Any household adept with traditional Malay cooking would be familiar with the concept of “empat beradik”—the four siblings, which translates to the four key spices often used in recipes. Bolstered by this longstanding tradition, Kimpton Naluria named their rooftop restobar after this: Four Siblings. Perched on the 26th floor of the newly opened hotel in TRX, Four Siblings is Malaysia’s first and only spice-themed bar, and the only rooftop bar in the entire TRX precinct. The concept is rooted in four spices central to Malaysian cooking—cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and star anise—reinterpreted through a South American lens for their debut cocktail menu. It’s an ambitious premise, and for the most part, the bar delivers.
During our recent inaugural visit, we got to try the full signature cocktail menu, spanning eight carefully crafted drinks that incorporate one of the four siblings. This is our review.
The Standouts
We start with the Rosca: a lighter take on a martini that swaps conventional vermouth for tuak. It’s refreshing, with a pleasant savoury finish from olives, and the toasted Balik Pulau cardamom adds just enough warmth without overwhelming the palate. It’s a well-balanced opener. The Bees Sneeze is the one to order if you want something that showcases the bar’s tropical instincts at their best. Sweet yet tart and full-bodied, the lemongrass-kaffir-infused rum plays beautifully against Campari and toasted coconut, with the cardamom lending it an unmistakably local soul. That drink was our personal highlight.
Sip Happens is the crowd-pleaser—a Neslo Martini riff with spiced rum sous-vided with pandan and a coffee liqueur infused with Vietnamese star anise. It’s boozy, familiar, and thoroughly comforting thanks to the incredibly local flavour. After all, where else in the world can you find the Nescafé coffee-Milo hybrid? The pandan and star anise elevate what could have been a gimmick into something genuinely layered.
Nutty Lime, in contrast, impresses with its texture. Clarified to a silky clarity with a milky weight, it pairs especially well with the strawberry pearls it’s served with. The star anise sits quietly in the background, giving it an aromatic lift that prevents the almond-forward profile from becoming cloying.
Worth Knowing
The Flor do Mar is a good entry point for those who prefer lower-ABV options—a light strawberry fizz with a playful salted coconut foam. Clove & Vine, carbonated and grapey, is crisp and refreshing; its lightness an intentional tribute to the spice trade histories it references. Meanwhile, Roots & Rhythm leans earthy and full-bodied; the beetroot shrub doing the heavy lifting here, with the Sabah cassia cinnamon adding a pleasing grittiness to the finish. Warning: Cigarette is Addictive—inspired by clove cigarettes—is the most spirit-forward drink on the menu, with spiced rum, honey clove, bitters, and dark chocolate converging into something intentionally intense.
The Verdict
Four Siblings is a bar with a genuine idea at its centre, and the best drinks here make a convincing case for it. The South American-Malaysian spice dialogue occasionally feels more conceptual than visceral, but when it lands—in the Bees Sneeze, the Sip Happens, the Rosca—it lands well. Come with an appetite for the unfamiliar and order strategically—you’ll leave pleasantly surprised.
Address: Four Siblings Bar & Lounge, 26th Floor, Kimpton Naluria Kuala Lumpur, Lingkaran TRX
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