T o be honest, back then, there wasn't nearly as great of a brunch / restaurant / bar culture in Penang. But we've been going back every year since that fateful July afternoon, and the Penang brunch scene just gets better and better.
Being one of the Chinese settlements along the Straits of Malacca, Penang has the most gorgeous chinese shop houses and coffee shops, as well as an incredible blend of Islamic, Anglo-Indian and British colonial architecture. The brunch scene has really taken advantage of this ecletic architectural history, and serves some of the best breakky and coffees I've experienced in South East Asia within those UNESCO heritage listed walls.
I've compiled a list of my favourite brunches and cafes in Penang, and pinned them all on the map at the bottom of this post for you to explore yourself. I also dive into a little more detail for my top 5 brunch cafes in Penang just below.
Let me know if you've ever visited one of these spots, I'd love to hear what you thought!
The first on my list is my absolute fave. The Norm has the best waffles in town, and is tucked away in the cutest little corner just off Lebuh Carnarvon, surrounded by old Penangite buildings and exposed brick alleys.
By day, Norm is pumping with Penangites after a good dose of coffee and a yummy brunch menu comprising mainly of waffles, coffee and an awesome tea selection .
The best staple brunch in town - The Daily Dose Cafe is the 'go to' spot in George Town. It's easily located just off the cutest street in George Town - Love Lane, and has an awesome menu of western style brunches mixed with traditional malay breakky.
Think eggs on toast and fresh smoothies, or Kaya Toast or Gula Melaka - this cafe has it all. Oh, and the aesthetics are JUST as good.
Come here for the sandwiches, coffee or home made lemonade and stay for the cute industrial building and interiors! Le Cafe serves up some of the best sandwhiches in George Town, all housed in the cutest little building that used to be a motorcycle shop! We also LOVED the fries here, reminded us of Poutine. Highly recommended!
Such a sweet little parisian style cafe on Lebuh Pantai. Le Petite Four is right in the middle of the UNESCO heritage site and has the best pastries in town! Stop here to fuel up on good coffee and croissants while hunting down George Town street art. It's one of the highest rated cafes in George Town, and rightly so!
Last on my list of top 5 best brunches in Penang is Kraffmen . Western Style breakky, not too busy, and home made Kombucha - tick, tick, tick! Added bonus is the super cute interiors.
My top 5 brunch cafes in George Town, Penang are listed above, and my looooong list of the rest of the best cafes in Penang are listed below (and pinned on the map to the right). Let me know if you've visted any of these or have any other recommendations for my next annual visit to Penang!
Love,