Bakery$$george-townDaily 10:00-00:30Walk-in onlyDaily cake counter, about 30 varieties
ChinaHouse bakes about 30 cakes a day for the long counter running through its three heritage buildings, comfortably Penang's largest dessert spread.
Tip: Walk the full passage from Beach Street to Victoria Street before choosing a room; the tiramisu is the house classic.
Worth the queue: Non-alcoholic tiramisu
Bakery$$george-townFri-Tue 09:00-18:00; closed Wed-ThuWalk-in onlyFrench viennoiserie
Le Petit Four Pâtisserie laminates Penang's flakiest croissants on Beach Street, led by a patissier trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and it shows.
Tip: Croissants peak before 11:00; on weekend mornings the counter can clear within the first two hours.
Worth the queue: Croissants with crackling layers
Bakery$$george-townWed-Sun 10:30-18:30; closed Mon-TueWalk-in onlyMadeleines and French pastry
La Vie en Rose Pâtisserie bakes madeleines behind a pink shopfront on Lebuh Melayu, Penang's specialist counter for the little French shell cakes.
Tip: The custard-filled beignets are the quiet second act; madeleine towers need pre-ordering for celebrations.
Worth the queue: Customisable madeleine towers
Bakery$$george-townTue-Sun 09:30-17:30; closed MonWalk-in onlyComposed French pastries and tarts
The Maker composes patisserie like plated desserts in a roomy Beach Street cafe, the studied, architectural end of Penang's French pastry wave.
Tip: The tarts are built in small runs; go before mid-afternoon and take whatever seasonal fruit is on the top layer.
Worth the queue: Seasonal fruit tarts
Bakery$$george-townWed-Sun 10:00-18:00; closed Mon-TueWalk-in onlyFrench entremets and tarts
Le Dux Patisserie plates Parisian-salon pastry a few doors from its Beach Street rivals, rounding out Penang's unlikely little French dessert quarter.
Tip: Beach Street now holds three patisseries within a short walk; do a comparative tasting and end here for the entremets.
Worth the queue: Glazed entremets
Bakery$$george-townThu-Tue 09:00-22:00; closed WedWalk-in onlyBreads, scones and sourdough bakes
Black Kettle runs a bakery counter, cafe and bistro through a high-ceilinged Beach Street building, Penang's roomiest all-day bread-and-brunch room.
Tip: Loaves and scones sell from the front counter without the table wait; the dining room behind works for a long brunch.
Worth the queue: Sourdough loaves