Butter Factory

1 Jalan Kia Peng, 2141-9998. www.thebutterfactorykl.com. Open daily 10pm-3am.

A popular spot thanks to its strong focus on dance music and its lofty, slightly futuristic, two-story space. Downstairs is dominated by a large bar, complete with podium dancers and a dance floor, while the second floor offers a mezzanine and the opulent VIP section, complete with gold leather sofas.

Cristallo/Luna

34th Floor, Pacific Regency Hotel Suites, Menara PanGlobal, Jalan Punchak Off Jalan P. Ramlee, 2332-7777. www.luna.my. Open Sun-Thu 11-1am, Fri-Sat 11-3am.

The Luna Bar has to be one of the top spots in town thanks to its amazing views and its stunning poolside setting. Come to eat early on and stay for the party later. Right next door is Cristallo which is three venues in one: an intimate bar with great views, a stylish dining destination, and a dance lounge.

Circus

Level 3, Fashion Avenue, Pavilion KL 2141-6151. www.circus.com.my. Open Sun-Thu, 10-2am; Sat 10-3am.

Set at the heart of the Pavilion mall, this venue is proving a hit with the after-work crowd. A charming bistrostyle restaurant during the day, it transforms into a chic cocktail lounge at night complete with funky lighting and graffiti-scrawled tables. They take their drinks seriously too, with over 60 different cocktails from classics to cuttingedge concoctions.

Hard Rock Café KL

Ground Floor, Wisma Concorde, Jalan Sultan Ismail, 2715-5555. Open daily 11:30-2:30am. 

After all these years, Hard Rock Café KL is still rocking as strong as ever. The American-born restaurant and bar serves up tasty Tex-Mex dishes that’ll make you want to go back for more, all accompanied by the best in live rock.

Heli Lounge

34th floor, Menara KH, Jalan Sultan Ismail, 2110- 5034. Open Mon-Wed, 6pm-midnight; Thu, 6pm-2am; Fri-Sat, 6pm-3am.

This quirky bar is actually set on a real life helipad—well, at least the top deck is—reached via some steep steps. The simple setting allows for some great 360-degree views. If it’s raining, just head down to the covered bar, which has an aviator theme and uses parts of a real plane as part of the décor.

Mezze Bar and Bistro

132, Jalan Kasah, Medan Damansara. www.mezze.my. Open Mon-Sat, 12pm-1am.

Downstairs you’ll find a casual and contemporary bistro serving classic European and North African dishes, while upstairs you’ll find a sophisticated spot to kick back and enjoy some jazz and fine wine. Saturdays and Sundays are the best days to come to enjoy the jazz artists.

Pisco

29 Jalan Mesui, off Jalan Nagasari, 2142-2900. www.piscobarkl.com. Open Sun/Tue/Thu, 5pm-1am; Wed, 5pm-2am; Fri/Sat, 5pm-3am.

One of the most popular bars in town, it might have a simple industrial décor, lots of bare brick and steel and the occasional black and white photo, but it has a real warmth thanks to its Spanish and South American roots. They host lots of fun themed nights, have a short, if potent, drinks list and also offer the chance to sample Nikkei cuisine, a fusion of Japanese and Peruvian dishes.

Poppy Collection

No 18-1, Jalan P.Ramlee, 2170-0666. Open Tue-Sun 9pm-3am.

This venue promises a range of different spaces to match your musical tastes. If you want to chill out to some trance then the Mandalay Lounge fits the bill, while RnB lovers can hit up the bass at the Poppy Garden. House fans get their fill at the Passion Living Room, while you can just kick back and relax in the Havanita Cigar Lounge.

The Roof

Sky Level, 1 First Avenue, Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, www.theroof.com.my. Open 5pm-2am.

This venue offers over 50,000 square feet of dining and entertainment space spread over five very distinct outlets. Choose from sports bar Score, cigar and whisky lounge Malt and Leaf, and high end cocktail bar Signature. Then choose to dance the night away at designer super club Play or top the evening off with a drink at Stratosphere, perched atop the building on a grassed over helipad.

Sultan Lounge

Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 2179-8966. Open Wed-Sat 10pm-3am.

One of the swankiest bars in the city, the opulent design takes its cues from the Middle East and the flowing fabrics and rich colors make you feel like you’re inside a sheik’s tent. Ultra-hip, elegant and stylish, it draws in the beautiful people with its great DJs and potent cocktails.

View Rooftop Bar

29th Floor, GTower 199 Jalan Tun Razak, 2168-1899. Open Sun-Thu 5pm-1am; Fri-Sat 5pm-3am.

The View Rooftop Bar has established itself as a firm favorite on the scene. Boasting spectacular vistas, the bar offers a variety of different sensory spaces designed to suit your mood, ranging from a Whiskey Lounge to the Champagne Room.

Warm Up

GL-10, BB Park (opposite Plaza Low Yat), 7 Jalan 1/77, JalanBukit Bintang, 2661-5245. Open daily 3pm - 3am.

Located in the heart of the bustling downtown area, the Warmup club is the ideal place to go for good music, played be a great live band. By day, they serve satisfying comfort food and at night it becomes a one-stop entertainment venue thanks to an array of great live music performers.

Zouk

113 Jalan Ampang, www.zoukclub.com.my. Open Mon 5pm-1am; Tue-Sat 5pm-3am.

Expect what you would from the original Zouk in Singapore: pumping music, a dance-hungry crowd, world-class acts and six rooms offering a huge range of music genres from hip hop to trance, putting it at the cutting-edge of the dance scene in KL.

more bars and clubs in Kuala Lumpur