HAVE A MAGICAL NIGHT OUT IN TREC
When a bar resonates with you on a personal level, it is hard not to fall in love with it. Being Irish, Fairies (or as we spell them Faeries) are a large part of my folklore and my childhood was filled with wondrous tales of woodland sprites, nymphs and of course, Leprechauns. Add into this mix the fact that my late Grandfather was a blacksmith and I spent my early childhood playing with anvils, hammers and ladles, a visit to Trec’s latest shining star, Iron Fairies, was a must.
As you walk into the bar located at the end of the Hive section at Trec, you are instantly transported to another world, one full of magic and promise. The little bottles of colourful “Fairy Dust” hanging in bunches from the ceiling soften the industrial look of the blacksmith forge style décor. Soft, low comfortable seating contrasts with the cast iron tables and the centrepiece of these tables is the culmination of owner Ashley Sutton’s dream and creativity - the Iron Fairies.
A bowl style dip in the middle of the table is brimming with the tiny little-winged creatures in various stances and positions. They each have their own personalities that draw you in and it is impossible to resist the urge to play with them. There is an option to buy one, which will come in a beautiful suede bag with instructions, a poem and of course, a bottle of fairy dust.
The bar decorated with big jars of fairy dust, the servers dressed in blacksmith aprons and the wrought iron spiral staircases all contribute to the otherworldly industrial feel and create a relaxed party atmosphere. You know you are somewhere special. This is further enhanced when reading the menu with its whimsically named cocktails.
My first cocktail of the night was a fairytale in itself. The Green Fairy is very green, has a tiny bowl made from half of a lime filled with absinthe and lime juice and is set alight before being presented to you. I have had bad experiences with absinthe before and would not be a big fan but this cocktail reconverted me. With vermouth, blue curacao and passion fruit tempering the aniseed flavour of the absinthe, this is now my favourite version of a Green Fairy - sorry Kylie Minogue.
Next up for me was the 3rd Key, a cocktail consisting of prosecco, elderflower and thyme. As a fan of prosecco cocktails, I had high expectations, and they were met. The bubbles gently tickled my tongue and the earthy flavours from the flower and herb combination made for a beautiful, tasty dance on my taste buds as the band’s music urged my feet to do the same.
As the night progressed and the music changed from band to DJ, I decided to have another cocktail, despite the numerous choices on the beer, wine and spirit front. Inspired by my surroundings and feeling a little cheeky and mischievous, I choose to sample the aptly name Nymphs. The fruity burst of apple and slight spice after taste worked perfectly with the vodka making this my favourite drink of the night. With a side of delicious truffle fries consumed and the remains of my cocktail in hand, I decided to explore upstairs.
With a wraparound terrace and indoor bar area, upstairs is otherwise a lot like downstairs. Until you wander down a dark, almost hidden corridor and open the doors to another world - the Butterfly Room. Here you encounter a small club with 2 dance areas and a DJ. Whilst the table and chairs are the same as downstairs the atmosphere is very different as is the ceiling. Instead of fairy dust in bottles, here hundreds (maybe thousands!) of beautifully coloured butterflies seem to float down from the ceiling as you dance the night away.
The Iron Fairies is open from 5 pm to 5 am daily and is already a very popular spot, so get there early. A word of warning to people allergic to peanuts, they are served in their shells and the shells are discarded on the floor meaning there may be peanut dust in the air. Keep up to date on events and bands/DJs playing with The City List Kuala Lumpur gig guide.
The Iron Fairies Kuala Lumpur: Trec, 438 Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Phone: +60 3-2110 5095, Email: fairytales@ironfairieskl.com.my
