[Kuala Lumpur] Vertigo at Banyan Tree Hotel

Kuala Lumpur’s skyline may not be the most impressive in South-east Asia - it’s a toss-up between Singapore and Bangkok for that honour. But Kuala Lumpur has its own interesting characteristics - the iconic 452-metre-tall Petronas Twin Towers, once the world’s tallest buildings - are unmissable, and its nightlife has an edginess one doesn’t find in Singapore.

Watching the sunset from Vertigo Bar on the 59th floor of the Banyan Tree Hotel is a wonderful experience, and was one of the highlights during my recent trip to KL to watch Pink Martini perform at the Kuala Lumpur Philharmonic Hall.

Cocktails - L: Mojito, R: Pandan Love (Stolichnaya vodka, pandan-infused syrup,lycee juice, Monin peach syrup)

Bar bites:

Spiced-roasted Gaucho steak skewer, with spicy Chimichurri sauce, guacamole, and mini naan bread:

Char-grilled chicken & beef sliders, with firepit brioche, home-made Smoking Gun ketchup, lettuce and cut fries:

Making forward reservations is necessary as sky bars in Kuala Lumpur are relatively popular, in a city which does not have hills or elevated landscape, and where skyscrapers provide vantage points to view the city skyline and city-lights after dark.

The bar has a pretty extensive menu:

It’s surprisingly cool up there, whereas KL tends to be hot & humid at street level.

Address
Vertigo
Level 59, Banyan Tree
2 Jalan Conlay, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +603 2113 1822
Opening hours: 6pm to 1am, daily.

3 Likes

Some fantastic “cityscape” shots there, Peter.

1 Like

Thanks, John. There are at least a dozen other sky bars in KL, all providing different views, and I hope to try a few more. The sights are almost as intoxicating as the drinks. :joy:

The Heli Lounge Bar atop the 34-storey Menara KH, which we could see from where we were certainly looked interesting:

Pink Martini! How wonderful it must have been to catch a performance in KL.

Boston is a regular stop on Pink Martini tours so we have been lucky to see them perform a number of times. They’ve had a number of interesting guest performers over the years. Once it was the great-grandchildren of the von Trapps (yes, the very same).

2 Likes

We went there back in 2011 on our last night in Malaysia and loved it but…we barely realized there was food! I think we were dressed in our one last clean outfit that was fit for such a swanky place and had a couple of drinks. We tried our best not to sweat as we also had to wear the same outfit home to the US the next day. I’m going to look for my travel journal/CH post. Thanks for jogging my memory.

2 Likes

A common bane when we travel in hot, humid SE-Asia. I packed 14 outfits whenever I travel for a week to neighbouring countries here - I know I’m going to need a change sometime during the day. :rofl:

2 Likes

Oh yes, they were such a fun ensemble. You’re so lucky to be able to see them so often. :grin:

1 Like