Taps Beer Bar

Taps Beer Bar holds the corner at 1 Jalan Nagasari, one street removed from the Changkat crowds in Bukit Bintang, underneath the ParkRoyal Serviced Suites. Five cousins own it, and since 2012 they have kept it the only pure craft beer bar in Kuala Lumpur, with more than 900 unique beers served to date.

It suits hopheads, homesick expats, and anyone tired of Changkat's lager and EDM formula. It will frustrate cocktail drinkers; the bar mixes nothing it cannot pour from a tap or a bottle.

The Room

A classic watering hole with funky signs, shiny stools, and a small stage, as The Yum List puts it. The terrace catches the street; the inside catches the air conditioning.

The Drinks

Fourteen taps rotate constantly through IPAs, porters, and ales flown in from the USA, UK, Japan, Denmark, Belgium, Australia, and New Zealand, backed by roughly 60 bottles. Time Out keeps it on its best bars in KL list for exactly this reason. Imported craft in Malaysia is taxed hard, so expect to pay for the privilege; the pours are honest.

The Crowd

Expats, traveling beer nerds, and KL regulars who treat the tap board like a newspaper. The Bar Awards rankings tracked by Thirst magazine have repeatedly placed it among the city's essential rooms.

The Neighborhood

Jalan Nagasari is the quiet parallel street to Changkat Bukit Bintang, close enough to walk, far enough to hear yourself. Pair it with the gin program at Pahit two doors down the same strip.

When to Go

Weekday afternoons for space and a slow read of the board. Thursday to Saturday brings live bands from 9:30pm, when the tables disappear.

What Regulars Say

• Best craft selection in the Bukit Bintang area, per long running Tripadvisor reviews.
• The tap list turns over fast; what you loved last month may be gone.
• Food is decent bar fuel, not the reason you came.
• Live music on weekends completes it; arrive before the band starts.

Who It Is For

• The drinker who orders by brewery, not by brand
• A first night in KL that needs a friendly anchor
• Avoid if you want cocktails; the taps are the whole religion

Malaysia makes craft beer expensive and difficult, and Taps has spent over a decade refusing to care. That stubbornness is the best thing on the menu.

Explore Kuala Lumpur's craft beer bars, or widen the night with the Bukit Bintang guide.