About this bar
Three X Co opened in December 2017 on Level 3 of Bangsar Shopping Centre, reached through a theatrical pop-up barbershop that hides a chinoiserie lounge watched over by a Chinese opera diva mural. Eight years on it ranks No.33 on our 2026 Asia ranking and carries The Best Bar in Malaysia title, with a drinks programme that pairs classic technique to Southeast Asian pantry flavours and rotating persona menus. This profile covers the room, what to order from Individuality 2.0, and how to book ahead for a Friday night.
01
Our verdict on Malaysia's best bar 2026
Three X Co has outlasted the first wave of KL speakeasies by staying playful without losing discipline. The room is dim, gold-accented, and genuinely hidden, yet the team greets you like a regular the moment you step past the barber curtain. Drinks read as characters on a menu rather than stunt pours, and the hospitality is warm enough that a solo counter seat feels as comfortable as a booth. If you want one bar that explains why Kuala Lumpur keeps placing rooms on the Asia list, start here.
02
What to expect on your first visit
Find Bangsar Shopping Centre on Jalan Maarof and ride up to Level 3, near Ben's and Grand Imperial. The entrance looks like a working barbershop until you push through the curtain into a bottle-green salon of dark leather, vintage glassware, and a mural of a Chinese opera diva holding a martini and cigar. Counter seats put you closest to the shakers; lounge booths suit longer conversations. The crowd mixes Bangsar regulars, hotel guests, and list-chasers, and the team switches easily between English and Malay.
03
What to order at Three X Co
The current Individuality 2.0 menu follows Indi V Duality, with each drink tied to a persona rather than a geography. Order Mellow Michel for rye and bourbon layered with macadamia, sesame oil, oyster sauce, lemon, and peanut candy if you want the bar's savoury confidence in one glass. Naughty Nana plays brighter with bourbon, kokuto, banana liqueur, and cocoa bitters, while Smokey Sierra runs mezcal, sloe gin, and Campari through caramelised grapefruit and rosemary. For Malaysian pantry depth, Mr Wong's Choice with chrysanthemum and longan liqueur, or the gin-based Balik Pulau with Penang nutmeg, still show the kitchen-meets-bar style that built the room's reputation.
04
How to visit Three X Co in Kuala Lumpur
The bar sits at Lot T6A, Level 3, Bangsar Shopping Centre, 285 Jalan Maarof, Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur. It opens Monday to Thursday and Saturday from 17:00 to midnight, with Friday and Saturday service running to 01:00, and stays closed on Sunday. Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends, via phone or WhatsApp at +60 19-336 6031 or email at hello@threexco.com. Budget about RM 45 to 75 per cocktail. Grab or taxi drop-off at the mall entrance is simplest; parking is available in the shopping centre if you are driving from central KL.
05
How the bar builds Malaysian flavour
Co-founder David Hans, the 2017 Giffard West Cup world champion, built Three X Co around oriental ingredients translated through classic technique rather than novelty garnishes. The team clarifies milk washes, infuses spirits with chrysanthemum and longan, and writes menus that tour the country: Indi V Duality travelled to multiple Malaysian cities in 2025 before Individuality 2.0 landed in Bangsar. Guest shifts and masterclasses stay on the calendar, which keeps the back bar sharp and explains why the room reads as a bartender's bar as much as a date-night hideaway.
06
Why Three X Co is No.33 in Asia for 2026
At the Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026 ceremony in Macau on 28 July, Three X Co ranked No.33 and took The Best Bar in Malaysia 2026, sponsored by Noam, ahead of Bar Trigona at No.39. The bar debuted on the list at No.47 in 2021, climbed to No.15 in 2025, and remains the highest-placed Malaysian room on the main list this season even after a modest step back. Malaysia placed seven bars across the main and extended lists in 2026, but Three X Co still leads the country's showing on the top 50.
