Penang restaurants will satisfy your craving for more local food! And let you refresh your palate with a different cuisine altogether!
You can find genuine Nyonya, American, Italian, Chinese and French food and even vegan food!
Refer to this list for your convenience!
Table Of Contents:
Western Restaurants
1. Two Frenchies Cafe Bistro
This quaint eatery is worth finding parking for if you enjoy French cuisine and want authentically prepared French food (one of the owners of this establishment is French).
Light bites like Croque Madame and Quiche feature on the menu. As do salads, French mains, soup-of-the-day (the onion soup is amazing!), pasta and mouthwatering desserts!
The different-sized benches and tables along both walls of this narrow Penang cafe and restaurant provide ample and intimate seating for groups too!
Pair their hearty platter for 2 with some wine!
Note: Reservations can be made on their website.
Recommended dishes:
- Signature burger (beef)
- Boeuf Bourguignon
- Cassoulet Toulousain
- Duck Confit
- Cuisine: Western & French
- Location: 36, Lebuh Bishop, George Town, 10200 George Town, Penang Island
- Opening Hours:
- Tuesday to Friday 11:30am to 10:30pm
- Saturday & Sunday 9am to 10:30pm
- Closed on Mondays
- Contact: +604-261 2000
2. What The Duck Restaurant
As you can probably guess from the name, duck meat is present in most of the menu!
This contemporary restaurant at Spice Canopy is not afraid to take creative liberties with their dishes:
- Smoked Duck Apple Walnut Salad
- Duck Confit Spaghetti
- Balinese Crispy Duck (bek-bek)
- Cinnamon US Waffle Fires with Salted Egg ice cream
Note: There will be at least one vegetarian-friendly dish in the menu!
- Cuisine: Western/ Asian fusion
- Location: L01-15 & 16, Level 1, Setia SPICE Canopy, No. 108, Jalan Tun Dr Awang, 11900 Pulau Pinang.
- Opening Hours: 6am to 9:30pm (Closed on Mondays)
- Contact: +604-638 6084
3. Il Bacaro
Did you know that you could have authentic Italian food right in Georgetown, Penang?
You’ll find this elegant Venice-inspired restaurant at the ground floor of Cambell House! Everything from the bread, pasta and sauces are made from scratch!
The menu changes occasionally with Italian staples you don’t usually see in Malaysia:
- Focaccia (i.e. flat bread)
- Cicchetti (appetizer)
- Stracci (similar to lasagna)
- Risotto
- Wood-fire pizza!
- Zabaglione (Italian dessert)
- Cuisine: Italian & Wine Bar
- Location: Campbell House, 106, Lebuh Campbell, Georgetown, 10200 George Town, Penang
- Opening Hours: 12pm–10:30pm; Friday to Sunday, 12pm–11pm
- Contact: +604-261 8290
4. The Book Sandwich Café
Yes, they specialize in sandwiches (like their lobster sandwich) but the menu doesn’t stop there!
With intriguing items like:
- Soft shell crab meat burger
- Salted egg spaghetti
- Salmon fillet
- Hokkaido scallop risotto
- Lamb shank
As for the ambiance, it’s very romantic with light music in the background and dim lighting!
Note: Quite pricey. Almost akin to fine dining. Offers free Wi-Fi.
- Cuisine: Western
- Location: 217, Lebuh Pantai, George Town, 10300 George Town, Penang Island
- Opening Hours: Daily from 11am to 10pm
- Contact: +604-261 3445
5. Restaurant Ferringhi Garden
All the way in Batu Ferringhi:
Restaurant Ferringhi Garden never fails to delight its customers with its stunning outdoor dining area! Which is just as nice in the morning as it is in the evening!
It can get real fancy (and pricey) with excellent starters like crab cakes and freshly baked bread, wine and their opulent seafood platters and Wagyu steaks!
A full course dinner with starters and dessert will set you back a few hundred ringgit!
But not to worry, as there are plenty of other places to find seafood in Penang!
