7 bars in Penang, editor-picked for bars open past midnight. Bars going past midnight on friday or saturday. All bars in Penang.
Backdoor Bodega ★ 4.6
george-town · 37 Jalan Gurdwara, 10300 George Town, Penang
Hours: Thu-Mon 20:00-01:00; closed Tue-Wed
Backdoor Bodega hides behind a clothing store on Jalan Gurdwara and sits at No. 64 on Asia's 50 Best Bars extended list for 2025, Penang's flagship bar.
Tip: Buy a lapel pin at the counter to redeem your cocktail; the belacan and ulam builds are the ones to trust.
Good Friends Club ★ 4.3
george-town · 39 Jalan Gurdwara, 10300 George Town, Penang
Hours: Sun-Thu 20:00-01:00; Fri-Sat 20:00-02:00
Good Friends Club pours kopitiam-inspired cocktails behind teal doors on Jalan Gurdwara, the Penang bar that turns laksa into a working Negroni.
Tip: Start with the Laksa Negroni for the story and switch to the Milo build for the finish; Fridays fill by 22:00.
Magazine 63 ★ 4.2
george-town · 63 Jalan Magazine, 10300 George Town, Penang
Hours: Tue-Sun 20:00-02:00; closed Mon
Magazine 63 opened in 2017 behind an unmarked wooden door on Jalan Magazine, Penang's first true speakeasy and still its most theatrical lounge.
Tip: Live sets run on select nights in the vintage Chinese-inn interior; knock at the plain wooden door and wait to be seated.
Kool Kongsi Listening Bar ★ 4.2
pulau-tikus · Level L, 61 Jalan Argyll, 10050 George Town, Penang
Hours: Sun-Thu 18:00-24:00; Fri-Sat 18:00-02:00
Kool Kongsi spins vinyl on a mezzanine above Jalan Argyll as Penang's first listening bar, with cocktails mixed to match the record on the deck.
Tip: Conversation stays at listening volume by design; let the bartender build a drink around whatever album is playing.
Manchu Bar ★ 4.1
george-town · 38 & 40 Jalan Pintal Tali, 10100 George Town, Penang
Hours: Tue-Sun 19:00-03:00; closed Mon
Manchu Bar dresses its Rope Walk speakeasy in red lanterns and Qing-dynasty props, pouring Penang cocktails from porcelain teapots until 03:00.
Tip: The teapot service is made for sharing; go late, it keeps the longest hours of the heritage-core cocktail rooms.
Antarabangsa Enterprise ★ 4.0
george-town · 21 Lorong Stewart, 10200 George Town, Penang
Hours: Daily 17:00-02:00
Antarabangsa Enterprise is a bottle-shop-turned-street-bar on Lorong Stewart, the cheapest cold beer in George Town on plastic chairs in Penang.
Tip: There is no menu and no frills: grab a big bottle from the fridge, take a plastic chair, and watch the lane drift past.
Nomad ★ 3.9
george-town · 243 Lebuh Kimberley, 10100 George Town, Penang
Hours: Tue-Sat 20:00-01:00; closed Sun-Mon
Nomad builds its Penang cocktail menu as a passport, every drink themed to a country, at the quiet end of Kimberley Street's famous supper stalls.
Tip: Eat at the Kimberley Street stalls first; the country-by-country menu rewards ordering in a flight of three.