Top restaurants in Georgetown, Penang — 15+ good & best restaurants in George Town

Georgetown, Penang not only attracts tourists because of the beauty of blue sea, green hills, golden sunshine or famous historical sites, ancient houses, unique Peranakan culture, but also because of its unique culinary flavor. You can taste local dishes at street stalls, small shops or at luxury hotels in George. However, to have leisurely and relaxing time with friends and relatives, dining at restaurants is always the most preferred choice. So, what and where to eat in Georgetown? Let’s check out our top rated 15+ top restaurants in Georgetown, Penang (Georgetown top restaurants) including famous restaurants in Georgetown, best restaurants in George Town (George Town best restaurants, Georgetown Penang best restaurants), good restaurants in Georgetown, cheap restaurants in Georgetown as follows!

Georgetown has a rich and delectable cuisine, so this place is also considered the capital of Malaysian cuisine. If you travel here, you will have the opportunity to taste delicious dishes from all over the world such as Malaysian, Indian, Chinese, Italian,… and even Vietnamese cuisine. However, nowadays, it will be very difficult to choose a suitable restaurant for yourself because there are many restaurants springing up like mushrooms after rain to serve the dining needs of tourists. Therefore, here we would like to introduce to you the 15+ best restaurants in George Town, Penang to help you have a perfect culinary journey here.

Below we will introduce to you the 15+ best restaurants in George town, Penang island so you can choose for yourself the most satisfactory place to dine.

Zen Xin (# best restaurants in george town)

Zen Xin Vegetarian is one of the few vegetarian restaurants that you should “note”. The first impressive point that makes you come here is that it is located right in the center of Nagore Square, with lovely decorations: Chinese-style door frames with floral motifs; Round marble table and sturdy wooden chairs. The cuisine here is not only vegan but also delicious for non-vegetarians.

Located right near the center of the newly renovated Nagore square, it is not difficult for visitors to find this restaurant. If you are looking for a restaurant that serves vegetarian food, Zen Xin is the perfect place. The rich menu, fresh, organic, and especially healthy ingredients give diners the opportunity to taste many dishes with unique, unforgettable flavors.

At Zen Xin Vegetarian, you will be very surprised by the extremely reasonable price of the food, served quickly and enthusiastically. If you come here, you can’t miss the Taiwanese monkey head mushrooms, spicy tofu,… There are also many types of satay here, which are a bit spicy but will make your food more delicious.

It seems a bit contradictory to say that this is a vegetarian restaurant, however for some demanding guests who do not want to conquer simple vegetarian dishes, there is still fish and meat on the menu to please them. Another plus point for Zen Xin Vegetarian is that the staff is very friendly and if you can choose to sit upstairs, with cool air conditioning, and a view of the entire city, it will be even better.

Zen Xin is a Chinese-style restaurant, from the wooden doors to the marble round tables and floral motifs that represent Chinese culture. Therefore, when entering the restaurant, you will feel like you are immersed in the space of the ancient Chinese.

Coming to Penang without trying to enjoy vegetarian dishes at Zen Xin would be a pity.

• Address: 42 Jalan Nagor, George Town George Town, Pulau Pinang, 10050, Malaysia.
• Hours: 10 AM–7 PM

Mews Cafe (# george town best restaurants)

Mews Cafe is a very famous cafe and restaurant and is popular with many foreign tourists and locals.

Mews Cafe has a modern, elegant appearance that is very suitable for active young people. However, the atmosphere here is also very quiet, a great place to relax after stressful working hours. The restaurant space is designed with the main color white, the dining tables are simply decorated, creating comfort for diners when dining. You can also choose to enjoy your meal in the outdoor area, where sofas are arranged, located right next to the green garden. The freshness of nature brings a feeling of airiness and absolute relaxation. Just imagining it makes you feel extremely comfortable, right?

This cafe has Nyonya – Fushion dishes that are creatively prepared with delicious flavors that promise to satisfy the taste buds of the most demanding customers. Have you ever heard of Otak – Otak dish that’s very soft and smooth served with crispy shrimp chips? This is truly a wonderful work of cuisine that you should not miss when visiting Mews Cafe. And also Amok and crispy duck legs. You will definitely have a great time at Mews Cafe.

At Mews Cafe, you can choose to dine in a cozy indoor space or an outdoor space that opens onto Muntri Road to see the ancient city of Georgetown. A highlight that few restaurants here have is that Mews Cafe is extremely pet-friendly. You can safely bring your pet without fear of leaving your friend at home if you dine in the outdoor area.

