For an easy, non-clubby drink near KSL you're spoilt: a German beer garden and an Irish pub within a short Grab ride, a rooftop lounge for the view, and a candlelit wine bar — just line up a Grab home before your second round.
After a day of shopping and eating around KSL City Mall, sometimes you just want to sit down with a cold one and not shout over a dance floor. JB's Taman Abad and Century Garden neighbourhoods — right around where our units are — have a solid cluster of relaxed pubs, plus a couple of spots worth a short Grab ride. None of the places below are run by us; we just think they're the friendly, tasteful kind you can bring a partner or a group of mates to.
Where do you go for craft & imported beer near KSL?
The Bierhaus Century Garden (Jalan Kancil, Taman Abad) is the easy pick — a long-running German gastro-pub with a covered beer garden, a spread of imported bottled beers (Paulaner and friends), and TVs, a pool table and darts for a low-key night. It leans hearty German food (the pork knuckle gets a lot of love), so it's a pub-with-dinner rather than a pure taproom. It's typically a short walk or quick Grab from KSL — check current opening hours before you head over.
Is there a proper Irish pub and a sports-bar vibe?
Mulligan's Pub & Bistro bills itself as JB's original Irish pub, with draught Guinness, Kilkenny and Strongbow, football on the screens, pool tables and pub grub like nachos and beef stew. Reviews are honestly mixed — some nights the service is spot-on and other visitors have found it patchy — but for a familiar pint-and-a-match evening it does the job. If you want a bigger sports-bar night out and don't mind the Grab fare, Rock Bottom Johor over at Puteri Harbour is a livelier room with big screens, live music and a harbour-side terrace — it's a proper ride from KSL, so save it for when you fancy the trip.
What about a rooftop or a quieter wine bar?
For the view, head up to Sky 26 (the Pantheon Lounge on the 26th floor of Holiday Villa JBCC, near KSL) — floor-to-ceiling windows, an open terrace and cocktails typically from around RM40, with the JB skyline and Singapore beyond. Manage expectations: people go for the view and the vibe more than the food, and service can be slow when it's busy, so treat it as a sundowner-and-photos stop. If you'd rather something small and candlelit, Chaos Natural Wine Bar in nearby Taman Melodies pours a curated natural-wine list by the glass alongside handmade pasta in a cosy, mismatched-furniture room — it usually opens evenings only and is often closed Wednesday and Thursday, so check before you go.
How do you get home safely after a few?
Simple rule: if you're drinking, don't drive. Grab is everywhere in JB and city-centre rides are typically cheap (often RM5–12), so order one back rather than risk it — and note that JB police do run roadblocks. Our full guide to getting around JB without a car covers Grab, buses and the shuttle, and if you're still planning the trip, here are more things to do in Johor Bahru.
The nicest part of drinking near KSL is that "home" is a five-minute ride away. Southern Homestay runs Studio and 2-bedroom units right at KSL D'Esplanade, so you can roll back, take a hot shower and crash — see our Studio and 2-bedroom units or WhatsApp us for availability.