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Cafés in Penang from charcoal toast to pour-over
Charcoal toast and half-boiled eggs off Lebuh Campbell, pour-over bars on Beach Street and Lorong Toh Aka, kopitiams the length of Burmah Road.
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Photo: Kenny Foo, Pexels License
571Cafés listed
1Open by 6am
23Open past 10pm
12Specialty & roasters
George Town dates from 11 August 1786, when Francis Light took formal possession of Penang, and its first streets, Light, Beach, Chulia and Pitt, were laid out in a grid.1 In 2008 the old center was inscribed with Melaka as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca; its core zone covers 109.38 hectares.1 The Michelin Guide added Penang in 2022.1
Coffee here starts at the kopitiam, the shophouse coffee shop. Toh Soon Cafe is a few tables in a covered alley off Lebuh Campbell, toasting bread over charcoal and serving it with house kaya (coconut jam) and half-boiled eggs.23 Kong Thai Lai, a Hainanese shop founded on Lorong Hutton in 1920 that roasted and blended its own beans, was due to pour its last cup on Lebuh Dickens on 26 September 2026, after the building's owner took the premises back.4
Specialty coffee moved into the shophouses later. Ome by Spacebar Coffee opened on Lorong Toh Aka in 2014 and placed 56th on the first World's 100 Best Coffee Shops list in 2025, and Macallum Connoisseurs turned a former factory on Gat Lebuh Macallum into a café in 2015.56 Beach Street has more cafés than any other street in the city, and Burmah Road, 3.7 km long, carries them west to Pulau Tikus.7
Start with a lebuh (street)
Penang by area
Beach Street once ran along the shoreline, until Weld Quay was built on reclaimed land; the ghauts, Gat Lebuh in Malay, carry the old waterfront streets beyond it.15 Inland, Burmah Road runs from Penang Road to Pulau Tikus, and Ayer Itam lies about 6 km southwest of the center, beneath Penang Hill.716
Armenian Street & Beach Street
Clan-house lanes, Beach Street cafés from Ghee Hiang to ChinaHouse, and claypot coffee on Weld Quay.
116 cafés
Chulia Street & Love Lane
Charcoal toast off Lebuh Campbell, guesthouse cafés on Love Lane and Stewart Lane, espresso bars along Lebuh Chulia.
113 cafés
Penang Road & Komtar
Kek Seng and the Chowrasta stalls on Penang Road, Hainanese breakfasts on Lebuh Dickens, cafés on Jalan Hutton and at Hin Bus Depot.
86 cafés
Macalister Road & Burmah Road
siTigun and the Jalan Nagor café row, Jalan Zainal Abidin's old Jewish road, and kopitiams on Burmah and Anson roads.
72 cafés
Gurney Drive
Seafront mall cafés at Gurney Plaza and Gurney Paragon, a row on Jalan Bagan Jermal, and the hawker centre at the north end.
28 cafés
Pulau Tikus
Kopitiams the length of Burmah Road, cafés on Jalan Kelawai and Jalan Gottlieb, and Jalan Kebun Bunga toward the Botanic Gardens.
41 cafés
Air Itam
Kopitiams around the Ayer Itam market and Farlim's Medan Angsana, below Kek Lok Si and the Penang Hill funicular.
45 cafés
Or start with what you need
Browse by mood and hour
Specialty coffee
Roasters on Jalan Nagor and the Beach Street ghauts, pour-over bars in heritage shophouses.
12 cafés
Wi-Fi
Shophouse cafés with Wi-Fi on Beach Street, Campbell Street and the Love Lane lanes.
40 cafés
Open late
Midnight closers on Armenian Street, Lebuh Pantai and Love Lane, evening cafés out on Jalan Kelawai.
23 cafés
Bakery cafés
Ghee Hiang's biscuits on Beach Street, pâtisseries on Lebuh Cintra and Codrington Avenue, sourdough in Pulau Tikus.
16 cafés
Brunch
Kopitiam toast and eggs, ChinaHouse plates on Beach Street, brunch cafés on Lorong Chulia and Jalan Gurdwara.
