Cafeography
Penang · Penang Road & Komtar

Cafés in 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.

Photo: Teh Yu Song, Pexels License

Penang Road was one of the first roads built outside Francis Light's original town and runs one way from Farquhar Street south to Komtar.1 The stretch in front of Chowrasta Market, built in the 1890s, has long been a shopping street, and the market still sells pastries particular to Penang, such as nutmeg and tau sar pneah (bean-paste biscuits).1

At the southern end, Komtar Tower rises 248.9 m over 68 storeys; it topped out on 1 January 1985, and the Komtar Bus Terminal below it is Rapid Penang's main interchange.2 Lebuh Noordin, Penang Road itself and Jalan Hutton have the most cafés in the area, and Lebuh Dickens keeps a run of Hainanese breakfast shops.

Local tip: Fook Cheow Cafe at 122 Jalan Hutton opens at 06:00 and closes at 12:00, Monday to Saturday, the earliest start in the area.

At a glance

86Cafés listed
11With opening hours
06:00Earliest opening
00:30Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Fook Cheow Cafe, from 06:00 (Mon–Sat 06:00–12:00).
  • Closes latest: Blooms, until 00:30 (Mon–Thu 11:00–00:00 · Fri–Sat 11:00–00:30 · Sun 11:00–00:00).
  • Most listed streets: Lebuh Noordin (8), Jalan Hutton (7), Jalan Burma (5).
  • Most common features: bakery café (6%), wi-fi (5%), air-con (3%).

Good Taste Kopitiam

  • 10, Lebuh Dickens
  • Mon–Wed 08:00–16:00 · Fri–Sun 08:00–16:00
  • Air-con
  • Wheelchair access
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Coffee chains in Penang Road & Komtar

Kek Seng and the Penang Road coffee shops

Kek Seng, at 382 Jalan Penang, has a front entrance dated 8 August 1906, and the business began before the First World War.3 It is best known for its durian ice cream, and Time Out noted that its old wooden seats remain.4 Farther up the road, Kedai Kopi Mayloon is at no. 439 and Joo Hooi Cafe at no. 475.

Two stalls are named for their tea: Chowrasta Teh Tarik Stall, after the market, and Famous Teh Halia since 1965, opposite 16 Lebuh Tamil. Teh halia is tea with ginger.

Hainanese breakfast on Lebuh Dickens and Jalan Hutton

Kong Thai Lai began on Lorong Hutton in 1920 under the grandfather of its owner, Tan Jeng Seow, then moved to Lebuh Leith and, in 2022, to Lebuh Dickens. It made its own kaya and roasted and blended its own beans. The Star reported in August 2026 that it would close on 26 September, after the building's owner reclaimed the premises.5

Two kopitiams share 10 Lebuh Dickens: Bee Hwa Cafe, open 07:00–15:00 Monday to Saturday and known for white curry mee and prawn mee, and Good Taste Kopitiam, open 08:00–16:00 and closed on Thursdays.6 On Jalan Hutton, Fook Cheow Cafe at no. 122 opens at 06:00 and closes at 12:00, Monday to Saturday; Nam Seng Coffee Shop is at no. 124, and Sinar Koffee, open until 22:30, at no. 111.

Hin Bus Depot and Jalan Gurdwara

Jalan Gurdwara was Brick Kiln Road when Hin Company built a depot there in 1947 for its Blue Buses. The depot closed in 1999 and, after a refurbishment, hosted Ernest Zacharevic's first exhibition; it now holds a gallery, arts and events spaces and a weekend market, Hin Market, with 70 stalls.7

Wells Cafe, founded in Taiwan in 2013, fills a two-storey space at the depot, at 125 Jalan Timah. It roasts light in Japanese and Nordic styles and brews on V60, KONO and Kanazawa ice pour-over; filter coffee started at RM18 in February 2026.8 Bricklin Cafe Bar by Rasta Brew Co and Lè share 39 Jalan Gurdwara; Bricklin closes on Tuesdays, Lè on Wednesdays.

Lebuh Noordin, Lebuh Tye Sin and Lebuh Clarke

Lebuh Noordin has the area's longest café row, with Stairs Specialty Coffee at no. 46, Matcho Café at no. 99B (14:00–22:00, closed on Tuesdays) and Starbright Coffee. On Lebuh Tye Sin, Sweetbar Cafe at no. 38B charged RM10 for an espresso and RM24 for a slice of Basque burnt cheesecake in February 2026.8 Blooms, at no. 82b, stays open until 00:30 on Friday and Saturday.

ae Coffee, on Lebuh Clarke, is a small bar whose team placed first runner-up in the Penang Barista Competition; its pour-overs use seasonal single origins from Costa Rica and Kenya, and a black pour-over started at RM11 in February 2026.8

Sources

  1. Penang Road, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  2. Komtar, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  3. A little kopitiam's timeless charm, The Star (N. Trisha, May 19, 2024), accessed October 2026
  4. Kek Seng Coffee Shop, Time Out Penang (August 25, 2014), accessed October 2026
  5. One more brew, then goodbye, The Star (Lo Tern Chern, August 31, 2026), accessed October 2026
  6. Top 10 Kopitiam in Penang 2026, My Weekend Plan via Newswav (July 15, 2026), accessed October 2026
  7. Hin Bus Depot, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  8. 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
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FAQ

Penang Road & Komtar cafés: questions

What is Kek Seng on Penang Road known for?

Kek Seng, at 382 Jalan Penang in George Town, is an old coffee shop best known for its durian ice cream. Its front entrance is dated 8 August 1906, and the business began before the First World War. Time Out noted that its old wooden seats remain.

What happened to Kong Thai Lai on Lebuh Dickens in Penang?

The Star reported in August 2026 that Kong Thai Lai, a Hainanese coffee shop founded on Lorong Hutton in 1920, would close on 26 September 2026 after the owner of its building on Lebuh Dickens reclaimed the premises. It made its own kaya and roasted its own beans. Bee Hwa Cafe and Good Taste Kopitiam share 10 Lebuh Dickens.

What is Hin Bus Depot near Penang Road in George Town?

Hin Bus Depot, on Jalan Gurdwara (formerly Brick Kiln Road), was built in 1947 by Hin Company for its Blue Buses and closed in 1999. It now holds a gallery, arts and events spaces and a weekend market, Hin Market, with 70 stalls. Wells Cafe, a Taiwanese light-roast specialist, has a two-storey space there.

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