AVIARY BAR Lobby, 3, Jalan Stesen Sentral, Kuala Lumpur Sentral, KL Business hours: 5pm to midnight daily Tel: 03-2264 2264
Positioning itself as the home of the internationally renowned Tiki cocktail – the Jungle Bird – Aviary Bar boasts five variations of the drink. Jungle Bird was concocted by Jeffrey Ong Swee Teik of Penang on July 6, 1973, as a welcome Tiki drink for hotel guests.
Made from pineapple juice, rum, Campari, lime and syrup, it gained international acclaim when it was listed in John J. Poistner’s The New American Bartender’s Guide in 1989.
One of Aviary Bar’s signatures is Original Jungle Bird, which is made with pineapple-infused Jamaican dark rum, Campari, pineapple juice and a squeeze of lime for a fruity yet balanced thirst-quencher for the tropics.
Other cocktails in the series include Morning Bird, which blends coffee-infused Campari and dark rum with the unexpected addition of curry leaf.
The American Jungle Bird uses Makers Mark whisky as its base and Aperol instead of Campari, with the added twist of a frothed egg white topping.
BLUE Level 51, EQ, Equatorial Plaza, Jalan Sultan Ismail, KL Business Hours: 5pm to 1am daily Tel: 03-2789 7777
This bar offers one of the most dazzling panoramic views of the city skyline.
Visitors can watch the sunset as well as admire buildings such as the Kuala Lumpur Tower as well as the illuminated PETRONAS Twin Towers.
Selected bands perform indoors on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays but VIP members can party on the upper deck.
An all-time favourite cocktail here is Smoked Negroni, consisting of Tanqueray gin, Campari, Cinzano 1757 Rosso vermouth, local spices and hickory wood smoke.
Other signature cocktails include Little Piece of Heaven, made of light rum, melon liqueur, lime, rosemary, kiwi and aquafaba, as well as The Borneo Head-Hunter, a concoction of tequila, Strega, lime, kaffir lime, aquafaba and Sabah chilli tincture.
THE COVE Level 7M, Pavilion Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Bukit Bintang, KL Business Hours: 6pm to midnight daily Tel: 03-2117 2888
High above the city streets, The Cove offers guests a good place to unwind.
Designed with three large private rooms that seat up to 10 people, the bar with its classic rustic decor gives guests a sense of privacy while enjoying a night out.
They can indulge in a selection of international cocktails, beer packages and delectable bar snacks after a long day.
Its signature cocktails include White Russian which is a mix of coffee liqueur, vodka and fresh milk, as well as Gimlet, which has gin, fresh lime juice and syrup.
The bar also offers bottle packages for liquor and wine as well as beer by bottle packages daily.
VERTIGO Level 59, Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Conlay, KL Business Hours: 6pm to midnight daily Tel: 03-2113 1888
One of the highest rooftop bars with a 180° view of the city, Vertigo has the PETRONAS Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur Tower, Tun Razak Exchange and Merdeka PNB 118 in its line of sight.
Visitors are treated to international and signature cocktails.
Savour bar snacks inspired by South-East Asia as you listen to beats from the DJ’s turntable.
Signature cocktails include Fruity which is a mix of vodka, grenadine syrup, orange-flavoured liqueur, lime juice, egg white and mixed berry syrup, as well as Mount Genting which is a blend of gin, dry vermouth, lime juice, lychee and raspberry syrup and egg white.
Vertigo also offers bottle packages for liquor and wines.
W XYZ BAR Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral, 5, Jalan Stesen Sentral, Kuala Lumpur Sentral, KL Business Hours: 9am to midnight Reservation: 03-2723 1515
This bar is where music meets eclectic cocktails. It doubles as the perfect spot for morning coffee or lunch before the lighting changes for an urban bar vibe at night.
Its signature drink is the Malaysian Princess Mai Tai.
The version here consists of Nusa Cana rum pressed with blueberries and kaffir lime, topped with Captain Morgan golden rum, grenadine, orgeat syrup, pineapple and orange juice served in a tiki glass.
Recently, they launched their new monthly cocktails. In October, check out the Warehouse cocktail which is a mix of Pisco, apple brandy, Aperol or Campari, falafel spiced liquor, coconut milk and ginger slice.
The Throwing Shade cocktail will be a November cocktail of vodka, jasmine tea, cranberry juice, honey syrup, lime juice white wine, Aperol and Angostura bitters.
End the year with a cocktail called The 45 which is a mix of Rye Whiskey, apple brandy sweet vermouth, cherry syrup and Campari.
Happy hours are from 5pm to 8pm.
