Kota Kinabalu's Nightlife

Since KK, as we call Kota Kinabalu fondly, has been leaps and bounds, faster than ever, almost as fast as the Sabahans’ taste for what is en vogue and modern.

We like dining out and party the night away, and the choice getting more varied by the day. Some of our favourite places presented here below will lure even you out of your hotel room. Come and meet us, let yourhair down and enjoy KK’s unique night-life!

Fine Dining – Elegant and Exquisite

You are looking for an elegant place that serves exquisite food and wine? The choice is yours: international hotels offer the best, a fusion of tropical and western reflected in both, the cadre and food, plus the Sabahan smile. An outstanding experience is dining at “The Coast”, the latest addition to the Shangri-la’s Rasa Ria Resort restaurants. Located on the beach and with its spectacular design it promises an exceptional dining experience.The food is pure designer wear, too, making an evening out at The Coast a truly memorable night.

Besides international hotels, there are a couple of restaurants downtown that offer elegant dining, such as the “Little Italy”, which serves the best Italian food in Sabah; the “XO Steak House”, where delicious steaks are prepared to your liking; and “The Ocean Seafood Village Restaurant” and the “Port View Restaurant” celebrate Sabah’s fresh seafood at its best. Exquisite Thai food is served at the “Tham Nak Thai” restaurant in the Api-Api business centre.

Local Dining – Plentiful and Taste

Your holiday in Sabah would not be complete with a local dining experience, and the choice is as varied as your taste. Good thing: no where a special dress code is required! Maybe one of the most fantastic displays ofthe local food fare is the “SEDCO Square”, which converts into an open restaurant every night. Locals like it justas much as tourists: select fresh seafood from aquariums, and have it prepared according to your liking:steamed, fried, with lots of garlic or no salt, you are the chef without having to cook or wash the plates! Next toseafood there are also many locally grown vegetables, from wild ferns over mustard greens right to asparagus.

A speciality you should try: kangkung belacan, a type of local spinach with a strong prawn paste sauce, a Sabah favourite. BBQed chicken and duck, Malay satay with peanut sauce, and a cold beer, and you’ll be coming back for more! If you like to combine your outing with a little culture, we can recommend the “Kampung Nelayan Float-ing Restaurant” that comes with nightly cultural dances. Especially recommended dish: the “steamboat dinner”,a selection of fresh seafood and vegetables cooked in a chicken bouillon that is kept boiling in the middle of yourtable: the steamboat. This is an especially convivial way of treating some friends to an informal dinner.

Along the Beach – Light and Easy

KK has discovered its beachfront, and the newly opened facilities at “Anjung Senja” and “Anjung Selera” are modern and clean, with Malay restaurants offering simple but delicious local specialities: ‘soup tulang’, ‘tom yam’, ‘nasi ayam’, BBQed sea ray and satay to name but a few. Anjung Senja is centrally located on KK’s waterfront and can be reached by foot, and Anjung Selera, with its even wider range of local restaurants is found at Tanjung Lipat in Likas, only some 10 minutes’ drive from the city. Don’t be astonished at how many locals visit the places – this is a sign how good the food is!

Newly opened along the KK waterfront is “Anjung Perdana”, an intriguingly designed night sport that offers from Brazilian cuisine over Malay specialities everything right to a couple of Kadazan dishes. Its various barsoffer a wide variety of drinks and beers, there are pool tables, outside bars for those who like it a bit quieter and inside nightly live music entertainment by local and international bands with spacious dance floors. Right now, this is the place to be seen…!


Music and Dance – All Night Long

After you have satisfied your hunger, you might want to go and let your hair down. A variety of clubs and other night spots offer all you can hope for. If you feel like rounding your evening off with a cold beer and some light entertainment, you might want to check out the recently opened beer garden at “Shenanigan’s”, Hyatt Hotel’s latest addition to its internationally renowned outlets. And if you feel like hitting the dance floor, you can simply enjoy their night club, “Shenanigan’s” with its nightly life band. An especially popular place amongst locals is the Beach Street ”The Reef Project Dance Bar & Grill” right in the middle of town. Extravagantly landscaped with tropical flora, you will find an open-air fast food restaurant with live entertainment, and the “Reef Project” pub and karaoke. This is live entertainment at its best, and you will find some quiet corners where you can observe the crowd and enjoy your drink.

A bit out of town is the Lintas Square and Plaza, where you will find a wide range of night spots, be it for some light local food, a glass of wine or a wild dance party. Best: enjoy it all together, at Lintas. Another notable addition to KK’s night life is the Razz-Ma-Tazz, a world-class entertainment realm that compromises several clubs under one roof, state-of-the-art facilities, a bistro, wine & cigar bars and a pool side. This unique club with international guest bands promises just another memorable experience to compliment your stay in KK, and it is only five minutes’ drive from KK city on the way to Tuaran.

Courtesy of: New Sabah Times 'In' Sites - Sabah Travel and Leisure Guide