Perched 267m above Kuala Lumpur with the Petronas Twin Towers just a stone’s throw away, Marini’s on 57 has been part of the city’s dining and nightlife scene since 2012.
Founded by Italian restaurateur Cavaliere Modesto Marini, the award-winning destination brings together three distinct experiences – a Michelin-selected Italian restaurant, rooftop bar and whisky lounge – making it somewhere you could quite easily spend an entire evening.
Over the years, that combination has also drawn a suitably starry guest list, including Lewis Hamilton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Nicole Scherzinger and Jimmy Choo. The views may get your attention first, but there is plenty happening on the plate and in the glass too.
Dinner with an Italian accent
If dinner is the priority, start at Marini’s on 57 Restaurant, an intimate 80-seat fine-dining space wrapped in floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Kuala Lumpur.
The kitchen serves contemporary Italian cooking rooted in traditional recipes, with artisan pasta, imported beef and premium Italian produce among its calling cards.
There are à la carte and tasting menus, with Michelin highlighting the kitchen’s artisan pasta and imported cuts of beef. Even familiar Italian favourites can arrive with a playful flourish: its tiramisu, for instance, is presented in a caviar tin and topped with pearls of coffee “caviar”.
Marini’s attention to detail extends beyond the food. Abstract works by Italian artist Rosalba Mangione bring warmth and colour to the dining room, while tables are set with Christofle silverware and generously proportioned wine glasses selected to give wines more room to breathe. An in-house sommelier is also on hand to guide diners through the wine list.
If you’re planning one proper dinner during your time in Kuala Lumpur, this is the part of Marini’s worth booking ahead for.
Cocktails as the sun goes down
Come earlier for the Marini’s on 57 Rooftop Bar, where cocktails and Italian bar bites come with one of the closest elevated views of the Petronas Twin Towers.
Arrive around golden hour to watch the last of the daylight wash over Kuala Lumpur as the Petronas Twin Towers begin to light up.
Order one of the bar’s signature cocktails and something to share as the skyline changes around you; later in the evening, the music picks up and the atmosphere becomes livelier. The cocktail programme goes beyond a list of house signatures too, with the team able to create bespoke drinks around individual preferences.
It works well as an aperitivo before dinner upstairs, although the combination of cocktails, food and that skyline means there is little reason to move on quickly.
Finish with whisky
For a slower final chapter, head to the Marini’s on 57 Lounge. Velvet, leather and dark wood give the space a more intimate feel than the rooftop bar, with the drinks selection built around single-malt whiskies and wines.
It’s the place to settle in after dinner with a dram rather than another cocktail, especially if whisky is something you take seriously. The lounge maintains an extensive collection of single malts, with staff on hand to guide you towards a pour that suits your preferences.
Why visit
Marini’s on 57 turns its enviable position beside the Petronas Twin Towers into an entire evening out, moving naturally from sunset cocktails to contemporary Italian dining and a final whisky in the lounge. More than a decade after opening, its combination of Italian cooking, polished service, nightlife and remarkable setting continues to give the venue its distinctive character.
For the full experience, arrive in time for a sunset cocktail, move on to dinner at the Michelin-selected restaurant and finish with whisky in the lounge. If you only have time for one, make it dinner: the combination of contemporary Italian cooking and those extraordinary views gives Marini’s its strongest culinary reason to visit.
Opening hours
Marini’s on 57 Restaurant
Daily: 7pm–11pm
Marini’s on 57 Bar
Sunday–Thursday: 5pm–2am
Friday, Saturday and public holiday eves: 5pm–3am