The coffee here has a very special aroma because of the use of unique spices. It is a drink that has never gone out of style, very suitable to arouse vitality in the morning for your trip. You can also enjoy some soft and smooth cakes with coffee to feel the clearest flavor. Not only is it a relaxing place to enjoy a delicious cup of coffee, but you can also choose a fresh beer to create new excitement. A little tip for you is that on Saturday nights starting at 8pm, there is a live music performance program that is very lively and attracts guests.

• Address: 77 Lebuh Muntri, George Town George Town, Pulau Pinang, 10200, Malaysia
• Hours: 8–11 AM, 12–8:30 PM

Karaikudi (# georgetown penang best restaurants)

Do you want to enjoy Indian food while traveling in Penang, Malaysia? It’s not difficult at all, Karaikudi is the number 1 Indian restaurant in Georgetown.

Named after the largest city in Sivaganga, this restaurant will immediately remind diners of Indian cuisine, especially those who love Indian cuisine. Naan and vegetable samosas are the most ordered dishes at the restaurant. Besides, you can also taste famous desserts like Carrot Halwa, Pazha Payasam and Gulab Jamun. We guarantee that you will not be able to resist their wonderful taste. Indian dishes look simple but are also very elaborately prepared, perhaps that is why Indian cuisine has very unique features that are difficult to confuse. Please visit Karaikudi and try to enjoy it.

• Address: No. 20 Lebuh Pasar, George Town George Town, Pulau Pinang, 10200, Malaysia.
• Hours: 11 AM–11 PM

II Bacaro (# georgetown top restaurants)

IL Bacaro was established in 2011 and is an authentic Italian restaurant. The restaurant is always changing, updating modern dining trends, using fresh local ingredients such as fish and vegetables but remaining true to traditional Italian flavors produced by chefs from Italy. Cozy IL Bacaro is located on the ground floor of Campbell House, with up to 50 very comfortable seats.

Next is a top popular Italian restaurant in Georgetown. II Bacaro is a classic restaurant with warm brown tones and gentle yellow lights, bringing a very cozy feeling. Simple decorative motifs, a few paintings displayed on the walls and familiar brown tables and chairs will make diners feel as close as returning home.

When it comes to Italy, you will probably think of some dishes like pasta, Pizza,… which are famous in the world. If you come here, you should try at least two of these dishes, along with a cocktail, which will help your meal truly complete with rich Italian flavor. Or, if you don’t have too much time to eat, set aside a small date to meet friends, enjoy a glass of wine together while sharing cicchetti (small plates of food – including bread and toppings) and simple Italian dishes. It feels like being in Venice.

Fresh pasta is a “specialty” of the restaurant that you must definitely try when you come here. Pasta here is served in large plates with uniquely flavored homemade gnocchi and some parsley and cheese cleverly topped. Just hearing the description makes it really interesting, right? You can also try crab Linguine, a small but delicious dish made from crab meat served with cherry tomatoes prepared in the typical Aglia Olia style.

Not simply a place to dine, this cozy space is also chosen by many guests to organize important events such as birthdays and congratulatory parties. II Bacaro is considered by many diners to be the best Italian restaurant in Penang.

• Address: Campbell House, 106 Lebuh Campbell, George Town George Town, Pulau Pinang, 10200, Malaysia.
• Hours: 12–11 PM

Kebaya (# top restaurants in georgetown penang)

Kebaya Restaurant is a restaurant serving local, Indochina and Chinese dishes reworked by the chefs to reflect Malaysian flavors. The special thing here is that owner Christopher Ong is an admirable person – a heritage conservation hotelier and major award winner who once had the opportunity to work with five-star hotel chefs to create offers a menu of classic Indo and Straits Nyonya dishes.

Many diners have been truly captivated by the unique luxurious beauty of Kebaya. Kebaya is decorated with thick curtains in vibrant red, sparkling pendant chandeliers are displayed everywhere along with colorful tiled floors. Wooden tables have a simple design but combine harmoniously with other things to create a luxurious but also very romantic space, truly suitable for couples in love or small families.

With the owner’s talent, experienced and creative cooking methods, at Kebaya, nyonya cuisine and Western cuisine fuse to express Chinese culture in a local style with spices and sauces rich tradition. The dishes use traditional Malaysian flavors, Vietnamese mildness, Thai spiciness and traditional French cooking styles.

