Penang might be known for its phenomenal take on the laksa and other popular hawker fare, but those who want something a little more upmarket will not be disappointed to find that some of the best fine dining restaurants in Malaysia are found in Penang.
Famed as the food capital of Malaysia, the island of Penang is a bold celebration of diverse Malaysian flavours. While the iconic cendol, laksa, and char kuey teow spring to mind, contemporary restaurants are pulling their own weight when it comes to the culinary scene. In Penang, you will discover a unique take on both Asian and Western food, only this time you’ll get to dress up and rediscover the exciting concepts that the island offers. Bookmark these places and make your reservations at these classy spots the next time you want a fine dining experience on the island.
The best fine dining restaurants in Penang today:
Restaurant Blanc Penang
Image credit: Restaurant BLANC Penang
Formerly known as the Dining Room, BLANC serves a French-Asian menu that’s worth exploring. Pick between the BLANC menu degustation and the Menu De Saison by Chef Benny Yeoh. The menu comprises a 3-course meal featuring the former comprises canapes, a choice of mains and desserts, while the latter presents an omakase-style gastronomic journey. Consider this a sweet surprise as the chef will reveal the courses upon your visit.
228, Jln Macalister, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia; +60 19-239 9818
Orinea Restaurant
Image credit: @orinea_restaurant/Instagram
Located in the heart of Gurney Bay at Sunrise @ Gurney, Orinea Restaurant is where you can indulge in a sensorial journey. Go ahead and make a reservation for the Ultimate Chef’s Tasting Menu. You will find that each dish is a work of art fusing technique and innovation. In addition, the restaurant offers a breathtaking view of Gurney Wharf.
Known for its iconic location, the Indigo restaurant located in the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion offers a dining experience like no other. Besides the beautiful blend of old-world charm and modern touches, Indigo is famed for merging Eastern and Western flavours. The seven-course tasting menu comprises Freshly Shucked Oysters, Bluefin Tuna Capellini, Grilled Wild Caught Jumbo Prawn, Pan-Roasted Hokkaido Scallop, Seared Foie Gras and beyond. Pick your mains between the Australian Wagyu Striploin, Lamb Rack and Pan-Roasted Atlantic Cod. If you can’t make it for dinner, try out the three-course lunch.
Discover the historical compound of the Hin Bus Depot if you’re planning a trip to the one Michelin-starred Restaurant Au Jardin. This restaurant serves Franco-Asian cuisine with the freshest ingredients available in season. Head Chef Kim Hock believes in sustainable sourcing, making your meal a satisfying experience. As for the menu, this eatery can cater to your dietary request. If you’re a vegetarian, check out ‘The Green’ Degustation with dishes such as the Russet Potato ‘Mille-Feuille’ and Kimchi Espuma. The degustation menu offers heavenly dishes like Butter Roasted Hens in the Wood and ‘Grand Caviar’ au Jardin. Discover the menu here.
We know that Malacca is famed for Portuguese Settlement, but do you know that Malacca serves exceptional seafood too?
Sourcing fresh seafood is quite hard in Singapore but here in Malacca, you can get the freshest seafood every day as the Straits of Malacca is just right beside the town!
Other unique things are you can enjoy the seafood dinner just beside the Straits of Malacca or enjoy the Nyonya style seafood in some of the restaurants here.
With 3 hours car ride from Singapore, you can have your seafood feast on the go.
So if you wonder where to find a good seafood in Malacca, you’re in the right place.
Keep reading…
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7 Best Seafood Restaurants In Malacca
1. Teo Soon Loong Seafood Restaurant (潮顺隆餐馆)
Teo Soon Loong is a humble Chinese restaurant well-known in offering delicious Teochew cuisines.
Their signature, Oyster Noodles is served on a huge plate. Generously topped with scallion and fresh oyster, the noodles are braised to the right sweetness and best to enjoy with black vinegar.
The best version of “Hae Cho”, Teochew dumplings is served here. Wrapped in the bean curd, the deep-fried dumplings have a very crispy exterior enclosing the flavourful pork and prawns filling. The Teochew steamed fish with ginger, tomatoes and salted mustard tastes great too.
Besides seafood, cuisines such as Bitter Gourd Pork Ribs, salted egg with chicken and their signature desserts – Teo Chew Yam Dessert must not be missed.
Because there’re less tables in the restaurant, we sincerely advise you to make a reservation beforehand to avoid disappointment.
