Best bars in George Town, Penang
Penang has plenty to offer locals and tourists alike, from its lip-smackingly good hawker food to its rich cultural attractions. When it comes to food, it only continues to exceed expectations. In recent years, the island has become a hub of hip cafes and also trendy bars.
Drinking dens in the state take on a mythical status – from snazzy hole-in-the-walls and alluring, well-hidden gems, to flamboyant and quirky watering holes. To take your usual suppers at a nearby mamak up a notch, have a fun night out with your pals at one of these 8 stylish bars in George Town, Penang that open till late.
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1. Backdoor Bodega
Won World’s Best Cocktail Menu Award in 2025
Image credit: @champions1984
In true speakeasy style, Backdoor Bodega is a bar hidden right at the back of a clothing store called The Swagger Salon. Stripped back and homely yet stylishly chic, the secret bar – which wittily parades as an overpriced pin shop – feels like an afterparty-style drinking hideout that’s perfect for a night out with close friends.
Its award-winning The Backdoor Bodega Guide To Penang – a concept which earned the bar the World’s 50 Best Bars Best Cocktail Menu Award in 2025 – doubles as a cocktail menu and a guidebook to the island, weaving together local food, neighbourhoods, history and culture with the drinks themselves.
Image adapted from: @cafephileeee_ & @_ekqn_ via Instagram
On their menu, you’ll find unique creations such as the signature Kelapa Hotak (RM38) which is a combination of in-house coconut rum, pandan and a spoon of kaya, and Ulam Mojito (RM38) – an eclectic rum-based drink infused with local herbs such as ulam, daun kesum and kaffir leaf.
They also offer a tamer mix of flavours that are still strong on the alcohol, such as the cherry and vodka concoction Cherry Bomb (RM25) and the strong Vesper (RM60) which features Ford’s Gin, vodka and Lillet Blanc.
Image credit: @missleexinyi via Instagram
They have a range of seasonal bottled cocktails, some collaborations, that are available for certain periods of time only. These can be purchased on their website, where you’ll find other merchandise such as pins, drinking mugs, and T-shirts. They ship nationwide, with next-day delivery offered. Bars Penang
Read our feature to find out more about Backdoor Bodega here.
2. Good Friends Club
Kopitiam bar that puts a twist on local drinks
Image credit: @goodfriendsclubpg via Instagram
We won’t laugh if you said you walked right past this hidden bar thinking it was just another kopitiam – we would’ve missed it too.
The Good Friends Club marks itself apart from other bars in Penang with its ingenious concept of an old-school Chinese kopitiam. An easy way to spot it – simply look out for a neon signage that spells “Good Friends Never Bojio”, which means a close pal would never not invite for the uninitiated.
Image credit: @thejspace_ via Instagram
Similar to a local hawker place, this bar has the vibes of a laidback haunt that you and your friends can revisit often.
A dimly-lit room with metal chairs and tables, wooden cabinets decorated with old trinkets, vintage posters plastered on the walls – it would be easy to forget you are in a speakeasy, if not for the shelves of cocktail bottles by the bar area and the always-present crowd with their drinks in hand.
Image adapted from: @btoproject & @goodfriendsclubpg via Instagram
In true kopitiam fashion, you’ll find cocktails that play around with the flavours of Malaysia’s hawker food culture. Among the signatures, the Laksa Negroni (RM50) puts a distinctly Penang assam laksa spin on the classic, while the Penang White Dai-Curry (RM50) takes inspiration from Perak’s white curry mee.
For something instrinsically Penang, go for the Air Itam Ginger Tea (RM55) which has local black tea and ginger mixed into the oaky sweetness of Auchentoshan three wood whisky.
3. The Nest Cocktail Bar
An exclusive bite to pair with each drink
Image credit: @penangcocktailweek via Instagram
Calling oneself a “bar for the flavour explorer” is a pretty bold statement, but The Nest Cocktail Bar definitely gives you reason to explore. Tucked inside a restored heritage shophouse along Lebuh Melayu, the bar has a nice space that strikes a balance between polished and laid-back, with a long bar, cosy botanical touches and a pool table tucked towards the back.
Image adapted from: @sippin_n_muchin via Instagram & @thenestcocktailbar
Its cocktails are designed around unusual flavour combinations, with each drink accompanied by a small bite designed to interact with the flavours.
The food-and-drink pairing menu are brimming with adventurous creations, which changes up seasonally – think Hojicha Sour with Tatatmi Iwashi, a smoky Penicillin ginger tea concoction paired with smoked duck and caviar called Feather & Ash, as well as Ember Drift, a black garlic-infused cognac paried with torched Hokkaido scallops.
4. BISO Cocktail Bar
Minimalist bar & innovative drinks
Image credit: @biso.pg via Instagram
5. Beso Rosado
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6. Er Yi Tai – izakaya that serves Japanese snacks & alcohol
Image credit: Er Yi Tai by Hygge
A best-kept secret among locals that’s imbued with a sensual allure, Er Yi Tai – a cheeky Chinese name that translates to English as “second wife” – is a Japanese izakaya-style bar with a gourmet twist.
Dark, moody and atmospheric, this bar is more mystifying than it is dodgy. It screams speakeasy in every sense – classy leather couches, fancy lights and panelled woods in brown and deep orange hues.
Image adapted from: Er Yi Tai & Er Yi Tai
Er Yi Tai serves Japanese appetisers alongside a variety of alcoholic beverages. For drinks, you can enjoy Japanese classics such as spirits, sake and Japanese Highball. But do get yourself a glass or two of their cocktails with names as saucy as the bar itself.
