Breakfast In Penang: 11 Places That Locals Love To Eat At

Penang is an amazing island that is very popular for all the amazing food that it has to offer. We spent over a week here and the first thing that we did every morning was explore different places to eat breakfast in Penang.

The thing about breakfast in Penang is that the choices are numerous! Breakfast in Penang can be a pitstop on the way to work or a communal meal. I think almost everyone does not miss it. In fact, if you get up and walk the streets you will see that some of the stalls are set up as early as 6 in the morning!

With so many choices, how does one narrow down on the perfect spots? We decided to go where the locals go and landed up compiling an impressive list!

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What Do Locals Like To Have For Breakfast In Penang?

Breakfast in Penang is a wholesome affair. Sure people are in a rush to get to work but if you live in a place that is so renowned for their food, you stop for a bit just to start your day well. When it comes to breakfast, I think most people tend to gravitate towards the more traditional kopitiam breakfast in Penang.

Why? Well it is flavorful and tends to remind people of home made meals. Here you will find yourself served up with some of the iconic Malaysian breakfast food items like roti canai, curries, roti bakar, toasted bread, kaya, egg and all kinds of meat.

Where Are The Best Places To Eat Breakfast In Penang?

Honestly, you really can’t go wrong with most places. Most of the iconic places are however located in the heart of George Town. This makes them super easy to get to because the city is very walkable. We wandered everywhere with two toddlers. Back then we did not even have the double stroller that we currently use.

Best Kopitiam Breakfast In Penang

When we were in Penang we learnt the word Kopitiam and soon associated it with the venues that we loved. Kopitiam is a traditional kind of a food joint where you get Kopi aka coffee and Tiam is shop from what I understand. Here you can expect to have a variety of coffees and the best part of breakfast aka toasted bread, kaya, soft boiled eggs etc. 

We noticed that many of the places that were the best Kopitiam spots were also famous for Roti Canai breakfast in Penang so we clubbed them together. These are places that are the bang top of our list and I highly recommend visiting them during your stay.

1. Roti Canai Transfer Road

The Roti Canai Transfer Road is rated as one of the best breakfast in Penang by the locals!

Address: 114, 110, Jalan Transfer, George Town, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang

Timings: Open everyday from 7am- 12pm except Sundays when it is open between 7:30am – 12 pm

Our first breakfast in Penang was at this amazing location. It took us more than 20 minutes to walk to it since we had two toddlers in tow and to be honest we were a little late. The sun was beating down on us and I couldn’t help wondering if the trip was going to be worth it. 

Trust me, if I had to walk for an hour, I would still visit it! The Roti Canai Transfer road is a stall at the side of the road. At first glance you can see that the tables across the pavement are overflowing. They have extended the seating in different directions. The menu is pretty straight forward. Roti canai dunked in all kinds of delicacies. Ours was liberally loaded with curry and chicken. 

You can even pick a drink. I highly recommend iced coffee. It was perfect for the hot day. The kids demolished the ice tea and even flagged down the waiter for more!

2. Roti Bakar Hutton Lane

This place has the best Roti Bakar in town!

Address: 300, Jalan Phee Choon, George Town, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang

Timings: Open every day of the week from 6am- 2pm except on Fridays where they close early at 12:45pm

You haven’t really eaten breakfast in Penang properly until you have visited Roti Bakar Hutton Lane. I know there are loads of places to eat this local delicacy but trust me, this is one of the best places. Not only is the food delicious, the meal is prepared with a flare (pun unintended) that you just have to see!

Top things to eat here are the Roti Canai Cheese. The Roti Canai is shaped with a hole in the center. Flipped across to get the crunch before two eggs are broken right into the hole. If that isn’t enough, it is topped with cheese and flambeed with a blowtorch for the right effect!

Roti Bakar Telur Goyang Cheese is another must have. I know the name sounds long but it just means toasted bread topped with soft boiled eggs sprinkled with cheese which is then flambeed. I guess the name was shorter than my explanation. Lol. But you get my drift. This is definitely one of the best places to eat breakfast in Penang!

3. Toh Soon Cafe

The crowds in front of Toh Soon café.

Address: Lebuh Campbell, George Town, 10450 George Town, Pulau Pinang

Timings: Mon-Sat: 8am-5pm, Sunday closed

One of the iconic places to visit for breakfast in Penang is Toh Soon Cafe. If you love egg and toast for your morning snack then this is the place to be. Not only do they have the famous Roti Bakar which is topped with two soft boiled eggs (my absolute favorite!) They also have a variety of different kinds of toasts and steamed options. 

