Explore Penang A central hotel location for easy access to the city

Located close to the Esplanade in George Town, Fort Cornwallis stands as a testament to Penang’s colonial heritage. This well-preserved bastion fort, just a short drive from St Giles Wembley, offers visitors a fascinating glimpse into Malaysia’s past with cannons, prison cells, and historic artifacts. Visitors will appreciate this cultural landmark that tells the story of the island’s strategic importance.

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Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi showcases an impressive Chinese Clan House and Museum, open daily to visitors. This architectural masterpiece features ornate carvings, intricate decorations, and exhibits highlighting Chinese heritage in Penang. Travellers will appreciate this cultural attraction that offers insight into the community’s history and social structures.

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Housed inside a striking bright-green mansion, this heritage museum reveals precious Peranakan treasures that showcase the unique fusion of Chinese and Malay cultures. The mansion displays antique furniture, intricate beadwork, and elaborate embroidery that tell the story of the Straits Chinese community.

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Each of these seven wooden villages extending over water is owned by residents from a specific Chinese clan, offering a glimpse into traditional waterfront living. Just a short journey from accommodation near Penang tourist attractions, these historic settlements showcase unique lifestyle and architectural adaptations. Guests at St Giles Wembley can enjoy exploring these atmospheric wooden walkways that have served as home to fishing communities for generations.

Also known as the Padang Kota, the Esplanade combines culture, history and natural beauty in one accessible location. Visitors staying at St Giles Wembley will appreciate this scenic area that offers magnificent sea views, historic monuments, and recreational spaces. Perfect for travellers, the Esplanade provides a peaceful respite with its well-maintained promenade and green spaces.

©Malaysia Travel Guide

This former bus depot has been transformed into a vibrant cultural hub housing a gallery, events space, café and weekly market. Just a short journey from St Giles Wembley, this creative venue showcases contemporary art exhibitions, workshops, and performances that highlight Penang’s thriving arts scene.

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Discover a comprehensive collection showcasing modern and contemporary art at this cultural institution in George Town. Located near St Giles Wembley, this museum offers insights into Penang’s rich history and artistic heritage through carefully curated exhibits and educational displays.

Celebrate the diversity and vibrancy of Penang’s renowned cuisine at this interactive food museum. Perfect for visitors staying at St Giles Wembley, this unique attraction features supersized replicas of local dishes, educational exhibits about cooking techniques, and insights into the island’s food culture.

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Stroll around discovering George Town’s fascinating journey from port city to UNESCO World Heritage Site. The area surrounding St Giles Wembley offers a living museum of multicultural influences with its well-preserved shophouses, colonial buildings, and diverse religious structures. Visitors seeking business hotels in Penang will appreciate staying in this historic district where traditional trades continue alongside modern businesses in a vibrant urban setting.

Known informally as the ‘Blue Mansion’, this boutique hotel has UNESCO World Heritage status and showcases exceptional Chinese architecture and craftsmanship. Located within easy reach of St Giles Wembley, this indigo-hued mansion features 38 rooms, five courtyards, and 220 windows, reflecting the wealth and taste of its original owner.

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Located 20 minutes by car from St. Giles Wembley, Penang Hill is a hill resort comprising a group of peaks, hiking trails and botanical gardens. The hill is rich in biodiversity and has a great number of endemic species. Rise early to catch the first funicular trip up to Penang Hill and you won’t be disappointed by the incredible sights.

The Penang Snake Temple is a stunning piece of architecture that attracts many visitors every year. The main temple opens into a courtyard, allowing visitors to discover the beautiful garden and the Shrine Hall of Kuan Yin. Then follow the pathway and you will come across the best part of the temple, the “snake pool”, where you can get up close and personal with a bunch of venomous vipers and green tree snakes.

Tanjong Bungah Floating Mosque also known as the Penang Floating Mosque will appearing to be floating over the sea during high tide is actually built on stilts in the water. Located in Tanjung Bungah near George Town, this beautiful mosque features a mixture of Middle Eastern and local architecture and is built with a seven-storey high towering minaret that is used for announcing calls to prayer at different times of the day.

©Known History

Low-key and casual, but with a prestigious Michelin Bib Gourmand, this Cantonese establishment is a culinary crowd-pleaser. Located near St Giles Wembley, Tek Sen offers authentic flavours in a charming heritage setting, serving double-roasted pork, claypot dishes, and stir-fried vegetables.

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Sample Penang’s famous edible wares at this lively hawker centre in the heart of the city. Just a short journey from St Giles Wembley, this vibrant food paradise offers dozens of stalls serving local specialties and international dishes in a casual, open-air setting.

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A trio of heritage buildings encompassing shops, cafés, restaurants, galleries, live music and a bakery, China House offers a complete cultural experience. Located within easy reach of St Giles Wembley, this unique venue serves excellent Western and Asian cuisine alongside creative desserts, including their famous cakes.

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Gurney Food Court is one of the largest upscale food courts in Malaysia and offers the best of Penang on a plate. With more than 25 outlets, this is the go-to food court while you are here visiting the island.

This stall, recognised with a Michelin Bib Gourmand, has been serving exceptional char kuey teow for almost 40 years. Located a short journey from St. Giles Wembley, each plate is made to order and topped with shrimps, blood clams, pork sausage and bean sprouts, boasting lovely wok hei (breath of the wok). Visitors should opt for the enhancement of duck egg and extra chilli sauce for the full authentic experience of this iconic Penang street food. 

