Best places to eat in Penang — 20 must try, best restaurants in Penang & best restaurants in Georgetown

July 17, 2022

IL Bacaro was established in 2011 and is an authentic Italian restaurant. The restaurant always changes and updates the modern dining trends, and uses the freshest local ingredients such as fish and vegetables but still keeps the traditional flavors of Italia produced by chefs from Italy. The cozy IL Bacaro is located on the ground floor of Campbell House, with up to 50 cushy seats.

Director Roberto Dreon, who hails from Venice, attempts to offer both traditional and contemporary Italian cuisine | must try restaurants in penang

There are innovative Cicchetti recipes that mix the Venetian tradition with that of other countries, with the purpose of making pleasure for gourmets | must try restaurants in penang

Referring to Italy, you will probably think of some foods such as pasta, pizza, … which have been renowned in the world. If you come here, you should try at least these two dishes including a cocktail, which help your meal with a strong Italian flavor be really perfect. Or, if you don’t have much time to dine, please set up a short appointment with your friends to enjoy some glasses of wine together while sharing Cicchetti (a small plate of food – consisting of bread and toppings) and simple Italian dishes. Your feeling shall be as in Venice.

Where to eat in Penang: Zen Xin Vegetarian

Address: 42, Jalan Nagor, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Phone: +60 4-228 6828
Opening hours: 11:30 am to 2:00 pm or 5:30 pm (daily), closed: Mondays

The interior is decorated like a traditional Chinese structure | must try restaurants in penang

Zen Xin Vegetarian is one of the few vegetarian restaurants that need to be “noted” for your pleasure. The first impression that makes you visit here is located in the center of Nagore Square, with lovely decorations such as Chinese-style door frames with floral motifs; a round marble table and sturdy wooden chairs. The delicious cuisine is not only for vegetarians but also for non-vegetarians.

The meatless menu still provides healthy and delicious cuisine | must try restaurants in penang

At Zen Xin Vegetarian, you will be surprised by the extremely reasonable prices of food in quick and careful service. If you come here, you should not ignore the Taiwanese-style monkey head mushrooms and spicy tofu,… There are also many satay types, which are mildly spicy but will make your food more appetizing.

Monkey head mushroom | must try restaurants in penang

You also enjoy tasty food with Satay at Zen Xin vegetarian restaurant | must try restaurants in penang

Seemly a bit of conflict to say that this is a vegetarian restaurant, however, some fastidious guests who do not want to conquer the simple vegetarian dishes, fish and meat are still on the menus to get the pleasure to them. Another plus point for Zen Xin Vegetarian is that the staff is very friendly and it will more wonderful if you can choose a seat upstairs, where is cool from the air conditioner and watch the whole city.

Top restaurants in Georgetown: Ferringhi Garden

Address: 34, Jalan Batu Ferringhi, Kampung Batu Feringgi, 11100 Batu Ferringhi, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Phone: +60 4-881 1196
Opening hours: 5:00 am to 12:00 am daily

A restaurant within a lush foliage garden becomes more romantic | top places to eat in penang

An ideal place for dating couples hopes to find a romantic space for their dinner – Ferringhi Garden Restaurant. With a great restaurant space, the restaurant owns a dream garden with many types of plants, especially orchids, to decorate around your seat.

There are pasta, chicken satay, Malaysian and Chinese dishes, steak and many other choices at Ferringhi Garden Restaurant | top places to eat in penang

The restaurant uses rustic but eco-friendly wooden furniture, and the fountains create a cool and fresh atmosphere. It takes ease to change various styles for the holidays, therefore you shall have your sparkling pictures while coming here.

The restaurant is a little far from the town, but this is the ideal address for those who love nature – a lovely dinner. With a relaxed atmosphere, besides the lush foliage, and colorful flowers, you can listen to the music playing, watch the crowded town, enjoy the fresh, steamed seafood guide and then stop by Batu Ferringhi market for great experiences.

Top places to eat in Georgetown: Thirty Two at The Mansion

Address: 32, Jln Sultan Ahmad Shah, George Town, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Phone: +60 4-262 2232
Opening hours: 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm – 12:00 am

Grilled lamb chops accompanied with garlic, lemon and rosemary for super clean and simple flavorings | top places to eat in penang

Grilled beef | top places to eat in penang

Mesclun Salad with Spicy Lemongrass Vinaigrette | top places to eat in penang

Thirty Two at The Mansion is a charming restaurant located in the heart of Georgetown on the island of Penang. The design is colonial in the 1920s and most of the dishes are from the Western. Tourists can try some outstanding dishes such as rare grilled lamb, grilled beef ribs and etc.

