Georgetown Restaurants & Dining

Since Penang is synonymous with good food (eating also seems to be Penangites’ favourite pastime), there are many places where one can find a good concentration of hawker stalls and restaurants on the island, especially in George Town. Being Penang’s capital, it’s only natural that this city is also Penang’s food central, and foodies’ heaven.

Aside from posh-nosh and local-flavour restaurants lining its streets, some roads convert into exciting hawker centres come nightfall, forming a significant part of the lively night atmosphere in George Town. Many eateries here are open until the wee hours of the morning, with some even opening around the clock.

Red Garden Food Paradise & Night Market

A huge food court with ample parking space, Red Garden has different stalls offering all kinds of cuisine, from local fare to foreign specialties. Located on the right side of Penang Road as you walk towards Upper Penang Road, the food court has the kind of ambience that is likened to the ones on Gurney Drive. There is also a little night market within selling souvenirs, clothing, accessories and local handicrafts.
Cuisine: Local & international
Address: 20 Lebuh Leith
Tel: (604) 262 3767
Opening Hours: Daily, 20:00 - Late

Goh Swee Kee Teochew Restaurant

One of the longest-serving and most popular restaurants in Penang, Goh Swee Kee Restaurant specializes in teochew cuisine. With specialties such as braised goose meat, homemade fish balls and fried tofu with chive dip, its appeal lies in the quality and authenticity of its offerings, closely following traditional recipe that has been passed on for generations.
Cuisine: Teochew cuisine
Address: 61 Lebuh Kimberly
Tel: (604) 263 6932
Opening Hours: Daily, 11:00 – 14:30 & 19:00 – 22:00

Roti Canai Jalan Transfer

Also known as ‘Roti Canai Tepi Longkang’ (Paratha bread by the drain), Roti Canai Jalan Transfer (Transfer Road’s Paratha Bread) has a legendary reputation. Considered by many as the best roti canai in the world, you will soon find out that this is by no means an exaggeration once you get a taste of its infamous offering. It serves a variety of hot, thick and spicy curries with its roti canai, but the beef curry is said to be the best of the lot, which is extra hot and spicy with tender chunks of beef added in.
Cuisine: Roti canai
Location: Jalan Transfer (near Caltex petrol station & Jalan Ariffin)
Opening Hours: Daily, 06:30 – 00:00

Sup Hameed

Considered a national institution, Sup Hameed comes highly recommended to those visiting Penang for the first time. Specialising in – you’ve got it – soups, from the good old variety such as mutton soup and chicken soup to the more ‘exotic’ such as gearbox soup and torpedo soup, the secret lies in the tender meats and the thick, flavourful broth.
Cuisine: Soups
Address: 48 Jalan Penang (near Cititel Hotel, opposite Red Garden Food Paradise & Night Market)
Tel: (604) 261 8007
Opening Hours: 24 hours daily

Hot Wok Nyonya Restaurant

With its striking, classic-looking façade, Hot Wok’s appeal lies not only in its looks, but also its offerings. Serving authentic nyonya (Straits Chinese) cuisine, the restaurant’s hot curry kapitan and ice-cold cendol are perfectly complement each other. 
Cuisine: Nyonya cuisine
Address: 124E – F, Jalan Burmah
Tel: (604) 227 3368
Opening Hours: Daily, 11:00 – 15:00 & 18:00 – 23:00

Opera Oriental Cuisine & Lifestyle Gallery

Beautifully-decorated with Buddha statues gracing the interior, giving a distinct zen-like atmosphere, the award-winning Opera serves fusion Oriental delights. Upstairs is a lifestyle gallery where figurines, art pieces and other decorative items are displayed for sale.
Cuisine: Fusion Chinese
Address: 3E Upper Penang Road
Tel: (604) 263 2893
Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday 12:00 – 15:00 & 18:00 – 23:00, Sundays 18:00 – 23:00

Benvenuto Ristorante & Bar

Benvenuto may be primarily an Italian restaurant - so expect to find variations of Italian favourites - but don’t be surprised to find some local specialties here as well, the most popular being the fried chee cheong fun. A lively bar keeps the after-dinner crowd entertained well into the wee hours.
Cuisine: Italian & local cuisine
Address: 3C Upper Penang Road
Tel: (604) 261 0200

Hawker Centres

Penang is perhaps most well-known for its hawker food. Some streets in George Town also double up as hawker centres - with some operating only at night - each with its own personality and appeal. For the best of local delights such as char kuay teow, assam laksa and rojak, head down to one of these streets– not only will you get great-tasting food, they are also so cheap you’d be tempted to try them all in one day!
Cuisine: char kuay teow, rojak pasembur, assam laksa, curry noodles (mee kari), chee cheong fun, prawn noodles, Hokkien noodles, Hainanese chicken rice, cendol, fried noodles
Locations: Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah (The Esplanade), Lebuh Chulia, Lebuh Kimberley, Lebuh Cintra, Lorong Selamat (off Jalan Burmah), Jalan Macalister, New Lane (off Jalan Macalister), Jalan Pantai, Lebuh Pantai, Lebuh Presgrave.
Opening hours: The stalls are generally open from 19:00 to 02:00

