Cocoon Restaurant and Bar is a vibey bar and eatery located in the vicinity of Hyatt Regency Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Borneo

At only a couple of years old, Cocoon is one of the must-visit watering holes in Kota Kinabalu. Featuring contemporary décor inside the bar, a more casual atmosphere is to be found in the outside seating area for meals, snacks and drinking, where conversation is more important than live music.

The drinks prices at Cocoon is reasonable for this part of town, and they feature the usual range of beers, spirits and wine. The elongated bar features a stage from where the local DJ does his thing, alongside where live bands perform.

Currently playing at Cocoon Restaurant and Bar is Earth Rising, a Filipino band which is hotter on looks than sound. This 7-piece band, who only arrived last week, features 4 gents, one of which is a lead singer, as well as 2 ladies guaranteed to hold your attention.

The usual repertoire of cover-songs leans heavily towards hits in the grungy, angry-girl spectrum, but provides sufficient variety to cater a little something for everybody. Earth Rising performs live at Cocoon every night except Sundays.

Any pub-crawl or party night in Kota Kinabalu should include a stop at Borneo’s Cocoon Restaurant and Bar.

Shenanigan’s at Hyatt Regency Kota Kinabalu, is literally one of Kota Kinabalu’s stalwart pubs and have been around for close on two decades.

To understand Shenanigan’s success is to understand the power of legend. It’s a well known fact that Shenanigan’s is the most expensive pub in Kota Kinabalu, featuring rediculious items like a jug of beer at RM70.

However, on any given weekend and most week nights too, if there’s one venue in Kota Kinabalu that is going to be packed to the limit, it will be Shenanigan’s. Other establishments, especially those attached to hotels, have long pondered Shenanigan’s success, and have often tried to reproduce it, with little success of their own.

The truth is, as recently as 1999, Shenanigan’s was Kota Kinabalu’ longest established pub and really it’s only constant. Whenever people asked ‘where should I go for a good night out in KK?’ people would answer “Shenanigan’s” by default, at it really was the best option.

Although today this is no longer true, as there is a horde of other options in Kota Kinabalu now, Shenanigan’s legend lives on as word-of-mouth ensures it’s popularity, flying in the face of the extortionate prices it charges for it’s booze.

Shenanigan’s still holds its own though, with live bands that are always popular. It’s also the haunt of Kota Kinabalu’s Socialista and Gliterrati, the best place to find KK’s hip and beautiful.

Whether you’re travelling independently, or are in the good company of local friends, chances are that any given night out in Kota Kinabalu, will include a visit, be it short or most likely prolonged, to Shenanigan’s at Hyatt Regency Kota Kinabalu.

Most locals would give Shenanigan’s as the answer when asked about where to find night life in Kota Kinabalu, and indeed, many a night out in KK includes at least a short visit to Shenanigan’s.

Shenanigan’s Borneo Fun Pub, or Shani’s for short, is to be found at street level of the Hyatt Regency Kinabalu, facing Upperstar and Blue Note.

If you’re in KK, looking for a watering hole, somewhere to drink a Guiness, live band entertainment or to watch a football game, then there’s a multitude of pubs and bars to choose from.

Kota Kinabalu’s night scene features the gamut of pubs and bars, from the long established and (in)famous haunts, to hip and happening bars mere months old.

Pubs and bars in KK vary from traditional Irish and English Pubs and beer gardens to wine-bars, road-side taverns and other themed watering holes.

In Sabahbah.com’s Night Life section, you will find an increasing number of reviews on everything to do in Kota Kinabalu when he sun goes down, including the vast array of Kota Kinabalu’s pubs and bars.