Location: No.42 & 44, Jalan KPKS1, Kompleks Perniagaan Kota Syahbandar, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia. Contact: +606-288 0209 Opening Hours:
Daily: 12.00pm – 2:30pm, 6:00pm – 9:30pm
Closed on: Monday Facebook
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2. Restoran Aunty Fatso (夜来香海鲜家 [大肥嫂])
Restoran Aunty Fatso is located right beside the sea but there’s a fence that separates them. The meal is enjoyed outdoor under a big roof and there is no menu here. But you can always ask for the recommended dishes and the prices.
Again, Cheese Prawn Bee Hoon is the highlight. The light cheesy taste goes very well with the big head shrimps inside. Their ginger steamed crab, salted egg yolk squid and Mantis prawn meat shouldn’t be missed out too.
Also read: 12 Best Restaurants In Jonker Street
If talk about meat dish, they will always recommend you the pork rib king. It is so crispy and juicy. While for vegetables, the stir-fried Qing Long that cooked with garlic has an incredible taste too. Fresh, crunchy and a bit salty.
Lastly for beer lovers, they serve beer too.
Location: 39, Jalan Melaka Raya 8, Taman Melaka Raya, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia.
Contact: +6012-611 6996
Opening Hours:
Daily: 5:00pm – 10:00pm
3. Bert’s Garden Seafood
Bert’s Garden Seafood is truly the best place for a romantic dinner. While enjoying the seafood by the Straits of Malacca, you’ll feel the fresh breeze flows gently over your skin.
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Almost all seafood is grilled over the charcoal fire instead of deep-frying to make the meat tender and at the same time retain sweetness and freshness. The chef highly recommends you their special red snapper, giant prawns and crabs.
Also read: 13 Best Nyonya Food In Malacca
Topped with homemade sambal (chilli paste), the Grilled Red Snapper is presented to you on the banana leaves while the prawns are grilled with garlic and butter. On the other hand, the “Kam Heong” crabs are placed on curry leaves and topped with shrimp paste. You can opt for the famous black pepper crab too.
Bert’s offers different beverages ranging from fruit juices to wines. If you wish to have desserts after the meal, the Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream is the best choice here!
Location: 2078-C, Jalan Kampung Pinang, 76400 Tanjung Kling, Melaka, Malaysia.
Contact: +606-315 2213
Opening Hours:
Daily: 4:30pm – 12:30am
Closed on: Monday
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4. Restoran Tong Sheng (東昇園海鮮家)
Strategically situated in the Malacca Central, Restoran Tong Sheng attracts many customers including the local celebrities to their place by its signature food – Cheese Prawn Mee Hoon.
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Here, the Cheese Prawn Mee Hoon comes with 3 different portions, S, M and L. The cheese that melts in the gravy is added in the right amount, not too heavy to avoid the greasy feel. Besides, the prawns are always the freshest catch of the day.
Also read: 13 Famous Local Foods In Jonker Street
Another highlight here is the fresh milk crab that requires minimum order of 2 crabs. Though the name suggests fresh milk, the crabs boasts sour and sweet taste and tender meat. These dishes are complemented by their well-cooked vegetables.
A kind reminder for you is they charge the wet tissues and peanuts on the table. Politely inform them if you don’t want.
Note: very long queue especially during weekends and public holidays.
Location: No. 377 & 378, Jalan Melaka Raya 6, Taman Melaka Raya, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia.
Contact: +606-286 7811 / +6016-776 7811
Opening Hours:
Daily: 5:30pm – 11:00pm
Closed on: Alternate Mondays
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5. Monterios Portuguese Seafood Restaurant
Monterios Portuguese Seafood Restaurant is one of the hidden gems in Portuguese Settlement. Setting oldies music as background, both indoors and outdoors offers a warm ambience for dining.
The owner, Helen and Jane introduce the Portuguese-Chinese joining cuisines here. Their warm hospitality gradually becomes the highlight here besides the exceptional seafood. They really care about the quality of seafood they serve.
Their signature dishes ranges from salted egg crabs, scallops, prawns, lala, otak-otak, vegetables, and steamed or baked fish. The seafood is fresh, flavourful and comes in big portion. All the dishes are complemented by the additional sauces they provide.
They cook the chicken very well too. We recommend you the “Devils Chicken” which requires pre-order. For drinks, their mango juice is extremely refreshing, not too sweet and sour in overall.
