BEST SPECIALTY COFFEE IN GEORGETOWN
BY TREMOR CHRIST
Home to some achingly charming architecture, along with South East Asia's top 3 best street foods, Georgetown had a rather mediocre coffee scene until recently. Within the last 6-7 years, a new crop of shops has sprung up with a mission to eliminate the sickly sweet, charcoal black coffee usually mixed with condensed milk and served over ice in a bright plastic beaker.
No, those days are fading into the past, and a new dawn is rising. A sunrise of third-wave coffee, a speciality marathon where participants spread out across the city all bringing something unique to the table.
Sure you can still grab your cup of Instagrammable brew if all you care about is your followers, and then drown back into depression as soon as the photo is taken, but these cafes also offer a proper exploration for the coffee hunters. Some are better known for espresso, some for cold brews, V60, but all of them take their bean roasting seriously and are knowledgeable about what they are serving.
If it's your first time visiting a speciality coffee shop, don't ever feel stupid for asking questions. It shows you're interested and most baristas are more than happy to guide you through their products and find something that suits your taste!
Below are our favourite places in Georgetown, after visiting for over 25 years. The first 15 years were brutal, but things have moved up a notch!
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#THEMOUTHSCHOICE
LUNABAR
Residential coffee shops are a thing in Malaysia, and Lunabar is no exception. Located down a leafy pathway lies this temple to roasts and grinds. Cool interiors, super friendly staff, knowledgable baristas and well-read menus make it the perfect first stop on your Georgetown coffee musings.
MUNDANE
Oddly named Mundane, is anything but. A Malaysia Aeropress Champion runs this charming little cafe that opens at 6am (early birds take note), and serves espresso, pourover and of course Aeropress. The perfect place to make your regular cafe.
WELLS CAFE
This offshoot of a Taiwanese cafe sits proudly in the middle of the hip Hin Depot area, though offers a nice upstairs area to sit and contemplate the flavour profiles of your cup.
Light roast is on the menu here, and we're all for it!
OME BY SPACEBAR
Ome take their coffee seriously and maintain a consistency that is hard to match in Malaysia. With a variety of single-origin beans for filter coffee, and espresso, plus a food menu, it remains a vital part of the Penang coffee scene.
If they happen to have some light-roast coffee from KL based roaster Pablo, then be sure to order a cup of pour-over.
A SOAR COFFEE
A small hidden gem boasting various light roast beans to satisfy your cravings. The owner is a fountain of knowledge and he has a cat. Nuff said!
NINE LIVES
Open to the public only on Thursdays due to their workload roasting beans for multiple cafes in town, this is one of Penang's hidden gems. Drink fantastic pour-over coffee, watch them roast, and have a good discussion about Malaysian coffee trends, this is a "must do" if you happen to be here on a Thursday.
ALTERTASTE
Not to be confused with nearby Aftertaste, this corner cafe serves excellent filter coffee and espresso-based milk drinks. Roasting their own beans means they have control over the consistency of the cups.
DOUBLE CHECK
Recommended by the excellent Ome by Spacebar, this new arrival on the Georgetown coffee scene is helmed by May, an ex-office worker who decided to change track and focus on her passion: coffee.
The rules here are simple, no laptops, no wifi, just vibes. Coffee beans are provided by the excellent
Afloat in KL, and a few pastries and cakes are sold in the glass cabinet.
Your quintessential neighborhood cafe.
ORCABREW
Sliced in a tiny alley behind the New World Park complex, this airy coffee shop specialise in all things lustful. Baked goods, sweet espresso based drinks, but most importantly a good selection of medium roast pourovers.
SLOW COFFEE PERSON COFFEE BAR
Ring a bell to get into this charming little specialty coffee shop near Chulia Street. The owner started as a home-brewer and took the addiction to the next level. Think hand-picked beans (from local roaster Tongue Mission amongst others), cosy little nooks and crannies to sit in, and tons and tons of coffee equipment and memorabilia decorating the place.
THE ALLEY
This gem behind the Goddess of Mercy Temple brew some exceptional espresso-style coffee served with a smile. Pour-overs are also available with a few different subscription roasts and their own beans. They have a tiny outdoor seating area if the weather is mild enough, which, lets face it, never is in Georgetown.
AE
Located next to Ah Boy Koey Teow, this little coffee shop does pastries and pour-over in equal measure. Manual espresso machines for those who prefer flat whites or cappuccino's, and cool interiors to hide from the midday sun.
SWEETBAR
An espresso bar that offers 2 different styles for pourover, hit this place if you are already through a few of the others on the list. Good coffee, and a selection of beans and dripbags to buy for your hotel room or friends at home.
JING SI
An oasis of tranquility in Penang. A bonafide refuge. Welcome to all as long as you take your shoes off, this Buddhist bookstore serves up some addictive ice tea to combat the furnace outside. We know it's not coffee, but this is a gem everyone should experience.
Rabble rousers and loud people need not apply.
