The Old Merchant, Melaka

The Old Merchant is Malacca's first speakeasy bar, located along the quaint riverside of the Malacca river, which is just 3 minutes walk from Jonker Street.

The back alley of The Old Merchant - truly picturesque!

I stumbled upon this place on Facebook (thank you AI and algorithm for the advert) and I was hooked by their happy hour promo (RM55 for a jug of cocktail), which seems like a pretty good deal.

There are two entrance to The Old Merchant, one is from the main road of Jalan Kampung Pantai, the other is from the river side.

The riverside entrance. You'll have to enter through the toilet! You will see a few tables and rattan chair set-up by the riverbank. You can enjoy your drinks there too, if you don't mind the humidity!

I was dazzled by the charming interior of The Old Merchant. It was a mix of traditional and modern design - which really bedazzled me.

The Old Merchant's signature backdrop - the Chinese characters literally translate to "White People's Herbal Tea" LOL!

 Happy hour menu.

The Old Merchant serves creative cocktails with a local twist and quirky names - there are more drinks choices which I did not take a picture of, but you can sort of get a gist of what the menu entails! According to the server, the drinks priced at RM30 are the "easy drinks" (ie lower alcohol content, sweeter taste). 

I decided to settle on the Made for Nyonya (RM30) as recommended by the server for a sweet, fruity & refreshing drink.

Made for Nyonya (RM30)

Three words - I love it. I've always been a fan of passion fruit so this drink was perfect for my taste buds. It was what I expected - sweet, fruity & refreshing! The kaffir lime was an interesting addition that gave the drink a truly Malaysian finish.

I dropped by The Old Merchant some time again with another friend to try out their RM55 Happy Hour promo. This was The East India Company if I am not mistaken. It was a fruity drink as well (sorry my memory was fuzzy for this drink) but I remember really enjoying it as well.

My verdict? The Old Merchant is definitely a place I'd drop by if I am ever at Melaka for a drink to cool myself down. I am keen on trying more of their drinks the next time I drop by!

The Old Merchant

88, Jalan Kampung Pantai, 

75200 Melaka

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theoldmerchant/

Business Hours:

Tuesdays - Sundays 6pm-1am

Closed on Mondays

Other bars in Melaka: 

1. Tipsy Bridge