World City Guide

Nightlife

With so many different cultures mixing together, the nightlife is anything but dull in Kuala Lumpur. Although Malaysia is a Muslim country, alcohol is freely available in the capital and the nightlife is one of the liveliest in Asia. Strict government controls close many bars by 0100, although some clubs stay open later. The legal drinking age in Kuala Lumpur is 21 years. The average price for a bottle of beer is around RM10-14.

Traditional nightlife for many locals still involves a visit to a bustling pasar malam (night market), where the focus is as much on socialising and people watching as it is on shopping, savouring the excellent hawker food and quaffing ice-cold beer. The Saturday market on Jalan Raja Muda is the highlight, although Jalan Petaling in Chinatown nightly closes itself to traffic and is still a local favourite, despite the presence of many tourists. The main area for bars is in the Golden Triangle, where there are many European-style bars and nightclubs inside the luxury hotels. Over the last few years, the buzzing Jalan Sultan Ismail–Jalan P Ramlee strip has taken over from Jalan Bukit Bintang as the place to be. The dress code veers towards the relaxed side of smart-casual, except in some of the classier establishments frequented by the city’s yuppie brigade. Bangsar, on the city fringe, is now a serious rival to the city centre, with half a dozen streets of bars and eating places packed with a younger crowd.

The monthly Vision KL Magazine gives visitors the low-down on the city’s latest hip nightlife spots. The magazine is available free of charge from 4 and 5-star hotels and is also occasionally available in bars.

Bars: Good bars in the Golden Triangle include El Nino, 21 Jalan Mayang, which is themed around Latin-American music and culture, and Citrus Rouge, 19 Jalan Sultan Ismail, where live jazz, a bustling dance floor, fabulous cocktails, cigar divan and stylish restaurant combine to make this one of the hippest places in town. Nearby, Bravo, Crown Regency, Mezzanine Floor, Jalan P Ramlee, is a bar/café with a real buzz, a sprinkling of pool tables and a small dance floor. The Beach Club Café, 97 Jalan P Ramlee, is a wild and nefarious party place that attracts ex-pats, local students and bar girls, with its cheap drinks and buzzing atmosphere. In the Golden Triangle, abstaining Muslims hang out in the numerous cafés on Jalan Bukit Bintang, near the JW Marriott Hotel. In Bangsar, The Roof, 2 Jalan Telawi 4 and Soleil, 7 Jalan Telawi 4, are the bars to look out for. Finnegan’s, 6 Jalan Telawi 5, has emerged as the ‘in’ venue and is the bar most locals point visitors towards, although the high density of single males seems to have attracted an informal bar-girl scene. (Visitors should note that Bangsar, unlike the rest of the city, is built on a grid and the addresses have two numbers, indicating how many streets up and in.)

Casinos: There are no casinos in Kuala Lumpur itself. The country’s only casino, the Genting Casino (website: www.genting.com.my/en/casino), is located 51 kilometres northeast of the city in the Genting Resort. It is possible to get a bus to the resort from the Puduraya Bus Station, but the easiest way to reach Genting is by taxi. The casino is strictly over 21s only.

Clubs: Nightclubs tend to be quite far out of the city and are normally geared towards Kuala Lumpur teenagers, although a number of dancefloors now grace the Golden Triangle. In the city, the best place for a dance is probably the big hotels’ bars. Planet Hollywood and Hard Rock Café also often have dancing after their live music performances (see below). The Embassy, 26 Jalan Ampang, is a bona fide club in the city centre, considered hip by an increasing number of locals and ex-pats. Emporium, 97 Jalan Sultan Ismail, is one of a new breed of clubs in the Golden Triangle, with an outside terrace and both an indoor bar and dancefloor. The KL smart set ease through cocktails on the outdoor terrace, before delving inside to dance to the tunes spun by the ever-changing domestic and international DJ guests.

Live Music: Unfortunately, in Kuala Lumpur, live music still often means one thing – karaoke. The city is overrun with karaoke bars but a few bastions of live music do survive. The Hard Rock Café and Planet Hollywood may not be considered the epitome of cool in many parts of the world, but in Kuala Lumpur they are where the trendies troop to for some live music, although this is often provided by dubious cover bands. Follow the noise to The Hard Rock Café, Concorde Hotel, Jalan Sultan Ismail, and Planet Hollywood, Ground Floor, Kuala Lumpur Plaza, 179 Jalan Bukit Bintang. Often a better bet is TM2, Mutiara Hotel (formerly the Hilton Kuala Lumpur), Jalan Sultan Ismail, which hosts a wide range of live music acts as well as DJs.