Must eat places in Penang: The Spice Market Café

Address: Shangri La Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa – Beach Garden Wing, Kampung Tanjung Huma, 11100 Batu Ferringhi, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Phone: +60 4-888 8888
Opening hours: 07:00 am – 10:00 pm

The flavorful salads are various including penne pasta salad, roasted beetroot and rocket salad and etc for your choice | top restaurants in penang

The cold cut selection consists of smoked mackerel, beef pastrami and more | top restaurants in penang

With the rustic architecture and creative interior decoration, the Spice Market Café is one of the famous restaurants on Penang Island. In addition to the Baba Nyonya cuisine, visitors will enjoy a lot of food from all over the world such as Japan, Thailand, China, India, … and even European. Moreover, this restaurant regularly hosts traditional music performances. Therefore, dinner at the Spice Market Café is an interesting experience in Malaysia that visitors should get.

Western Spices

Address: No.1, Jalan Green Hall, George Town, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Phone: +60 4-261 1553
Opening hours: 11:30 am – 10:30 pm

Although the area is not too large, Western Spices restaurant in Penang is a place where many locals and tourists come to enjoy dinner. It is located next to the Penang court so it is easy to see. The flavors of the dishes on the menu are various and sufficient. Some dishes loved by many diners are lamb chops served with mashed potatoes, beer-braised duck, etc.

Pumpkin Soup | top restaurants in penang

Braised duck | top restaurants in penang

In addition to the luxury restaurants, Penang is also attractive with delicious and cheap eateries, let’s check out!

Best restaurants in Penang island: Air Itam Asam Laksa

Address: Jalan Pasar, Paya Terubong, 11500 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Phone: +60 12-500 7063
Opening hours: 10:30 am – 7:00 pm on weekdays
Food price: about 0.98 to 2.14 USD for a meal

A man as a chef is hardly cooking for sale | top restaurants in penang

Assam Laksa vermicelli is tastier with thick shrimp paste, aromatic mint leaves | top restaurants in penang

A small over 30-year stall is located under the Kek Lok temple, is known to many people as Air Itam Asam Laksa. The name of the restaurant is associated with a famous Malaysian dish, Assam laksa.

Assam laksa is made from crispy, fresh vermicelli, mixed with a broth cooked from sour fish soup with a typical sour taste from Assam (sour tamarind).

You can see that this stall in Penang Malaysia is delicious, cheap, and always crowded, especially at lunchtime and around the afternoon. Almost tourists also come here to dine the traditional food of Malaysian with the price from only 0.98 USD for a bowl of Assam laksa vermicelli, furthermore, the stall serves some other simple common dishes you can also try such as fried egg sausage, fried spring rolls, dumplings…

Best places to eat in Georgetown: Restoran Kimberly

Address: No. 135, Lebuh Kimberley, George Town, 10100 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Opening hours: 5:30 am – 11:00 pm
Food price: About 1.71 – 2.57 USD for a dish

What to eat in Penang, What foods are healthy and affordable and where to eat? Restoran Kimberly stall is a good choice for you to enjoy the popular food in Malaysia.
Coming to this Restoran Kimberly, you will surely be overwhelmed by a long queue of people waiting to enjoy the famous Duck Koay Chap of Mr. Por brand in Penang. This dish is similarly prepared as a soup.

People are in line to buy food | must eat places in penang

The stall is mostly crowded in the evening, hence you should enjoy the food at noon or in the evening due to less crowded and you can easily choose a dining table in the stall for eating.

This good and cheap stall in Penang, Malaysia is ranked at the top of the popular stall in Penang with a duck soup dish prepared with the main ingredients such as rice noodles cooked with pork or duck and a few boiled eggs. , scallions and chili, cooked in a black soybean sauce.

Mr. Por successfully cooked the duck Koay Chap for the past 30 years, it fascinates many domestic and foreign diners to enjoy. Moreover, the other food sold at the restaurant is also very good, so you can try it at once.

Medan Selera Padang Brown – food court in Penang

Address: Jalan Perak, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Phone: +60 16-676 5339
Opening hours: 5:30-23:00
Food price: About 1.28 – 2.57 USD

The food court is always crowded | must eat places in penang

If you would like to eat a lot of snacks or find a place with rich food in Penang, Medan Selera Padang Brown, a famous and unique food area must be visited at once when traveling to Penang.

A variety of fried food at the stalls | must eat places in penang

Located about 3.4km from the city center, the delicious and cheap eateries in Penang, Malaysia in the Medan Selera Padang Brown food court always attract a large number of tourists and locals to come here for eating. With food prices only from 1.28- 2.57 USD, you can freely order this unique Malaysian food.

How to make spring rolls | where to eat in georgetown

Spring rolls are served drenched in the light broth obtained from the Jicama stew | where to eat in georgetown

The Medan Selera Padang Brown food court (Dato Keramat stall) is also famous for spring rolls which ingredients similar to the ones in Vietnam, and the taste is also quite good, the crust is crispy, and the sauce is sweet and sour. These reasons make you not ignore this food.

