Top Cocktail Bars to unwind at on Humid Weekends!

When the weather gets too hot, it’s always nice to unwind after work, with a nice cool cocktail or mocktail.

Here are our favourite bars in KL for swanky cocktails.

1. Signature @ The Roof , Bandar Utama

Located on the 30th floor of Bandar Utama’s First Avenue, The Roof houses five outlets in one location. The main attraction and F&B outlet is Signature – this space transforms at night when the light panels in the walls emit a warm hue, and psychedelic projections warm you up, for a partying mood.

Signature is a great place to experiment with alcoholic beverages too. Tell the mixologist your “mood” and he will concoct a cocktail to suit your frame of mind. Here below, we tried Summer Greetings, Blur and Covent Garden.

Bartender’s Whimsy – because the barman knows best!

We told the mixologist that we didn’t want overly sweet, nor floral tasting cocktails. I must say that the peppermint based cocktail, was my favourite. We highly recommend you try this novel way of choosing a mood cocktail.

2. BEAST at the Intermark KL

Classy steakhouse BEAST takes over from The BIG Group’s Estate, and the restaurant itself has the sophistication of a place you would find in Manhattan. The dining space is casual, yet it has elegant lighting and a cool color palate. Plush leather armchairs and tattered Wes Anderson-style suitcases make up the smoke-room atmosphere of this restaurant. Apart from great steaks, BEAST makes some mean cocktails too.

The best thing to order here, is the classic martini. Thanks to the revival of the cocktail culture and some very creative mixologists, our taste buds have been treated with some great flavors. Fruits, chocolate, what have you, but I just like mine the classic way.

A classic martini consists, quite simply, of gin and vermouth. A five to one ratio. Stirred, not shaken. Maybe an olive or two or an orange skin twist. Nothing else. Made famous by the likes of Ernest Hemingway , Marlene Dietrich, and Humphrey Bogart, it happens to be my all time favourite cocktail too!

3. Pisco Bar @ Jalan Mesui, KL

No Peruvian cocktail is more classic than the Pisco Sour. Heck we love the drink. And there’s no better place for this addictive cocktail than at Pisco Bar, on Jalan Mesui, KL.

Having a few close Peruvian friends in KL, we quickly got acquainted with the Peruvian way of kicking back and relaxing. After a couple of BBQ house parties and mingling them, we soon learned what a trickster, this national spirit of Peru could be. Pisco, appears clear and pure, yet before long, you are under the table. Peruvians like to say that good pisco will never give you a hangover, although after a night of drinking this tipple, I beg to differ. Anyway, our top pick at Pisco Bar would have to be the Pisco Sour.

Pisco Sour on the right

There are many ways to make the famous pisco sour, so it’s best to know the fundamentals. In a blender, combine the lime juice with the sugar and mix to dissolve the sugar. Add the pisco, egg white and ice and blend at high-speed until frothy. Pour into a sour glass, add a few drops of bitters and serve. Super tart, and very addictive!

Elderflower Martini RM22 (vodka, elderflower syrup, sweet and sour mix), Bellini RM24 (prosecco, peach puree)

Non-pisco based cocktails are just as good at Pisco Bar. Our top picks would be the Elderflower Martini and the Bellini. The Bellini served here is one of the best I’ve tried in town, employing fresh peach juice and puree as a base.

4. Skybar, Traders Hotel KL

Quench your thirst at this cool chill out pad, on top of the world. Soaring way above sea level, they do things differently on the top floor of Traders Hotel. Skybar is one of the top locations on our list, for relaxing cocktail hour.

Apples, kafir lime leaf and vodka.. superb for a hot evening!

The old classics include the Kiwitini (served in a champagne flute), Raised in Manhattan – raisins fused in Jim Bean ( dark red, in the martini glass), Lychee Rose and the Selangor Sling. The Matador is a mocktail, made with Red Bull (tall glass).

From modern-day classics to innovative cocktails, Skybar’s mixologists go to great lengths to seek out inspiration from the most unexpected places.

The results are an eclectic drinks list that uses unique ingredients and inventive methods to create cocktails. The views are no less exclusive.. I love catching the reflection of the Petronas Twin Towers in the glittering lights of the KL skyline as you gaze out through floor to ceiling windows that surround the place.

One of my all time favourite locations for unwinding on weekends!

5. Marini’s on 57

And one can’t talk about way up high, without talking about Marini’s on 57.

That’s right folks, Marini’s ultra-chic rooftop bar is the perfect place to spend a night out in KL, while enjoying our signature cocktails and delicious champagnes.

The bar’s futuristic architectural design encompasses floor to ceiling windows and who could blame them? With such a gorgeous location and views, of course the place would be designed as one huge glass house.

One should come here for the famed Sunset Hours, held daily from 5 – 9pm and W-Night on Wednesdays which is a night for the women of Marini’s.

Their mixologists can also be asked to create unique and personal cocktails to suit your whim and fancy. The drinks here are designed as a delicious complement to end your day, and sometimes to start your night. Just perfect!

Add:
Marini’s on 57,
Menara 3 Petronas,
Persiaran KLCC, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2161-2880

6. Maison Francaise @ Changkat Kia Peng KL

Maison Francaise, possibly best known for the best that French haute cuisine has to offer, in Kuala Lumpur. This is the go-to place for French classics as well as an extensive wine list of premium wines from all over France. And though the French House might look like a place for just French fine- dining, they do serve incredibly tasty cocktails here as well.

My personal favorite here are their fruity cocktails such as the French Raspberry Martini, the Dragon Fruit Margaritas, and the Cosmopolitan. Other Oasis Specials include the Flaming Waterfall and French Violet 75.

If you love flavours of Vodka, Galliano, Blue curacao, and a flaming Sambuca served from the tower, then you will love the Flaming Waterfall! Or if you are a big fan of Gin, you would love the ladylike French Violet 75, a delicious concoction of Gin, Violet, Lemon, Champagne.