Cafeography
Penang · Chulia Street & Love Lane

Cafés in Chulia Street & Love Lane

Charcoal toast off Lebuh Campbell, guesthouse cafés on Love Lane and Stewart Lane, espresso bars along Lebuh Chulia.

Photo: Harry Ho, Pexels License

Chulia Street was laid out soon after Penang was founded in 1786 and was first called Malabar Street, after Indians from Malabar; it took the name Chulia Street in 1798.1 It runs from Penang Road to Beach Street, and since the early 20th century it has been the street for budget travelers, with shophouses along it converted into hostels and guesthouses.1

The lanes to its north were Eurasian. Love Lane is Lorong Cinta in Malay, and its Hokkien name refers to the Serani, Penang's Portuguese Eurasians; Stewart Lane is named after the Eurasian Stewart family.2 Lebuh Campbell has the most cafés in the area, followed by Lebuh Chulia, Jalan Penang and Lebuh Bishop, and old coffee shops share the blocks with guesthouse cafés.

Local tip: Toh Soon closes on Sundays, so plan charcoal toast for Monday to Saturday and look for the Medan Lebuh Campbell gate, which leads into its alley.3

At a glance

113Cafés listed
20With opening hours
08:00Earliest opening
00:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Mews Cafe, from 08:00 (Daily 08:00–22:00).
  • Closes latest: Moustache House, until 00:00 (Daily 12:00–00:00).
  • Most listed streets: Lebuh Campbell (11), Lebuh Chulia (8), Jalan Green Hall (6).
  • Most common features: wi-fi (12%), open late (6%), air-con (4%).

Two Frenchies

  • Lebuh Bishop
  • Tue–Fri 11:30–21:30 · Sat–Sun 09:00–21:30
  • +60 4-261 2000
  • Toilets
  • Smoke-free indoors
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Coffee chains in Chulia Street & Love Lane

Toh Soon Cafe and the Campbell Street breakfast

Toh Soon Cafe, at 184 Lebuh Campbell, fills a narrow alley entered through the Medan Lebuh Campbell gate. Bread is toasted over charcoal six slices at a time and spread with kaya, the eggs come from kampung chickens, and in 2019 a packet of nasi lemak cost RM1.3 Time Out described it as a few tables under a roof between two buildings, on a concrete floor.4 It opens 08:00–17:00, Monday to Saturday.

Campbell Street is named after Sir George William Robert Campbell, Acting Lieutenant-Governor of Penang in 1872–1873.2 Hameediyah, Penang's oldest nasi kandar restaurant, started under a tree on the street in 1907.5 Farther along, Moustache House at no. 24 stays open until 00:00 every day, and Munchkin & The Gang at no. 64 and Husky and The Gang at no. 78 both have Wi-Fi.

Love Lane, Stewart Lane and Muntri Street

Wheeler's, at 67 Lorong Love, keeps the longest hours on the lane, 09:00–00:00 daily, and has Wi-Fi. Round the corner, The Alley at 5 Stewart Lane works out of an old shoplot still signed Kedai Gaharu Keat Seang (kedai is Malay for shop); its team came second at the Malaysia Brewers Cup in 2022, and pour-overs cost RM17 in February 2026.6

The Daily Dose Cafe Penang, at 36 Lorong Stewart, serves brunch 09:00–17:00 and closes on Thursdays. On Muntri Street, possibly named after the Mantri (minister) of Larut, Mews Cafe at no. 77B opens 08:00–22:00, and Moon Tree 47 and Purrfect Cat Cafe share no. 49.2

Along Lebuh Chulia and Lorong Chulia

The Mugshot Cafe, at 302 Lebuh Chulia, opens 08:00–18:00 daily, takes cards and has Wi-Fi and air-conditioning. R Coffee Co., at no. 168, sits inside a guesthouse called The Frame; in February 2026 its espresso started at RM9 and a flat white cost RM13.6 Moh Teng Pheow, at no. 346, opens 10:30–17:00 and closes on Mondays.

Lorong Chulia, a short lane off the main street, has its own cluster: Little Ms. Sunshine at no. 12 serves brunch 08:00–15:00 and closes on Mondays, and YD Coffee Lab at no. 23 is a specialty bar. On the Penang Road edge of the area, Kheng Pin Cafe served breakfast only in July 2026, 07:00–13:30 Wednesday to Sunday and cash only, and is known for its lor bak (five-spice meat roll) platter.7

Getting there and late hours

The free CAT shuttle runs between Weld Quay and Komtar every 10 to 15 minutes, 06:00–23:45.8 From Komtar, walk north up Penang Road to the western end of Chulia Street. For a late coffee, Peace & Joy Cafe on Lebuh Queen opens 08:00–00:00 every day.

Sources

  1. Chulia Street, George Town, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  2. List of streets in George Town, Penang, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  3. 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
  4. Toh Soon Cafe, Time Out Penang (August 25, 2014), accessed October 2026
  5. Nasi kandar, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  6. 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
  7. Top 10 Kopitiam in Penang 2026, My Weekend Plan via Newswav (July 15, 2026), accessed October 2026
  8. Rapid Penang, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
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In Chulia Street & Love Lane, also browse: Specialty coffee Wi-Fi Open late Bakery cafés Brunch

FAQ

Chulia Street & Love Lane cafés: questions

Where is Toh Soon Cafe on Campbell Street in George Town?

Toh Soon Cafe is at 184 Lebuh Campbell, in a narrow alley entered through the Medan Lebuh Campbell gate in George Town's Chulia Street area. It toasts bread over charcoal six slices at a time, spreads it with kaya, uses eggs from kampung chickens, and opens 08:00–17:00 Monday to Saturday.

Which cafés near Love Lane in George Town stay open late?

Wheeler's at 67 Lorong Love is open 09:00–00:00 every day and has Wi-Fi. Moustache House at 24 Lebuh Campbell also closes at 00:00 daily, and so does Peace & Joy Cafe on Lebuh Queen. Mews Cafe at 77B Lebuh Muntri, one street over, is open 08:00–22:00.

How do you get to Chulia Street in George Town without a car?

The free CAT shuttle runs between Weld Quay and Komtar every 10 to 15 minutes from 06:00 to 23:45. Chulia Street runs from Penang Road to Beach Street, so from Komtar you can walk north up Penang Road to its western end, then into Love Lane, Stewart Lane and Muntri Street.

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