JUICE Best of 2025: The Year in Bars, Beats & Escapes

By Danial Martinus • 19 Nov 2025 in Features

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Last year’s JUICE Best Of 2024 roundup shone a spotlight on the people, spaces, and scenes that shaped Malaysia’s cultural pulse. That list set the bar high, giving a snapshot of a country in constant motion, full of venues reinventing themselves, communities expanding, and homegrown talent taking up more space on the map.

This year, the rhythm only gets louder. For 2025, the nominees stretch from Bangsar’s cocktail temples to Penang’s hidden micro clubs, from KL’s most transportive live houses to island refuges where Wi-Fi is blissfully optional.

Whether you’re chasing a night out, a late-morning brew, or a weekend where your phone stays untouched, JUICE Best Of 2025 is a love letter to the spaces that made living (and escaping) here better.

Best Bar

1. Coley

A neighbourhood classic anchored by a thriving community that swears by their masterfully crafted cocktails and swanky yet approachable vibe.

2. Dissolved Solids

A quiet, cosy hideaway where every cocktail is a flavour bomb with a bite. Bring your own food, but trust the bar to provide all the magic.

3. Penrose

A sleek, modern sanctuary that’s earned its place on Asia’s 50 Best Bars by serving sophisticated, deceptively simple drinks worth hunting for.

4. No Bar Here

A Penang hotspot pumping ’80s tunes, friendly energy, and personalised cocktails, built on the kind of hospitality that keeps you coming back with friends in tow.

5. Kiki Lalat

Ipoh’s craft beer playground with local brews, quirky toddy mixes, and a fridge full of surprises all wrapped in a cheerful, vibrant setting.

6. Ms Bianca

A ladies-night legend with free-flow cocktails and DJ-driven heat, keeping the party lit from hip hop to house.

Best Club

1. Over & Above

A brutalist dreamscape hidden in Chinatown where sculptural lights, immersive soundscapes, and genre-hopping acts transport you into another dimension.

2. Lane 23

A two-storey TRX destination that blends retro-inspired design, dining, nightlife, and top-tier tech—from cafe lounge to thumping club in one seamless flow.

3. kyō

A labyrinth of underground rhythms, cinematic moods, and industrial minimalism shaped by Asian sensibilities and European influence.

4. Crush

(source: kyon Kusanagi / Google Reviews)

An after-work haven that blooms into a chic nocturnal bar, serving fresh-ingredient cocktails, wines, and spirits for nights that start smooth and end lively.

5. 404 Club Not Found

Malaysia’s first micro club, 404 Club Not Found is an intimate, high-energy bolt of Shanghai-born nightlife packed into under 1,000 sq. ft. of curated music and avant-garde visuals.

6. Iron Fairies

A whimsical, fantasy-forged cavern of fairies, forged iron, and sensual lighting, offering two floors of legendary vibes, late-night food, and endless discovery.

Best Live House

1. Live Fact

A fiercely DIY, fiercely alive room that has welcomed everyone from Acid Mothers Temple to Ramayan: proof that intimacy and independence still drive KL’s live scene.

2. Merdekarya

A no-frills, heart-on-its-sleeve bar where emerging musicians cut their teeth and open mics feel like old friends meeting again.

3. fono

A Malaysian-born listening room with global soul, fono is part jazz haunt, part selector hub, part collaborative playground, always evolving, and always welcoming.

4. Behave

Half event space, half rehearsal home, all good vibes: Behave is an inclusive haven where you can let loose, experiment, and enjoy music in its rawest form.

5. Cero’

A neon-soaked sanctuary of growls, lights, and lovable weirdos—chaotic, cathartic, and impossible not to feel like part of the family.

6. Jupiter Station

A cosy, community-first space with an outrageously good sound system, championing creativity, chill, and everything in between.

Best Café

1. Artisan Roast TTDI

A pioneer of Malaysia’s specialty coffee scene, reborn in a warm new TTDI home that blends Kiwi hospitality with unflinching craft.

2. Plump

A bright, welcoming café where brunch, coffee, and desserts collide in a fresh, photogenic space perfect for lingering or working.

3. Pucks

A small but mighty specialist spot serving excellent brews, inventive non-coffee drinks, and Japanese-leaning desserts you’ll want seconds of.

4. KLCG

A family-owned bakery famed for its cronuts, offering a sprawling, joyful space for pastries, cakes, and kopi with character.

5. Monét Atelier

A two-storey creative retreat mixing vintage warmth with modern polish, dedicated to coffee, tiramisu, and the art of keeping things beautifully simple.

6. Bijou

A minimalist visual delight with bright and open spaces afforded by the café’s glasshouse design. Come for the delectible pastries, stay for the vibes.