Years ago, Cigar Inspector published two articles about the vibrant cigar scene of Kuala Lumpur. Recently Inspector X was able to travel to Kuala Lumpur again to see what damage the Covid-19 pandemic has done, what is left of the scene and what new places have emerged. Truth be told, there are some places from our previous articles that have changed but the damage isn’t as severe as one might think.
Cigar Malaysia used to have four outlets, two with lounges of which the one at the Ansa Hotel is mentioned in one of our previous articles. But Cigar Malaysia is no longer. That has nothing to do with Covid-19 though, but with two business partners both accusing each other of robbing their own cigar store. Cigar Inspector talked to sources close to both parties, but the stories are so contradicting that even we are confused and decided to let things be.
Another change is the ownership of Cigar Bar KL. Owner Jay Walia sold his cigar bar to a new party; he is still involved as a consultant for pairings but no longer hold ownership nor is involved in the day-to-day operations. The place has a new name, La Habana Cigar Company and since it is now Muslim owned, alcohol is no longer being served.
During this trip, I revisited some of the places I had been before such as La Casa del Habano, Cigars Lounge at Publika, Cohiba Atmosphere and The Cabinet. But we are also happy to hear that places like The Duke, Marini’s on 57, The Humidor Malaysia and Havana Club at the Concorde Hotel are still operating. And a few new places popped up.
Cigars Lounge at 163 Retail Park
Cigars Lounge has several locations, but previously only the locations at Publika and Hartamas Shopping Centre had a lounge. During the covid-19 pandemic, the one at the Hartamas Shopping Centre has been refurbished and it’s on our list for the next business trip to Kuala Lumpur. Recently the owners opened a new location and it has a lounge. The shop has 460sft of retail space with and optimum temperature and humidity controlled walk-in humidor with wide range of Cuban & new world cigars. 500 over selections. There is a 400ft cosy member lounge with full leather chesterfield sofa. And a capacity of 15 pax with state of art ventilation system. The lounge offers coffee, tea & soda drinks
Lot 11, Ground Floor, 163 Retail Park, Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur
10am to 10pm
Club Macanudo
The distributor of STG, the parent company of Macanudo, and the owner of Cigars Lounge collaborate in the brand-new Club Macanudo. It’s located in the heart of the city at the Four Seasons Shoppe. On the top floor of the shopping mall, you will find a luxurious lounge with a full bar, a decent sized walk-in humidor with a good selection of both Cuban and New World cigars. It is beautifully designed with a very luxurious feel due to the grey colour scheme and the nice leather sofas. Club Macanudo opens daily at noon and closes at 10pm.
Level 4a, no, 145, Jln Ampang, Kuala Lumpur City Centre
Vitolas
Former PCC and La Casa del Habano employee Azliza found herself on a crossroads. Stay with Pacific Cigars for the rest of her life, or try to make it on her own. She opted for the latter and recently opened a small but cosy shop at the The Grange, a shopping mall in the centre of Kuala Lumpur. When you enter the small but well-designed shop you won’t suspect that Vitolas offers a place to enjoy cigars. But there is a hidden door that reveals a lounge that fits about 20 cigar aficionados and a small bar where you can order coffee, tea and soft drinks. Vitolas doesn’t offer alcohol, but you can bring your own for a small corkage fee. The shop just recently opened and the cigar selection shows that, but Azliza is working hard to get a bigger variety of new world cigars into her humidor.
Lot G05, Ground Floor, The Grange @ Ampwalk, 218, Jln Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur. Opens daily from noon till midnight.
Real Hermanos Lounge at ttdi
I’m terribly sorry if I put an earworm in your ear now, but the Real Hermanos Lounge opened … last Christmas. The lounge sits 30 cigar aficionados comfortably and has a full bar with some of the best whiskies around. The company behind the lounge is the Trinidad Cigar Group, a company with decades of experience in the hospitality business and they know how to make every guest feel like a king. The humidor offers a wide range of both Cuban and New World cigars. The lounge opens at 3 pm daily and closes at 11 pm except on Sunday when they are closed all day.
28A, Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 2, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur
