7 splurge places in Penang, editor-picked. tasting menus and the full big-night-out treatment in Penang. All Penang food.
Au Jardin ★ 4.8
george-town · The Warehouse@Hin Bus Depot, 125 Jalan Timah, 10150 George Town, Penang
Au Jardin holds a Michelin star in the 2026 guide, plating produce-led European tasting menus inside a corrugated warehouse at Penang's Hin Bus Depot.
Tip: Lunch runs the same kitchen at a lower price than dinner; book the counter seats to watch the plating up close.
Gēn ★ 4.7
george-town · Unit 6, 8 Gat Lebuh Gereja, 10300 George Town, Penang
Gēn is chef Johnson Wong's Michelin-listed tasting room in Penang, building menus from Malaysian produce and local fish down to their bones.
Tip: The name means root, and the menu reads like a Penang market list; take the wine or juice pairing built to match.
Sood by Chef Ton ★ 4.5
george-town · 33 Lebuh Farquhar, 10200 George Town, Penang
Sood by Chef Ton brings the Bangkok chef behind Le Du to a 150-year-old Farquhar Street building, Penang's loudest and latest new Thai dining room.
Tip: The upstairs SO-OD bar is the louder half, built for fun dining with live bands and DJs; try it when the dining room is booked out.
Mémoire ★ 4.4
george-town · 316 Lebuh Pantai, 10300 George Town, Penang
Mémoire stages chef Chong Chian Fung's molecular tasting menus on Beach Street, Penang childhood nostalgia rebuilt with smoke, dry ice and sparklers.
Tip: Choose the longer tasting; the interactive courses, including a paint-your-own flatbread, only appear on the full menu.
Curios-City ★ 4.4
george-town · 164A-B Lebuh Victoria, 10300 George Town, Penang
Curios-City hides an unsigned wabi-sabi dining room on Lebuh Victoria, pairing European technique with Malaysian twists across set menus in Penang.
Tip: There is no signage at all; look for the bare concrete frontage at 164 and book the seven-course set to see the range.
Blacklinen ★ 4.3
george-town · Level 9, The Millen, 55 Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 George Town, Penang
Blacklinen dry-ages beef beside a charcoal grill on level nine of The Millen hotel, chef Benny Yeoh's dark-toned grillroom above Penang's seafront.
Tip: The set-your-own two-course lunch is a fraction of dinner pricing; ask for a window table over the infinity pool.
Feringgi Grill ★ 4.3
batu-ferringhi · Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort, Batu Feringgi Beach, 11100 George Town, Penang
Feringgi Grill has run since 1973 at the Rasa Sayang resort, old-world trolley service and ocean views at the smartest table on Penang's beach strip.
Tip: Dress code is enforced: long trousers and covered shoes for men; ask for a window table at sunset.