The Record Speakeasy, Plaza Batai
Words: Jacob Weber
Photos: Han Sen Hau
Good news!
You don’t need flared trousers and a funky shirt to get into The Record Speakeasy at Plaza Batai.
But if you own either, I thoroughly recommend wearing them anyway. You’ll feel right at home.
This classy retro bar is a comfortable, convivial place for a cocktail or three. No sweaty crush against the bar or ear-bursting electronic music — this is a place for grown-ups. It’s all vintage vibes and 70’s style, from the vinyl records on the walls to the black-and-white tiled floors. Classic rock and pop anthems provide the soundtrack, of course.
The Record Speakeasy, Plaza Batai
It’s low-key but high quality. The Record Speakeasy is run by the same team behind Benang and Desire, so you can expect excellent service and outstanding cocktails. Head Bartender Rickler explains that the cocktail menu is “funky and refreshing”, putting their own spin on classic recipes with local ingredients rather than anything too tacky or experimental. We can get behind that.
Best Happy Hours in KL
Oh, and there are 2-for-1 specialty cocktails between 6 and 9 p.m., with prices between RM38 and RM42 per beverage. We can definitely support that.
(Plus, there are themed nights every second Wednesday, like Gangster Rap or Mexican Night, with 2-for-1 on house pours between 10 pm and 12 am.)
We’re working our way through the menu in order—being professional and all that—which starts light and bright before getting a little heftier.
Cocktail Menu & Prices
The Razz Tazz (RM40) is exactly as Rickler described: funky and refreshing. Empress gin and homemade grapefruit juice combine beautifully with Prosecco and elderflower syrup for a sparkling start with just the right amount of sourness to sharpen the palate for the session ahead.
We all love the mezcal-citrus combo presented in Cloudy with a Chance of Orange (RM38), which gets its name from the fluffy orange-flavoured foam that completes this concoction alongside orange bitters and kaffir lime leaf. It’s punchy and very pleasant.
One sip of ¡Ay, Caramba! (RM38), and you’ll say something along those lines. It’s a vibrant, juicy, fruity blend of Herradura Plata tequila that’s been infused with chilli kantan and finished with agave syrup, premium grapefruit soda and lime. It’s Record’s customised version of the classic Paloma cocktail, with a ginger flower leaf garnish for good measure.
Grandma’s Garden (RM40) is another fruity little number, similar to the Razz Tazz but with a little bit more bite. It’s on the sweeter side, featuring As De Picos Tropical Gin, elderflower liqueur, Aperol and lemon, with a thyme leaf garnish.
I enjoy a whiskey, so the Meg-An (RM42) is a personal favourite; a layered, complex cocktail that’s a little sweet, a little smokey, and entirely delicious. Big Peat whiskey (which tastes like it sounds) is clarified with nutmeg milk and mixed with pineapple juice, lime juice and homemade nutmeg syrup. It’ll quickly grow on you after the first curious sip.
The Godfather Sour (RM42) is another inventive interpretation of a classic cocktail, combining a Whiskey Sour and Amaretto Sour to create an interesting blend with a strong base and a sweet finish. It’s aromatic, to say the least — maybe a little too much for my taste, but I know plenty of people will appreciate it.
Rickler warns us that the Black Beard (RM42) is “the strongest one on the menu”, so I’m a fan of it before I’ve even tried it. The first sip tells me I was right. It’s very tasty and surprisingly mellow (dangerously so!) for a beverage that combines dark and white rum with sweet falernum liqueur, finished with apricot, lime and Angostura bitters. It’s complex and well-balanced, with the multiple spirits complementing rather than contradicting each other.
(At this point, after seven cocktails, you’d better believe we’re loudly singing along to back-to-back 80’s bangers.)
We finish strong with A Gentleman (RM40), the only brandy-based cocktail on the menu. It’s another expertly balanced blend of tastes and textures, with Hennessy VSOP and vermouth-infused chamomile tea the stars of the show. Pomegranate juice, lemon and simple syrup add extra sweetness to round out the rich Hennessy and the delicate chamomile.
One more tune — you can’t leave the bar when Living on a Prayer is still playing — and it’s time to stumble back into the outside world and the 21st century. (Pity.)
Reasons to visit The Record Speakeasy: a cool, cosy, comfortable bar with serious retro chic and good vibes all round; great cocktails and drinks deals including bottle packages; excellent bar team; and of course, awesome music.
The Record Speakeasy
6-2A, Plaza Batai, Jalan Batai, Bukit Damansara
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Link to Google Map
@therecordspeakeasykl
The Record Speakeasy Opening Hours
Tuesday-Saturday 6 pm-late
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