Where to Drink The Best Coffee in Georgetown, Penang

Happy International Coffee Day! Coffee is something I value greatly, especially during our travels. Because let’s be honest: traveling can be exhausting, and coffee is your hero. At least for me, Roxanne doesn’t drink coffee.

But during our travels, we had to make some budget cuts, and therefore I’m allowed to have just one good coffee a day; the others have to be instant coffee. Naturally, we make my daily coffee a special occasion.

There is no better place than Georgetown, Penang, for that. It’s one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Malaysia. With a fastly growing number of cute cafés, the town has to be careful not to become an overcrowded Instagram hotspot like Bali!

Wheeler’s Coffee

How can we not love this place as Dutchies? There are bicycles and wheels everywhere! The interior is lovely, and the ambiance is comfortable. It isn’t too big, which makes it cozy.

As it’s located on the famous Love Lane, it does get crowded. My small cappuccino (10.50 RM) looked more like a latte, but the heart art was perfect!

Location:
67, Lorong Love, George Town, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

China House

One of the oldest and most visited cafes in Penang. It’s a lovely place, and I recommend walking all the way through – it gets more fun in the back. Its artsy decor makes it clear why they would have a gallery in the middle.

You can even draw on the tables with crayons, and they play fitting old-school music. At night there’s a bar too – so it’s really for everyone.

They have an extensive selection of mouthwatering cakes, so their window quote, ‘not a good place for a diet,’ is fitting. A bit more expensive, though, as my cappuccino cost 14.10 RM.

Location:
153, Beach St, Georgetown, 10300 George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Awesome Canteen

This is a canteen on the next level! This is a cafe for the ‘gram. Its industrial look is fantastic for photos, and the entire interior seems to fit the building.

It’s raw but comfy; there’s a lot of concrete and fabulous natural lighting. It’s big, it’s bold, the ambiance sounds are loud, and the music is very little; it makes for a unique vibe.

They have paleo food – which makes my former paleo self very happy – which may be why my cappuccino wasn’t the best. I thought the espresso was a bit too bitter, but that’s all about the taste!

Note that this might not be the best digital nomad working space, as the internet was limited in the middle area where we were seated.

Location:
164A-B, Lebuh Victoria, George Town, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

CAZE by Buu’s Kitchen

Recently Buu’s Kitchen moved to a new location; when we visited, it was at Hin Bus Depot. The coffee wasn’t the best, but that’s not their primary focus.

I trust that the coffee has improved with their relocation – and adding ‘CAZE by’ to the name. And otherwise, you can always go for one of their delicious kinds of pasta!

But when we visited, we were very charmed by the location, a place with a Sunday market and interesting expositions.

Location:
10a, Lebuh King, George Town, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

Coffee on the Table

This is a funny one: they do 3D coffee art! I had low expectations of the coffee itself, but it was perfect.

The place is not famous for its nice interior or great music (when we were there, they played one classical song on repeat), but coffee was never so fun. Try one of their cakes, too; they’re fantastic!

Location:
164, Lebuh Pantai, George Town, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

Gayo Coffee

I misread the name when I first saw it and thought: ‘OMG “gay coffee”? Have to go there!’ There’s another O involved, but the place is still great.

Hip music is playing through the cafe, and there’s plenty of space. The interior somewhat resembles China House but is unique in its way.

My cappuccino (11RM) was great; it even passed the spoon test and had fantastic art.

Location:
161, Lebuh Pantai, George Town, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Note that there are two entrances, which confused us a little!

Black Kettle

Already the exterior is worth a visit: it’s a big happy yellow building. Inside it’s hip, cozy but spacious, and the western familiarities are nice.

It’s a great place for some photos. My cappuccino (11.65 RM) was excellent, great blend, lovely art, and great taste. The hostess was amiable; we were heartily welcomed upon entering.

Location:
105, Beach St, Georgetown, 10300 George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Gudang Café

A warehouse-themed cafe, very spacious and simply designed. Excellent music, precisely the kind you find in a Spotify Coffeehouse playlist.

The coffee is good with nice art, the foam is a bit thin, but the blend is nice. The best thing is the price. My cappuccino cost only 9.8 RM – the cheapest cappuccino in Georgetown!

Location:
5, Lebuh Armenian, George Town, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

The Mugshot Cafe

Okay, I’m biased on this one. We know Arthur Lamon, the designer of nearly all wooden details in The Mugshot Cafe. It is cool – trust us. In addition, they have amazing bagels – something you might miss in between all the rice dishes.

They are genuinely the best bagels in Georgetown. Its location is also perfect: near Love Lane. And my cappuccino (12RM)? Perfect! Very well-balanced. It’s by far my favorite coffee shop in Georgetown!

Location:
302, Lebuh Chulia, George Town, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

Map

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