Penang-style Yong Tau Foo focuses on pork, fish balls and vegetables in the broth | where to eat in georgetown

Popiah spring rolls are an indispensable traditional dish during the holidays in Penang Malaysia. Popiah spring rolls have an eye-catching golden color, the outer shell is thin. The filling of Popaih spring rolls is diverse with ingredients such as carrots, beets, fried tofu, bean sprouts, seafood, pork, peanuts, thinly sliced eggs and fried lettuce. Gerai Gerai Padang Brown’s Popiah spring rolls are especially attractive to tourists because they are the only places to Use crab meat to make spring rolls, delicious, soft and sweet. Surely Popiah spring rolls will satisfy even the most demanding diners. Remember to note the address of this good stall in Penang.

Best places to eat in Penang: Kheng Pin Cafe

Address: 80, Jln Penang, George Town, 10000 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Operating time: Tuesday – Sunday: 7:00 am – 2:00 am the next day, closed: Mondays
Food price: From 0.77 – 2.14 USD

Located at the crossroads of the street, Kate Kheng Pin is one of the famous and cheap stalls in Penang, Malaysia. The food is cheap but very tasty, the stall is quite large and clean. It opens until 2:00 am the next night. Hence you can warm your stomach after your late evening exploration in Penang.

Rolls are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside accompanied with 5-spice powder to make a perfect breakfast with Lor bak | where to eat in georgetown

The main ingredient of Lor Bak is different but the same thing is tasty and mouth-watering | where to eat in georgetown

With a history of more than 40 years, the famous food is fried Lor Bak. The ingredients include minced pork, fillings made with meats, seafood, tofu and vegetables, marinated with five spices, then rolled up and fried in a pan filled with oil. Lor Bak is usually served with a sweet and slightly spicy sauce. With only 0.77 USD for a plate of Lor bak, you can enjoy the delicious food.

Café Ping Hooi

Address: 179, Lebuh Carnarvon, George Town, 10100 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Food price: about 1.28 – 2.99 USD

A place for delicious and cheap eating is Cafe Ping Hooi when traveling to Penang. The stall has been opened and made the best-fried rice noodle dish with duck eggs in Penang by the Chinese Yeow family.

Char Koay Teow or fried noodles is the most typical street food in Penang. The characteristic of this food is the great taste and freshness of ingredients such as rice noodles, shrimp, eggs, bean sprouts and shallots sautéed with dark soy sauce in a large cast-iron skillet.

Another type of Char Koay Teow made from a rich shrimp broth | where to eat in penang

Coming to this delicious and cheap stall in Penang, Malaysia, you may eat the famous wide rice noodles, and other good food as well at this stall.

Where to eat in Penang: Sister Yao

Address: 96, Lorong Macalister, George Town, 11400 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Food price: About 0.86 – 3.43 USD

Sister Yao inherited the 30-year family business from their father. Just a pushcart, but this is considered a cheap stall in Penang, Malaysia where the main food is radish cake. The radish cake of the Yao Sister is one of the delicious stalls in Penang; Otherwise, it welcomes many buyers every day.

Hot freshly fried Char Koay Kak is wrapped in banana leaves | where to eat in penang

Today, the recipe of Char Koay Kak is still kept by the Yao Sister as the beginning. The major ingredients of Char Koay Kak are radish cake fried with dark soy sauce with bean sprouts, eggs, scallions, and a little hot chili, having a unique flavor unlikely anywhere else.

You can come to this street stall from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm to enjoy the food. You should come here early to get your own seat!

Top places to eat in Georgetown: Sister Curry Mee

Address: 612 T, Jalan Air Itam, Pekan Ayer Itam, 11500 Ayer Itam, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Phone: +60 12-410 8152
Food price: About 1.07 to 3.00 USD

Curry mee is made with vermicelli with spicy curry broth | top places to eat in georgetown

Each delicious restaurant in Penang, Malaysia is evaluated with many different factors. However, in terms of age, the Sister stall in Penang having Curry Mee can be the oldest and most famous dish in this Penang town.

Street vendors include sister curry mee | top places to eat in georgetown

Two sisters have been cooking curry noodles for over 60 years | top places to eat in georgetown

The Sister stall has been serving the locals and tourists for more than 70 years. Curry Mee, also known as vermicelli laksa, is a spicy coconut soup served with rice vermicelli and egg noodles. The main ingredients are tofu, chicken, pork blood, shrimp, and the spicy taste of chili.

If you would like to go to the stall, you should come in the evening time. The stall is very crowded, therefore you should come early to enjoy this food.

The above is one of the famous, cheap, delicious restaurants and street stalls in Penang, Malaysia where you should visit to enjoy the delicious food. Don’t wait for any more to promptly schedule and travel to Malaysia.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in and from Penang you can refer to

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Are you looking for more top things to do in Penang: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Read more: Penang travel blog — The fullest guide for a budget trip to Penang of Malaysia. And Penang in 1 day: Let’s check it out here.