My kids loved the chocolate bread but if they were given a choice I think they would still vote for the roti bakar over it. Don’t forget to order one of the drinks here.

I highly recommend the ice coffee and the Hor Ka Sai. If you haven’t tried Hor Ka Sai before, know that it is a mix of milo and coffee. It feels like a shot of caffeine though. It cleared my sleepy head in a second!

4. Roti Canai Gemas Road

Locals say that the Roti Canai at Gemas road is as authentic as it gets!

Address: 51 29, Jalan Gemas, Taman Kampar, 10460 George Town, Pulau Pinang

Timings: Tue-Sun: 7am – 12:30pm

We stumbled across this little gem when talking to our cab driver. He said that he highly recommended the Roti Canai by the Gemas brothers because he felt it still had a lot of the authentic flavors compared to most of the other places that serve breakfast in Penang.

With that in mind we headed out to Gemas road to catch a bite of it. Unlike the other spots, this place is not in the heart of Georgetown but rather a distance away from it. It is easy to reach if you have transport and there is a great parking spot for cars too! Otherwise it’s Grab to rescue. 

The Roti Canai Gemas road has a couple of great options that are not available in the other Malay breakfast outlets that we checked out. Here the cheese that is topped over everything is a slice of cheese and not grated mozzarella.  The other thing is that they also have lamb available as a curry.

One thing that I noted is that the curry here was a little sweeter compared to the other places that we ate at. It was delicious nonetheless. You also get the iconic Roti Bakar here too!

Best Dumpling Breakfast In Penang

Did you know that dumplings make a great breakfast? I didn’t! Turns out that it is a particularly good way to start the day. The city has numerous places to eat dumplings at but we had to try the best of the best and boy were we not disappointed!

5. Tai Tong Restaurant

Dumplings at Tai Tong Restaurant were a change from the usual breakfast.

Address: 45, Lebuh Cintra, George Town, 10100 George Town, Pulau Pinang

Hours: Open everyday except Mondays from 6am – 2pm and 6-10pm

One of the highest rated restaurants on the island is Tai Tong Restaurant which is located in Georgetown. This restaurant specializes in dumplings and dim sums. It is by far the best place for this kind of food that I have tasted throughout my travels.

The restaurant has a bit of an old school vibe to it. Picture large circular tables meant to seat loads of people. It is a place where a communal meal is encouraged! A lady in the corner has containers of steamed dim sums and dumplings that you just point to and she loads them up on a tray.

Take the tray to your table and eat to your heart’s content. They also have custard tarts, fried wontons and a horde of other stuff that we did not explore! Everything just kept flying off the shelves.

Note: You really need to be lucky to get a table when you just walk in. The place usually has a long waiting line.

Best Western Breakfast In Penang

If you want something a little different, there are a wide variety of cafes and restaurants that are popular for western breakfast in Penang. From croissants to burgers and everything in between, Penang has a lot to offer and all that you need is an empty stomach!

6. Bagel’s Dream

Bagel’s dream offers a different kind of breakfast in Penang.

Address: No 9&11, Lebuh Campbell, George Town, 10100 George Town, Pulau Pinang

Timings: Wed-Fri: 9am-6pm, Sat-Sun: 8:30am-6pm

We kind of stumbled across this gem while we were exploring George town. In fact, we actually walked into the neighboring shop and were just about to settle in when we spotted a door leading to a cute cafe. If you are in the area and looking for bagels then this a great place for breakfast in Penang. 

The ambiance of the Bagel’s dream is very laid back. They even have a resident dog who you can play with. She is extra affectionate and even brings her own set of toys hoping for more interaction. The kids loved her and the lady at the counter even handed them treats that they could feed the dog.

The food is great. Their speciality is bagels as the name suggests. They have all different options from savory to sweet. Plus they even have some malay inspired fillings.

If you visit make sure to try the Kombucha. It is really good and refreshing on a hot day. They had four different flavors to try from. We chose passion fruit which was nice and tangy!

7. The Black Kettle

Black Kettle is another intriguing spot for breakfast in Penang.

