Love Lane in George Town is a narrow street with some history to tell! It links Farquhar Street to Chulia Street.
Once known for its brothels, many of the Chinese-style traditional shop houses are now boutique hotels, hostels, hipster cafes and bars.
You can come here for a coffee or an evening cocktail in between exploring. Want to know what our experience was like? Keep reading.
History
Love Lane (or Lorong Love) has been spotted on maps of George Town as far back as1803.
There are multiple theories to how it got its intriguing name:
- Shiite Muslims devotees used to partake in self-flagellation processions here back in the 19th century!
- The street might have been named after a certain British officer
- It was a brothel hub for sailors
- Or, like the Concubine Lane in Ipoh, Love Lane was where wealthy Chinese men kept their mistresses.
Our Experience Exploring Love Lane
We walked over to Love Lane from Little India in the afternoon. It was hot and not much was happening. Pubs like Micke’s Place did not have any customers yet. There was one open massage parlor with some very eager staff hanging about though.
Many of the buildings here could use some sprucing up but that is part of their charm. Since we weren’t hungry yet, we were hunting around for specific murals. We accidentally found the Dancing Girl at Stewart Lane.
We also found the “Fisherman” Mural by Julia Volchkova.
Eventually, the heat got the better of us and we decided to detour to Penang State Art Gallery with the attention to come back to Love Lane later.
When we did return at around 6pm, we found it much easier to find a desirable parking spot. Our new parking spot was at another end of Love Lane that we had not explored yet. The hotel 23 Love Lane was close to our parking spot.
We decided to walk out a bit towards the main road to enter a private compound. The plan was to see another mural featuring half of a vintage car.
After which, we continued our exploration of Love Lane beginning with a charming chocolate shop/ gallery called Beryl’s Chocolate Story. The front of which was beautifully restored.
At this quirky air-conditioined chocolate boutique, we learnt the history of chocolate. They have a collection of old chocolate making equipment and drinking vessels. As well as a display case with all the different types of packaging throughout the years. Very cool.
Downstairs is where the counter and Beryl products are. We did browse through their selection but didn’t find anything that interested us. The staff did inform us that their bestseller was the tiramisu range.
Another random place that we ended up stopping at was a charming, air-conditioned café/ preloved bookstore (Haus Fashion Patisserie). The book we picked up for RM15 was Empress Orchid by Anchee Min. We found this cafe during our search for the Kungfu Girl (or the Little Girl In Blue by Ernest Zacharevic) which was on a neighboring street (Muntri Street).
Back at Love Lane, it was starting to get cooler, and we could see that people were starting to fill the pubs and eateries. Between Wheeler’s and The Loft, we chose The Loft. As it was 6:30pm, we were the first customers for that evening. This didn’t last long as the dinner crowd soon came.
Our order was their pesto chicken pizza and a blueberry and banana smoothie to share. Both came within 15 minutes. We thought we would have room for their in-house tiramisu but did not end up ordering it. The pizza was tasty without any overbearing flavors – some might find it a bit bland but that’s the way I like it. In contrast, the smoothie was very rich. The bill came up to around RM70 – expensive but expected in this area.
Wanting to check out what the evening atmosphere was like, we left The Loft for a stroll around the street. Both Holy Guacamole and Micke’s Place were already packed with customers. There was a live band playing at Micke’s Place even though it was a weekday.
Our last stop was unexpected. It was the Unique Penang Art Gallery. We did already see several art galleries, but this one was so pretty! The small shop had many things to browse through. There were prints, posters, fridge magnets, miniature puzzles, magnetic puzzles, and even framed original watercolor paintings for RM800 a piece by local artists.
You can design your own diary here or have the staff send a postcard of your chosen address on a future date too! We ended up not getting anything at this shop, but it was highly tempting to get a miniature puzzle!
Other Things To Do Here
Lorong Love is a few minutes’ walk away from some of the coolest bars and restaurants! Especially along Chulia Street with its pub-hopping opportunities!
1. Get A Coffee And Brunch At WHEELER’S
Considering the generous portions and quality of the food, the prices are fairly reasonable.
And seeing that it’s usually busy during the weekends, the staff does the best that it can!
Try their signature dish, the Espresso chicken or double cheeseburgers if you don’t know what to order!
Note: Great coffee.
2. Food Hunting At Chulia Street Night Hawker Stalls
During the evening, you can make your way to the south of Chulia Street for the roadside hawker stalls!
It’s not a big market but you’ll be able to find most Malaysian classic dishes here!
What to try:
- Popiah
- Wantan mee
- White Curry Mee
- Muah chee
- Satay
- Lor bak
- Assam laksa
- Apom
Distance from Love Lane: ~3 minutes’ walk
3. Dine On Mexican Food At Holy Guacamole
Colorful Holy Guacamole combines a restaurant and a bar with great service and live music in the evenings!
Although the menu has been tuned to suit local tastes, they have the classics like quesadilla, fajitas and of course, alcoholic beverages!
Think tequila, margarita and sangria!
4. Enjoy Beach Pub Vibes At Micke’s Place
Very popular with the backpacking community and especially, Western foreigners, this place has both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks!
Beer is very cheap during happy hour! And on weekends, there’s a live band playing until 12am!
Hotels Nearby
If you fancy staying on Love Lane, there are a couple of hotels you can check out:
1. 23 Love Lane Hotel
This hotel has beautiful grounds and only 10 rooms set in restored heritage buildings.
2. You Le Yuen Heritage Guesthouse
Stay in any of the 4 romantic and comfortable suites in a restored shop house.
Attractions Nearby
1. Goddess Of Mercy Temple Penang
Between Little India and Love Lane is the oldest Taoist temple (built in 1728) in Penang!
Many devotees still come to worship the main deity Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy.
Especially during her birthday and the Jade Emperor’s birthday!
- Distance from Love Lane: ~3 minutes’ walk
2. Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion – The Blue Mansion
An elegant boutique hotel and a gallery/ museum, this place never fails to impress!
Their daily tours are from Friday to Sunday and are usually full on weekends! They have two sessions, one at 11am and another at 2pm!
Read more about the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion.
- Distance from Love Lane: ~6 minutes’ walk
- Entrance Fee: RM25 (Adult), RM12.50 (Child under 12 years old)
3. Little India
Little India is walking distance from Love Lane and it looks very different here with more locals going about their day. There are many Indian eateries here and also some attractions that might interest you.
Sri Mahamariamman Temple – From 8am to 12pm and again from 5pm until 9:00 pm visitors can enter Penang’s oldest Hindu temple to admire the interior (and exterior) architecture up close!
- Distance from Love Lane: ~5 minutes’ walk
4. Street Art
While you’re exploring George Town, see if you can spot these street murals!
Conclusion
What’s not to love about Love Lane in George Town? Trendy cafes, a spirited night scene, hotels in heritage shop houses, with street art thrown into the mix!
And the fact that it’s close to many must-see attractions is a bonus!
Museums In Penang
There are some museums over at Armenian Street and Stewart Lane that you can explore. Especially since they are walking distance from Love Lane!
Things To Do In Penang At Night
Love Lane is a known night spot in Penang. But there are others – for instance, you can try the street food over at Chulia Street!
Penang Travel Guide
First time coming to Penang? You might want to read this travel guide on Penang first! Love Lane is only one street and there are other areas to explore!