10 cafésArmenian Street & Beach Street 116 cafés
More about cafés in Armenian Street & Beach Street
Carnavon Cafe
Catonomy
Cheevit Cheeva Georgetown
Fuku Eatery & Desserts
- Wi-Fi
- Air-con
All 116 cafés in Armenian Street & Beach Street
See the full listChulia Street & Love Lane 113 cafés
More about cafés in Chulia Street & Love Lane
Coffee Affairs
Coffee Lane
Constant Gardener Coffee
- Air-con
- Indoor seating
Gao Enough Tea
- Air-con
- Open late
Kota Dine & Coffee
All 113 cafés in Chulia Street & Love Lane
See the full listPenang Road & Komtar 86 cafés
More about cafés in Penang Road & Komtar
Ae Coffee
Bee Hwa Cafe (Halal)
Bricklin Cafe Bar by Rasta Brew Co
- Wi-Fi
- Air-con
- Bakery café
Fook Cheow Cafe
- Open by 6am
Lè 楽
All 86 cafés in Penang Road & Komtar
See the full listMacalister Road & Burmah Road 72 cafés
More about cafés in Macalister Road & Burmah Road
Blvck Specialty Coffee
Jin Cafe
Lunabarcoffee
Macallum Connoisseurs Coffee
- Wi-Fi
- Takeaway
- Air-con
- Card payment
- Vegetarian options
- Toilets
Orcabrew
All 72 cafés in Macalister Road & Burmah Road
See the full listGurney Drive 28 cafés
More about cafés in Gurney Drive
Vegie Cafe
- Wi-Fi
- Air-con
- Vegetarian options
2PM Kelawai
5 Coffee (OFFFFive Coffee)
Antipodean Penang
Cafe Laurel
All 28 cafés in Gurney Drive
See the full listPulau Tikus 41 cafés
More about cafés in Pulau Tikus
Big Ben
Big Ben Breakfast and Western Café
Kafka Coffee
Li Er Nyonya Cafe
- Air-con
Mundane Coffee Break
Aplace 39
All 41 cafés in Pulau Tikus
See the full listTanjung Tokong 23 cafés
Beangels Specialty Coffee
Breath Cafe
cafe Acupaday @ i-Santorini
Capybara Coffee Collective
Chilloutery @ Straits Quay
Air Itam 45 cafés
2008 coffee shop
7D 章山茶室
99 Coffee Shop
Ah Kwang Coffee Stall
ai_coffeecorner
All 45 cafés in Air Itam
See the full listJelutong 15 cafés
SBK Coffee
- Air-con
- Cash only
86 Dew Cafe
Bingsu 9
Chick n Waffle
Radio Bar Seafront Cafe
Green Lane 32 cafés
Project CAN @ Lebuh Glugor
- Outdoor seating
- Takeaway
- Air-con
- Card payment
- Wheelchair access
- Toilets
- Open late
Brunch Cafe Malaysia
88 Meidou Restaurant
BK Cafe
brwnsgr neighbourhood
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Coffee chains in Penang
Branches by area
Chain
Starbucks
Show 12 locations
- Air Itam
- Starbucks - All Seasons Place, 6G-1-17, Level 1, All Season Place, Air Itam
- Chulia Street & Love Lane
- 1, Jalan Green HallDaily 08:00–22:00
- Green Lane
- Jalan Masjid NegeriMon–Thu 06:00–01:00 · Fri–Sun 06:00–02:00
- Gurney Drive
- Starbucks Reserve, Plaza Gurney, Persiaran Gurney Unit 170-G-39
- Jelutong
- Lebuh Sungai Pinang L1-1, L1-2, L1-3, L2-1
- Penang Road & Komtar
- Penang Road & KomtarDaily 09:00–22:00
- 182, Jalan Magazine Lot G-09 & G-10, Ground FloorDaily 09:00–22:30
- Pulau Tikus
- 403-A Jalan Burma
- 57-G-3, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah
- Tanjung Tokong
- Tanjung Tokong
- Tanjung Tokong
- 4-G, Jalan Pantai Molek
Chain
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Show 8 locations
- Air Itam
- Unit No: 6G-1-12 , Level 1 All Seasons Place, Lebuhraya Thean Teik Bandar Baru Air Itam Penang 11500
- Gurney Drive
- Unit No. G-03 Retail Space 1, Ground Floor, G Hotel 168A, Persiaran Gurney Georgetown Penang 10250Daily 08:00–23:00
- Jelutong
- 29D 3-5, Persiaran Karpal Singh 2
- Pulau Tikus
- 368, Jalan Burma
- Ground Floor, No. 1 Jalan Pangkor
- Lot G-12, Ground Floor, Gurney Walk No. 18 Persiaran Gurney Georgetown Penang 10250
- Tanjung Tokong
- Unit No: 3H-G-3 Ground Floor Quay 1, Straits Quay Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang, Tanjong Tokong Georgetown Penang 10470
- Unit No. 3H-G-3, Ground Floor, Quay 1, Straits Quay, Jalan, Tanjong Tokong Rd
