Top cafes in Georgetown — 8+ best coffee shops & best cafes in Georgetown Penang

Penang has experienced a real boom in cafes and coffee shops, with old buildings being renovated and rebuilt into traditional kopi tiam style cafes – cafes with menus of minimalist food and drinks, a place to create a comfortable atmosphere to chat with friends, instead of forever burying your head in your phone or laptop. So, where to go cafe in Georgetown, the capital of Penang? Let’s check out our top rated 8+ best cafes in Georgetown, best coffee shops in Georgetown and best cafes in Georgetown Penang as follows!

Georgetown, the capital of Penang state is considered one of the old colonial cities in Malaysia. Almost every street here has buildings built in the style of colonial architecture, and is honored to be recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2008. If you love sitting and enjoying a cup of fragrant coffee and chatting with close friends when coming to the quaint of Georgetown, don’t miss the top coffee shops that are extremely popular with locals and tourists alike in Georgetown, Penang below.

Mugshot Cafe (# best cafes in georgetown penang)

As the first Australian-style coffee shop in Georgetown, Mugshot Cafe is also located in an extremely prime location right in the heart of the crowded area of Western backpackers in Lebuh Chulia (formerly Chulia Street), that’s why if you come here during rush hour, you will have a hard time finding a seat for yourself and enjoying a cup of coffee in this wonderful space bearing a strong Western breath.

• Address: 320 Lebuh Chulia, Georgetown, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
• Hours: 8 AM–10 PM

Macallum Connoisseurs Coffee Company (# best coffee shops in georgetown)

Although it is a coffee shop not located right in the center of the capital city of Georgetown – a place honored to be recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Macallum is also a cafe you should visit once if you have the opportunity to come here.

Macallum is a quite special coffee shop, or in other words, unique, completely different from other coffee shops here as the shop was requisitioned from a warehouse built for a special purpose, did not fit any of the architectural styles of colonial houses in Georgetown so it was abandoned for a while, later renovated and “turned” into a cafe that is always bustling with guests coming in and out.

Besides, the coffee shop with its cool, spacious and airy space has helped put the unique coffee culture of the Muslim country of Malaysia on the world map, helping many people, especially those who love coffee everywhere know about Malaysian coffee, especially at this special Macallum coffee shop.

• Address: 1 Gat Lebuh Macallum, Georgetown, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
• Hours: 9 AM–10 PM

Bricklin Cafe Bar by Rasta Brew Co. (# best cafes in georgetown)

Bricklin is a special cafe located right in the capital city of Georgetown, where a series of old buildings that were built when this place was still a colony of imperialist countries are “lying and waiting” to reuse, and Bricklin is a coffee shop that smartly and skillfully took advantage of one of those old buildings and gave it a more vibrant and modern space.

The space at Bricklin is designed in the old art style of Hin Bus Depot, with the most famous product here being delicious cups of coffee with a very cool, very artistic check-in view right in the back area of this building. Let me tell you that this is the best location for taking photos in the capital Georgetown of Penang state.

In addition, Bricklin is also very easy to find as the road to the shop is not too difficult, and the shop is located close to the KOMTAR shopping mall, which has the honor of being recognized as the tallest building in the Malaysian state of Penang.

• Address: 31A Jalan Gurdwara, Georgetown, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
• Hours: 9 AM–7 PM/Tuesday: Closed

The Alley

The Alley is a cafe located in a Chinese second-hand shop, located close to Kuan Yin Teng, a temple used to worship the Goddess of Mercy according to Buddhist beliefs.

This cafe has a fairly small area with a comfortable atmosphere and a simple but sophisticated interior design. However, one limitation is that The Alley is only open from 12pm at midnight, so the shop is considered a familiar place for “night owls” in Penang, Malaysia.

• Address: 5 Lorong Stewart, Georgetown, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
• Hours: 10 AM–6 PM

Bean Sprout Café

Bean Sprout is a small cafe located right on the edge of Little India, specializing in serving quality coffee in an artistic space.

This cafe is built in two floors of the building with many different seating angles, creating a spacious, airy space as well as on the top floor area, you can see the Goddess of Mercy temple.

• Address: 35 Pitt Street, Masjid Kapitan Keling, George Town
• Hours: 10 AM–5:30 PM/Tuesday: Closed

Black Kettle

Black Kettle is a cafe located in a building with a prominent location on the corner of Beach Street and Chulia Street along with an impressive bakery, always filled with the delicious aroma of freshly baked cakes.

• Address: 105 Beach Street, George Town
• Hours: 9 AM–10 PM/Wednesday: Closed

The Twelve Cups (Cups & Co. Cafe)

The Twelve Cups is a modernly designed cafe located in the historic The Whiteaways Arcade area, formerly an old banking district on Beach Street with many delicious, new, and fresh drinks. Rich in unique flavor, not to be confused with anywhere else.

• Address: 12 The WhiteAways Arcade, Beach Street, George Town
• Hours: 12–10 PM/Thursday: Closed

Narrow Marrow

Narrow Marrow is a cafe requisitioned from a large shophouse and the space is filled with interesting and unique artwork and recycled furniture.

It offers live music performances with great tunes of local street music. However, if you want to go to Narrow Marrow, you should check the shop’s opening hours in advance because the shop is not open every day of the week.

• Address: 252 Lebuh Carnarvon, George Town
• Hours: 3–11 PM/Tuesday, Wednesday: Closed

Coffee shops are always an ideal place favored by many young people if they want to find a private, comfortable space to chat and confide in friends. If you are a foreign tourist coming to George Town, Penang and want to find unique coffee shops imbued with local cultural style to have new experiences, this article is for you.

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

• Private Penang Airport Transfers (PEN) for Penang
• Private City Transfers for Penang and Surrounding Cities
• Shared Penang International Airport (PEN) Transfers for Georgetown or Batu Ferringhi
• Explore Georgetown
• The Habitat Penang Hill Ticket
• Klook Pass Penang
• The TOP Penang Ticket
• ESCAPE Penang Ticket
• Explore Georgetown Half Day City Tour
• Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm Ticket
• Dark Mansion Museum Ticket
• Penang Hill and Temple Sightseeing
• Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion Tour in Penang
• Georgetown Penang Private Car Charter
• Boutique Aquarium Ticket at The TOP Penang
• Heritage Tour and Trishaw Ride in Penang
• Penang Hill and Temple Sightseeing
• Penang Heritage & Street Food Tour
• Georgetown Scenic Night Tour
• KL TravelPass (Metro Card) in Kuala Lumpur
• [SALE] 4G Prepaid SIM Card (MY Airports Pick Up) for Malaysia
• 4G WiFi (MY Airport Pick Up) for Malaysia

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.