Do you love food? If yes, you should visit Penang because Penang is an island with amazing food and weather. It is just perfect in one word. So many cafes are out there in walking distance where you can get an excellent cup of coffee. While you tour, you will often spot delicious cakes looking at you from out of the shops. The cafes have spaces for you to lounge and chill with your friends. The innovative and cozy atmosphere of the cafes and restaurants makes Penang one of my favorite places to go to. Here I will be giving you some of the food places you must go to if you are going to Penang. Read to find out the only cafe/restaurant in Penang that lets you unwind on a cliff above the sea.
Cafes
These are a few of my favorite cafes. Each is unique in its own sense.
Mugshot Cafe
What I loved about Mugshot Cafe is its bagel and bacon. The bagel is just perfect! The crispiness of the bagel totally blends with the soft pork bacon and egg with mayonnaise. The egg literally melts in your mouth. I absolutely loved it. Moreover, this cafe has its own homemade yogurt. The yogurt is creamy and is mixed with different fruits and nuts which does not bring out the sour taste too much. Different types of beverages are served which include coffee, hot chocolate, juice, etc. This cafe has a bakery of its own where they sell croissants, bagels, etc. The bakery is just beside the cafe so you can hop in and get a croissant.
Bagel Bagel Bagel
Macallum Connoisseurs Cafe
Macallum's Bagel
Macallum Cafe has a very unique and creative decor. It is like a warehouse cafe and the whole place is very Instagram-like. There are beautiful paintings around and it is very spacious and clean. They even have a coffee academy of their own. Whenever I go, I always order a fine cup of latte. The Macallum breakfast is very filling and so tasty! The salmon with a bagel is also a must-try! If you are a bacon lover, then you should try it from here. I bet, you will love it! Forgot to mention, they have their own gelato and yogurt place. And, their smoothies are just delicious.
Breakfast at Macallum
Wheelers Cafe
Wheelers Cafe is located very near Mugshot Cafe. By near, I mean you just have to turn a corner and walk a bit. This is a small and cozy cafe with wooden decorations. If you are craving a soft pancake stack, this is the place to go. They do make very tasty pancakes. If you are a tea person, do keep in mind to have their tea latte. Their tea latte is creamy, sweet, and spicy at the same time. The cinnamon decoration for the tea latte is really creative.
Wheeler's Cafe Pancakes and Chai Latte
Thirty-Two @ The Mansion
Thirty-Two at the Mansion Cafe/Restaurant & Bar is the only cafe with a stunning seating area in Penang. The mansion would take you back to the old times with very high ceilings and large doors. Once you enter the mansion, you would see very posh seating areas, huge paintings, and a beautifully decorated bar. During dinner time, this cafe/ restaurant opens the dining area. The dining area is quite classy and definitely you can take someone out for a date there. When you go outside you will see podiums that have a bar as well as innovative seating areas. The bar is called Beach Blanket Babylon. The seating areas are quite private as well. You can lounge on the sofas and enjoy the breeze-drinking long island or you can go to the cliff and have a seat just above the sea. Enjoy your favorite beverage with some snacks and relax.
View from Thirty-Two Mansion Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe
Here comes the Hard Rock Cafe of Penang. You can either go there for dinner or drink after dinner. Enjoy live music while relishing the yummy food. Hop in the rock shop if you are a rock lover. You can also get a glass of your favorite drink from Hard Rock Cafe as a souvenir. Sip in a good cocktail, move to the beat of the music and revel in the island vibes.
Mermaid Cafe
Mermaid Cafe has a very nice feminine setting and you can take good pictures there. A huge turquoise mermaid tail is the icon of this cafe. If you are a seafood person, this is the cafe to go to. Their pasta and clams are heavenly. They have good beverages as well.
Cake Shop
Two of my favorite cake shops are mentioned below.
Brix and Baume
Brix and Baume has many delightful cakes in their shop. The cake decor and the variety of flavors will surely make your mouth water. Their cakes are not overwhelming at all and they are very light. Their Oreo Brownie is really a must-try. The level of sweetness in the homemade cake was just right. They don’t sell coffee or any beverage but they do have macarons. You can even get a small set of macarons in a nice wrapping to surprise your love. We all love those sweet little surprises!
Brix & Baume Pastry Shop
Mon Delice Patisserie
Mon Delice Patisserie is an extravagant shop for sweet treats. All the cakes are homemade and they look way too delicious! This cake shop makes really good fruit cakes with fruit pieces cut all over. I love fruits hence I loved this cake. Just like Brix and Baume, this cake shop also sells big cakes in case you want to surprise anyone.
Local Food
Gurney Drive
Gurney Drive of Penang is a haven for local food. If you are wanting to try out the local food of Penang, you can start walking on Gurney Drive. There are lots of food stalls and the prices are so cheap! You can keep on walking and trying out the food. The satay is yummy and the peanut sauce is mouth-watering. The local favorite Asam Laksa is one of the main food attractions there. You can read another of my article which mentions the local food of Penang.
Revolving Restaurant at Bayview Hotel
Bayview Hotel has an amazing revolving restaurant at the top which gives you fine wine and beautiful view of Penang city. It is a perfect date place where you can try out Nyonya cuisine. Nyonya cuisine is basically local food which you can also eat in Gurney Drive. But, the revolving restaurant gives you the view and excellent alcohol. The view at night is worth visiting there. Moreover, their buffet price is not that expensive.
Indian Cuisine
Kashmir
If you want to try good Indian food, Kashmir restaurant should be one of your food stops. The place has quite nice seating. They also have an outside seating area that overlooks a street in Penang. Kashmir restaurant provides a lot of vegetarian and vegan food options as well as meat and seafood. Their naan is soft and they serve it hot which goes with almost all of the dishes. Their mutton curry and chicken tikka are really a must-try. The chicken is a drumstick with the spices of tandoori and it tastes amazing. It is very well-marinated and soft. I would recommend their vegan dish of Aloo Gobi which is potatoes and cauliflower cooked together and it goes great with naan. You can end your meal by ordering a kulfi, which is a homemade block of ice cream with pistachio on top.
Thai Food
Nana’s Tomyam
If you are in Penang, but craving spicy Tomyam soup, you should head over to Nana’s Tomyam. This is a Mamak, a Malaysian food place where they serve cheap but tasty food. I went there to have the Tomyam soup and I really loved it. It is not a place for having a date but definitely serves good Tomyam.
I hope you love Penang island as I do. Have a great food journey!