This famous laksa shop with a Michelin Bib Gourmand serves lai fun noodles in a sardine broth with exceptional depth and flavours. This stall complements the noodles with an array of condiments that allows diners to customize their experience. Visitors with larger appetites should order char koay teow with duck egg to accompany the laksa for a comprehensive taste of Penang’s renowned street food culture. 

This stall in Little India serves a delicious range of samosas including mutton, chicken, sardine, egg and vegetable varieties. Located within walking distance of St. Giles Wembley, these crispy-shelled treats contain flavoursome fillings that are moderately spicy and represent excellent value. Visitors will appreciate this accessible snack option that offers authentic Indian flavours at fair prices in the heart of George Town. 

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For over 40 years, this Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient has been making kway teow soup the same way—with duck, pork and fish cake in a broth bursting with umami. This stall enhances the silky duck with fried garlic and shallot bits for additional aroma. Visitors should expect to queue at peak hours for this authentic local specialty that represents the island’s diverse culinary heritage. 

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Started in 1969 by Hakka restaurateur-chef Chan Kok Hung, Double Dragon Inn (originally called Dragon Inn) enjoyed its heyday in the 1970s-80s for its freshly kneaded, stir-fried Hakka-style noodles. This intimate restaurant with around 60 covers remains a cherished institution amid George Town’s dining scene.  

©Hungry Onion

This casual, relaxing place with a Michelin Bib Gourmand features an open kitchen, a long counter table, and floor-to-ceiling windows. Communal Table serves a small à la carte dinner menu of modern dishes made with local ingredients, melding Peranakan and Malaysian cuisines. Visitors should try the signature aged duck breast in a steamed bun with crispy skin and secret sauce, followed by homemade gelato with interesting local twists like nutmeg harumanis and hor ka sai. 

With a caricature of the owner on its sign and a mural deconstructing its signature items, this Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient is a cheerful little gem bubbling with character. Laksalicious specialises in laksa, offering a choice between Nyonya assam laksa with sour, spicy fish broth or Nyonya laksa lemak with rich, creamy coconut milk broth. Visitors should enhance their meal with prawn crackers for added texture and try other popular items including crispy prawn fritters, nasi ulam, and gula melacca cendol. 

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Awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand, this stall is run by three sisters who inherited their father’s business, which began in 1963 selling char koay kak, a snack from their ancestral home of Teochew. These rice cakes are fried with impressive wok hei, the perfect amount of soya sauce, bean sprouts, egg, and spiciness. Visitors can customise their dish with optional hot sauce for an authentic taste of Penang’s street food heritage. 

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Since opening in 2006, this Michelin Bib Gourmand shop has been serving the owner’s family recipe with pride. This restaurant specializes in yam rice with pork soup, with an option to include pork offal. Visitors will appreciate the nicely cooked yam rice with strong shrimp flavour, the briny-sweet pork broth enhanced by pickled mustard green for tangy depth, and perfectly textured offal complemented by peppery, flavoursome pork balls.

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In 1933, the owner’s father founded a factory specializing in kuih, a broad term referring to various local cakes, dumplings, puddings, and pastries. This Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient opened a sit-down restaurant behind the factory in 2016 where guests can try freshly made kuih such as kuih lapis, kuih talam, ang koo, and Nyonya chang alongside a few Nyonya dishes. Visitors should head to the rustic patio with exposed brick walls and a vine-covered pergola for an atmospheric al fresco experience. 

©Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay

This Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant serves white curry mee in a coconut milk-based broth with a bowl of curry paste on the side, allowing diners to adjust the heat to their liking. Located near St. Giles Wembley, the restaurant offers curry paste for sale by the bottle, which takes two hours to hand-stir with dried shrimps and chillies. Visitors can pair their mee with deboned steamed chicken, spiced loh bak, or Teochew guang jiang, or try the clear broth noodle soup with chicken meatballs for a lighter option. 

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This Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient offers a short à la carte menu. Rasa Rasa is especially known for its Nyonya combo set built around pandan nasi lemak with your choice of toppings. Visitors will appreciate the rice plated on a banana leaf and topped with mildly hot homemade sambal, as well as specialities like Siam bihun (turmeric rice vermicelli with shredded omelette and sauces), rounded out with tub tim krob for dessert. 

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Once a factory, this retro-industrial space in Penang fizzes with energy from both the sizzling charcoal grill in the open kitchen and the fun, passionate service team. Lucky Hole specializes in chargrilled meats, seafood, and vegetables, with the wild-caught giant shrimps with crispy garlic crumbles and chilli oil being particularly popular. Visitors should finish their meal with the warm banana cake with Baileys ice cream, offering interesting contrasts in temperature. 

Find everything under one roof at Prangin Mall in the bustling heart of George Town. Just a short distance from St Giles Wembley, this popular shopping centre offers fashion outlets, electronic stores, dining options, and entertainment facilities across multiple levels.

Buy Indian snacks, sip chai and browse silks, saris, jewellery and more at George Town’s vibrant Little India. Located near St Giles Wembley, this colourful neighbourhood centered around Lebuh Pasar offers authentic Indian goods, spices, textiles, and street food. The oldest Hindu temple in Penang, Sri Mahamariamman Temple, adds cultural significance to this shopping experience.

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This swish mall is a modern treasure-trove with dining and entertainment options. Just a short journey from St Giles Wembley, 1st Avenue offers international brands, local boutiques, and a variety of food outlets across multiple levels.

Gurney Plaza is a waterfront shopping mall located in George Town. The nine-storey building is Penang’s premier lifestyle shopping mall and houses over 380 stores with brands such as Armani, Coach and Calvin Klein.