Cafeography
Penang · Macalister Road & Burmah Road

Cafés in 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.

Photo: Jun Lei Lim, Pexels License

Macalister Road is named after Colonel Norman Macalister, a Scottish governor of Penang in the early 1800s.1 It began as a dirt track; the eastern section, from Magazine Circus beside Komtar, is now part of the city center, while the western end toward Western Road is shaded by Angsana trees.1 Burmah Road, named for the Burmese who once lived at Kampung Ava, heads out from Penang Road toward Tanjong Tokong.2

Off the two roads run side streets named after places and governors: Jalan Nagor after the Indian town of Nagore, Jalan Anson after Sir Archibald Anson, Lieutenant-Governor of Penang from 1867 to 1882.3 Jalan Nagor has the most cafés here, ahead of Jalan Burma, Jalan Macalister and Jalan Seang Tek.

Local tip: siTigun closes on Mondays and Lunabar Coffee on Mondays and Tuesdays, so do the Jalan Nagor and Clove Hall roasters from Wednesday on.7

At a glance

72Cafés listed
10With opening hours
07:00Earliest opening
23:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Apong Guan, from 07:00 (Tue–Sun 07:00–10:30).
  • Closes latest: Jin Cafe, until 23:00 (Mon–Sat 15:00–23:00).
  • Most listed streets: Jalan Burma (5), Jalan Nagor (5), Jalan Seang Tek (5).
  • Most common features: wi-fi (6%), specialty (4%), open late (3%).

Nothing matches those filters here. See all cafés in Penang.

Jalan Nagor and siTigun

siTigun Micro Coffee Roastery occupies a corner shophouse at 30 Jalan Nagor, where Nagore Road meets Bawasah Road; its founder, Tigun Wibisana, is a well-traveled Filipino who settled in Penang.4 It opens Tuesday to Sunday, 08:00–17:00, takes cards and serves brunch.

The street fills out from there: herscakes at no. 19, Mikawa by Longbeach at no. 22, Space House Café at no. 26, and Caffeine Chemistry and Platform 7 in Nagore Square. RiumForest, at no. 79, is a dim, plant-filled room with two resident cats and a terrarium-making session for RM25; its iced latte cost RM18 in November 2025.5

Jalan Zainal Abidin, once Jahudi Road

Jalan Zainal Abidin was Jahudi Road, named for Penang's Jewish residents and the cemetery that is still there.3 The cemetery dates from 1805 and its oldest tombstone from 1835; the island's only synagogue stood at 28 Nagore Road from 1929 to 1976, and the last Penang Jew died in 2011.6

Today the road has a small café cluster. Kraffmen, at no. 80, serves pasta and pork dishes; in November 2025 it opened 11:00–20:45, Thursday to Tuesday, and its vongole cost RM26.5 Chela Kombucha shares the address, and The Lightbulb is at no. 57.

Burmah Road, Anson Road and Lorong Selamat

Burmah Road is 3.7 km long and one of the city's best-known roads for local food, with New World Park among its main hawker centers.2 Macallum Connoisseurs Coffee, at 140 Jalan Burma, opens 09:00–21:00 daily, with Wi-Fi, air-conditioning and vegan options; Apong Guan, at no. 144-E, sells from 07:00 to 10:30 and closes on Mondays.

Lorong Selamat has Blvck Specialty Coffee (08:30–18:30, closed on Thursdays) and older shops such as Kafe Heng Huat at no. 108. Jalan Anson is kopitiam territory, with Old Winston Coffee Garden at no. 35 and Koffe Penang at no. 45. Lunabar Coffee, at 10D Jalan Clove Hall, rotates seasonal beans and hosts pop-up book and clothing stalls about every other weekend.7

Getting there and evening hours

Rapid Penang's route 103 runs from Komtar to Pulau Tikus every 15 to 20 minutes.8 For evenings, Jin Cafe on Jalan Siam opens 15:00–23:00, Monday to Saturday, and Tong Sui Po at 64 Jalan Seang Tek opens 15:00–22:30 and closes on Tuesdays.

Sources

  1. Macalister Road, George Town, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  2. Burmah Road, George Town, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  3. List of streets in George Town, Penang, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  4. siTigun, Penang Travel Tips (Timothy Tye, September 29, 2012), accessed October 2026
  5. 11 Best Penang Cafes To Visit In George Town, Eatbook.sg (Yoo Kyung, November 28, 2025), accessed October 2026
  6. History of the Jews in Malaysia, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  7. 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
  8. Rapid Penang, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
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In Macalister Road & Burmah Road, also browse: Specialty coffee Wi-Fi Open late Bakery cafés Brunch

FAQ

Macalister Road & Burmah Road cafés: questions

Where is siTigun Micro Coffee Roastery on Jalan Nagor in Penang?

siTigun Micro Coffee Roastery is in a corner shophouse at 30 Jalan Nagor in George Town, where Nagore Road meets Bawasah Road. It opens Tuesday to Sunday from 08:00 to 17:00, serves brunch and takes cards. Its founder, Tigun Wibisana, is a well-traveled Filipino who settled in Penang.

Why was Jalan Zainal Abidin in Penang called Jahudi Road?

Jalan Zainal Abidin in George Town was Jahudi Road, named after the Jewish community that lived there and the Jewish cemetery that remains on it. The cemetery dates from 1805 and its oldest tombstone from 1835. Penang's only synagogue stood on Nagore Road from 1929 to 1976. Today Kraffmen and The Lightbulb are on the road.

Which cafés near Macalister Road in Penang are open in the evening?

Macallum Connoisseurs Coffee at 140 Jalan Burma is open 09:00–21:00 daily. Jin Cafe on Jalan Siam opens 15:00–23:00 Monday to Saturday, and Tong Sui Po at 64 Jalan Seang Tek opens 15:00–22:30 except Tuesdays. In November 2025 Kraffmen on Jalan Zainal Abidin was open until 20:45, closed on Wednesdays.

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