Address: 105, Beach St, Georgetown, 10300 George Town, Penang

Timings: Everyday from 11am to 8pm

Another great find was quite by accident. The Black Kettle is another iconic spot that people head to for breakfast in Penang. We didn’t quite reach it for breakfast but then again it is more of a brunch spot since it opens late eitherway! 

We had the Banh mi here and the Crab spring rolls. I wasn’t that big a fan of the spring rolls because they were made out of imitation meat but they were tasty so no complaints. The Banh Mi was a fusion dish. The bread was amazing and quite authentic if I do say. 

The café in general is a great place to kick back and relax. You can catch a cup of coffee, charge your phone, interact with friends or just work with a laptop if that’s what you need to do.

8. The Mugshot Café

The Mugshot café is one of the best places for a western breakfast in Penang.

Address: 302, Chulia St, Georgetown, 10200 George Town, Penang

Timings: Open everyday of the week from 8am to 10pm except Saturdays and Sundays when they close late at 12am.

One of the most highly rated places for western breakfast in Penang is the Mugshot cafe. If you are looking for a long intricate menu then you are bound to be disappointed. The Mugshot cafe has a simple fare where they have some bagel sandwiches with intriguing fillings. They also give you an option of scrambled eggs on toast.

We tried the Bagel sandwich with salmon and cream cheese. The bagel was perfect. I have not had a bagel this good anywhere else. The cream cheese and the salmon were generous to say the least. It was a perfect meal.

The Mugshot café shares the space with the Rainforest bakery which is another great place for breakfast in Penang. Luckily you can order from both the cafes and eat at the joint eating space.

9. The Rainforest Bakery

If you love bread then the Rainforest bakery is a great stop for breakfast in Penang.

Address: 300, Chulia St, Georgetown, 10200 George Town, Penang

Timings: Open everyday of the week from 8am to 10pm except Saturdays and Sundays when they close late at 12am.

As we just mentioned, if you are looking for a western breakfast in Penang, the Rainforest bakery is highly recommended. Here you get a wide variety of freshly baked bread and cakes that you can devour. They have both savory and sweet versions when it comes to the items.

Our choice was a croissant with cranberry and cream cheese. It was heaven in a bite. The croissant was slightly soft but the cream cheese and the cranberry filling more than made up for it. I could have eaten four of those myself if my stomach was not already full with all the food that we had been devouring along our walk in George town.

10. Wheeler’s Café

Wheeler’s Café is one of the highest rated spots for a western breakfast in Penang.

Address:  67, Lorong Love, George Town, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang

Hours: Open everyday from 8am – 12 am

If you want a western breakfast in Penang then you really can’t leave the island without visiting Wheeler’s cafe. If you are walking around Georgetown and you don’t know about it, you probably are just going to walk by. 

Despite its unobtrusive facade, the inside of the cafe has a quaint charm and is usually overflowing during breakfast time. What is this cafe famous for? All its varieties of poached egg toasts and pancakes.

Shawn had the sourdough sandwich which was really good. I had the pancakes with fruits added on and I must say that it was perfect. I didn’t get much of it because the minions demolished the pancakes with gusto.

Oh and don’t forget to try the coffees here too!

Bonus points: This café is extremely family friendly. It had great kid seats, provided the kids with child friendly cutlery and even glasses so that we could eat without worrying! Plus we did not even have to ask!

11. China House

Address:153, Beach St, Georgetown, 10300 George Town, Penang

Hours: Everyday between 9:30am-1 am

We had heard of China house but somehow it was not on our list. A mistake that luckily got rectified. We were out searching for the popular street art in the city and just needed a place to sit down. As we were passing by, I glanced at the cafe and realized that it was a popular one so we just went in.

From the beginning we had a good feeling as we entered. It could be the array of cakes which to a person with a sweet tooth is paradise. 

China House seems to extend further and further in and there is loads of seating. We got seated in the back which was great because the kids could play without disturbing others. 

The restaurant is famous for its cakes but it also has an assortment of other goodies that you can munch on. From toast to wraps and even a Mexican breakfast, the restaurant has a lot to offer.

Bonus point: The table cloths were actually blank papers where you could doodle on. Each table had a set of crayons. The kids loved it and so did we!

We always thought that Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur were the best places to eat in Malaysia but Penang really just swept us off our feet. Our entire time on the island was spent eating and breakfast was our favorite meal!

Have you been to Penang? What are you favorite breakfast options? Let us know in the comments below.