Reggae Bar opened on Changkat Bukit Bintang just before Christmas.
Situated next door to Gypsy Bar,Reggae Bar is operated by the same guys who run the successful Reggae Bar in Chinatown.
In Chinatown,they have a virtual monopoly as there are no other bars in the vicinity but on Changkat Bukit Bintang,where there are over 30 F&B outlets chasing your cash they are going to have to work harder to make a success.
Opening night was busy,the next 3 nights when I walked past over Christmas,it was almost empty.
The only resemblance to Reggae Bar in Chinatown is the name.
The outside is covered in blue fairy lights so it's not easy to miss as it looks a bit tacky and stands out like a sore thumb.
There is a seating area outside with a few low tables and chairs whilst high tables and bar stools would have been better.Once inside,the bar-counter seems to take up 90% of the space.
It seems like a good idea,a big centre bar but it's so big that if you're sitting at the bar there is just enough space for people to walk behind you,so when it's busy and the bar was full as on opening night there was nowhere to stand without being in someones way.
There is an area at the back near the DJ console where you can stand but I'm guessing that's their intended dance floor.
Overall,it was a bit dark and the music was echoing from the bare walls.
The staff were friendly and welcoming.
Upstairs is slightly curious...
French cuisine in an almost fine-dining setting with round tables,white tablecloths and fish tanks on the wall and a small area given over to live music.
There is a large balcony that felt a bit too hot and sticky and in design belongs more to the downstairs atmosphere rather than the upstairs dining ambiance.
The beer price is disappointing with a dreaded Happy Hour system in operation.
A glass of Carlsberg is RM11.50 until 10pm and then RM 15.60 afterwards.
It seems that the concept of Reggae Bar is to compete with the more "clubby" places like The Social,Werner's,TwentyOne and the newly opened Elixir at Flams rather than to the back-packers and unpretentious pub going crowd of Reggae Bar in Chinatown.
It's always good to see new outlets open and I shall visit Reggae Bar in a few weeks once it has settled down and established itself to judge again but in all honesty it was not what I was expecting and I can't help feeling that the owners have missed an opportunity to do something a bit more adventurous.
Situated next door to Gypsy Bar,Reggae Bar is operated by the same guys who run the successful Reggae Bar in Chinatown.
In Chinatown,they have a virtual monopoly as there are no other bars in the vicinity but on Changkat Bukit Bintang,where there are over 30 F&B outlets chasing your cash they are going to have to work harder to make a success.
Opening night was busy,the next 3 nights when I walked past over Christmas,it was almost empty.
The only resemblance to Reggae Bar in Chinatown is the name.
The outside is covered in blue fairy lights so it's not easy to miss as it looks a bit tacky and stands out like a sore thumb.
There is a seating area outside with a few low tables and chairs whilst high tables and bar stools would have been better.Once inside,the bar-counter seems to take up 90% of the space.
It seems like a good idea,a big centre bar but it's so big that if you're sitting at the bar there is just enough space for people to walk behind you,so when it's busy and the bar was full as on opening night there was nowhere to stand without being in someones way.
There is an area at the back near the DJ console where you can stand but I'm guessing that's their intended dance floor.
Overall,it was a bit dark and the music was echoing from the bare walls.
The staff were friendly and welcoming.
Upstairs is slightly curious...
French cuisine in an almost fine-dining setting with round tables,white tablecloths and fish tanks on the wall and a small area given over to live music.
There is a large balcony that felt a bit too hot and sticky and in design belongs more to the downstairs atmosphere rather than the upstairs dining ambiance.
The beer price is disappointing with a dreaded Happy Hour system in operation.
A glass of Carlsberg is RM11.50 until 10pm and then RM 15.60 afterwards.
It seems that the concept of Reggae Bar is to compete with the more "clubby" places like The Social,Werner's,TwentyOne and the newly opened Elixir at Flams rather than to the back-packers and unpretentious pub going crowd of Reggae Bar in Chinatown.
It's always good to see new outlets open and I shall visit Reggae Bar in a few weeks once it has settled down and established itself to judge again but in all honesty it was not what I was expecting and I can't help feeling that the owners have missed an opportunity to do something a bit more adventurous.
Update 9th Feb-Reggae bar have introduced an interesting marketing strategy-during the week Monday to Thursday every night is Ladies Night which means drinks are free for women, it's probably a sickly-sweet cocktail that is barely drinkable but hey,it's free...and it seems to be working as the bar is getting busier and busier,especially later at night.
On the other hand,last weekend there were no free drinks and they had a RM40 entrance fee/cover charge-I think it was because of some special live music-so fair enough.
But if they decide on a permanent weekend cover charge just because it gets busy-well,that's another story.
Still not my cup of tea though....but I did actually hear them play some reggae music the other night......
nice blog you have here. i enjoy reading the review on places to hang out in KL. keep them coming!
ReplyDeleteThanks,Mum!
ReplyDeleteBeen there September the 12th :-)
ReplyDeleteThe party was going strong !!!!
Greetz from Holland
i love reggae bar..
ReplyDeleteim use there..very happening bar..
:-)
are there a lot of white chicks? and how packed is it on weekdays?
ReplyDelete