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What are the best places to eat in Penang in 2026? Penang has a worldwide reputation for amazing food. And for good reason! Penang is possibly the food capital of Asia. The amazing food culture in Penang reflects the incredible cultural diversity of this beautiful island.
In Penang there is literally food on every corner. With all of this choice and food available it can be hard to find the best places to eat in Penang. We lived in Penang for 2 years and have visited many times since. During our time in Penang we absolutely loved engaging with the food culture.
We have even published a guide on THE BEST dishes to try in the Penang Hawkers AND the BEST Penang Hawkers (we really love the food in Penang!)
We made lots of lovely local friends who were kind enough to show us many of the best places to eat in Penang. Many of the best places to eat in Penang are hidden gems. We’re talking about small stalls hidden on street corners and obscure Hawker centres. To find the best places to eat in Penang you really do need to know where to look. We are excited to share our experience and these amazing places with you. In this article we will also include how to get there, opening hours, prices, what to expect and a super helpful map too.
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Map of the best places to eat in Penang
How did we select the best places to eat in Penang?
We have looked for places to eat in Penang that offer something unique. Places that you may miss unless you know there is something special there. The best places to eat in Penang tend to be the places that the locals go. They are some times out of the way and a little obscure. If you are looking for the best places to eat in Penang for international food try the malls (such as Gurney and Prangin Mall). In this article we are focussing on the best places to eat in Penang for LOCAL food.
What is a food like in Penang?
Overall Penang food is amazing. The Penang food culture is remarkably diverse. You can find traditional Malaysian cuisine, Indian food, Chinese food and Nonya food all over Penang. In addition you can also find many restaurants serving international cuisine such as burgers, pasta, pizzas, Korean food and Japanese food. Local street food in Penang is impressively cheap and it’s amazing how far your money will go on this beautiful island. It is possible to eat amazing local dishes for around 5 ringgit. This is equivalent to about 1 pounds for $1 30. International cuisine tend to be more expensive starting at 10-20 ringgits and up. Read on to find out THE BEST places to eat in Penang…
1 JJ Gardens Hawkers (Tanjung Bungah)
JJ Gardens is a relatively new Hawker Centre located in Tanjung Bungah. It is out of the way of many of the popular tourist attractions in Penang. As a result, it’s not commonly visited by people who are on a short holiday and Penang. JJ Gardens has a variety of foods available. We were particularly impressed with the Assam laksa and also the bamboo biryani rice dishes.
At JJ Gardens you can also find Thai food, Japanese food, burgers and much more. The Wonton Mee is very popular with the locals. JJ Gardens opens around lunchtime and stays open late into the evening. It is generally quite busy by around 7 p.m. and when you look at the number of locals eating here you know it’s a great place. At JJ Gardens dishes range from about 4 ringgits (for a set of pancakes) up to 25 or 30 ringgit for seafood.
JJ Gardens is pretty tricky to get to unless you go by taxi or have a car rental. If you take the 101 bus which runs from Georgetown to Teluk Bahang, is it possible to get off the bus at the wet market stop and walk up the road to JJ Gardens.
Opening hours: Opening hours vary. JJ Gardens is open from around 10am until 10pm (specific stores may have different hours)
Price Range: RM5 – RM25 (roughly £1 – £5 or $1.30 – $7). Most dishes average around RM10
2 The Penang wet market hawkers (Tanjung Bungah)
If you have a little bit more time in Penang it is well worth visiting the wet market in the morning. The wet market is located in Tanjung Bungah. It is a bit out of the way from Georgetown. The wet market sells a range of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and fish. Right next to the wet market is a Hawker Centre which is open from early in the morning until late morning. The best time to visit this area is around 7 or 8 a.m. At this time it’s not too hot, and there will be a lively Hustle and bustle of local shopping and eating in the Hawker Centre.
