Penang cafe guide
Penang is famous for its amazing hawker food, but the cafe scene has also grown in popularity among locals and tourists alike. A walk along the streets of George Town reveals an artistic flair matched with some serious food business! If there is anything that encapsulates Penang’s mix of art and food, it’s the city’s cafes. Here’s a list of the best cafes in Penang to visit for a memorable trip.Â
The current exchange rate is RM1 = ~S$0.31 as of 28 November 2025.
1. Utoo Boho Cafe & Patisserie
At Utoo Boho Cafe & Patisserie, you’ll see people from all walks of life, as this popular cafe is a tourist hotspot that attracts diners from around the world. The Bali-esque cafe is adorned with rattan furnishings, featuring an earthy palette with white and brown accents.
The menu is fairly extensive, offering drinks, mains, and even desserts for a complete meal. We started with the Beef & Mushroom Poached Egg (RM26): a slice of sourdough toast topped with crispy beef bacon, sundried tomatoes, and assorted mushrooms, accompanied by a side of salad. The beef bacon was a tad salty, but the mushrooms and sweetness from the sundried tomatoes helped to balance out the flavours a little. We also got a Pink Salt Lychee Rose (RM16) to quench our thirst, followed by a pretty Ribbon Croissant (RM14) packed with creamy vanilla bean custard. FYI: enjoy a complimentary slice of sourdough with olive oil and balsamic while waiting for your food to arrive!
Address: 156, Victoria Street, Georgetown, 10300 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Opening hours: Daily 9:30am to 7:30pm
Website
Utoo Boho Cafe & Patisserie is a Muslim-friendly eatery.Â
2. The Warung
Industrial-themed cafe The Warung is great for some quiet me-time, or for slow days with your travel buddy. There’s a small section with apparel for sale, so you can browse through these items while waiting for your coffee to arrive.
In terms of food, the cafe is known for its seasonal waffle menu. During our visit, we were lucky to try the Mango Sticky Rice (RM28), which is available till the end of 2025. For the curious, actual sticky rice is added to the waffle maker to achieve a chewy mouthfeel. Once it’s done, the dessert is topped with a scoop of coconut ice cream, fresh mango cubes, and whipped cream. The waffle was great on its own, but we recommend the Oolong Orchard (RM15), a refreshing concoction of peach, cherry, and an aromatic hint of rosemary.
Address: 145, Victoria Street, Georgetown, 10300 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Opening hours: Mon-Tue, Thurs-Fri 9:30am to 6pm, Sat-Sun 9:30am to 8pm
Website
The Warung is a Muslim-friendly eatery.Â
3. Norm Micro Roastery
We dare say Norm Micro Roastery is one of, if not the most, popular cafes in Penang. It’s always packed with both locals and tourists, but don’t worry about securing a seat—it’s spacious enough to accommodate about 100 diners at once. In terms of vibes, think of The Founders Cafe, the popular industrial cafe in JB.Â
Since we went there hungry, we tried the Scallop & Prawn Pumpkin Risotto (RM45.90++), consisting of soft pumpkin, mushrooms, sage leaves, and fresh seafood. The risotto was slightly mushy for our liking, but overall, the smoky and charred toppings made up for it. We also appreciated that the prawns were deshelled! To wash down the heavy flavours, we got a refreshing Citrus Passion (RM29.90++) and Osmanthus Pear (RM16.90++).
Address: 13, Gat Lebuh Gereja, George Town, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Opening hours: Daily 9:30am to 6pm
Website
Norm Micro Roastery is not a halal-certified eatery.
4. Narrow Marrow
A word of caution for those planning to visit Narrow Marrow: expect the cafe to be packed even on a weekday at noon. This cafe doubles as a bar, which means you can look forward to a different vibe after the sun sets.
During the day, tiramisu is the bestselling item here, with six flavours to choose from. We ordered two to try: the Strawberry Hojicha Tiramisu (RM26) and Espresso Kahlua Tiramisu (RM26). If you want the coffee notes in your dessert to stand out, we recommend the latter, while the former has a more earthy and toasty flavour. Both were incredibly soft and moist, though, and were some of the better tiramisus we’ve had in a while. Curious about their drinks, we also tried the Nutmeg Soda (RM17), made with locally sourced nutmeg brewed into a refreshing concentrate.
Address: 312, Lebuh Pantai, George Town, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Opening hours: Thurs-Mon 3pm to 11pm
Website
Narrow Marrow is not a halal-certified eatery.
5. Matcho Cafe
It seems like the matcha trend is losing momentum, but that didn’t stop us from visiting Matcho Cafe when in Penang. The cafe offers matcha drinks and desserts, which were a treat for both the eyes and the palate.
The pretty Matcha Pink Macchiato (RM18) came with a pink rose foam, which had a hint of bandung. While the drink wasn’t unpleasant, we wished the earthy, grassy notes of matcha were more pronounced, as the overall flavours felt somewhat flat. As for desserts, we tried the Matcha Waffle (RM23) and Matcha Crepecake (RM20). Between the two, we preferred the latter as the waffle was a tad too hard for our liking. The crepe cake, on the other hand, was light and airy with thin layers of matcha cream within.Â
Address: 99B, Lebuh Noordin, George Town, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 12pm to 8pm
Website
Matcho Cafe is not a halal-certified eatery.
6. Hema Hema Ice Cream
When we set foot in Hema Hema Ice Cream, the first thought that came to mind was Birds of Paradise. From the storefront logo to the house-made cones, the resemblance between the two gelato brands was uncanny, so we had to visit and try the gelato.
