P&C Cocktail Bar at Desa Sri Hartamas: Restaurant Review

KL’s newest speakeasy-style cocktail bar is an intimate hideout that strives to evoke the spirit of Prohibition-era America, complete with wanted posters of Al Capone & U.S. newspaper clippings that hark back to nearly a century ago.

The Location

Here’s how to locate P&C: It’s in the strange structure behind Desa Sri Hartamas’ Naughty Nuri’s (both establishments share the same Malaysian owners); look for a wooden entrance that opens to reveal P&C’s cat-&-rooster emblem – a cheeky clue for what P&C really stands for (not Private & Confidential). If you can’t find it, ask Naughty Nuri’s staff for help.

No menu was available when we visited, but veteran mixologist Erik Fiza, a man with many years of experience behind the bar, is fully capable of fixing you a drink based on your preferences. Sweet & simple? Herbaceous & tart? Fruity & complex? Floral & crisp? Let Erik know; note though that many cocktails here may cost north of RM50.

Food-and-cocktail Pairing Selection

The issue of cost also causes us reluctance in recommending P&C’s food-&-cocktail pairing selection; we love the concept, with each platter of pulled beef, smoked duck or salmon created to be matched with a specific cocktail. But each pairing is priced at RM150 & above – we tried the beef, but the stringy meat in a cloying sauce furnished no reason for us to order more.

The cocktail in the pairing menu – smoky & sensually nuanced – fares better than the food. But the reality is that at least one other speakeasy bar in KL serves appreciable cocktails for RM35-RM40, so P&C’s main appeal may be its cosmetic allure.