"KL's pioneering hidden cocktail bar, an Asia's 50 Best alum behind an unmarked door — go for a bartender's-choice nightcap."
About Omakase + Appreciate
You will walk past the door. Omakase + Appreciate hides in the basement of the Bangunan Ming Annexe on Jalan Ampang, behind an unmarked entrance signed only "Dilarang Masuk" — Malay for "No Entry." Founders Karl Too and Shawn Chong opened it in 2013 and effectively wrote the script for KL's cocktail scene: it was the city's sole entry on Asia's 50 Best Bars in both 2016 and 2017. The name is the format — tell the bartender what you like and let them build a drink, omakase-style — and a decade on it is still the cocktail room every visiting bartender asks to be taken to.
The Kitchen
The bar is the kitchen here. Karl Too and Shawn Chong built Omakase + Appreciate around the idea that the best drink is the one made for you in the moment: there is a printed menu of reinvented classics, but the move is to hand the room a flavour or a mood and let the bartender improvise. The bartender's-choice cocktail is the signature, and the craft — balance, technique, restraint — is what put the bar on Asia's 50 Best in 2016 and 2017 as Malaysia's only listed entry.
Pricing is approachable for a bar of this reputation: cocktails start around RM25 nett, a classic like a Tom Collins runs about RM40, and a fully bespoke build is roughly RM50. That is the value story — world-ranked cocktail craft at neighbourhood-bar prices. The list leans on reinvented classics rather than gimmicks, and the bartenders will calibrate strength and sweetness to your brief, which is exactly why regulars order off-menu and trust the room to read them.
The Room
The room is small, dark and intimate — a basement bar with a short counter, low light and a hush that makes it feel like a secret even on a full night. The sound level stays conversation-easy, which is rare for a cocktail bar and part of why it works for a date or a quiet deal. There is no dress code and no pretension; this is a craft bar, not a velvet-rope club. Reservations are not the norm — you find the door, you go in, and on weekends you may wait for a seat at the counter. It opens evenings Tuesday to Saturday and is closed Sunday and Monday.
Best for a First Date
Head to Omakase + Appreciate for a first date or a quiet nightcap, because the dark, hushed basement room is built for conversation in a way most cocktail bars are not. The bartender's-choice format gives you something to do together — comparing what the room builds for each of you — and the hidden door makes for an easy story. It is intimate, unpretentious and priced so the evening does not become a statement. For more KL ideas, see the best Japanese restaurants in KL, the best rooms to close a deal, and the wider best restaurants for a first date.
Not for
Not for a big group, a loud night out or anyone after dinner. It is a tiny, dark cocktail bar that serves drinks, not food, and the counter fills fast on weekends.
Frequently Asked
Is Omakase + Appreciate worth visiting?
Yes, if you care about cocktails. Omakase + Appreciate is the bar that put KL on the cocktail map, listed on Asia's 50 Best Bars in 2016 and 2017 as Malaysia's only entry, and founders Karl Too and Shawn Chong still run a bartender's-choice format that rewards trusting the room. Drinks start around RM25, so the craft-to-price ratio is excellent. Go for the cocktails and the atmosphere, not for food — it does not serve a kitchen menu.
How do I find Omakase + Appreciate?
Look for the door marked "Dilarang Masuk" — Malay for "No Entry" — on the lower ground floor of the Bangunan Ming Annexe at 9 Jalan Ampang. There is no sign for the bar itself; the hidden entrance is the point. It opens in the evening from Tuesday to Saturday and is closed Sunday and Monday. Walk in rather than book; on weekends you may wait for a counter seat. Phone +60 3-2022 2238 to check hours.
What should I order at Omakase + Appreciate?
Order the way the bar is named: tell the bartender what spirits and flavours you like and let them build a bartender's-choice cocktail for you. If you prefer to choose, the menu of reinvented classics is reliable — a Tom Collins runs about RM40 and a fully custom drink around RM50. The craft is in the balance and the read on your taste, so the off-menu, bespoke route is the one regulars take.
Does Omakase + Appreciate take reservations or have a dress code?
Generally no on both counts. It is a small, walk-in craft bar with no formal dress code — turn up as you are, within reason. There are no bookings for the counter, so on busy weekend nights expect a short wait for a seat. It opens evenings Tuesday to Saturday. For a calmer experience, arrive early in the evening on a weeknight, when the room is quieter and the bartenders have more time.
Reserve a Table
Call the Bar
Walk-in · evenings Tue–Sat · find the unmarked door
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
AddressLG, Bangunan Ming Annexe, 9 Jalan Ampang, KL
NeighbourhoodJalan Ampang, KL city centre
TypeHidden craft cocktail bar
CocktailsFrom RM25 · custom from ~RM50
HoursEvenings Tue–Sat · closed Sun–Mon
Dress CodeNo dress code
ReservationWalk-in only
