Meet KL’s next favourite hidden bar: The nefarious-sounding Skullduggery, surprising us with some of 2016’s tastiest cocktails.

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Finding the entrance

Here’s how to find Skullduggery: Walk to the back-lane behind Plaza Damansara’s Huckleberry Food & Fare (both Skullduggery and Huckleberry share the same founders); look for the ornate, earthen-toned entrance; then take the stairs up, confronting the ominously creepy vibe that leads to a costumed figure that conceals a skull in its helmet, resembling a cross between a Jules Verne creation and a horror flick prop. By then, the elegant bar will be on your right.

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Cocktails

We tried three cocktails: Black Waters (RM45) is swoon-worthy – blanco tequila, seaweed agave, squid ink, lime juice and celery bitters, exquisitely refined in its complex but restrained purity of flavours.

Don’t Do Shrooms (RM55) aromatically showcases truffle-infused vodka, cardamom milk jam, heavy cream and black hazelnut bitters, while Pear Pressure (RM60; love these cool names) is an indulgent medley of Skullduggery’s own-buttered calvados, crumble syrup, spiced pear liquor, lemon juice and plum bitters with an aftertaste that lingers pleasurably.

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Skullduggery’s team (including bartender Kavi, whom customers of Huckleberry After Dark downstairs might recognise) does an admirable job of crafting these smooth, beautifully balanced potions, made with the bar’s own inventive and painstaking infusions and developed in consultation with in-house French mixologist Viji Thomas. The bar also offers a unique selection of relatively rare spirits and offerings from small-batch distillers.

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Snacks

Bar snacks here include truffle-scented popcorn (RM29.50; addictive!) and truffled mac-and-cheese balls (RM39.50; skip these – they’re bland and cost too much).

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All in all though, Skullduggery is most certainly worth checking out for your next cocktail stop – and if you happen to notice a model train passing through the walls, it might eventually be carrying a few shots from the bar.

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Location & Details

Skullduggery

2M, Plaza Damansara, Jalan Medan Setia 2, Bukit Damansara, Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur.

Tues-Sat, 6pm-3am

Tel: +6010-960-0498

Find: View directory for Skullduggery here