The Hawker Centre sells a range of foods including roti Chennai, Hokkien Mee, Dim Sun, char kway teow, char kway kak and much more. This is a great place to experience the breakfast food culture in Penang. Make sure you get a Penang coffee or tea. This is one of the most genuinely local, authentic and fun places to eat in Penang. There is a lovely atmosphere every morning with locals chattering, laughing, eating and drinking together. If you are visiting the wet market Hawker Centre, also make sure you take time to wander around the wet market itself. Just remember but this place is normally closed up by late morning.
Opening hours: Roughly 6am – 11am
Price Range: Around RM2 – RM10 (roughly £0.40 – £2 or $0.50 – $2.50)
3 Viva – local food Haven (Tanjung Tokong)
Viva is a Hawker Centre located in Tanjung Tokong, near the large Tesco Lotus store. The Viva local food Haven is genuinely one of our favourite places to eat in Penang. It is an indoor Hawker Centre with a wide range of incredible local food.
We particularly recommend the Claypot chicken rice, char kway teow and oyster omelette. Also at Viva local food Haven you can find amazing fresh sushi and sashimi for very reasonable prices. And if you are craving kebabs there’s a place selling kebabs and wraps.
Just like most local Hawker centres, Viva has very reasonable prices. Most dishes start at around 5 ringgits, however if you want to get larger dishes or something more fancy like seafood expect to pay 20 to 30 ringgits. Viva tends to open late in the afternoon and remains open late into the evening.
It’s pretty easy to get to Viva by bus, taxi or if you’re driving you can drive a rented car there. If you plan to get to Viva by public transport take the 101 bus from Georgetown in the Teluk Bahang direction. You need to get off the bus just after the large Tesco Lotus store in tanjung tokong.
Opening hours: Roughly 5pm – 11pm (closed Wednesdays)
Price Range: RM5 – RM25 (roughly £1 – £5 or $1.30 – $7). Most dishes average around RM10
4 New World Hawker centre in (Georgetown)
This is one of the largest and most impressive Hawker Centre in Penang. New World is conveniently located in Georgetown and has a wide range of local and international cuisine available. The prices are still surprisingly good and comparable to most other Hawker centres in Penang.
New world Hawker Centre has everything from laksa to japanese food. You can find Indian food, Chinese food and traditional Malaysian dishes at New World Hawker Centre.
If you are staying in Georgetown and really want the Hawker experience but you don’t have very long, new world Hawker Centre may well be your best bet.
Opening hours: 10am – 10pm daily
Price Range: RM5 – RM25 (roughly £1 – £5 or $1.30 – $7). Most dishes average around RM10
5 New Lane open street food (Georgetown)
New Lane Hawker Centre maybe one of the most interesting places to eat in Penang. New Lane open street food is an outdoor Hawker Centre near Komtar in Georgetown.
This is an amazingly atmospheric, fun, local food experience. Late afternoon New Lane comes to life with small streetside vendors preparing and selling an array of local dishes.
At New Lane Hawker Centre you can find a range of Chinese Malaysian food including noodle soups, chicken rice, seafood, char kway teow, char kway kak and much more. In the right season you can also find durian nearby.
We absolutely love the ambiance and good vibes of New Lane. Another great thing about New Lane is that food is pretty cheap here. Most dishes cost between 5 and 10 ringgits. If you are staying in Georgetown it’s very easy to get to. You can either walk there or take a short taxi ride.
Opening hours: 4pm – 10pm (closed wednesdays)
Price Range: RM3 – RM20 (rounghly £0.60 – £4 per dish or $1 – $5)
6 Kapitans (Georgetown)
Kapitans is one of the places to eat in Penang for biriyani and tandoori chicken. Kapitans is an Indian restaurant located in Little India in Georgetown. Kapitans serves a range of Indian food including tandoori chicken sets, Biryani chicken sets and a very tempting range of delicious Indian curries.
They serve traditional Indian drinks including various flavours of Lassies, Teh Tarik and almond milk. Kapitans has a rustic and authentic Georgetown feel. Located on Chulia Street, Kapitans has all the crazy Georgetown vibes.
