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Kuala Lumpur Nightlife
Evenings in Kuala Lumpur are noisy affairs. Anyone pottering around after dark will be hard pressed not to come across one of the many late night street markets that crop up throughout the city. The frenetic bartering and the sounds of Asian chart music blaring out from stereos create a unique evening atmosphere that is unlike anywhere in the west.
Once you have tired of the markets, head to the two main nightlife areas, the Golden Triangle and Bangsar, for a classy evening out. Most clubs don't get going until around 22:00 although Brits abroad will feel at home in the city's many pubs and small bars, which tend to turf you out at 23:00. Happy hours are all the rage in Kuala Lumpur and the majority of places will try and tempt you in with offers between the hours of 17:00 and 20:00.
Bangsar, which in recent years has become the city's leading district for the more hedonistic visitor, offers a wide range of typical bar and club establishments, including the ubiquitous Irish pub. One of the more unusual hostelries is the Roof. The place is jumping on the weekends as posers pile in to its many floors of open-air fun. A good restaurant can be located lower down.
In the Golden Triangle you will find the majority of the city's live music haunts. A concert pianist runs No Black Tie but the acts generally play contemporary rock, both covers and their own compositions. One of the most distinctively decorated bars in the area is the Tiffin Bay and Tiff's Jazz Lounge. Wacky colour schemes and unique uses for broken crockery are the order of the day here and in the evening good blues and jazz bands get to work.
Two of the most popular clubs with KL's fashionable crowd are Cynna and the Loft in the Medan Tuanku part of town. These two establishments have separate entrances but are linked by a balcony. The bouncers are notoriously fussy so dress smart and act nonchalant.
Chinatown also has much to offer the nighthawk and it is here you will find the city's main gay scene. Liquid is the pick of the bunch and each night has a different theme, so if you're choosy, best to check what you're letting yourself in for beforehand. The big night is Saturday, when both dance floors are heaving and the masses spill out on to the club's balcony, which overlooks the Klang River.
Chinatown's Central Market also plays host to a variety of free performances most evenings, from martial arts and Malay dancing through to comedy nights and shadow puppets.
Fans of the performing arts will also find much to enjoy at Istana Budaya ? the National Theatre. The building is home to both the National Theatre Company and the National Symphony Orchestra, who both put on a wide range of performances throughout the year.
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Nightlife