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Location: 18C, Medan Portugis, Kampung Portugis, 75050 Melaka, Malaysia.
Contact: +6014-232 6769
Opening Hours:
Daily: 5:30pm – 2:00am
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6. Seafarer Restaurant Melaka
Located right on the beach, Seafarer Restaurant offers a splendid atmosphere which is even romanticized by the touching love songs that flows gently with the breeze. Either you choose to dine indoor or outdoor, both experiences are enjoyable and relaxing.
The restaurant cooks the seafood in various way. For the crabs and prawns, they can cook it with pepper, chilli, butter or sambal. While for the fishes, you can order the steamed red snapper that fully retained its original taste or the Asam Pedas Jelawat that tastes sour and spicy.
Apart from that, Seafarer serves great tom yam. The taste is pretty much decent and not overly spicy. Nyonya dishes is often rated excellent from most of the customers too.
Location: 1516, Jalan Batang Tiga, Tanjung Kling, 76400 Melaka, Malaysia.
Contact: +606-315 2693
Opening Hours:
Daily: 11:30am – 1:00am
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7. City Famous Seafood Melaka
City Famous Seafood Melaka serves delicious seafood and traditional Chinese cuisine under the sole roof. It is not certified as Halal but occasionally, you’ll find Malay customers around.
Asam Pedas Fish is the highlight dishes here. Different from the locally used asam, they hand-pick the Tamarind (asam jawa), mix it with their specially made chilli paste and eventually steam it with fish. Not too spicy yet full of flavour.
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Their prawns and squid that cooked with sambal are highly recommended too. It looks simple but very appetizing with rice. Some customers find it enjoyable as the squid is quite soft instead of the normal texture – chewy.
Other delectable dishes here include chilli fried kang kung, telor bom, tau foo and fried taugeh. However, the flaw is that the food price is slightly higher than other seafood restaurants.
Location: No.500, Taman Melaka Raya, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia.
Contact: +606-282 2768
Opening Hours:
Daily: 11:30am – 2:30pm, 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Closed on: Monday night
Feel like going on a café hopping adventure in your Malacca trip?
We’ve made you a list of the best cafes in Jonker Street!
The cafés below come with different unique themes and concepts ranging from rustic theme, western style, tropical rainforest to a contemporary cafe.
When the weather is extremely hot, they help you to stay cool and provide you with a resting spot.
With wide array of coffees and desserts offered, there must be one that could satisfy your afternoon tea cravings and coffee needs.
Check out these cafes in Malacca and take nice pictures to upload it on Instagram!
11 Best Cafes In Jonker Street
1. The Baboon House
The Baboon House is a charming café that boasts “Nature Feel”. The tranquil environment of the café shows a huge contrast to the lively Jonker Street outside.
Despite the laidback atmosphere, the café impresses customers with their delicious gourmet burgers and ground coffee.
The burgers come with homemade beef, chicken and pork and the portions are always bigger than other burger joints. Baboon Beef Burger and Oriental Chicken Burger are the most ordered burgers here.
Here, all coffee and hot tea comes with Danish cookies as sweet treat. Their creamy Vietnamese coffee is the must try.
While waiting for the food, customers can enjoy some quite moments by browsing magazines, reading book or inspecting delicate crafts on walls. They can play around with the owner’s cat and dog at the main entrance too.
Location: 89, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Kampung Bukit China, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia. Contact: +606-283 1635 Opening Hours:
Daily: 10:00am – 5:00pm
Closed on: Tuesday
2. Calanthe Art Cafe
If you are a coffee lover, Calanthe Art Café is definitely the perfect place for you. It stands as the pioneering and the only café in Malacca that serves all kinds of Malaysia’s 13 States Coffee.
Apart from that, the café even offers one-of-a-kind blend coffees like green tea coffee and the “Jealousy”, a thick espresso with mint syrup.
For non-coffee drinkers, they have ice-blended beverages such as Pink Lady and Cendol Ice Blenz. Variety of smoothies, soda mixes, milk shakes and teas are offered too. If you prefer alcoholic drinks, we recommend you the Bailey cocktail.
Alongside drinks, Calanthe experts in serving local food. They serve their own version of laksa and nasi lemak which are both flavourful and tasty.
After the meal, you can order their brownie with ice-cream or caramel slice as desserts. Both are the signature desserts here.
