Cigar Lounge KL: A Neighbourhood Guide to Kuala Lumpur

Finding a cigar lounge KL locals actually use is easier once you know the map. Most venues sit in a handful of districts, often inside hotels, malls or office towers. This guide walks through them area by area. It also covers the rules you need first, because Malaysia’s smoking law, not any lounge, decides where you can light up.

How KL’s cigar scene grew

Kuala Lumpur has had cigar rooms for decades. The Havana Club at the Concorde Hotel opened in 1990, and Tatler called it the city’s oldest cigar divan in 2014. We could not confirm that it still operates. Then, in 1998, the late Dato’ Kadar Shah founded La Casa del Habano Kuala Lumpur, a franchise of the official Habanos store concept. It is still operating today.

Since then the scene has followed the money and the hotels. Cuban cigars arrive through the Pacific Cigar Company, the Habanos distributor for the region. Meanwhile, local importers bring in Nicaraguan, Dominican and Honduran brands. In 2021 Malaysia even got its own regional edition, the Harimau Malaya. Our article on cigar culture in Malaysia tells that longer story.

Before you go: the law in one minute

Act 852, the smoking-products law that took effect on 1 October 2024, decides where you may smoke. Its Non-Smoking Order bans smoking in eating places, air-conditioned shops, shopping complexes and workplaces. It also covers the area within 3 m of any food table.

Crucially, the Order has no exemption or licence for cigar lounges. Lounges in KL keep operating as private or members’ venues, but no official source explains how they fit the rules. So treat each venue’s own policy as the starting point, and ask. Also note that KL bans smoking on all roofed walkways and pedestrian tunnels in the city centre. For the detail, read our guides to where to smoke cigars in Malaysia and Malaysia’s cigar laws.

KLCC and Jalan Ampang: the cigar lounge KL heartland

The Golden Triangle holds the city’s best-known names. La Casa del Habano Kuala Lumpur now sits on Level P1 of the Mandarin Oriental. It moved from the hotel’s ground floor in May 2025, into a room of about 50 seats with a walk-in humidor and a bar. There is even a hidden room styled like the old shop.

High above it, Marini’s on 57 at Menara 3 Petronas runs a separate whisky and cigar lounge. It has hosted the Malaysian qualifier of the Cigar Smoking World Championship for several years, including in 2025. Further along Jalan Ampang, Vitolas sits in The Grange at Ampwalk.

Cigar Malaysia, an independent retailer on Jalan Ampang, also trades here. Despite the similar name, it has no connection to this publication. Older lists also mention hotel bars around KLCC, such as Blu Bar at the Pullman. The press listed these in 2024, but we could not confirm them as current.

Bukit Bintang and Jalan Sultan Ismail

Bukit Bintang is KL’s shopping and nightlife strip, yet it has fewer verified cigar venues than you might expect. Along Jalan Sultan Ismail, the Concorde Hotel has a retail shop, Kareem General Store, listed as a Habanos stockist. Nearby, a branch of Cigars Lounge sits at Menara Hap Seng on Jalan P. Ramlee.

Several hotel cigar rooms in this area appear in press from 2022, including Firehouse at the JW Marriott. However, we found no recent source for them. Similarly, a cigar lounge once run by Cigar Malaysia at a Bukit Bintang hotel no longer appears on its website. Treat older listings here with care.

Bangsar

Bangsar is a leafy, low-rise suburb of cafés and bars, just south-west of the centre. Havana Express, a Habanos specialist run by the distributor, is at Bangsar Shopping Centre on Jalan Maarof.

Just around the corner, The Cabinet on Lorong Maarof built a strong name as a dedicated cigar bar. It was a finalist for “Lounge of the Year” at the Cigar Trophy awards in 2018 and 2019. Still, our latest source for it dates from early 2024, so it is reported rather than verified. Check its status before you make the trip.

Mont Kiara, Hartamas and TTDI

This is expat territory, with condos, international schools and neighbourhood malls. As a result, many visitors looking for a cigar lounge KL residents use end up here, and the cigar bar KL regulars from overseas often do too. Cigars Lounge, a local importer that also brings in brands such as Arturo Fuente and Ashton, has outlets at Hartamas Shopping Centre, Publika and 163 Retail Park.

Next door in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Real Hermanos runs a neighbourhood lounge. Up the hill, the Connoisseurs Lounge at KL Golf & Country Club is listed as a stockist. Access there is likely limited to members and their guests, though we could not confirm this.

Damansara Heights and Petaling Jaya

Damansara Heights, or Bukit Damansara, sits between the city and Petaling Jaya. Cigar Secret runs a members’ and pay-by-the-hour lounge at Plaza Batai, and Cigars Lounge has an outlet at Pavilion Damansara Heights. The Duke, a lounge in The Republik at Plaza Damansara, was featured in trade and lifestyle press in 2021–22, but we have no recent source.

Across the border in Selangor, Cohiba Atmosphere in Kota Damansara is the largest dedicated venue in the area. It is a Habanos-licensed lounge in a three-storey building with private rooms. Habanos announced it in 2019, and it hosted the Harimau Malaya launch in 2021. Cigar Secret also has a PJ branch and a third lounge up in Genting Highlands.

Cigar lounge KL directory

Every cigar lounge KL entry below has an official page or a 2025–26 report showing it operates. We do not record prices or hours, because both change. In addition, nothing here is a recommendation, and you should confirm details with each venue.

Climate: why KL lounges keep a walk-in humidor

KL is hot and wet all year. MetMalaysia notes that daily maximum humidity often exceeds 94%. That is well above the 65–72% most cigars like. Then the air-con inside a hotel or mall swings the other way and dries things out.

So a cigar carried around the city all day can swell, crack or burn unevenly. If you travel with cigars, keep them sealed with a two-way humidity pack, and avoid leaving them in a hot car. Our guide to cigar humidity explains the numbers. That is also why each serious cigar lounge KL venue invests in a walk-in humidor.

Etiquette in a cigar shop KL or lounge

A few habits will make you welcome. Ask before you bring your own cigars, since some lounges charge a fee and others do not allow it. Keep phone calls short, and do not wave a lit cigar while you talk. If you are unsure what to try, staff will usually talk you through the walk-in humidor without pressure.

Above all, be mindful of the wider city. Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country. During Ramadan, avoid smoking anywhere visible to people who are fasting, even outdoors. Our full guide to cigar etiquette covers cutting, lighting and ash.

Flying in with cigars

Many visitors reach KL via Singapore or Dubai with cigars in their bags. Malaysia gives travellers no duty-free allowance for tobacco, so you must declare any cigars at the Red Lane. Our guide to bringing cigars into Malaysia explains what to expect. And whatever your plans, remember that cigars carry real health risks, even when you do not inhale.