.
Bar Mizukami shares the same location as Omakase + Appreciate, a now-defunct bar co-founded by Chong.
With a nondescript entrance and seats for only 10 people, the bar is reminiscent of the setting of Midnight Diner, a popular Japanese television series, with its cosy and homely ambience.
On Fridays and Saturdays, there are two sessions that require reservations: 5pm to 8pm and 9pm to midnight.
Marini’s on 57 offers a stunning view of PETRONAS Twin Towers.
Marini’s on 57
Level 57, Menara 3 PETRONAS, Kuala Lumpur
Business hours: 5pm to midnight, Tuesdays to Sundays
Reservations: 03-2386 603
This iconic destination, which comprises a rooftop bar, lounge and Italian contemporary restaurant, offers stunning views of PETRONAS Twin Towers and the city.
Cocktail lovers should look out for the Viva Marini Guest Shift Series which features guest bartenders such as Rizal Junior, Bastien Michaud and Symphony Loo.
Being the lead bartender of the pioneer team at Marini’s on 57, Junior returns on Oct 10 to work his brand of mixology magic while Frenchman Michaud, who is Pernod Ricard’s brand ambassador for Martell, Mumm and Perrier-Jouet, will take over the bar on Oct 17.
Rye Meets Honey at Marini’s on 57.
Loo, who is Campari Group’s regional brand ambassador for South-East Asia, will showcase her skills on Oct 20.
The restaurant will be holding a bartending competition at the lounge.
Visit www.marinisgroup.com for details.
No headgear, shorts, slippers or flip flops are allowed.
Circa Bar’s PB&J will surely catch your eye.
Circa Bar
No.8-7, Jalan Batai, Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur
Business hours: 6pm to 2am daily
Reservations: 014-726 2474
Hidden along a back alley in Damansara Heights, Circa Bar is accessible through a “hole in the wall” and a walk up a spiral staircase.
Patrons need to retrieve a weekly passcode from the bar’s Instagram page to unlock the door.
Its signature concoctions include the Edison cocktail – butterfly pea flowers added to a combination of torch ginger flower-infused gin, rose extract and cane syrup – and Yuan Dynasty, which is a warm brew of oolong tea spiked with Hennessy VSOP, osmanthus syrup infused with orange peel and pandan leaf.
Deejays are available from Thursday to Saturday and that’s when customers can groove to R&B tunes.
Patrons can enjoy one-for-one cocktails, wine by the bottle and beer during the bar’s daily Happy Hour from 6pm to 9pm.
Ladies Night is every Thursday from 9pm onwards with complimentary drinks, while stocks last.
Shorts, slippers and sleeveless shirts are not allowed.
By The Whey is a must-try cocktail at Saro Lounge.
Six by Saro
Level 8, Pavilion Elite, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur
Business hours: 5pm to 2am, daily
Reservations: 016-266 3627
With plants and greenery all over the bar and ceiling, Six by Saro is a Caribbean-themed lounge with tropical vibes.
It was previously known as Saro Lounge – owners of the lounge and Six Bangsar teamed up for this venture and renamed it.
Its signature cocktails are inspired by the Caribbean and this is evident from their names.
Several of the cocktails are served in a coconut shell.
Must-try cocktails include By The Whey and Pishang Colada.
Expect a variety of cocktails that use whisky, gin, vodka and rum as the base.
Slippers and tank tops (for men) are not allowed.
Reka:bar’s Naughty Congee.
Reka:bar
No.67M, Jalan Setia Bakti, Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur
Business hours: 6pm to midnight (Monday to Saturday) and 5pm to midnight (Sunday).
Reservations: 010-287 8908
Striving to push the boundaries of innovation and deliciousness in concoctions, the basic principles of Reka:bar’s drinks are accessibility and sustainability.
Its inaugural signature menu, The Domino Effect, has every cocktail linked to the other by a common ingredient but expressed in different forms.
For example, the use of cacao can be seen in Forbidden Nib-ble that mixes Dewar’s 12 Year Old, Port Charlotte’s 10 Year Old, Melaka cacao nibs, apple, aromatic bitters and masala powder.
Strawberry Feels blends Campari, Bacardi Cuatro, pineapple, coconut, strawberry and cacao mist.
Reka:bar also changes its spotlight menus occasionally; drinks are designed to highlight a particular idea, theme or flavour.
Hey Jasmine is a zesty cocktail at Skullduggery.
Skullduggery
No.2M, Plaza Damansara, Jalan Medan Setia 2, Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur
Business Hours: 5pm to 1am (Tuesday to Thursday) and 5pm to 2am (Friday and Saturday)
Reservations: 017-266 7335
The skull motif is the only clue to finding the hidden entrance to Skullduggery.
The bar, under Huckleberry Hospitality Group Sdn Bhd, imports 60% of the premium spirits for its cocktails.
Known for its fruity and refreshing cocktails, guests can expect new creations, including Midori, which is a mix of gin, honey, matcha, turmeric, Japanese cucumber and clarified milk.
For something more zesty, Hey Jasmine adds a unique twist to the Maverick Martini, which uses kaffir lime leaf-infused rum, homemade honey jasmine, passion fruit syrup, champagne and topped with mango foam.
The cosy setting inspired by European and American bars makes Skullduggery the perfect place for groups wanting to catch up with each other while enjoying some signature drinks.
Barrel-aged Americano by BAC
BAC
No.73-1, Jalan Setia Bakti, Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur
Business hours: 6pm to midnight daily.
Reservations: 010-287 0731
It does not matter what the initials BAC stand for.
Whether it be “Beef And Cocktails”, “Blood Alcohol Content” or “Before Any Covid”, BAC is keen to take visitors back to a time when unadulterated fun was the norm.
The bar focuses on highballs, spirits and tonics, with a wide variety of cocktails to choose from.
One of its signatures, BAC to Black, is a mix of Michter’s rye whisky, strawberry, basil balsamic shrub and Chang soda.
Another hot favourite is the Paloma Picante, which harmoniously brings together jalapeño-infused Arquitecto Tequila, Machetazo mezcal, saline solution, lime sour syrup and East Imperial grapefruit soda.