You can start your meal with Pai Tee, a plate of chopped vegetables and crispy sweet shrimp in pretty cups before moving on to Lor Ark (spiced braised duck) and Crispy Nyonya Tempura. Then there are desserts like cakes and delicious smoothies. The price of dishes at Kebaya is a bit high compared to other restaurants, usually fluctuating around 130 Australian dollars, but when you let their flavors melt in your mouth, you will feel completely worth it. The menu at Kebaya has fixed prices and usually has 4-5 dishes, changing seasonally or on special occasions such as Christmas or Lunar New Year.

The restaurant is quaintly decorated, with pendant chandeliers and colorful tiled floors. You will surely enjoy the crispy waffles stuffed with shredded chicken, bean sprouts, crispy tofu and stir-fried vegetables in tamarind sauce; Mantou buns with pork, soybeans & pickled vegetables in buns; Pai Tee with crispy shell, shrimp combined with vegetables, sweet chili, light salty vegetable sauce; The fish is cooked with garlic & turmeric and baked in a crispy pastry with a refreshing pink hue; Fragrant grilled coconut with shrimp, cashew nuts, lemon & fish eggs; The shrimp is lightly fried and comes with fresh basil, coriander, mint leaves, sweet chili sauce, etc. So, to be able to eat all these delicious dishes, you must spend a lot of time to come here.

This restaurant has a limited number of seats and is often very crowded in the evenings or weekends, so if you want to enjoy the cuisine here, you must quickly book a table in advance!

• Address: Stewart Lane, Georgetown George Town, Penang, 10200, Malaysia.
• Hours: 6–10:30 PM/Tuesday: Closed

Ferringhi Garden

An ideal place for dating couples who want to find a romantic space for their dinner – Ferringhi Garden Restaurant. The restaurant space is beautiful, owning a dream garden with many types of plants, especially orchids to decorate around your seats.

Recently, in Penang, restaurants with a style close to nature are very popular. Ferringhi Garden is a restaurant with that style. There are many trees used to decorate the space of Ferringhi Garden. The tables and chairs here are also made entirely from rustic wood along with a flowing waterfall in the outdoor seating area, all giving this place an atmosphere filled with the breath of cool, green nature make diners feel airy and extremely comfortable. Perhaps today’s modern young people are so tired and disgusted with the hustle and bustle of life in busy high-rise buildings that they want to go to nature to melt away all the stress and chaos.

The restaurant uses rustic yet environmentally friendly wooden furniture, and water fountains create cool, fresh air. The restaurant also takes the trouble to change new appearance for holidays, so coming here you can also have sparkling pictures.

The restaurant is a bit far from town, but this is the ideal address for those who love nature – a truly sweet dinner. With a comfortable atmosphere, next to the lush foliage and colorful flowers, you can listen to the music playing, watch the crowded town, and enjoy fresh seafood then stop by Batu Ferringhi market to have wonderful experiences.

Dishes cost up to 40 Australian dollars, which may seem a bit high, but the taste is completely worth it. Seafood is the main source of ingredients to prepare dishes at Ferringhi Garden. For seafood lovers, this is really good news, right? Enjoying a meal and chatting with friends and relatives in a wonderful space like this is not a bad idea at all.

Ferringhi Garden is a bit far from town, however it is quite close to the famous Batu Ferringhi market. You can visit this market after having a meal.

• Address: Ferringhi Garden Restaurant Kampung Batu Feringgi Batu Ferringhi, Pulau Pinang, 11100, Malaysia.
• Hours: 5–10:30 PM

Jawi House Cafe Gallery

As a long-standing cafe located on Armenia Street, recently taken over by chef Nurilkarim, Jawi House is loved for its unique and distinctive food flavors. In celebration of Jawi Peranakans, the restaurant’s talented chef combines flowers, herbs and spices to create signature dishes, revitalizing the community’s cuisine. Until now, when the celebration has passed for a while, these dishes are still loved and favored by the public.

Lemuni, a rice dish cooked with green telang flowers and lime leaves, flavored with herbs, is one of the most popular dishes at Jawi House. Perhaps it is because of the healthy ingredients and unique cooking methods that make the dishes here always chosen by many diners. Moreover, the presentation is also extremely beautiful, making it difficult to resist. It would be a pity if you visit George town and don’t try the cuisine at Jawi House.

• Address: 85 Lebuh Armenia, George Town Penang Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, 10200, Malaysia.
• Hours: 11 AM–9:30 PM/Tuesday: Closed

Black Kettle

At Black Kettle, the menu is not too diverse but is really worth tasting, because the cooking methods of the number 1 chefs here have created dishes rich in the identity of this modern European country. Try the Provencal chicken with fresh, ratatouille crispy chicken or Pouisson En Papillote, steamed tilapia with white wine and Shoyu sauce. Or you can also choose Orangeless Orange, a dish with moderate softness and delicious rich flavor.