Note: Not vegan or vegetarian-friendly
- Cuisine: Asian, Western, Mediterranean
- Location: 34, Jalan Batu Ferringhi, Kampung Batu Feringgi, 11100 Batu Ferringhi, Penang Island
- Opening Hours: Daily from 5pm to 10:30pm (last order is at 9.30pm)
- Contact: +604-881 1196
6. Hard Rock Café
Returning customers will realize that the walls are now blue and the floors are lighter!
And there are numerous new items on the menu:
- 24-Karat Gold Leaf Steak Burger
- Fruity cocktail blends
- Buffalo wings
- Milkshakes with flavors like strawberry cheesecake!
- And more!
Generous portions, happy hour and a daily live performance from the house band (10:30pm to 2am) help to justify the prices!
Browse the shop to pick up some Hard Rock Penang souvenirs!
- Cuisine: American
- Location: Hard Rock Hotel Penang, Batu Ferringhi Beach 11100, Penang Island
- Opening Hours:
- Sunday – Thursday from 12pm to 11pm
- Friday & Saturday from 12pm to 1am
- Contact: +604-886 8050
Other western restaurants in Penang.
Nyonya Restaurants
7. Hainantown @ Yeng Keng Nyonya Restaurant
Hainantown @ Yeng Keng Nyonya Restaurant offers both ala carte and dishes for sharing in a lovely dining environment.
Signature dishes of this pork-free restaurant include assam prawns, Hainanese chicken chop, spring rolls, and chicken pie.
See more on what it’s like to dine at Hainantown @ Yeng Keng Nyonya Restaurant.
- Cuisine: Hainanese and Nyonya Peranakan
- Location: 366, Chulia St, Georgetown, 10450 George Town, Penang
- Opening Hours: 11:30am to 3pm, and again from 6pm to 10pm (Closed on Mondays)
- Contact: +604-263 3177
8. Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery
You can bet that anything coming out of the kitchen will knock your socks off if Auntie Gaik herself is manning the helm!
The environment is comfortable too with spacious seating to cater for families!
Note: Spicy food will have a good kick to it!
Order these:
- Beef rendang
- Chicken kapitan
- Eggplant with sambal
- Ikan tumis
- Jiu hu char (Dish with shredded radish, carrot with strips of squid)
- Sambal petai (Warning: petai has a pungent aftertaste that’s not for everyone!)
- Cuisine: Nyonya
- Location: 1, Bishop Street Georgetown, 10200 George Town
- Opening Hours:
- Daily from 12pm to 2:30pm and again from 6pm to 9:30pm
- Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays
- Contact: +6017-434 4398
Read more: 13 Best Breakfast In Penang
Chinese Restaurants
9. Tofu Village – Best Of Hakka Tradition
Tofu Village does Hakka cuisine in 2 styles – local and Taiwanese! In a trendy space with black and white fittings.
They boil their own loh han guo drink which you should definitely take advantage of! Taiwanese shaved ice desserts are available too!
Hakka dishes to taste here:
- Yong tau fu
- Braised pork trotters
- Hakka mee
- Nan ru chicken
- Rice wine chicken
- Yam abacus
- Claypot stew
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Location: 82, Church St, Georgetown, 10200 George Town, Penang
- Opening Hours: 11:30 m–3:30pm, 4:30pm–9:30pm (Closed on Mondays)
- Contact: +6010-3719018
10. Tek Sen Restaurant
Prepare to be early at this restaurant in a typical shophouse setting!
They used to have just a simple stall back in 1965 to serve Cantonese, Hakka, Teochew and Nyonya dishes.
Along with their extensive ala carte menu, is a pleasing selection of beverages like beer, coffee, local drinks (e.g. water chestnut, sugarcane juice, soya milk etc) and tea!
It’s best to bring a group with you to sample many dishes!
Note: Lunch time sees fewer crowds! Payment is only in cash!
