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…
Must-see nightlife in Malaysia
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…
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…
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…
Malaysia
North of Curve mall, Closer is a masterclass in minimalist design, with a bare concrete and monochrome aesthetic. All the better for you to focus on the…
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
Bloody severed hands (made of rubber), a skull mask smoking a cheroot, or a wooden shoe (for beating purposes!) are part of the gimmicky, Instagram…
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
Coffees served Western- or Malay-style (with a sticky splosh of condensed milk) are equally good at this welcoming cafe. Menu offerings include filling…
Kuala Lumpur
On the 59th floor of the Banyan Tree hotel, this is currently reigning champ for KL's loftiest rooftop bar. Off course, it's all about the views here,…
Johor Bahru
Elevating the usual chai walla (tea seller) stall, this drinks cafe has made its home in a trendy, all-black, double-storey shipping container, with…
George Town
With a hidden location behind an unmarked door – ask at the nearby Good Friends Club – and a unique marketing angle (it claims to be an 'overpriced pin…
George Town
George Town is crazy about speakeasies, epitomised by this well-hidden bar. To find it, locate Hold Up Coffee Shop, then proceed through the giant orange…
Kuala Lumpur
Set in a remodelled shophouse on hip Jln Mesui, Feeka serves espresso and cold brew with optional extras of syrup infusions, oat milk and almond milk. It…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
Brunch is the main event at this contemporary cafe (dishes RM15–36), but VCR is also a good mid-afternoon coffee stop, serving cold brew and espresso. The…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
This sophisticated bar on the rooftop of Bangsar Village II has an indoor lounge and outdoor deck with spectacular views over the leafy, low-rise suburbs…
Kuching
Every emerging Southeast Asian city needs a decent rooftop bar, and the ritzy Sky Lounge provides superb river views as sleepy afternoons slowly merge…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
Local ingredients, such as coconut and pandan, flavour some of the speciality coffees and other drinks served at this chilled cafe that's a short walk…
Kuala Lumpur
Perceiving a gap in the market, English owner Paul James opened this bar dedicated to craft beer. Choose from over 30 beers sourced from Japan, the US,…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
Amid all the coffee spots of Bangsar, Tea Press stands out for serving – well, you guessed it. But not just any old tea; premium Japanese teas to be…
Kuala Terengganu
One of Kuala Terengganu's best coffee joints, Star Anise extracts a fine espresso and concocts several flavoured variations of coffee for those with a…
Ipoh
Allegedly the originator of Ipoh's famous white coffee, this hectic kedai kopi (coffee shop) pours an excellent brew (coffee from RM1.40) while food…
Kuala Lumpur
The kind of bar in which colonial planters would have knocked back G&Ts, this retro watering hole (in business since 1921) oozes nostalgia. The bar is…
Melaka City
You'll almost certainly have to queue to score a table in this retro-styled cafe, which is located behind a Chinatown souvenir and clothing shop. Though…
Miri
The hippest – and often the loudest – venue in Miri's Marina Parkcity neighbourhood, Alice in Borneoland alternates between a cool spot for an evening…
Kuala Lumpur
One of the better bars and eateries on TREC's Electric Blvd is so-called for its nightly transformation from gastro-bar to live music club. It's a…
Kuching
Formerly known as the Tiger Garden – look for the neon sign – the corner-located Bear Garden is a good spot for the first (well-priced) beer of the…
Kuala Lumpur
A French-style cafe-bar, complete with checked red tablecloths, in the surrounds of a Japanese-style garden and koi pond might be culturally confusing…
Miri
Lined with bookcases and channelling a cool and cosmopolitan ambience, Chapter One is the best of the more modern and stylish cafes taking hold in Miri's…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
Known for its flavoured lattes and raw juices, this place is undeniably urban, with a polished concrete floor and slatted-timber counter dominated by a…
Kuala Lumpur
There are plenty of rooftop bars in KL, but none sport the exhilarating 360-degree views of this place. Steady your hands carrying your daiquiri or lychee…
George Town
Sure, it's a hotel pool bar, but the breezy rooftop location and spectacular views towards the mainland and inland to Penang Hill make Gravity one of the…
George Town
Enter a glass room housing what looks like it could've been Louis XVI's bathroom only to emerge in a pastel pink lozenge that resembles a Mary Kay…
Kuala Lumpur
This drop-dead gorgeous loft-like space with its city skyline views houses a slick restaurant and various cosy lounges for cocktails. The Asian and Latin…
Pulau Langkawi
One of the best bars on Pantai Cenang, Nest doesn't sell alcohol. However, you can buy a bottle from a duty-free shop in the area, take it to the 5th…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
Rattan chairs, rainforest prints and slowly revolving ceiling fans set a Colonial-plantation mood at this open-fronted restaurant and bar on Bangsar's…
Melaka City
Creedence Clearwater Revival and other 1970s rock bands dominate the turntable at this hipster bar in a cute lane near the Kampung Jawa pedestrian bridge…
Kuala Lumpur
Jln Doraisamy's reinvention as the Row has thrown up a few cool cafes and restaurants to hang out in, including this one. It serves a good house-blend…
George Town
This airy, Japanese-leaning cafe does light meals, refined desserts and excellent coffee drinks; an espresso and a slice of the rich galaxy mirror glaze…
Pulau Langkawi
A soft sand floor, overhanging palm trees, great coffee and a fine breakfast menu (including spectacular waffles with mango and coconut cream) make this…
Malaysia
A pleasingly accurate rendition of a British country pub stands on the corner of Bukit Fraser's main roundabout, complete with fireplace, wood beams,…
Tawau
With cheerfully mistranslated slogans on walls, this is central Tawau's best coffee shop. Full range of coffee drinks, including frappés, and if you go…
