Pub/night club, Penang

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George Town's prime nightlife area is ensconsed on Upper Penang Road, where English pubs like The Tiger Arms and the music pumping nightclubs of Momo, Glo and Slippery Senoritas stay open well into the morning. As well as these you'll also find Penang's hippest eateries along this road which has been pedestrianised. Here you'll find Segafredo Coffee along with candlelit restaurants hosting a range of Western, fusion, Japanese and French cuisines.

Or to give it its correct name, Soho Freehouse, this lively pub is well located near to the backpacker area of Lebuh Chulia and I popped in here a few times for a relaxing beer. There's a good choice of continental food and beer plus they have pool tables and foosball and TV's downstairs plus a really large one upstairs for watching sports.

Having bored of the bright lights & disco beat of the Upper Penang Rd I decided I wanted to listen to music that the locals listened to in a venue that was preferably devoid of tourists.
After engaging the opinion of a group of taxi drivers I opted for a 'Dangdut' nightclub called 'Queens' which is situated in the Queensbay Mall area of Penang, taxi cost RM30 from Penang Rd.

I had never heard of Dangdut before & was informatively enlightened that it is a fusion of Indonesian/Malay/Indian music. Intriguing indeed!
As the taxi approached my destination I could already hear the rhythmic beat emanating from this place & I thought WOW, this place rocks!

Upon entering (no cover charge) the welcome I got was both enthusiastic & very friendly & the sound & light system was; well awesome.
The place was packed & the music was definitely different to the regurgitated sounds emitted from the popular Georgetown venues, but best of all there was a live Dangdut Band & they were superb.
The best way to describe Dangdut would be a measured blend of teasing singing, electrified effects, rock guitar, with the gendang drums & flutes clear but not overwhelming in the background.

I felt content that my desire for an alternative night out listening to local music had been fulfilled, it was a fantastic night out & Queens is one venue I would highly recommend especially if you are seeking an alternative music scene.

It Rocks!

Dress Code: It did not seem apparent if there were any dress restrictions, there were no indications of any at the entrance & the staff on duty did not inform me of any such restrictions.

I would imagine that smart/casual is the order of the day judging by the attire of other patrons of the establishment.

these places are a great little spot for families and non families alike with both places side by side it can get hard to tell which is which
they have a great selection of food and drinks but the cocktails are a bit limited,its is usually a very quiet place with only the gentle lapping of the waves on the beach a great spot to go and enjoy a good beer with your mates.

but.....
on most fridays dont be surprised to see about 10-15 white 14-16 year olds from the international school sitting at some tables ordering beers and shots untill all hours of the morning, but dont let this put you off as the students are mostly quiet and polite and keep thier buisness to themselvs. otherwise i your in penang stop off and enjoy this wonderful bar

Dress Code: no dress code casual

In Penang there are a lot of different night clubs... The biggest part situated at Penang Upper Road.

The area around SOHO is full of "Ladyguys," and there are a lot of western and indian people at Soho. Still its a very nice place with great music and a dancefloor.

Else there is Momo, new opened disco - very nice. Outside it looks like a hotel with beach chairs, lying chairs, live music and good bartenders in the bar.

GLO is also a nice place with dancefloor.

Slippery Senoritas is a great place if you want to catch some live music and modern music in the breakes.

Finally we have Chill Out and Mambo. 3 discos at the same place. You can go from one to another in the same building. Its situated at Gurney Tower and surrounded by Coffe Bean and Starbucks. Really a nice place, but the music is loud.... They play 3 different types of music... Dance, hip hop R`n`b, live music....

Just across the bridge, in Butterworth, there are a big party area too called Auto City. There they have a SOHO 2. And alot of other Disco. At Discovery they play hardcore techno....

Dress Code: No dresscode

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Opened 8 years ago and still as popular as ever. Couple of years ago, they opened the second level, after closing down the other branch "SOHO Beach Club @ Batu Ferringhi".So, now you can enjoy two floors of entertainment with different concepts for a splendid night out: ground floor provides up-beat music to party all night long and for people watching, very interesting characters on the ground floor.(If you think it's a girl sitting next to you, do a double take). On the second level, is for those who like to chill out in classy Victorian surroundings.
This has been my wateringhole for 8 years. The reason why I keep going back year after year - it's the people. From the owner Dave, Richard the manager, to DJ Joel and all the other staff have always made me feel so at home in their company. Especially Richard, for all the time that I was there, he has taken care of me, and took me to some of the most fantastic eating places in Penang.

Dress Code: Casual, leave the coats and tie in the hotel room!

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About 100 m from Grand Plaza Park Royal, right on the beach under a big shady tree is SUNSET BISTRO. An ideal setting for an afternoon beer on the beach and as the day winds down, a nice place to relax with your Tiger, and enjoy the sea breeze.
You can either sit at the bar, verandah or right on the beach - that's a front row ticket to an evening sunset.
A chilled Tiger, samosas and chicken wings, is highly recommended.

Dress Code: Casual wear, beach wear, but not in your birthday suit.

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I guess if you're young, restless and loaded with ringgit in Penang, the best place to hang out would be SegaFredo at Upper Penang Road ( close to E&O hotel). The last time I was there at a long weekend, there were throngs of trendy young locals over there sipping on RM12 expressos and celebrating Halloween at the same time with ghastly face paint . Funny I just don't see the relation between horror and caffeine. As for me, I didn't give a damm how chic this place was and the last thing I wanted to do was to cover my face with faux blood. I was there because I was desperate for a good cuppa and the local brew (RM1) somehow just didn't satiate my caffeine addiction. I needed good strong expresso! After making a couple of checks, I discovered this joint and Gloria Jean's@ The Garage ( right in front of E&O). But I settled for this place as it serves a better range of coffee at cheaper prices and I could have the option of taking my drinks al fresco. Suits me just fine. I had an expresso followed by a choc milkshake ( choc shiok) out in the open and people-watched the whole night long.

Try: The Choc Milkshake, it's thick and deliciously cold and creamy
Avoid:The Tiramisu. Ghastly Taste, no lady's fingers and definitely no Tia Maria.