Chain
OldTown White Coffee
Show 7 locations
- Air Itam
- 6H-1-19 Lebuhraya Thean Tek
- Lot 234, Jalan Stesen Bukit Bendera
- Green Lane
- 352, Jalan Perak
- Gurney Drive
- Gurney Drive
- Jelutong
- OLDTOWN White Coffee Malaysia, 256 Jalan Perak
- Penang Road & Komtar
- Penang Road & KomtarDaily 10:30–20:00
- LG K01 & 02, Lower Ground Floor, 1st AvenueDaily 10:30–22:00
Chain
Winter Warmers Coffee & Tea House
Show 4 locations
Chain
HWC Coffee
Chain
San Francisco Coffee
- Armenian Street & Beach Street
- Gat Lebuh GerejaDaily 08:00–22:00
- Gurney Drive
- SF Coffee Gurney
Chain
ZUS Coffee
- Air Itam
- 61-01, Jalan Pisang Embun Ayer Itam
- Tanjung Tokong
- A-G-8, Vantage Desiran, Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang 1
Chain
% Arabica
Chain
Ang Ang's Roastery
Chain
Café Amazon
- Gurney Drive
- 90-G, Persiaran Gurney
Chain
Coffea Coffee
- Pulau Tikus
- 9, Jalan Moulmein
Chain
Coffee Island
- Gurney Drive
- 77 Persiaran Gurney
Chain
Hoshino Coffee
- Gurney Drive
- Gurney Plaza, 170 Persiaran Gurney
Chain
Ngopi
- Chulia Street & Love Lane
- Chulia Street & Love LaneDaily 14:00–23:00
Before you sit down
How kopi is ordered in George Town
A kopitiam is two businesses under one roof: the owner runs the drinks counter, and hawkers rent the bays around it and are paid separately.89 Order drinks at the counter. Ask for kopi and it arrives with milk; add O for the black version, or C for evaporated milk.98 Kopi-O kosong drops the sugar as well, peng adds ice, siew dai cuts the sweetness and gao makes the brew thicker.10
The beans are roasted the Hainanese way, roughly 80% coffee to 20% sugar and margarine, with salt partway through and more sugar at the end, and the coffee is traditionally robusta.10 White coffee is a lighter roast from Ipoh in Perak: its beans meet margarine but no sugar or wheat, and the cup comes with sweetened condensed milk, hot or iced.11 Specialty menus use black and white for espresso drinks; at Wells Cafe on Jalan Timah, Black started at RM11 and White at RM13 in February 2026.6
Breakfast is toast, kaya and eggs. Toh Soon toasts its white bread over charcoal six slices at a time and uses eggs from kampung (village) chickens; in 2019 its packets of nasi lemak cost RM1.3 Teh tarik, tea pulled between two vessels until it froths, traces back to Indian Muslim immigrants.12 Tamil Muslim traders also brought nasi kandar, sold to dock workers at Weld Quay in the early 1900s; Hameediyah, the oldest nasi kandar restaurant, began under a tree on Lebuh Campbell in 1907.13
Malaysian cafés and restaurants do not expect tips, although a bill may already carry a 10% service charge.14 Old kopitiams keep short hours: Toh Soon closes on Sundays, and in July 2026 Kheng Pin Cafe on Penang Road served breakfast only, 07:00–13:30 Wednesday to Sunday, cash only.28
What coffee costs in Penang
| Drink | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Kopi or teh Coffee or tea, kopitiam | RM2–3.50 Penang kopitiams, July 2026 |
| Roti bakar and telur separuh masak Kaya toast with half-boiled eggs | RM5–7 Penang kopitiams, July 2026 |
| Espresso Specialty café | RM9–12 George Town specialty cafés, February 2026 |
| White Espresso with milk, specialty café | RM11–15 George Town specialty cafés, February 2026 |
| Hand brew Pour-over, specialty café | RM17–23 George Town specialty cafés, February 2026 |
Kopitiam ranges are from a July 2026 round-up of Penang kopitiams by My Weekend Plan.8 Café prices come from TheSmartLocal's Penang coffee guide, updated in February 2026: espresso cost RM9 at R Coffee Co. and RM12 at Forest Cloud, a white RM11 at Ome by Spacebar and RM15 at Lunabar, and hand brews RM17 at The Alley to RM23 at Lunabar.6
Sources
