Must-see nightlife in Malaysia

  • Suzie Wong

    Kuala Lumpur

    Push aside the heavy curtain at the end of a clubby bar to discover the wild goings-on at this old Hong Kong–style speakeasy cocktail bar. Expect a…

  • Three Little Birds. The well-trained baristas also whips up a good filter coffee

    Three Little Birds

    Kuala Lumpur

    Top-tier coffee bar and micro-roaster Three Little Birds is manned by the pioneers of third-wave coffee culture in KL: Michael Wilson and wife Amirah…

  • Calanthe Art Cafe

    Melaka City

    Fancy a full-bodied Johor or classic Perak white? Sip a coffee inspired by your favourite Malaysian state at this perky place. The coffee is excellent,…

  • Drunk Monkey Old Street Bar

    Kuching

    This bar attracts a relaxed crowd of tourists and locals. There's a nightly BBQ of meaty skewers (7pm to midnight) and you'll find menus from nearby…

  • Vinum Exchange

    Kuala Terengganu

    Equal parts cafe, bar, restaurant and wine shop, Vinum Exchange is a game changer for Kuala Terengganu. The stylish interior features a great selection of…

  • Seraph Awaken

    Malaysia

    Coffee making is approached with scientific precision by Cheau See and Chun Hoong, who serve hand-brewed drip coffee from a counter laden with beakers and…

  • Ruai Bar

    Kuching

    This self-styled 'Modern Dayak' bar features a mash-up of modern and indigenous design, and there's occasional live music – including metal and local hip…

  • RGB at the Bean Hive

    Kuala Lumpur

    This is what you get when a boutique coffee roaster teams up with health-conscious cooks in a quiet green oasis. RBG serves excellent hand-drip and…

  • Café Lumière

    Malaysia

    With guitars, clocks and rock icons set against its whitewashed brick walls, Café Lumière has a loose Parisian theme and an upbeat atmosphere. Daily food…

  • Geographer Cafe

    Melaka City

    A swinging recorded soundtrack of jazz and classic pop keeps the beers flowing at this traveller magnet. The first cafe to open on Jonker St (in 1999), it…

  • Ming Cafe

    Miri

    This ever-busy corner bar stocks 25 imported bottled beers and has several on tap, including Paulaner wheat beer. The drinks menu also lists Australian…

  • Heesan Kopi

    Melaka City

    Brought to us by the female entrepreneur behind Backlane Coffee, this member of Jonker St's coterie of design cafes is a winner, offering excellent…

  • Only One

    Kota Bharu

    This is one of the few bars that serves wine (Spanish and Australian) to accompany surprisingly good Thai and Western food. The open-sided design makes it…

  • Bar Trigona

    Kuala Lumpur

    The signature drink at this glittering cocktail bar on level six of the Four Seasons Hotel lives up to its name, which is 'nectar'. Made with light rum,…

  • Arnold Cycling Cafe

    Kota Bharu

    The cycling part of this contemporary-styled cafe refers to some of the decoration, which also includes bare-branched trees and suspended coffee-bean…

  • Mugshot Cafe

    George Town

    Asian breakfast not your thing? Stop into this eclectic cafe to be transported West for a meal. The options include huge mugs of coffee, wood-fired bagels…

  • October Coffee House

    Kota Kinabalu

    October is welcoming with a wood-accented interior and cosy mezzanine, arguably the best coffee in town, herbal teas, French toast, juices and cakes. The…

  • Yellow Café

    Pulau Langkawi

    The best bar in Pantai Cenang has a mellow soundtrack, seating at yellow tables, on yellow beanbags or in yellow hammocks, and a big menu of beach snacks…

  • Urban Cafe

    Sandakan

    A favourite with young, laptop-toting locals and coffee fiends, this cafe is well worth the detour to Bandar Utama. There are cosy couches to lounge…

  • The Barber

    Kuching

    The designers of this repurposed barber's salon made use of the original tiled floor, the mirrors and even old hairdryers to create a suitably hip hangout…

