Malaysia - UNESCO World Heritage-listed Capital of Malaysia's Penang island

Georgetown, Penang in 2025: A Year of Returning.

I've genuinely lost count of how many times I visited Georgetown, Penang in 2025.

There were quick getaways.

Spontaneous weekends.

Industry events.

And a few trips where "I felt like going" seemed like a perfectly reasonable reason to book another flight north.

At some point, I stopped counting.

The funny thing is, the more I visit Georgetown, the less it feels like a destination and the more it feels like a place I naturally return to.

Like that restaurant where the staff already know your order before you sit down.

Only this one comes with heritage shophouses, cocktails, and dangerously good food.

Three trips stood out more than the rest this year: my sister's wedding, Penang Cocktail Week, and a trip where I got to introduce friends to some of my favourite places around the city.

May: A Family Wedding at Seven Terraces#

One of the most memorable trips of the year was for my sister's wedding at Kebaya Dining Room, located within Seven Terraces.

The venue was beautiful.

Old-world Penang charm, elegant without trying too hard, and the kind of setting that felt perfect for the occasion.

It was one of those rare moments where everything just seemed to fit.

Beyond the wedding itself, it was another reminder of why Georgetown remains special.

There aren't many cities that balance history, culture, food, and hospitality quite as effortlessly as Penang does.

September: Penang Cocktail Week 2025#

September brought me back for Penang Cocktail Week 2025.

Every year, it seems to get bigger, better, and more exciting for the regional bar industry.

But honestly, what I enjoy most about events like this isn't the cocktails.

It's the people.

For a few days, Georgetown fills up with bartenders, bar owners, brand ambassadors, and industry friends from all over the world.

It's a chance to catch up with people I often only see once or twice a year.

There are conversations about new bars, industry trends, travel stories, and occasionally things that absolutely should not be repeated outside the bar.

One of the highlights was RUM & YUM, the collaboration between Rembar and Fifty Tales.

Great drinks.

Great food.

Great company.

Which, if you ask me, is exactly what cocktail festivals should be about.

November: Showing KC & Celeste Around Georgetown#

My November trip felt a little different.

This time, KC and Celeste came along, and I somehow found myself playing tour guide.

Which mostly meant taking them from one meal to another, with a few cocktails in between.

So basically, a standard Georgetown itinerary.

One of our dinner stops was Sood by Chef Ton.

The restaurant made a fantastic first impression.

The décor, ambience, and overall atmosphere were beautifully done.

The space felt polished, refined, and thoughtfully designed.

Unfortunately, the food didn't quite keep up.

It wasn't bad by any means.

But it was one of the few meals where all three of us agreed that the dishes didn't quite live up to the expectations created by the space itself.

Thankfully, Georgetown has a habit of giving you another great place around the next corner.

Bars We Enjoyed#

A few bars stood out during the trip.

Good Friends Club immediately won us over with its energy, hospitality, and overall vibe.

It felt lively without being overwhelming, and the team made everyone feel welcome from the moment we walked in.

The kind of place where one drink somehow turns into several.

We also visited Steep Social, a relatively new bar focusing on tea-based and tea-inspired cocktails.

The oriental-inspired interior gave the space a strong identity, while the drinks showcased tea in ways that felt thoughtful and creative rather than gimmicky.

Then there was The Nest Cocktail Bar.

Probably one of the most unique experiences of the trip.

Every cocktail comes paired with a tapas dish.

Sounds straightforward enough.

Except after a while, we realised we weren't choosing drinks anymore.

We were choosing food.

The conversation shifted from:

"What cocktail should we order?"

to

"Which tapas do we want next?"

One cocktail arrived with a massive scallop.

Decision made.

The Nest somehow created a cocktail menu where the food was influencing the drinks order, not the other way around.

Small Places was a completely different experience.

A café by day.

A coffee-focused cocktail bar by night.

And also the owner's studio.

The attic adds even more character to the space.

It felt cosy, intimate, and refreshingly unpretentious.

The kind of place where you sit down for one drink and suddenly realise two hours have disappeared.

Given its coffee roots, the coffee was excellent.

The cocktails cleverly incorporated coffee techniques and flavours without feeling forced.

It was also a nice change of pace from some of Georgetown's busier venues.

Of course, not every stop was a winner.

There were a few places that all three of us collectively agreed had missed the mark.

But that's part of exploring any city's food and bar scene.

Sometimes the places you expect the least from become favourites.

And sometimes the places you're most excited about don't quite click.

The One Place I Always Return To#

If there's one place that became a constant throughout all my Georgetown trips in 2025, it's Rembar.

Tucked within The Courtyard on Lebuh Pantai, it's located on one of Georgetown's most historic streets.

Lebuh Pantai dates back to 1786 and perfectly captures what makes Georgetown special.

Colonial architecture sits beside heritage shophouses.

International banks share the street with modern cafés.

Street art appears where you least expect it.

The whole area feels historic and constantly evolving at the same time.

Maybe that's why Rembar fits so naturally there.

Across all my trips this year, it was the one restaurant I deliberately returned to again and again.

The food was consistently excellent.

But what keeps pulling me back isn't just what's on the plate.

It's the people.

The hospitality at Rembar is genuinely special.

Over multiple visits, the team has always made me feel welcomed rather than simply served.

There's a warmth and sincerity that turns first-time guests into returning customers.

And returning customers into friends.

These days, a meal at Rembar has become less of a recommendation and more of a ritual whenever I'm in Georgetown.

Great food gets you through the door.

Great hospitality gives you a reason to keep coming back.

My Regular Base in Georgetown#

For all these trips, I stayed at JEN Penang by Shangri-La.

The biggest advantage is simple.

Location.

Most of the places I wanted to eat, drink, visit, or wander through were either within walking distance or a short ride away.

It makes exploring Georgetown incredibly easy.

The only downside is that it's located along a busy road, so it doesn't quite have the same charm as some of Georgetown's boutique heritage hotels.

But convenience wins.

And apparently, convenience wins repeatedly because I keep booking it.

Why Georgetown Keeps Pulling Me Back#

If you asked me how many times I visited Georgetown in 2025, I'd probably need a moment to work it out.

What I do know is that every trip felt different.

Some visits were about family.

Some were about the hospitality industry and catching up with friends from around the world.

Others were simply about introducing people to a city I genuinely enjoy.

Yet somehow, every trip shared the same ingredients.

Good food.

Great drinks.

Warm hospitality.

Familiar faces.

For a city I've visited more times than I can count, Georgetown still manages to give me new reasons to return.

And honestly, that's probably why I'll end up booking another flight there again soon.