Enjoying food at Black Kettle, you will have the opportunity to enjoy fine wines. Just imagining the taste of the food melting in your mouth with the wine is already extremely attractive. In addition, this place also serves smoothies, juices and coffee for you to choose from.

The restaurant space is quite warm, with a combination of warm colors and rustic and simple decorations, creating a somewhat classic atmosphere, but still very comfortable and pleasant.

• Address: 105 Beach Street, Georgetown George Town, Penang, 10300, Malaysia.
• Hours: 9 AM–10 PM/Wednesday: Closed

Lagenda House & Cafe (# top restaurants in georgetown penang)

Located in the middle of bustling Campbell Street, Lagenda House & Cafe restaurant is one of the most popular and ideal place for Malaysian cuisine.

This restaurant always tries to preserve the long-standing traditional flavors of local dishes through unique food preparation secrets. Lagenda House & Cafe’s menu is diverse, providing comfortable choices for customers. Among them, pineapple Prawn Lemak is the best-selling dish and has a very eye-catching presentation. It is presented like a blue tower, surrounded by vegetables and a thick sauce. Fragrant Rendang chicken served with homemade sambal and egg salad is also one of the dishes that anyone who has ever eaten it will never forget.

Fruit juice, coffee, milk or a little wine are the perfect choices to go with dishes at Lagenda House & Cafe.

• Address: 43 Lebuh Campbell, George Town George Town, Pulau Pinang, 10200, Malaysia.
• Hours: 12–11 PM/Wednesday: Closed

Chok Dee Thai

Established in 2000, Chok Dee Thai is increasingly loved by many diners, especially those who like to explore Thai cuisine.

Chok Dee Thai’s Tomyam and green curry dishes are gradually becoming familiar dishes to the people of George town because of the unique sour and spicy flavors of Thai cuisine. The prices of the dishes here are moderate, the service attitude of the staff is extremely friendly and enthusiastic, so it is very popular with diners. Coming to Chok Dee Thai, try Green Chicken Curry, a pinnacle dish of Thai cuisine, marinated with basil or tomyam seafood.

If dining with family or a group of friends, diners can also choose a pot of spicy Thai hotpot. What could be better than enjoying hot pot while chatting with your family? Thai hot pot served with white rice or fried rice is also delicious, and will satisfy your taste buds. After that, order a fruit smoothie or some Thai coconut ice cream to complete your meal.

• Address: Jalan Burma 231-D, George Town George Town, Pulau Pinang, 10050, Malaysia.
• Hours: 11 AM–2 PM, 6–9 PM/Monday: Closed

Bali Hai Seafood Market

If you are a seafood lover, you should not miss Bali Hai Seafood Market. This is a famous seafood restaurant, with the motto “If it swims, we have it” has been around for a long time. The seafood here is especially fresh, imported from local fishermen to Alaska crabs, or Australian lobsters.

With a team of experienced, well-trained chefs and a unique restaurant design style, you can observe the preparation of your selected seafood dishes from the large transparent glass panel that separates diners and neat kitchen. Surely you will be amazed by the skillful abilities of talented chefs.

Bali Hai Seafood Market is a Chinese-style seafood restaurant, so there are many Dim Sum here for you to choose from. Not only that, the restaurant also has many attractive dishes that are highly appreciated by tourists such as: abalone, scallops, lobster, Alaskan crab,…

The restaurant is very proud because not everywhere has giant lobsters like here. If you feel that the above dishes are quite expensive, you can rest assured, because there are very popular dishes such as fish, crab, eel,… with very reasonable prices, suitable for all social classes. Best of all, the restaurant also has a cool and clean outdoor space, high chairs for babies and wheelchair access.

• Address: 90, 90A, 90B, 90C & 90D, Persiaran Gurney, George Town, Pulau Penang, Malaysia.
• Opening hours: 5am to 12pm daily.

Sri Ananda Bahwan

Sri Ananda Bahwan Restaurant was established in 1991, until now it still holds a position in the hearts of tourists and Malaysians alike because the restaurant specializes in providing valuable and delicious food. It is worth noting that the dishes here are highly appreciated for their quality, food safety and hygiene (with certificates you can clearly see when entering). The staff is friendly and very professional, they are quite fluent in English so you don’t need to worry too much about the language barrier.

