Four Malaysian bars named in Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025: Penrose remains the top bar in Malaysia at No. 10, while Three X Co leaps to No. 15

Malay Mail

16-07-2025

KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 — Last night, at a glitzy ceremony in the Wynn Palace, Macao, four Malaysian bars were recognised in the 2025 edition of Asia's 50 Best Bars.
Penrose retained its title as The Best Bar in Malaysia for the second consecutive year, placing at No. 10 after previously soaring as high as No. 8 in 2024.
Jon Lee's sleek operation in Petaling Street has rapidly become one of Kuala Lumpur's most popular bars over the past year, and its momentum continued with the May opening of his latest concept, Lavantha.
The team behind Penrose, which retained its title as The Best Bar in Malaysia despite slipping to 10th on the list. — Picture courtesy of Penrose
This new venture is located in a refurbished bank vault inside the recently launched Moxy Kuala Lumpur Chinatown.
However, it was Three X Co's surge to No. 15 that garnered significant attention.
Hidden away on the third floor of Bangsar Shopping Centre, the bar has been an integral part of the Klang Valley cocktail bar scene since it was founded in 2017.
The team at Three X Co, which ranked No. 15 on the Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 list. — Picture courtesy of Three X Co
It first appeared on the Asia's 50 Best Bars list at No. 47 in 2021, and last year, it ranked 56th on the extended 51-100 list.
Last year also marked a significant appointment for Three X Co, as Amanda Wan was named head bartender.
A seasoned figure in Malaysian bartending, Wan previously served as beverage development manager for Hong Kong's Tastings Group, known for acclaimed establishments like Quinary, a regular on the 50 Best list famed for its inventive Earl Grey caviar martini.
Amanda Wan, head bartender at Three X Co. — Picture courtesy of Three X Co
She then worked in New York and Singapore before returning to Malaysia.
At Three X Co, Wan's 'Indi V Duality' menu features a mixture of classic cocktails with a twist, like the Whimsy Wabbit, a riff on a lychee martini featuring a jelly rabbit, and original creations inspired by a taste of home, like the Ayu Ayumi, an aperitif made with sake, soda and clarified pandan inspired by the classic Chinese steamed white cake, bak tong gou.
Reka Bar in Bukit Damansara, known for its lab-like setting and innovative, almost scientific approach to cocktails, placed at No. 47, marking the second time it has appeared on the list since debuting at No. 41 last year.
The team behind Reka Bar. — Picture courtesy of Reka Bar
A longtime Malaysian representative on the list, Bar Trigona continued its streak of making the list for a sixth consecutive year, placing at No. 39.
Located in the Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur, it was the first Malaysian bar to place on the World's 50 Best Bars list in 2020, when it ranked 44th, and also previously won the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award in 2022.
This year, Penang's Backdoor Bodega became just the second Malaysian bar to win the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award.
The team behind Backdoor Bodega, who pulled off a massive surprise by winning the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award for 2025. — Picture courtesy of Backdoor Bodega
The self-described 'overpriced pin shop' where guests purchase lapel pins at the bar to 'redeem' cocktails was founded in George Town, Penang, in 2016.
It re-entered the extended 51-100 list at No. 64 this year after first making the list at No. 97 in 2022.