- George Town, Penang, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
- Toh Soon Cafe, Time Out Penang (August 25, 2014), accessed October 2026
- Toh Soon Cafe: charcoal-toasted bread and soft-boiled eggs in a George Town alley, Miss Tam Chiak (Maisie Liu, September 20, 2019), accessed October 2026
- One more brew, then goodbye, The Star (Lo Tern Chern, August 31, 2026), accessed October 2026
- The Sprudge Coffee Guide To Penang, Malaysia, Sprudge (Tung Nguyen, January 6, 2020), accessed October 2026
- 11 Coffee Shops In Penang Where Caffeine Lovers Can Level Up Their Regular Kopi, TheSmartLocal Malaysia (Jia-Ju, updated February 24, 2026), accessed October 2026
- Burmah Road, George Town, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
- Top 10 Kopitiam in Penang 2026, My Weekend Plan via Newswav (July 15, 2026), accessed October 2026
- Penang Kopi Tiam, Penang Travel Tips (Timothy Tye), accessed October 2026
- Kopi (drink), Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
- Ipoh white coffee, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
- Teh tarik, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
- Nasi kandar, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
- List of tipping customs by country, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
- List of streets in George Town, Penang, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
- Ayer Itam, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
More to read
Guides
Coffee travel
Café opening hours around the world
When cafés open and close: 06:00 coffee in Vietnam, Italian bars shut by 20:00, Melbourne cafés done by 15:00, Sundays in Berlin, Ramadan in Dubai.
How to orderHow to order kopi in Singapore and Malaysia
How to order kopi in Singapore and Malaysia: kopi-O, kopi-C, siew dai, gao, peng, teh tarik and tak kiu, how drink stalls work, and 2025–2026 stall prices.
FAQ
Cafés in Penang: common questions
How much does a coffee cost in Penang?
In July 2026 a kopi or teh at a Penang kopitiam cost about RM2 to RM3.50, and kaya toast with half-boiled eggs about RM5 to RM7. In George Town's specialty cafés in February 2026, an espresso ran from RM9 to RM12, a white from RM11 to RM15 and a hand brew from RM17 to RM23. Tipping is not expected.
Which part of Penang has the most cafés?
Armenian Street & Beach Street and Chulia Street & Love Lane have the most cafés, followed by Penang Road & Komtar. Beach Street has more cafés than any other single street, and Burmah Road carries kopitiams all the way out to Pulau Tikus.
How do you order kopi-O and kopi-C in a Penang kopitiam?
In a Penang kopitiam, plain kopi comes with milk unless you add O: kopi-O is black coffee with sugar, kopi-C is made with evaporated milk, and kopi-O kosong has neither sugar nor milk. Peng means iced, siew dai means less sugar and gao asks for a thicker brew. Kopitiam beans are dark-roasted with sugar and margarine.
What is white coffee in Penang kopitiams?
White coffee is an Ipoh specialty, from Perak rather than Penang. Its beans are roasted with margarine but without the sugar and wheat used for ordinary kopi, which keeps the roast lighter, and it is served with sweetened condensed milk, hot or iced. Regular kopi uses robusta roasted with sugar as well as margarine.
Where can you eat charcoal toast and half-boiled eggs in Penang?
Toh Soon Cafe, in a covered alley off Lebuh Campbell in George Town, toasts white bread over charcoal six slices at a time and serves it with house kaya and half-boiled eggs from kampung chickens. It is closed on Sundays. In July 2026 kaya toast with half-boiled eggs cost about RM5 to RM7 at Penang kopitiams.
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