Atas Speakeasy • above Lee Eng Kee — Restaurant in Perak

Two nights running there are two bags of ice sitting outside the brown door. The first night at about 8pm, I just presume that ATAS must be closed because the website says a 7.30pm opening time. The next night at about 8.20pm, I phone, and am told the bar will open at 8.30pm. Five minutes later a woman arrives, unlocks and disappears inside telling me she needs a few minutes to set up. At 8.30pm I follow another arriving staff member up the stairs into and through two cosy and nicely decorated rooms to a horseshoe bar area in front of two large stained windows. There are numerous liquor bottles spread out beneath the two windows. The mixologist and owner is bright and effervescent (plus very cute) as she creates my first drink all the while engaging in conversation, telling me about her bar and business. Her manner is very easy going and hospitable. So much so, that my planned one drink ends up becoming two! Both drinks are well executed and of good measure. I’m the only customer as her white cat prowls the space which will soon have other customers who have made later reservations. Just before 10pm, I depart back down the stairs after a completely unexpected find in Ipoh. Well...

We went here with six people and had a very good time. Good vibe with upbeat salsa music, comfortable chairs and sofas, some party games we enjoyed, and friendly staff.

Why only three stars then? Because sadly, we did not like the cocktails. We tried 8 of them between the six of us, only really liked one (the 'take away' one), and unfortunately most were disliked by all of us (a mix of locals and tourists). Some were too sweet (the one with blue Curacao in it almost tasted like straight sugar syrup), some just did not work. Even something as simple as basically a gin and tonic with cucumber added somehow went off the rails somewhere along the way.

(As an aside, when one of the staff asked how we liked the drinks, my tipsy girlfriend expressed her disappointment rather directly. Sorry guys! Wish we'd been more tactful, as your heart is obviously very much in the right place.)

Oh, and not a 'hidden' bar at all, if you enjoy that sense...

I was chilling at Chocodok, when I noticed a writing on the table saying "atasspeakeasy"... when traveling I love to check out nice cocktailbars and I really like the speakeasy-concept! So I immediately wanted to know more about Atas, because I didn't knew about any speakeasybars in Ipoh. We went to the address and found some stairs with construction work, so we thought, could be here. We met the owners of Atas, but the bar was not there yet... We talked a bit and we couldn't wait for Atas to be open.:D We travelled to Penang where we stayed with friends and told them about a new speakeasy opening soon in Ipoh. We convinced them to join us to go back to Ipoh and check out the new hidden bar. We had the most amazing night! Tasting all the cocktails and then all the mocktails and then tried some rum or gin or vodka in our mocktails ;-). They asked us for a little feedback and that resulted in another round of amazing...