Review: WIP on the Park
April 28th, 2025
It’s always a real treat to return to WIP on the Park, city centre traffic woes notwithstanding. We [...]
16 speakeasy bars in KL and Selangor you should hunt down
Hidden bars hark back to the prohibition era in the US, which means you’ll have to first find these speakeasies before you can enjoy a drink. Here are 16 hidden bars to check out:
1. Omakase + Appreciate
Helmed by two topflight Malaysian bartenders, Karl Too and Shawn Chong, this bar is hidden in the basement of an office building behind a foreboding, locked entrance. This speakeasy was even ranked in the top 10 of Asia’s Best Bars by Drinks International.
Contact details and map for Omakase + Appreciate
2. Ojos
Taiwanese bartenders have invaded Malaysia, and they’re playing with fire: Meet the Klang Valley’s latest speakeasy-inspired bar, hidden behind thick, heavy doors, serving striking cocktails that succeed in making a stirring impression.
Ojos Bar at Jaya One: Bar Review
Contact details and map for Ojos Bar
3. Sparrow Bar
Fixed up with mahjong tiles and tables, Sparrow takes flight as a new cocktail bar to watch, founded by Shawn Chong and Karl Too (the two pioneering men behind Omakase + Appreciate) and featuring the talents of bartenders Shirmy Chan and Joel John Timis.
Sparrow Bar at Kota Damansara: Cocktail bar review
View Sparrow Bar’s directory here
4. The Locker and Loft
This discreet den in Damansara Kim has enough potential to become a top draw for dining and wining, with a mind-broadening menu of Asian-accented small plates and an eye-opening emphasis on whimsical cocktails and other libations at liberating prices.
The Locker & Loft at Damansara Kim: Restaurant review
View The Locker & Loft’s directory here
5. The Attic
A short stroll from Petaling Street, Travel Hub Guesthouse’s third-level bar proves a discreet destination for drinkers; take the spiral stairs up and you might have the entire lounge blissfully to yourself on a Thursday evening, with the terrace offering a sunset view of the national mosque and old railway station on one end and the Petronas Twin Towers and Menara KL on the other.
The Attic Bar at Travel Hub Guesthouse: Bar review
View The Attic Bar’s directory here
6. 61 Monarchy
61 Monarchy is primed to reign as PJ’s premier destination for whisky disciples – Scotch, Irish, Welsh, Australian, Canadian and more; the diversity is dizzying, but bar manager Chris and his team will help novices navigate their way to the right liquor for their palates.
61 Monarchy at Damansara Uptown: Snapshot
View 61 Monarchy’s Directory here.
7. Hyde at 53m
Hyde At 53M, owned by the savvy folks of The Good Batch cafe, is separated into two spacious sections: the air-conditioned indoors, complete with comfy sofas, low lighting and pre-Sinatra jazz, though some will understandably adore the alfresco area that overlooks Damansara Utama’s houses.
Hyde At 53M at Damansara Uptown: Restaurant Review
View Hyde At 53M’s directory page here.
7. Private Room
KL’s first speakeasy-style bar that specialises in the pleasures of wine, Private Room was conceived by a team of young bankers, entrepreneurs and sommeliers as an intimate space where cracking open a bottle from South Africa, Spain or France can be an affordable and fun affair. It’s a versatile destination that strives to cater to wine-drinking veterans and novices alike.
Private Room at Taman Tun Dr Ismail: Restaurant Review
View Private Room’s directory here
8. P&C Cocktail Bar
This cocktail bar is an intimate hideout that strives to evoke the spirit of Prohibition-era America, complete with wanted posters of Al Capone and U.S. newspaper clippings that hark back to nearly a century ago.
P&C Cocktail Bar at Desa Sri Hartamas: Restaurant Review
Contact details and map for P&C Cocktail Bar
9. Blue Elephant
It’s no white elephant or black sheep for sure – this silver-screen-themed, speakeasy-style hangout has surfaced out of the blue in Bukit Damansara. Patrons hoping to paint the town red here are likely to be tickled pink and emerge rosy-cheeked for all the right reasons.
Blue Elephant at Plaza Damansara: Restaurant Review
10. Mr Brooks
The BIG Group’s watering hole is exceptionally hidden from public view, with no signboards outside to betray its existence. Behind Ben’s on BSC’s third floor, look for the Sunbeam Alpine car, then push through the tool panel to reveal the speakeasy bar.
Review: Mr Brooks at Bangsar Shopping Centre
11. Tate
It’s easy to walk past this place and think there’s nothing here except a wall. But that’s part of the master plan for Tate. Cocooned in secrecy, Tate’s concept is inspired by speakeasies and private gentlemen’s clubs. It’s a classy, intimate space that allows customers to swiftly lose themselves in their own world.
Contact details and map for Tate
12. Nomi Tomo
Hidden without a signboard on the third floor of a Plaza Damansara shop-lot, Nomi Tomo – which translates into ‘Drinking Buddies’ – serves purely sake and skewers (with an interesting selection of both), founded by friendly brothers Kelvin and Kai Zhou.
Nomi Tomo Sake Bar at Bukit Damansara: Restaurant Review
Contact details and map for Nomi Tomo Sake Bar
13. Virgin & Throne
An armoured knight stands guard in this bar, the most conspicuous sign of what’s meant to be a medieval theme that’s not quite evident in much other than Virgin and Throne’s name and a few flourishes in its decor..
Virgin & Throne at TTDI: Snapshot
14. The Vault
The Vault is on its way to becoming one of Sri Hartamas’ buzziest bars; but while its repertoire sounds promising, spiced up with the use of a few Asian elements like pandan-infused vodka, kaffir lime-infused tequila and cili padi.
The Vault at Sri Hartamas: Snapshot
Others
These bonus bars aren’t exactly hidden but they do have the charm of a speakeasy.
15. IKKI bar
This cocktail bar strives to exude style and sophistication. Wide-ranging snacks such as applewood-smoked cream cheese and ox tongue skewers prove a pleasurable foil for potent potions like Her Majesty, Haters Gonna Haig and Bee’s Knees Wine, executed with flair to produce commanding combinations of flavours and fragrances.
Contact details and map for IKKI
16. PS150
Around the row of faded Chinatown shop-lots that house PS150, there are scant signs of life. It was worth the anxious hunt – this intensely atmospheric bar is poised to be one of 2016’s most popular caverns of cocktails, lit with crimson lanterns and neon calligraphy that translates into Petaling Street’s Cantonese name.