Sri Ananda Bahwan was first founded by a single mother, and is famous to this day for its hot banana leaf rice dish. The restaurant is also gradually trying to become the best banana leaf restaurant, known all over the world. A cozy family space also helps you feel comfortable like being in your own home.

If you are an Indian cuisine enthusiast, Sri Ananda Bahwan is the right choice. We recommend that you enjoy Indian-flavored coffee mixed with warm cow’s milk, the unforgettable Indian-style Nasi Kandar curry rice dish, or the grilled chicken dish that is popular with tourists.

• Address: No. 55, Penang Road, Little India, George Town, Pulau Penang, Malaysia.
• Opening hours: 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily.

Tai Tong Restaurant

Another Chinese restaurant that makes you unable to be dissatisfied – Tai Tong Restaurant. The restaurant is known by many names such as “Food House”, “Dim sum Restaurant”. The reason for saying that is because to have Dim sum that is both delicious and beautiful requires the skill and diligence of the maker. And to make the flavor different from other places, requires tricks and perspectives. Tai Tong Restaurant is one of the few restaurants that possesses those two things.

The restaurant attracts customers with its fresh ingredients, typical Chinese breakfast dishes, and especially its extremely cheap prices. The restaurant has quite interesting decor, lots of lights hanging from the ceiling like you’re in the middle of a lantern festival in China. You can “check in” before eating because of this eye-catching background.

Not only is it famous for many types of Dim sum, the restaurant also has many other delicious dishes that you should also try such as: seaweed soup, lotus vermicelli, egg tarts,… Although the ingredients are fresh, they are quite attractive to customers. So many dishes may be limited in quantity, you should consider a suitable arrival time so you can eat and drink comfortably as you like.

• Address: No. 45, Cintra Road, George Town, Pulau Penang, Malaysia.
• Opening hours: Open daily: 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. (Dim Sum), 11:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Seafood).

Indochine Cafe’

Indochine Cafe’ is “Indochinese cuisine” in the heart of George Town, with food and drinks from many places such as Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam,… If the cuisine in Malaysia or other countries If something else is quite strange to you, then come to Indochine Cafe’ to enjoy dishes with typical flavors of your hometown.

The restaurant makes an initial impression on visitors, because the menu includes many attractive dishes from different regions, enthusiastic staff and friendly owner. This is both a cafe and a beautifully decorated restaurant, wonderful space, including a garden, the light shines in an Eastern style but also has something very Western. If you come here, we recommend some of the “best sellers” dishes here: Thai-style sticky rice, green chicken curry, meat noodles, BBQ meat, Thai noodles,… The dishes are also decorated to look beautiful and luxurious. If you can, enjoy Vietnamese coffee – hot, and fragrant with the rich flavor.

• Address: 515 A, Jalan C M Hashim Tanjong Tokong, Pulau Pinang | Next to Sentral Hotel, George Town, Pulau Penang, Malaysia.
• Opening hours: 12:00 to 24:00 daily.

Miraku Japanese Restaurant

Miraku Japanese Restaurant is one of the best Japanese restaurants in George Town with reasonable prices and excellent quality and service. The restaurant specializes in Sushi – beautiful small rolls of rice combined with fresh seafood – one of Japan’s typical dishes. Miraku sushi restaurant has a fairly simple appearance, with a traditional red color. However, inside it is not simple, the lunch menu includes up to 13 courses.

Most of the restaurants that serve lunch run out of Sushi, so please pay attention to the time you come to enjoy it. The 13-course lunch at Miraku is made up of an appetizer, 9 pieces of nigiri sushi and a hand roll, soup and dessert. The appetizer was a simple salad – corn slices from far away Hokkaido were incredibly sweet and delicious. Next is Sushi Nigri – a famous type of sushi in Japan, not only fresh and pure, each delicate oval shaped rice ball makes you want to enjoy it at first sight.

The taste of Sushi is not much different from the top Sushi places in Japan, and you will definitely feel that this is the pinnacle of Japanese-style seafood. The remaining dishes can be seaweed rolls, soup, ice cream,… depending on the season. You can also choose wine at very reasonable prices.

Through the above research, it can be seen that George Town has countless delicious dishes from all over the world. However, not every restaurant can have the flavor you want to dine at. Hopefully through this article, you will choose the right restaurant for you, for a perfect meal, contributing to a happy and fulfilling trip. Above are the best restaurants in Penang’s Georgetown, which have the most popular dishes and the most professional service quality and demeanor. Hopefully through this article, you can find a restaurant that best suits your preferences and have a wonderful vacation in Penang, Malaysia.

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.