A single scoop costs RM10, while a single scoop of premium flavour with a waffle cone amounts to RM14. We got a cup and a cone to try, the former with the regular Calamari Plum, and the latter with the premium Burnt Butter Sage. The zesty treat was our favourite, as it was sweet and tangy without the artificial taste you sometimes get in a fruit sorbet. You can enjoy these icy desserts inside the cafe, which can accommodate about 40 diners at a time.
Address: 88, Lebuh Campbell, George Town, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Opening hours: Thurs-Sun 1pm to 10pm
Website
Hema Hema Ice Cream is a Muslim-friendly eatery.
7. RiumForest
RiumForest’s cool space resembles a huge terrarium, where the overall lighting is dim, and you’re surrounded by plenty of plants. You can even make a mini terrarium for RM25 here, if hands-on activities are your thing. The best part, though, is that the cafe houses two adorable cats!
We dropped by the cafe for a quick tea break, and ordered an Iced Mama Latte (RM18) and an Espresso Tiramisu (RM24). The former is essentially latte spiked with gula melaka, which turned out to be sweeter than what we expected. We only recommend this to those who usually go for vanilla or caramel lattes. The tiramisu fared decently well, though it had no hint of alcohol, resulting in a dessert that was sweeter than usual.
Address: 79, Jalan Nagor, George Town, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Opening hours: Wed 12pm to 7pm, Thurs-Sun 9am to 7pm
Website
RiumForest is not a halal-certified eatery.Â
8. Kia Lai Cake Pastry
If you’d like to bring some bakes home, visit Kia Lai Cake Pastry, a quaint bakery that specialises in cheese tarts and chicken floss cakes. We recommend heading down earlier to secure as many tart flavours as possible.
We got a box of four cheese tarts: Matcha Cheese (RM6.90), Japanese Sweet Potato (RM6.90), Apple Crumble Cinnamon (RM8.90), and Apom Balik Cheese (RM6.90). Out of the four, the Apple Crumble Cinnamon was our favourite, as there were chunks of crunchy apple at the core. The Apom Balik Cheese was a runner-up—this unique tart features sweet corn on top and peanuts within, reminding us of min jiang kueh. Cheese tarts aside, there are chicken floss cakes in a variety of flavours, ranging from the sweet Yam Chicken Floss Cake (RM11.90) to the savoury Ham & Garlic Cheese Chicken Floss Cake (RM12.90).
Address: 2C, Lebuh Melayu, George Town, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Opening hours: Daily 8:30am to 7:30pm
Website
Kia Lai Cake Pastry is not a halal-certified eatery but uses no pork or lard.
9. Roots Dessert Cafe
Located off the beaten path is Roots Dessert Cafe. The cafe is famous among the locals, and it was full when we arrived at 4pm on a weekend. Items in the menu include savoury toasted sandwiches, small bites and more!
There are both sweet and savoury items on the menu, ranging from the classic Nasi Lemak Ayam Rendang (RM24) to even the fusion Unagi Rice with Creamy Egg (RM39). If these sound too heavy, consider the Sweet Crepe (RM24) or Salted Caramel Sweet Potato Tart (RM24) instead. The former comes with bananas, strawberries, candied walnuts, Nutella, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, while the latter has honeycomb chunks.
Address: 56A, Jalan Pintal Tali, George Town, 10450 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 8am to 11pm
Website
Roots Dessert Cafe is a Muslim-friendly cafe.Â
10. ChinaHouse
Named as the longest cafe in Penang, ChinaHouse boasts three heritage buildings that house an open-air courtyard, a cafe, shops, a restaurant, a gallery and more. As if going hand-in-hand with the artsy streets of George Town, the walls of Chinahouse were also peppered with artwork from various artists.
Breakfast or brunch is available from 9am to 3pm daily, and some popular picks include Scrambled Eggs (RM30++), featuring house-made beef patty and roasted tomatoes in a cheesy focaccia. For lunch between 12pm and 5pm, you have more options to choose from: Bento Special (RM46++), Crumbed Fish Burger (RM36++), and ChinaHouse Signature Burger (RM36++).Â
Address: 153, Beach St, Georgetown, 10300 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 12:30am
Website
ChinaHouse is not a halal-certified eatery.
11. Kraffmen
Situated slightly away from the main city area of George Town, Kraffmen makes it in our list of cafes to visit in Penang. It features a modern and minimalist interior design, accompanied by a menu that evokes memories of my cafe-hopping days in Melbourne.
For those looking to have a proper meal, consider the Kraffmen Vongole Pasta (RM26) or Kraffmen Spice Rub Pork Cubes Aglio Olio (RM26). Alternatively, the Pork Ribs with Homemade Red Wine Sauce and Baked Potato (RM54) is one of the most popular items here, and makes for a great sharing dish as the portion size seems relatively large to finish it alone. You can go all out by adding on Fries, Mashed Potatoes, or Salad for only RM5. Â
Address: 80, Jalan Zainul Abidin, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Opening hours: Thur-Tue 11am to 8:45pm
Website
Kraffmen is not a halal-certified eatery.Â
Penang cafe guide for coffee and brunch
When in Penang, be sure to take a day or two off the busy streets and cafe-hop with a book in tow. For more Malaysian food guides, check out the best JB cafes worth crossing the causeway for. We also have a guide to the best JB zi char places!
10 Best JB Cafes Worth Crossing the Causeway For—We Tried Them All
Photos taken by Marcus Neo.
Drop us your email so you won't miss the latest news.
