Best Restaurants in Penang (2024)

December 31, 2020

Penang is synonymous with its world-renowned street food, so much so that its restaurant dining scene is overlooked. Ask any Penangite and they will tell you that we have some of the best independent cafes and restaurants in the country.

Beyond Char Koay Teow and Assam Laksa, Penang has been evolving into Malaysia’s most exciting gourmet city. We have our fine dining restaurants, casual dining restaurants, wine bars, omakase restaurants, restrobars, hidden bars, gastropubs, oyster bars; you name it, we have it.

Eating in Penang is a serious business. We take pride in our food here. As we close the curtains on an eventful 2020, we look forward to patronizing many more awesome restaurants in 2021. Here’s our pick of the best of the bunch.

1. La Vie

La Vie Restaurant traces its roots to Cassis Restaurant at Belissa Row and even further to Hardwicke House at Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah. Located at Jalan Pintal Tali, La Vie is a fine casual dining restaurant serving contemporary French cuisine with the freshest ingredients sourced locally and overseas.

La Vie is a treasure find nestled within the old Georgetown streets of the Unesco Heritage site in Penang. Its dimly-lit and rustic furnishing provides for a romantic and cozy atmosphere. Guests will feel right at home as we provide a relaxed, casual and welcoming atmosphere in their restaurant.

We always come here for its fresh imported oysters, wagyu steak, lamb rack, truffle fries, grilled jumbo tiger prawns, mizo-glazed cod fish, clams in white wine sauce, not forgetting its friendly owner and reasonably-priced wines. An excellent place for private parties, birthday celebrations, friends gathering or a romantic evening. Occasionally, La Vie also invite acclaimed guest chefs and play hosts to wine pairing dinners.

La Vie Restaurant
Address: 139, Jalan Pintal Tali, George Town, 10100 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Tel: 012-402 1342
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2. Restaurant Au Jardin

Housed in a quaint old warehouse within the compound of the historical Hin Bus Depot in Georgetown is Restaurant Au Jardin headed by Chef Kim Hock.

Inspired by his culinary journey and travels through the years, Kim Hock showcases his modern European cuisine with the use of fresh, seasonal local produce presented in aesthetically appealing food plating techniques.

Au Jardin is a contemporary fine dining restaurant with a modern look and formal atmosphere. Adorned with marble tables and generous lighting, the food will not only satisfy your palette but also makes for a visually-appealing Instagram feed.

Au Jardin offers a 7-course degustation menu for dinner and 5-course plate menu for lunch. It’s menu will change on a monthly basis, so check out their website for the latest updates.

Au Jardin is the place to be for a romantic dinner, small private events and birthday gatherings. One of the most worthwhile experience dining here is observing the Chef and his team create your dish from scratch from their open-concept kitchen. You will especially get a bird’s eye view from the bar seating.

Restaurant Au Jardin
Address: 125, Jalan Timah, 10150 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Tel: 012-429 7591
Web: www.restaurant-aujardin.com

3. Blanc at Macalister Mansion

Formerly known as the Dining Room, Restaurant Blanc has undergone a new facelift and was relaunched in June 2019. The 42-seater restaurant with its elegant ambiance sets the scene for a delightful dining experience.

Themed in blue and white, the iconic white tree centerpiece springs up from a deep blue velvet banquette encapsulating the elegance of the setting for a fine yet relaxing dining experience at Restaurant Blanc.

Blanc is helmed by Chef Benny’s who marries his passion for contemporary French dining with his Asian heritage to present refined new creations of French-Asian cuisine. For his love of experimenting with local and western ingredients, guest can expect an intriguing seasonal menu that is distinctly unique and pleasing to the discerning taste of food lovers from Penang and the region. Culinary art and plating is taken seriously here as Chef Benny and his team pay great attention to detail on food presentation.

This is the ideal place for a romantic dinner and to celebrate special occasions. Try the 4-course discovery menu or 6-course degustation menu with premium wine pairing. See review here.

Restaurant Blanc at Macalister Mansion
Address: 228, Jalan Macalister, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Tel: 04-228 3888
Web: restaurantblanc.com.my

4. Le Venue (Permanently Closed)

Le Venue is a French cum Mediterranean Progressive Cuisine, French Pastry focused restaurant concept under one roof. This boutique restaurant headed by Chef Petr Fehér who is no stranger to Penangites, dubbed the Mat Salleh, he boasts an impressive international portfolio of brands including Four Seasons and Eastern & Oriental Penang for the past 20 years under his belt.

Located at Lebuh Tye Sin in the heart of Georgetown, Le Venue serves only the finest and freshest quality of meat and seafood. Their open kitchen concept bares all, you can watch Chef Petr and his staff in action. Le Venue’s food and presentation is as good as it gets. Every dish is meticulously curated to satiate your Instagram feed.

Chef Petr is a friendly host and makes you feel at home the moment you step in. A warm and cozy place ideal for gatherings, birthday celebrations and private events.

Recently, Block Menue was launched at the adjacent outlet, offering fresh food packed in Blocks for those who prefer to cook at home. The food blocks are packed in nylon chemical-free pouches with high heat resistant, which you can simply boil or steam with the recommended cooking time and temperature. It only takes minutes to be a Master Chef!

Le Venue Penang
Address: 80, Lebuh Tye Sin, George Town, Penang.
Tel: 012-400 2072
Web: www.facebook.com/pg/levenuepg

5. Beso Rosado

Formerly known as Golden Shower by ChinChin, Beso Rosado is a restaurant and bar focusing on Mediterranean flavors and influences, partly inspired by their Executive Chef Jack Yeap, and his former El Faro Tapas Bar. Beso Rosado features a variety of small plates design for sharing among the table, all created around the idea to let fresh ingredients speak for themselves.

The bar also features a quirky, playful and unique cocktail menu, curated by head mixologist Francesco Moretti; inspired by memories, nature and art, with a focus on homemade syrups, spices, herbs and infusions, paired with advanced mixology techniques and attractive presentations.

We loved the casual and relaxing atmosphere with EDM music setting the mood. We often order the set menu which consists of plates of small bites to share at very affordable prices. The mouth-watering food is even more delectable when paired with a bottle of wine.

Our recommendation would be its Tomahawk, Wagyu steak, Paella, Capellini, clams, black truffle dishes, etc. A great place for casual outings, girls’ night out, birthday parties and private events.