No Black Tie (NBT)

Kuala Lumpur's favourite jazz venue
Noteworthy for: NBT is considered an essential place to play for up-and-coming musicians in KL.

Word to the wise: If you're hungry, NBT serves decent Japanese food.
If you close your eyes and think of a hip jazz joint, chances are the images you conjure up will look a lot like No Black Tie: a cosy basement room; a tight, shades-wearing band in a darkened corner, picked out by a single spotlight, and a crowd made up of the intellectual and social elite of the city.

It's mostly jazz sets that are on offer at No Black Tie—known affectionately as NBT—but you can also hear the blues and folk, and there are occasional poetry readings. Check their webpage for their events line-up before you go.