Location: 11, Jalan Hang Kasturi, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia. Contact: +606-292 2960 Opening Hours:
Sunday to Wednesday: 9:00am – 11:00pm
Friday & Saturday: 9:00am – 12:00am Facebook
3. The Daily Fix Cafe
The Daily Fix Café, which was once an old shophouse, had undergone renovation to offer customers a cosy environment in rustic feel. It is quite popular among teenagers because they like to upload their surroundings here on Instagram.
The café specialises in serving pancakes with different flavours. One of the highlights is their Local Pandan Pancake that comes with 5 pieces stuffed with sugar. Other desserts like brownies and cakes are offered too.
If you like to eat spaghetti, their Smoked Duck Aglio Olio is so well-cooked and the chilli and garlic seasoning are added to the perfect amount. The duck meat is not too fatty and you can change it with Char Siew as well.
If you love taking photographs, head to the indoor courtyard at the back for more scenic spots.
Location: 55, Jalan Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia. Contact: +606-283 4858 Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday: 9:00am – 11:30pm
Saturday & Sunday: 8:30am – 11:30pm Facebook
4. Rainforest Coffee Bean
Surrounded by ancient antique and furniture, Rainforest Coffee Bean creates a nostalgic ambience for us to enjoy their homemade coffee.
While walking in, you will first be greeted by their on-site shop that sells freshly grounded coffee powder such as Arabian coffee beans. For caffeine addict, this is the 100% original coffee beans from Arabian.
The café is located deeper inside. Beverages such as hot coffee, smoothies are offered here. You will definitely fall in love with their coffees that have a strong aromatic smell. If the weather is hot, order the ice-blended coffee to cool yourself down.
The creamy cheesecake is the highlight too. Caramelized on top, there are blueberries stuffed in between and a crust at bottom. Basically, it has 3 layers and the taste and texture are perfect in mouth.
Location: No.36 & 38, Jalan Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia. Contact: +606-284 0128 Opening Hours:
Monday to Thursday: 10:00am – 6:00pm
Friday to Sunday: 10:00am – 10:00pm
5. River View Cafe Melaka
As the name suggested, the café offers diners a picturesque view of Malacca River while they were enjoying the food. At night, the lights that reflecting on the river creates a very romantic ambience for dinner.
If the weather is nice, the outdoor seating is even more enjoyable. You can see the boats cruising by the river and the smiles of tourists on the boat could make your day.
The menu offerings are ranging from western food, local delicacies and the fusion of western and eastern food. Despite specialising in Malaysian’s all-time favourite such as Nasi Lemak, they serve excellent Malay classic food like beef rendang and Nasi Kemal too.
The café is very quiet and serene because it is located quite far from the main activity area of Jonker Street. It is best suited for those who want to stay alone too.
Location: 82, Jalan Kampong Pantai, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia. Contact: +6012-380 7211 Opening Hours:
Daily: 10:00am – 10:00pm
Closed on: Wednesday Facebook
6. Backlane Coffee
Tucked at the backside of Jonker Street, Backlance Coffee takes you away from the busy street and brings you to a totally serene environment.
There are wooden furniture, aged brick walls, and lots of antique items displayed as decorations. For instance, they have vintage phone, London Royal Guards and beautiful cups.
Despite homemade dishes like pizza, panini and breakfast sets, most customers are here for their aromatic coffees and desserts.
Besides, they offer many beverages which are good for health. For instance, they offer Handmade Brown Sugar Ginger Tea, Honey Jujube and Honey Citron.
In Malacca, there are not many cafés that offer Macaroon. So, if you are a Macaroon lover, this place is just right for you. The Macaroon here comes with 6 flavours and it tastes delicious!
Location: 129, Jalan Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia. Contact: +606-282 0542 Opening Hours:
Sunday to Thursday: 11:00am – 12:00am
Friday & Saturday: 11:00am – 1:00am Facebook
7. The Coffee Jar (呷咖啡)
Currently, lots of coffee shops are mushrooming in Malacca but The Coffee Jar stands out among all of them because of their passion in making authentic coffee.
Despite the taste, they highly emphasise on the art and the craft of the coffee, eager to serve you the best coffee in town.
Enter the coffee shop and you will be welcomed by several coffee roasters that are constantly roasting the coffee beans.
From classic cappuccino to a well-balanced ristretto, they don’t limit themselves in serving only black coffee. They learn more and keep on improving their coffee-making skills. This is why now we get to enjoy a high standard milk coffee and espresso-based coffee here.