Dishes to try:
- Double roasted pork (with or without chili padi)
- Fish curry (assam tumis)
- Claypot tofu
- Kangkung with sambal and prawns
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Location: 18, Lebuh Carnarvon, George Town, 10100 George Town, Penang Island
- Opening Hours: Daily from 12pm to 3pm; 6pm to 9pm (Closed on Mondays)
- Contact: +6012-981 5117
Read more: 11 Best Char Kuey Teow In Penang
Malaysian Restaurants
11. Andrew’s Kampung
Tourists at Batu Ferringhi like to head to Andrew’s Kampung restaurant and for good reason!
Besides being affordable, the food is divine as is the service! And you can sit a few stories above the street too!
It’s so busy that you might have to make a booking first!
What to order:
- Crispy duck
- Sizzling hotplate (beef)
- Black vinegar chicken
- Pineapple fried rice (with turmeric)
- Chicken curry
Note: The restaurant is upstairs in an old building (3 flights of stairs)
- Cuisine: Malaysian
- Location: 2nd Floor, Eden Parade, Jalan Sungai Emas, Kawasan Perumahan Sungai Emas, 11100 Batu Ferringhi, Penang Island
- Opening Hours: Daily from 12pm to 10pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
- Contact: +604-881 1688
12. Lagenda House & Café
What’s not to love at this colorful halal restaurant with delicious food in large portions!
By the way, the legend they are referring to is a Malaysian music and film icon, Tan Sri P Ramlee!
Food presentation is top notch as you will see if you order any of their large appetizer platters filled with Malay delicacies!
Even if there is no alcohol, there’s still a wide range of beverages to order! Like nutmeg juice and pandan sarabat!
- Cuisine: Asian fusion
- Location: 2, Lebuh Carnarvon, George Town, 10100 George Town, Pulau Pinang
- Opening Hours: Daily from 12pm to 10pm
- Contact: +6019-4729030
13. Jawi House Cafe Gallery
Don’t miss out on the chance to try authentic Jawi Peranakan food (some with just a hint of Western influence) when you’re busy hunting Penang street art at Armenian Street!
And if you’re not hungry, you can try one of their homemade ginger beer or nutmeg juice! Tiny but charming, this restaurant uses a lot of lovely wooden antique furniture!
Note: They have cookbooks for sale at the back!
Dishes you cannot go wrong with include:
- Herbal lemuni rice
- Braised brisket sandwich
- Beef rending with lentil rice
- Lamb biryani
- Cuisine: Malay & Armenian
- Location: 85, Lebuh Armenian, George Town, 10200 George Town, Penang Island
- Opening Hours: Daily from 11am to 9:30pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
- Contact: +604-261 3680
14. Halab Penang
Halab Penang is the trendiest spot in Penang for mouth-watering middle eastern cuisine. Their large menu means you have a variety of options for your next food adventure.
Although slightly on the pricier side, this restaurant promises bang for your buck when it comes to satisfying your tastebuds!
Some must-try items are:
- Turkish Coffee
- Mix grills
- Falafel
- Lamb Kebab
- Arabian Sweets
Note: Portions run small.
- Cuisine: Halal Middle Eastern
- Location: 381, Chulia St, Georgetown, 10200 George Town, Penang
- Opening Hours: Daily from 10am to 3am
- Contact: +604-251 9550
Read more: 17 Best Cafe In Penang With Great Coffee
Getting Around Penang
Embark on a tour around Penang with RayTheTour! They can pick you up straight from the airport or your hotel!
And even drop you off for dinner at any of the restaurants in this list after your tour!
Other reasons to book this private tour service:
- English or Chinese-speaking local guides
- No fixed itinerary – go where you want to! Or let the guides advise you!
- Comfortable transport (MPV or van)
- You can combine your tour with Ipoh and Cameron Highlands tours too!
Further reading:
Conclusion
It is not easy to pick one, let alone, the best restaurant in Penang!
Especially when you tire of Penang street food, take a detour to one of the best restaurants in Georgetown Penang.
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