One of the things I love about Kapitans is how fresh the food is. If you order a tandoori set, the chicken comes fresh from the tandoor with thick rich Indian spices. Naan breads are freshly made in the tandoor oven and come out steaming hot. The Biryani is a signature dish at Kapitans. The rice is subtly flavoured with aromatic biryani spices and the chicken is beautifully marinated in Indian flavours.
We also love the sauces and pickles that are served with the amazing dishes. Another great thing about Kapitans in Georgetown is the convenience of the location.
If you are staying in Georgetown, or happens be visiting Georgetown Kapitans is very conveniently and centrally located. The prices of food at Kapitans are also very good. Expect to pay around 10 to 15 ringgit per dish depending what you order.
Opening hours: 10am – 11.30pm
Price Range: RM5 – RM20 (roughly £1 – £4 per dish or $1.30 – $5)
7 Transfer road Roti Chennai (Georgetown)
This really is Georgetown street food at its best. If you are looking for the best places to eat in Penang for a truly unique experience, check out the transfer Road roti Chennai. This is a small street side Roti Chennai store that sells Roti Chennai and chicken curry for breakfast.
There are different variations of Roti that you can get here. For example you can ask for Roti with egg, plain Roti Chennai or Roti served with chicken curry. The chicken curry is stylishly slopped right over the top of the roti! The atmosphere is absolutely electric. The transfer Road Roti Chennai place is Georgetown chaos at its best. If you are planning to eat here be prepared to embrace the amazing Hustle and bustle. Enjoy taking in the amazing atmosphere of this awesome breakfast place.
You will see people piling up trays high with Roti Chennai and curry and running around the place delivering them to nearby places. The Transfer Road Roti Chennai Place opens pretty early. Aim to be there around 7 or 8 a.m. for a great experience. However they do not run all the way through the day so this is definitely a great one for the morning. As always, the Roti Chennai at transfer road is amazingly cheap. Plates of Roti Chennai cost a couple of ringgits and you can also get drinks such as Teh Tarik here for similar prices. If you really want to experience for Georgetown chaos – this is one of the best places to eat in Penang.
Opening hours: 7am – 11am
Price Range: RM1 -RM3 (£0.20 – £0.60 or $0.25 – $0.80)
8 Penang Road laksa and chendol (Georgetown)
Penang road is one of the best places to eat in Penang for Chinese streetfood. Penang road is a classic, must not miss, eating experience in Penang. Strictly speaking, what I am calling Penang Road is actually Keng Kwee street. This is a small side street that comes off Penang Road. On Keng Kwee street, there are two great food experiences that must be tried here.
Firstly, don’t miss the small cafes serving Assam laksa. Assam laksa is a totally unique and very intense noodle soup. It has a distinctive sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavour. The soup stock is flavoured with fish and it also contains a range of very unique garnishes such as pineapple, red onion, torch flower. Assam laksa is an absolute must try dish. And one of the best places try assam laksa is on Penang Road.
The best way to cool off after laksa is to try Chendol. Chendol is a shaved ice dessert with coconut milk, palm sugar, beans and green noodles. The green noodles are coloured with pandan leaves. This is an amazingly tasty and refreshing classic Penang dessert.
One of the things I absolutely love about Chendol is the way the flavour and consistency of the dish changes as the ice gradually melts when you are eating it. The Palm Sugar gradually mixes with the coconut as it melts creating a very tasty cooling mush.
Opening hours: 9am -5.30pm (laksa) and 10.30am – 7pm (Chendol)
Price Range: Around RM5 (roughly £1 or $1.30)
9 Tai Tong dim sum (Georgetown)
Tai Tong dim sum is a dim sum cafe located in Georgetown. This is one of the best places to eat in Penang for dim sum (Chinese breakfast). We recommend trying this place in the morning for a very local breakfast experience. Dim sum are small steamed Chinese dumplings containing a variety of fillings. They commonly contain fillings such as minced pork and shrimp. Dim Sum is often served with Chinese tea and they also provide soy sauce and chili sauce for dipping.