Image credit: foodietopography.net
Apart from coffee, they offer cheese cakes and pies as complement to the coffee. All desserts are homemade and come with affordable prices.
Location: No.38, Lorong Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia. Contact: +6012-281 5100 Opening Hours:
Daily: 10:30 – 6:00pm
Closed on: Tuesday Facebook
8. Hard Rock Café Malacca
Idyllically situated beside the Malacca River, Hard Rock Café that offers great band performance has been attracting music enthusiasts to come over for dinner.
Lots of great artists and musicians have been invited to play crowd-favourite songs ranging from rock and roll, pop, jazz to blue music. Their performance mostly starts at 10:00pm.
Featuring indoor and outdoor dining area, the café boasts large portion food that are meant for people with big appetites.
Their Tex-Mex Menu offers Legendary burgers, Smokes (barbecued beef ribs and chicken), asam pedas fish and seafood char kuey teow. These are the highlight dishes here. For kids, they offer them a separate menu.
If you love to eat desserts, their laden with ice-cream Haagen Dazs is one that you would die for.
Location: No.28, Lorong Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia. Contact: +606-292 5188 Opening Hours:
Monday to Thursday: 11:30am – 1:00am
Friday to Sunday: 11:30am – 2:00am Facebook
9. The Stolen Cup
If you are finding a resting place in the hot afternoon around Jonker Street, do make a stop at The Stolen Cup. The humble café is beautifully decorated with old clocks, posters and wooden planks to give at rustic feel. Nice Bossa Nova music are played as background music too.
For coffee, the “Gula Melaka” latte is their highlight. The taste is quite unique and the Gula Melaka truly boosted the flavour of latte. You can have it iced during hot day.
Another special coffee here is curacao coffee and the curacao is flavoured with peels of oranges. Their caramel macchiato is highly recommended too.
If you never try salted egg croissant before, the one that offered here does not disappoint. Very well-toasted and has a crispy skin.
Location: 21A, Jalan Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia. Opening Hours:
Monday to Thursday: 9:00am – 6:00pm
Friday to Sunday: 9:00am – 11:00pm Facebook
10. Geographer Cafe
Geographer Cafe is quite famous in Malacca. Lies at the corner of the shopping street, customers are pleased to dine here because of their warm and elegant atmosphere. At night, it transforms into a tempting bar, offering enchanting nightlife to all of us.
Mouth-watering food are the main attraction of Geographer Cafe. They aim at providing fresh and healthy food to customers. As a result, most of the dishes here come with white meat, salad and soup. They even add fruits and yoghurt to their desserts.
For beverages, the café serves soft drinks, fruit juices, coffee, tea, liquors and even wines. Gula Melaka Layer Tea is their specially created drink. It tastes sweet and has three layers.
The café sells gifts and souvenirs too. Mugs, books, scarfs and T-shirts can be bought here for friends.
Location: 83, Jalan Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia. Contact: +606-281 6813 Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday: 10:00am – 1:00am
Saturday & Sunday: 9:00am – 1:00am Facebook
11. Kaya-Kaya Cafe Melaka
Make it a point to stop by the café when you are around Jonker Street.
Kaya-Kaya café is a beautiful vintage café in Melaka. The café is a reflection of Melaka City’s rich culture, history and traditions.
With ancient brick walls and wooden furniture, Kaya-Kaya Café take you to a time travel, probably decades ago. Head to the back of the building where you will find a courtyard. At the back, the café features a great mural wall which has been welcoming endless guests for pictures.
The café offers wholesome and hearty dishes. For breakfast, their Kaya Cheese Toast is the must-try. The kaya is creamy and it feels like melting in your mouth. They add some cheese to add some saltiness to the sweet taste. Start your day right with a hearty plate of Kaya Breakfast.
Another highlight is the Mushroom Omelette. The fluffy moist scrambled eggs are added with mushrooms in butter until a fragrant smell given off. Truly the taste of heaven.
Besides, their drinks have a special name. For instance, “See U Again” is a drink mixed with pandan leaves and lemongrass while “Welcome to Melaka” is soya milk mixed with gula melaka and grass jelly.
Location: 32, Jalan Tukang Besi, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia. Contact: +606-281 4089 Opening Hours:
Daily: 8:00am – 6:00pm Facebook
