ZOUK KL
A sprawling nightclub, bar, live music venue and restaurant, Zouk KL is an icon in Kuala Lumpur’s nightlife scene since opening in 2004. Located along Jalan Ampang, it encompasses six rooms, Aristo & Rooftop Garden, Barsonic, Main Room, Phuture, Terrace Bar and Velvet Underground. Best known for hosting epic parties that span all six rooms like retro Mambo Jambo (70s and 80s hits remixed with house music) on Wednesday nights, it has become a staple in the city’s clubbing scene. Sister nightclub to Zouk Singapore, its moniker means ‘party’ in French Creole and it lives up to its name, with each of the club’s spaces featuring different decor and offering diverse clubbing experiences.
At Zouk KL a rotating list of local and international DJs spin heady dance floor tracks until the wee hours of the morning, but it has also attracted international heavyweight headliners such as DJ Tiesto, Paul Van Dyk and David Morales in the past.
SULTAN'S LOUNGE
Exuding a glitzy and glamorous vibe, Sultan’s Lounge is a cocktail lounge in Mandarin Oriental Hotel KL. A favourite place for the who’s who of Kuala Lumpur to mix and mingle, its underground location in the basement of the hotel has a hidden, mysterious feel. Designed by Stephane Dupoux (creator of hip restaurants such as Buddha Bar in New York), it has a hint of an Arabic desert prince’s tent but to us it looks ultra modern with polished wooden floors and sheer white flowing fabric hanging from the ceiling in a fan-like fashion.
Some of its more unique features include a golden, lit-up DJ console, a glass bar and an artsy water fountain. There is a heavy focus on music at Sultan’s Lounge, with a resident DJ who plays bass-heavy tracks – tunes are a mix of party pop, R&B and some ‘best of the 80s’ tracks.
TATE BAR
Like an exclusive gentleman’s club (worry not, as the place is open to anyone and everyone), Tate is an elegant bar that follows the style of an expensive speakeasy. In fact, it follows it so well that you almost feel like it is really illegal to have a cocktail – when our drinks arrive, (served by a waiter dressed in a retro-inspired outfit complete with suspenders and slicked back hair), we almost expect teacups filled with whiskey.
There are a couple of things that are unusual about Tate: the first is that its entrance has been purposely designed to be a little hard to find and the second is the suit of armour waiting to greet you the instant you step through said front door. But it is all pretty understandable once you get the concept behind this Intermark KL bar: the place has actually been done up in the style of a secret 1920s prohibition-era bar, so expect dim lighting, intimate seating areas and mismatched but masculine furnishings.