Beach Blanket Babylon

A trendy bar and bistro housed in a 1903 heritage building, Beach Blanket Babylon serves well-presented continental food in well-presented surroundings. Its interior is divided into sections to cater to diners’ preferences – those who’d like a cigar after dinner, those who want a romantic dinner underneath the antique chandelier, those who prefer al fresco dining with the sea breeze on their skin or those who crave for a few cocktails at the bar.
Cuisine: Continental, fusion
Address: Lot B1, The Garage (Upper Penang Road), No. 2 Jalan Penang
Tel: (604) 04 261 0289
Opening Hours: Weekdays 11:00 – 01:00, weekends & eve of public holidays 11:00 – 02:00

Thirty Two at The Mansion

Occupying the newly-restored Leong Yin Kean heritage mansion, Thirty Two at The Mansion is an elegant fine-dining restaurant with a seaside setting. Spacious and stylish, an extensive drinks menu accompany its continental and fusion dishes which include the chef-recommended Pan-Seared Seafood Medley and the house specialty, Crab Laksa Lemak. A jazz band provides entertainment all night long every Friday and Saturday. 
Cuisine: Continental, fusion
Address: 32 Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah
Tel: (604) 262 2232
Opening Hours: Daily, 12:00 – 15:00 & 19:00 – 00:00 (last orders 22:30)

The Sire Museum Restaurant

Housed within a heritage building which was once the home of a prominent local tycoon, Yeap Chor Ee, The Sire is a museum cum restaurant with a rich history and rich flavours, with the fine-dining restaurant on the ground floor and the museum space on the upper floor. The beautiful interior filled with Peranakan treasures makes dining here a truly special experience.
Address: 4 King Street (opposite the new Great Eastern building and across the road from Dewan Sri Pinang)
Tel: (604) 264 5088/263 4359
Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday 11:30 – 15:00 & 18:00 – 22:30, closed on Sundays

Passage Thru’ India

With a décor that is reminiscent of the Maharajah’s grandeur, Passage Thru’ India enchants any passerby with its colourful exterior. Go inside and you will find some of the best Indian offerings in town, from banana-leaf tandoori to banana lassi. On weekends, live traditional Indian music accompanies your meal. 
Address: 11A Leith Street (opposite Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion)
Tel: (604) 262 4644
Opening Hours: Daily, 12:00 – 14:30 & 18:30 – 22:30

Kayu Nasi Kandar

One of the most famous Nasi Kandar shops, Kayu Nasi Kandar is one of the bigger roadside restaurants in George Town and one of the very few that is open 24 hours, bringing you great-tasting Indian Muslim dishes around the clock. The portions are big and the prices quite affordable.
Address: 216 Penang Road
Tel: (604) 264 4767/016 498 2396
Opening Hours: Daily, 24 hours

Nasi Kandar Line Clear

Don’t let the shabby exterior of this nasi kandar joint fool you. Reputedly one of the oldest surviving nasi kandar outlets in Penang, Nasi Kandar Line Clear started way back in 1947. With the perfect balance of spices in their curries, some have sworn their nasi kandar to be the best in the country.
Location: In an alley at the junction of Lebuh Chulia & Jalan Penang (on the same side of Jalan Penang as Chowrasta Bazaar)
Opening Hours: Daily, 24 hours

Smoky Jack Ribs & Steak House

Adopting a unique interior that incorporates recycled items such as wooden barrels as tables and one half of a boat as a rooftop, Smoky Jack Ribs & Steak House is well-known for its succulent and generously-portioned steaks. Other than ribs and steaks, its other signature offerings such as Grilled Cod Au Gratin and Boston Clam Chowder are also worth trying.
Address: 3H - I Upper Penang Road
Tel: (604) 262 8826
Opening Hours: Daily, 12:00 – 15:00 & 18:00 – 22:30

Rainforest Café

A quaint little bakery shop stands out among the rustic shophouses on Chulia Street, named Rainforest Café. A heavenly aroma greets you as you walk in, coming from its delectable array of freshly-baked organic breads and bagels. This café is also equipped with WiFi, so that you can tell the folks back home how good the baked goods are while gorging on them.
Address: 300 Lebuh Chulia
Tel: (604) 261 4641
Opening Hours: Monday - Saturday 11:00 – 19:00

Edelweiss Café

Housed in a 150-year-old building, Edelweiss Café serves fusion continental cuisine in an intimate and classic setting, Among its specialties are fat German Curry Pork Sausages and Cheese Fondue, which are considered a must-try by its regulars.
Address: 38 Armenian Street (beside Cheah Kongsi)
Tel: (604) 261 8935
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 11:30 – 15:00 & 18:30 – 22:00; Sunday 11:30 – 19:00, closed on Mondays.

Ecco Café

Tucked in a row of pre-war shophouses on Chulia Street is a cosy little cafe serving basic Italian dishes. It is said that nobody does freshly-baked pizza better than Ecco Café in this city. The pizza dough is made from scratch, resulting in a thin and crispy-at-the-edge base which just melts in your mouth. Its pasta, crème brulee and freshly-ground coffee are also worth sinking your teeth into.
Address: 402 Chulia Street
Tel: (604) 262 3178
Opening Hours: Monday - Saturday 11:30 – 14:30 & 18:00 – 22:30