Penang’s food scene is legendary! I’m not kidding. It is the best of the best that you can have anywhere in Malaysia. Shawn did not believe me when I told him about it. By the end of the first day he was in a perpetual food coma!
One of the best things to do is to kick back at one of the numerous cafes in Penang. The city has loads of them.
Despite the fact that we hopped from spot to spot, we still got a chance to try out a couple of the best cafes in Penang largely because we were stuck indoors because of the rain! Hey… I’m not complaining much. The food was great, the kids were comfortable and we had fun.
Anyway, before I go on and on about how good the food is.. (Especially breakfast! There are loads of great places for breakfast!). The café culture has really caught on here too! Here are the best cafes in Penang that we visited.
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Quick Resource Guide For Penang
If you are headed to Penang and want to explore the food scene here, these resources will help you plan your trip with ease.
Accommodation In George Town
George town is the best place to stay in because you are close to all the activity and to the best spots for street food in Penang. You can literally walk everywhere!
- Luxury: Cheong Fatt Tze – The Blue Mansion and Macalister Mansion.
- Mid Range: Campbell House and Hutton Central Hotel By PHC
- Budget: Carnarvon House
Best Food Tours In Penang
Street food in Penang is definitely one of the biggest allures and taking a tour to see the local culinary perspective is always a great idea. These are the top food tours on the island.
- Food Tour at Penang – Eat Like a Local, Feel Like a Local
- Penang Harmony Food Trail
- Dinner at Penang Hill
- Penang’s Night Eat – Venture Vespa Food Tour
- Private Dinner at the top with Skywalk Experience
Cafes In Penang: Table Of Contents
1. Black Kettle
Black Kettle is one of the top rated cafes in Penang.
We were lucky enough to be around Black Kettle mid day on our first day in the city. This was probably the only day in which we did not encounter buckets of rain. On the flipside we were melting which meant that we wanted to step indoors for a bite and for some fluids. Black Kettle came to the rescue.
This is probably one of the most popular cafes in Penang. Its interiors are pretty laid back. You have spots to kick back, relax and even charge your phone. Plus there are loads of spots to sit so no long queues. At least there weren’t when we visited.
The food is kind of fusion. That however maybe because we tried out the Vietnamese stuff and it wasn’t exactly the Malay cuisine that we had been sampling along the way. So we tried out the spring rolls which were nice.
The Banh Mi was exquisite, especially the bread. The fillings were more of a Malay take on Vietnamese cuisine. You can see why I say that it reminded me of fusion food.
Address: 105, Beach St, Georgetown, 10300 George Town, Penang
Timings: Everyday from 11am to 8pm
2. Bagel’s Dream
Bagels is another one of the cool cafes in Penang that you are more likely to miss if you don’t know where it is. We stumbled across it because we were following a dog. Lol! My kids love animals and the cafe is pet friendly. They even have their own resident dog who comes over for cuddles and play time.
The cafe is quiet and peaceful. Their speciality is bagels just as the name suggests. They have bagels of all kinds. So you can pick your sweet or savory filling for your bagel too. Plus they have Malay inspired Bagel fillings too.
I highly recommend their Kombuchas. I loved the refreshing taste after we wandered out in the heat.
Address: No 9&11, Lebuh Campbell, George Town, 10100 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Timings: Wed-Fri: 9am-6pm, Sat-Sun: 8:30am-6pm
3. Mugshot Café
If you are looking for cafes in Penang with a simple but awesome menu then try the Mugshot café!
I think the Mugshot café was one of my favorite cafes in Penang. This café is pretty laid back and their menu is super simple. Think bagel sandwiches or scrambled egg and toast. Yup! That’s all that’s on the menu. We had a smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel sandwich which was amazing.
The bagel was perfectly made and was by far one of the best bagels I have ever eaten. Plus oodles of cream cheese and salmon. They do have a variety of different kinds of coffee that you can order too.
If you want you can also order from the Rainforest bakery next door since they share a seating space.
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.
4. Rainforest bakery
The Rainforest bakery is one of the cafes in Penang that always has fresh delicious bread!
The Rainforest Bakery shares its seating space with the Mugshot café and this is probably one of the best places to get bread in town. It also has a huge variety of different cakes and pastries that you can order.
We ordered a cream cheese cranberry croissant which was absolutely delicious. I could literally have eaten a dozen. Unfortunately we had already order from the Mugshot cafe (no regrets!) and had eaten before this!
Next time we are in the area I’m definitely heading back for more or I’m going to get a to go bag!
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.
5. Wheelers
Wheelers is one of the most reviewed cafes in Penang.
One cannot talk about the cafes in Penang without mentioning Wheelers café. This is the best place to eat a western breakfast in town. It is also a great place to eat food period!
On the downside, it is so good that there are usually lines. We got lucky and had to wait just fifteen minutes but it was worth it.
The decor of the place is really classy. Plus their staff are very helpful and everything is really well organized. By the time we reached our table they had baby chairs already set and kid friendly cutlery so that the kids could join in.
The food comes quickly enough. I highly recommend the pancakes and the sourdough sandwich. The toasts are also very popular though we haven’t tried them yet.
Oh and don’t forget the coffee! They make some mean brews here.
Address: 67, Lorong Love, George Town, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Timings: Open everyday from 8am – 12 am
6. China House
China House is one of the cool kid friendly cafes in Penang.
China House is another great location to catch a bite to eat. This spot is famous for the numerous cakes that it has for sale. They are absolutely decadent! Plus it also has an assortment of different things to eat and you can order yourself a drink while you are at it.
We obviously ordered a cake because duh… That’s what it is famous for. We tried the salted caramel cheesecake and it was mind blowing. We also paired it with a pitcher of sangria so my views may be a bit hazy.
One of the things that I loved about the place was that it was extremely kid friendly. They had table mats which were white sheets of paper and a box of crayons at every table so that the kids and adults could doodle. We had a ball and chilled out here for quite some time!
Address: 153, Beach St, Georgetown, 10300 George Town, Penang
Timings: Everyday between 9:30am-1 am
7. Love Corner Tea
Love Corner Tea is a cool café in Penang to cuddle teddy bears and click photographs!
Love Corner Tea isn’t one of the most popular cafes but it is extremely cute. This is a place you will probably head to for the ambiance more than the food. Though the food wasn’t too bad. We tried the bubble waffle with ham and cheese and loved it.
To tell you the truth we did not eat anything else here. We stepped in as a refuge from the rain and because the soft toys looked inviting.
The cafe is great for both adults and kids. Adults because they get a chance to take a number of awesome photographs (if you like teddy bears and stuffed toys that is!) and kids because it is literally paradise. Our toddlers were moving from soft toy to soft tuy every thirty seconds. Some of them were larger than them!
Plus the café also has some board games which you can play. Some are even meant for young kids. Plus there is a foosball table!
Address: 290, Chulia St, Georgetown, 10200 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Timings: Opening every day from 12 pm-11 pm except for Fridays and Saturdays where they close at 12 am.
Penang is definitely one of those places in the world where food is absolutely delicious and affordable. It does not matter where you head. Whether it is the street food or the luxury dining. Your palate is in for a treat.
I highly recommend taking a stop (or two or three!) at one of the many cafes in Penang when you are exploring the city. You get to rest your limbs, escape the heat and enjoy an amazing snack.
And there you have it. Our top 7 recommended cafes in Penang that you should bookmark. Are there any others that you would like to add to the list? Tell us about it in the comments below.
Matheikal
Saturday 12th of November 2022
Lovely places.