There’s Er Yi Tai’s B*tch (RM40), a bold and fruity glass of rum, amaretto, pineapple juice and lemon. Or be intrigued by Spicy Lips (RM38), a spicy and spectacular tipple of vodka, chilli and lemongrass.
To end the night on a decadent note, The Climax (RM39) feels like a dessert – the cocktail is an indulgent mix of tequila, chai and condensed milk.
Image adapted from: Er Yi Tai & Er Yi Tai
Wind down in the evenings with a few small plates to share among friends. Sakura Kakiage (RM28) – tempura onion and sakura shrimp snack with beetroot – and Octopus Ceviche (RM36) served with white corn and shallots are sharing plates that burst with flavours. Or go straight for juicy cuts of grilled Angus Sirloin (RM85) and Iberico Pluma (RM65) which both pair delightfully with the drinks here.
Address: 56, Jalan Kuala Kangsar, 10450 George Town, Penang
Opening hours: Mon, Thu & Sun 3pm-1am | Fri & Sat 3pm-2am | Wed 6pm-1am (Closed on Tuesdays)
Contact: 011-5853 5663 | Er Yi Tai website | Facebook
7. Manchu Bar – enchanting old Chinese bar with opera performances
Image credit: @manchupenang
If there is one bar that encapsulates the spirit of vivacity, luxury and fun, it is Manchu Bar – but perhaps in the Ming dynasty period.
Lively, flamboyant and glamorous – these are some words that’ll come to mind when raving about Manchu Bar to your pals. This speakeasy is truly an escape from the toils of your daily life. Push aside the black velvet curtains at the entrance, and step into the vibrant portal of a bar that’ll transport you to another place and time.
Image adapted from: @manchupenang & Manchu Bar
Manchu bar is a Chinoiserie-inspired bar decked with vivid red lanterns, elaborately carved wood furnishings, silk draping and sprouts of tall leafy greens. Whimsical paintings and classic Chinese motifs on the walls add to the bar’s overall traditional, yet charming, ambience.
Image adapted from: Manchu Bar, Manchu Bar & Manchu Bar
It isn’t only the bar’s elaborate decor that takes you on an experience of escapism. Their drinks play the part just as well. Here, you can order an array of classic alcoholic beverages, as well as localised cocktail drinks served in gorgeous Chinese kitchenware.
The Imperial Cocktail menu boasts innovative concoctions such as Leilomei Milk Tea (RM34) – think bubble tea spiked with vodka – Tangerine Taels (RM40), a zesty tequila drink with a citrusy touch of Chinese oranges, and Elixir of Youth (RM40), which is pretty much herby liqueur disguised as dainty teas.
Image credit: Manchu Bar
Manchu Bar puts on amazing live performances on certain nights as well. This is usually announced on their social media pages. You can expect band performances, operas, and Chinese traditional dance performances to take in as you sip on your drinks.
Address: 38 & 40, Jalan Pintal Tali, 10100 George Town, Penang
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 6pm-3am (Closed on Mondays)
Contact: 012-500 7588 | Manchu Facebook | Instagram
8. Magazine 63 – reminiscent of old Shanghai
Image credit: @magazine_63
When bar-hoppers think of speakeasies in Penang, Magazine 63 always springs to mind. The start of this watering hole is likely what initiated the speakeasy trend on the island, and has become a popular haunt when it comes to a ritzy night out with well-crafted drinks. Bars Penang
When we say this speakeasy is hidden, it is very much so. With the facade of an abandoned shoplot, the bar doesn’t disclose a specific hint that lets you know of its location – we advise you to have your Google Maps turned on.
Image adapted from: Magazine 63 & Magazine 63
Magazine 63 is another bar with an old-world Chinese concept, like something out of a period drama. It fuses the enchanting oriental vibe with a stylish contemporary interior, creating an intimate and chic drinking space.
Image adapted from: @magazine_63 & @rimatambunan
Bartenders here conjure expertly-mixed tipples, including classic cocktails and signature serves. Staying relevant to its theme, the bar’s signature cocktails are very much inspired by Eastern flavours.
Aptly served in traditional Chinese ceramic drinkware, Hidden Gem (RM88 per pot) is a brandy, honey scotch whiskey and red bull concoction that is poured into porcelain teacups and shared amongst a group. Or sip on a well-curated Spicy Grave (RM48) – made with Ocho Blanco tequila, lemon, firewater and bitters – or a single malt dry whiskey with dry vermouth and black walnut mixture, called the Whisky Black Walnut (RM48).
Image credit: @magazine_63
The bar hosts regular live music or DJ performances, which pairs beautifully with the heady drinks they serve.
Address: 63, Jalan Magazine, 10300 George Town, Penang
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 8pm-2am (Closed on Mondays)
Contact: 017-636 3551 | Magazine 63 Facebook | Instagram
Bars in George Town, Penang
Some nights, we just crave for a boujee affair that involves sipping on well-crafted cocktails in a suave bar. Penang is filled with plenty of stylish bars, so in the case you might not know where to locate them, this is the list for you.
Get a taste of the chic side of Penang and the illicit 1920s glam at these cocktail havens – it’ll be a whirl of a night out with your best pals.
For more places to discover in Penang:
Cover image adapted from: @kitoki, @overandabovemy, @klfooduo & @magazine_63