  • Delirium Café Kuala Lumpur

    Kuala Lumpur

    Showcasing the products of Belgium brewery Delirium alongside other international craft beers, this cafe-bar has a large terrace overlooking Symphony Lake…

  • Burps & Giggles

    Ipoh

    Ipoh's hipster hang-out par excellence is housed in an early-20th-century shophouse, adorned with mannequins, retro lamps and other regalia of yesteryear…

  • Black Bean Coffee & Tea Company

    Kuching

    The aroma of freshly ground coffee assaults the senses at this tiny shop, believed by many to purvey Kuching’s finest brews. Specialities, roasted daily,…

  • Kopi C

    George Town

    Fronting the hip China House, this buzzing cafe pours excellent espresso-based coffees and serves a full menu of cakes and meals aimed at adventurous…

  • Nook Cafe

    Kota Kinabalu

    There's much to like about this cavernous coffee shop, strewn with rattan and bamboo furniture: the quality of the beans, a chilled environment in which…

  • Antarabangsa Enterprise

    George Town

    Plastic tables and chairs appear every evening on the street in front of this backstreet beer and wine shop, crowded with grizzled regulars and…

  • Blueboy Discotheque

    Kuala Lumpur

    An incredible survivor of the KL gay scene since the 1980s, Blue Boy has undergone a makeover to emerge as a surprisingly stylish but still trashily fun…

  • DoubleTap

    Taiping

    Catering to hip, laptop-wielding locals, Double Tap has a warehouse aesthetic (bare brick, beamed ceiling) and serves Western-style coffee (at Western…

  • Good Friends Club

    George Town

    Plant yourself in a vintage sofa at this fun Chinese retro-themed bar, and opt for one of the cocktails revolving around local rum and ingredients such as…

  • VCR

    Kuala Lumpur

    Set in an airy prewar shophouse, VCR serves first-rate coffee, all-day breakfasts (RM19 to RM35) and desserts to a diverse crowd of backpackers and laptop…

  • Narrow Marrow

    George Town

    Decorated with work by local artists and dangling Chinese lamps, this space serves exceptional coffee by day and hosts live music and social events by…

  • Pinchos Tapas Bar

    Kuala Lumpur

    Run by a Spaniard and packed with KL's approving Spanish-speaking community, this is the real deal for tapas. It's a welcoming place for a solo meal or…

  • Beach Blanket Babylon

    George Town

    The open-air setting and relaxed vibe contrast with the rather grand building this bar is linked to. Pair your drink and alfresco views over the North…

  • Beta KL

    Kuala Lumpur

    The interior design of this cocktail-bar-restaurant hybrid is a colourful mash-up of traditional Oriental tea house and louche boudoir, providing a…

  • Vintage Green Cafe

    Melaka City

    It's difficult to differentiate what's purely decorative and what's for sale in this hybrid vintage shop and cafe inside an old shophouse. There are…

  • Discovery Cafe & Guest House

    Melaka City

    Owner Bob Teng offers nearly everything that caters to travellers' needs here, from budget rooms (from RM50), bicycle and scooter rental to bus tickets,…

  • Zouk

    Kuala Lumpur

    Zouk remains one of KL's premier dance clubs, with its Main Room space reverberating to electro, techno and trance. Wear your flashiest threads (no T…

  • TWG Tea

    Kuala Lumpur

    Offering a mind-boggling range of more than 400 teas and infusions, this KL offshoot of the original Singaporean TWG is a luxurious place to refresh…

  • Sin See Tai

    Melaka City

    Melaka's only true exponent of third-wave coffee, this diminutive cafe in the Kampung Jawa district is associated with the popular Daily Fix in Jonker St…

  • Marini's on 57

    Kuala Lumpur

    This is about as close as you can get to eyeballing the upper levels of the Petronas Towers from a bar. The stellar views are complemented by sleek…

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