Penang Bars & Lounges
Speakeasies, cocktail bars and heritage-shophouse bars in George Town
Bar Scene Overview
Penang's bar scene is concentrated in George Town's heritage zone: cocktail bars and speakeasies hidden in old shophouses around Love Lane, Muntri Street and Lebuh Bishop. This list is deliberately short. We only include bars we could place at a real address from a cited source, and we mark the ones we could not confirm as still trading.
Bars open and close often, so check a venue's own social media for hours before you go.
Browse by Category
Café, bar & live music
1 venueSpeakeasy
2 venuesCocktail bar
1 venueCafé-bar
1 venue5 Bars & Lounges
2 confirmed trading from a recent source; the rest are flagged so you can check first.
ChinaHouse
Three joined heritage shophouses running from Beach Street to Victoria Street, with a café, restaurant, gallery and bar under one roof. The Canteen, at the Victoria Street end, hosts live music.
Sources: ChinaHouse, official website · International Jazz Day event listing: The Canteen at ChinaHouse, 30 April and 1 May 2025
Last checked 2026-10-06
Beso Rosado by ChinChin
The ChinChin group’s speakeasy, which opened as Golden Shower behind a mock-bathroom street front. It has since been renamed Beso Rosado.
Mish Mash
One of George Town’s longer-running cocktail bars, on Muntri Street near Love Lane, known for its cocktails and whisky list.
Not confirmed as trading. We could not find a recent primary source, so check before you go.
Source: Time Out Penang, Mish Mash (2014)
Last checked 2026-10-06
Out of Nowhere
A daytime café by day; at night, you reach the bar through a large orange fridge door. It bills itself as an omakase-style cocktail bar.
Not confirmed as trading. We could not find a recent primary source, so check before you go.
Source: Going Places (Malaysia Airlines), Penang’s best hidden bars and speakeasies
Last checked 2026-10-06
Behind 50
A small café-bar on Love Lane with vintage photographs of old Penang and records on a gramophone.
Not confirmed as trading. We could not find a recent primary source, so check before you go.
Source: Time Out Penang, Behind 50 (2014)
Last checked 2026-10-06
Bar Hopping Tips
Small Rooms
Speakeasies in shophouses are small. For groups, message ahead.
Ask for Local Recommendations
Bartenders know which new places have opened. Ask for their current favourite spots.
Pace Yourself, and Don't Drive
Alternate drinks with water and eat at a hawker stall between bars. Use Grab to get home.