Best Croissants in Penang

The Alley Cafe has something that gets sweet-tooth fanatics bouncing off the walls. This hidden modish cafe is ideal for sugary desserts, cakes and exquisite coffees. The top selling dessert is their cronuts – a hybrid of croissants and donuts, which comes in four varieties – Salted Caramel, Cinnamon Sugar, Caramel and Nutella Chocolate. However, Nutella Chocolate hits the roof all the time, where rich slathers of Nutella chocolate are spread on both sides with almond flakes. The fluffy pastries just ignite with the thick, rich chocolate goodness.  Innovative and inspiring desserts turn first-timers into regulars with the first bite. Drooling for dessert in the early morning or at midnight? No worries, it’s open around-the-clock. 

Budan’s Brew Café is the one and only cafe along the tranquil Argus Road that serves merry-making breakfast and brunch. It’s a long-stretched cafe with nostalgic photos harmonising the walls and rustic coffee machines that get you leaping with joy. The croissants here are big in size and the simplest set comes with a cuppa of your choice, unsalted butter and assorted Heinz’s fruit jam. The Egg Salad and Tuna Croissants are part of the scrumptious list too. For those with truly big appetites, get their Big Sausage Combo that comes with scrambled egg, sausage, flaky croissant and a dollop of colourful greens. A quiet cafe with soothing music and good food, you’ll definitely bookmark this place in your head. 

Walk in while wafting the heavenly aroma of fresh bread and pastries; love is in the air and it’s soon to fill your tummy. Continental Bakery is easily spotted with a huge old-fashioned signboard and endless zealots rushing in and out - you might even wonder if they are giving pastries away for free. From healthy loaves to cakes, everything is worth a shot and their butter croissants here are among the front-runners. Traditional croissants fresh and hot from the oven; stack up your croissants into the plastic bag and wander around Georgetown while munching delightfully.

This Australian-influenced cafe is the latest cutting-edge cafe in town that has a booming reputation for their smorgasbord pastries and charming brunches. To further evoke your craving, their bakery chef has recently earned the National Global Master Chef recognition. Croissants are hand crafted wonderfully, giving it a crusty texture and served with homemade dulcet marmalade and blueberry jam. If you’re a bread buff, just dig into the Bread Basket – fruit tarts, Pain Au Chocolat, German Rye, bouncy breads plus a Long Black which has bagged the Golden Bean award.  It’s surely the best place to crack open your laptop, sip freshly-brewed coffee on comfy cushions or enjoy gentle rays of sunlight at their lovely garden section. 

The best of both worlds – fresh bakery and hipster cafe located side by side. It’s habitually engulfed with backpackers and those trailing street murals around Georgetown. This rustic cafe is well known for their bagels and homemade yogurt with assorted toppings, yet their croissants are worth mentioning too. The chocolate croissants at Rainforest Bakery have the perfect blend of sweetness; not overpowering the actual croissant itself. Chomp down your croissants with a mugshot of yogurt while watching the lively Chulia Street scenes. 

If your belly is begging for authentic coffee choices and croissants, you’ve got to find this double storey colonial building at Nagore Road. It’s the perfect place to start your day or wind down after work. Instagram-worthy with its  tree branch and bamboo decorations, the croissants here are amazing and come with various condiments – traditional butter and jam, cream cheese, bacon, scrambled egg or smoked salmon. Many find this place as an institution of coffee as their coffee stamps that sensational aftertaste that craves you for more. Fresh beans of Sumatra Arabica Coffee and Bali Robusta are among the crowd-pullers and you can buy home their beans too. Amble around the little garden with your blissful cup of coffee while appreciating soothing music.