10 upscale places in Penang, editor-picked. occasion restaurants in Penang: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All Penang food.
Auntie Gaik Lean's Old School Eatery ★ 4.8
george-town · 1 Lebuh Bishop, 10200 George Town, Penang
Auntie Gaik Lean's Old School Eatery holds a Michelin star in the 2026 guide, cooking heirloom Nyonya recipes behind a Bishop Street shopfront in Penang.
Tip: Reservations for larger tables carry an RM200 deposit; parties of three or fewer join the walk-in queue instead.
Backdoor Bodega ★ 4.6
george-town · 37 Jalan Gurdwara, 10300 George Town, Penang
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.
Peninsula House ★ 4.4
george-town · Level 1, India House, 25B Lebuh Pantai, 10300 George Town, Penang
Peninsula House serves modern Australian sharing plates upstairs in 1937's India House, the handsomest dinner room on Penang's old Beach Street.
Tip: The stairway entrance is easy to miss beside the old bank facades; look for the India House lettering and head up.
Firewood ★ 4.4
george-town · 15 Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, 10200 George Town, Penang
Firewood cooks everything over an open flame in a lofty heritage building on Pitt Street, Penang's purest expression of live-fire restaurant dining.
Tip: Ask for counter seats facing the grill; the smoke, sizzle and plating are half of what you are paying for.
Kebaya Dining Room ★ 4.4
george-town · 14A Lorong Stewart, 10200 George Town, Penang
Kebaya Dining Room sets Peranakan set menus under chandeliers at the Seven Terraces hotel, Penang's dressiest take on Straits Chinese cooking.
Tip: Two seatings nightly at 18:00 and 20:00; the later one lets you linger, and the set menu format keeps prices sane.
No Bar Here ★ 4.3
george-town · 25 Jalan Gurdwara, 10300 George Town, Penang
No Bar Here plays 80s and 90s nostalgia a few doors from its older sibling Backdoor Bodega, a Tatler-listed disco-cocktail room in central Penang.
Tip: Made Tatler's Top 20 Malaysian bars in 2025; order the Megumi Highball and claim the cassette wall booth early.
Magazine 63 ★ 4.2
george-town · 63 Jalan Magazine, 10300 George Town, Penang
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
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.
La Vie ★ 4.1
george-town · Le Dream Boutique Hotel, 139 Jalan Pintal Tali, 10100 George Town, Penang
La Vie serves Asian-inflected European dinners in the Le Dream Boutique Hotel on Rope Walk, a Michelin-listed Penang room without the ceremony.
Tip: The kataifi-wrapped tiger prawn is the plate the guide singles out; order it whatever else you choose.
Wine Not Penang ★ 4.1
jelutong · 68b Lebuh Presgrave, 10300 George Town, Penang
Wine Not Penang stocks boutique and minimal-intervention wines above Lebuh Presgrave, the snug tasting room anchoring Penang's natural wine scene.
Tip: Message ahead on WhatsApp; the room runs on tastings and appointments rather than drop-in bar hours.