At Tai Tong dim sum they also serve a range of other Chinese breakfast dishes. For example, you can get Pau which is a steamed Chinese bun. Pau often contains a variety of fillings such as egg custard, pork or red bean paste. They also serve Chee Cheong Fun. Chee Cheong Fun is made of broad noodles, sauce and a little oil. It is worth being aware that Tai Tong dim sum is a little bit more expensive than average Georgetown street food. If you buy a decent breakfast be prepared to pay 25-50 ringgits, depending how much you order.
Opening hours: 6.30am -2pm and 6pm – 10pm (closed mondays)
Price Range: RM3 – RM6 per set (around £0.60 – £1.20)
10 The floating mosque Nasi Champur (Tanjung Bungah)
If you are looking for unique and lesser known places to eat in Penang this is the one for you. The floating mosque is one of the best places to eat in Penang for Nasi Champur. This is a traditional Malaysian dish. When you get Nasi Champur you will be given a plate of rice and then you choose the additional veggies, curry, chicken and fish.
A good Nasi Champur place will have a wide variety of dishes that you can add to the rice. As ever, with Malaysian food Nasi Champur is full of spices and flavour. If you’re looking for the best places to eat in Penang this is a very unique local hidden gem. The floating mosque Nasi Champur place has a very impressive variety of fish and seafood available.
This includes things like squid, shrimp and fish. The floating mosque is located in Tanjung Bungah. On the hill opposite to the floating mosque you can find this incredible Nasi Champur place.
If you got a plate of mixed curry, fish, veggies and chicken is it likely to cost you around 10 to 15 ringgits. The best time to get Nasi Champur is lunch.
Opening hours: 7am – 4pm (closed Sundays)
Price Range: A plate of Nasi Champur ranges between RM6 – RM15 depending what you choose (roughly £1.20 – £3 or $1.50 – $4)
11 Sri Ananda Bahwan (Tanjung Bungah)
Sri Ananda is a chain of Indian restaurants that serve a delicious range of tempting curries, tandoori sets and banana leaf sets. In our humble opinion, the best Sri Ananda is located in Tanjung Bungah, just opposite Dalat school. There is also one at a more convenient location in Georgetown. Sri Ananda is more expensive than average Indian restaurants in Penang.
However, we have included Sri Ananda on our guide to the best places to eat in Penang because the curries are genuinely amazing. They are beautifully spiced and very rich and creamy. Sri Ananda has a lovely ambience and the staff are genuinely really kind and friendly. We would particularly recommend palak paneer, butter chicken masala and the chicken Kashmiri. They also serve freshly made naan breads and poppadoms.
If you are eating at Sri Amanda don’t miss the amazing selection of Indian drinks. They serve traditional Indian lassies, masala tea, masala milk, madras tea and more. A meal for two at Sri Ananda is likely to set you back over 50 ringgits. Depending on the availability and time of the day you can also get some amazing, interesting and unique Indian breads. For example, you can get roti chennai, tosai and roti tissue. Sri Ananda is one of the best places to eat in Penang for amazing Indian curry.
Opening hours: 8am – 11pm
Price Range: Most dishes range from around RM5 – RM20 (roughly £1 – £4 or $1.30 – $5)
12 Lorong Selamat Char Kway Teow (Georgetown)
Last but not least Char Kway Teow is an absolute must try dish in Penang. One of the best char kway teow places to eat in Penang is on Lorong Selamat street. Char kway teow is a fried noodle dish with egg, bean sprouts, Chinese sausage and is often served with large prawns. Char kway teow is normally fried in pork fat and served on a banana leaf cutting. The noodles have a rich delicious flavour. Lorong Selamat char kway teow is a local hidden gem. This place has an authentic Georgetown street food feel. The char kway teow is cooked in a giant wok. The best char kway teow picks up the flavour of the used wok. If you get char kway tiao at Lorong Selamat, expect to pay around 5 to 10 ringgits depending on size and also whether you would like to add prawns or not. Char kway teow may not be the healthiest dish but it definitely very tasty.
Opening hours: 10am – 5pm
Price Range: RM6 – RM10 (roughly £1.20 – £2 or $1.50 – $2.50)
