Perfect room for gentlemen.
The Smoke House Bar in the Majestic Hotel, Kuala Lumpur is one of the most amazing bars out there. This pearl deserves a visit, not only from those staying at the hotel but from outside guests as well. Every luxury hotel needs a good or rather outstanding bar and not only for a late night drinking, but especially for spending some free time and mingling with other guests.
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Free time can be invested in tasting new drinks or enjoying your favorite Cognac with a new book. In hotels like these, you never know who you will meet and impolite lines don’t have a place here. This is why we love these bars: peace, mixology, artisanry, professional staff and much more.
Why do we think that is more difficult to run an exceptional bar for a luxury hotel than for some middle-class one?
Because guests in luxury hotels are more demanding and have more experience with high-end spirits and cocktails in general. Moreover, sometimes those hotels are themed or, like the Majestic, are places of heritage. A bar in a hotel like this must be sophisticated and well equipped with a great menu. It must also be a part of the hotel: in this case, a colonial bar. The Smoke House Bar in the Majestic Hotel is like the bar from my dreams.
The bar is decorated in colonial style with some modern club additions, and we loved the tranquil feeling. If you are looking for a gentleman’s place, this is it. The centerpiece here is the vintage pool table with leather siding. You can play a game, sip on your fine drink or enjoy the entertainment of watching others play.
Speaking of drinks…: here you will find an extensive selection of exceptional vintage cocktails and a connoisseur’s collection of single malt whiskeys. You can easily find a perfect whiskey from all over the world, or change it up with a fine Cognac. The bar has a smoke room with a reasonable collection of cigars, where you can enjoy your cigar and pair it with your drink.
They can provide you a smoking coat and toilet water, so the cigar smell won’t bother your lady – a truly special touch. This place has also a smaller dining room where you can enjoy more privacy. Seating is comfortable anywhere you go and service was professional at all times.
I chose the legendary Code 55 and 2 Bulat cocktail, while Vivi indulged in their vintage cocktail, the Tanqueray Blue. Code 55 and 2 bulat is their signature cocktail which reflects the fierce story that stands behind it. The cocktail is a manly drink with beer, lemonade, gin, and whiskey. The beer and lemonade are stirred together to make a light drink, but after the two-spirit shots are added into it, things change.
You can imagine the taste and nature of this strong drink: it’s intense, and so is the legendary story from the history of this hotel, related by Captain Mr. Tan Meng Tan. One lady stomped into the dining hall and sat at a table where a regular gentleman and a younger lady (not his wife) were dining.
The captain approached the intruding lady to take her order and she replied without hesitation “code 55 and 2 bulat”. In her mind, she was thinking about a gun “Colt 55 and 2 bullets”, probably to end that romantic dinner immediately. Luckily, the unnamed gentleman ushered the lady (which also wasn’t his wife) out in time, so there was no bloodshed that day.
Vivi was enjoying her Tanqueray Blue, which was made of Tanqueray 10 Gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, cranberry juice, and blue ginger infusion. The blue ginger has nothing in common with normal ginger, it’s actually a flower with an intense blue color and a slightly honey-like taste. The cocktail is refreshing and aromatic with some nice tartness of citrus and cranberry. The sugar nicely covers alcohol and combines everything together. In short, this is a nice cocktail for hot tropical nights.
Another one to enjoy was The Malayan Colada, which is a tribute to the classic Pina Colada. Golden rum, coconut cream, angostura bitters, single cream, salt and pineapple chunks make a great mixture for this tropical beverage. It was pleasantly creamy with some bitterness at the back but it also had a fruity flavor. Little salt only made the sweetness more intense and combined those flavors together. An interesting version of this classic, for sure.
We weren’t here just to enjoy mixology, but also to socialize with our new friend. This guy is simply amazing and his stories were a fun part of that night. I was also a “victim” of a “random” pool player: that evening I realized how good professional players really are, and I will never forget it. Part of the mystery and particularity of outstanding bars like this one are the stories behind them, created every single day, by every guest.
Cocktails here costs about 13,5 USD, our visit costs us about 40 USD. They have also happy hours, so you might spare some dollars. Here is a link to the location in case you will head there and try some cocktail or single malt.
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