Opened in 2017, JungleBird was the first bar in Malaysia to bring a warm, tropical Malaysiana vibe with a focus on rum/ron/rhum/whatever-you-like-to-call-it to KL’s bar community. One year later, they’ve got a cult following and landed themselves on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list for 2018, sitting comfortably at #38.

In charge of the joint are friends and familiar faces on the local scene - Joshua Ivanovic, a long-serving member of the KL bar community and award-winning bartender (recently the 2018 representative for Asia at the Angostura Global Cocktail Competition); and Divyesh ‘Divy’ Chauhan, who has over 10 years of experience in hospitality from London and now a brand ambassador for Campari in Malaysia. You’re bound to see either of their friendly faces around the bar on any given night.

And speaking of the bar, it’s a dreamy place covered in bamboo, palm print wallpaper, decorated with rattan furniture, where the bartenders wear tropical print shirts (the louder the better, feel free to show up in similar attire) and slap around the domed rattan lampshades that hang over the bar – it’s a casual, low-lit place, with a very solid menu.

The bar’s namesake – the Jungle Bird, made at the KL Hilton in 1978 – cannot be missed, as well as a number of other rum cocktails, both classic and specialty inventions. Check out their ‘constantly evolving selection’ of over 100 bottles of rum from around the world, and try one of their rum flights to properly explore their best offerings. Settle in with your cocktail of choice (or if you’re not feeling adventurous, beer, cider, and wine are also available) and bop the night away with live DJs on Friday and Saturday nights.

And whatever you do, don’t call it a tiki bar.