Penang gets celebrated for char kuey teow, assam laksa and nasi kandar, and somewhere in all that noise the state’s grilled fish quietly goes underrated. That is a shame, because ikan bakar here is one of the most honest meals you can eat: a whole fish scored, slathered in sambal, wrapped in banana leaf and pushed over hot charcoal until the edges catch. No frills, no plating, just smoke and heat doing the work.
The catch is that the best ikan bakar in Penang rarely sits where tourists look. The heartland is out on the mainland, along the roadsides of Kepala Batas and Permatang Pauh, where kitchens open for lunch and close the moment the fish runs out. The island has its own scene too, mostly after dark, in fishing villages and seafront lots that only come alive once the sun drops.
We went through the Google listings, kept only the places rated 4.0 and above that are still trading, dropped anything that turned out to be a cafe or a seafood house in disguise, and ranked what was left by how many diners have actually reviewed them. Here are the 10 best ikan bakar spots in Penang, starting with the one the most people have weighed in on.
What Makes Penang Ikan Bakar Worth the Drive?
Ikan bakar lives or dies on three things: the freshness of the fish, the sambal, and the air asam. The fish is usually picked from a chiller at the front, so you point at what you want, and it goes straight onto the grill. Kembung, bawal, pari and selar are the usual suspects, and the price moves with the size and the season, so ask before you commit.
The sambal is where each kitchen shows its hand. Some lean sweet, some go hard on the chilli, and the good ones char it slightly against the banana leaf so it turns smoky rather than raw. Then comes the air asam, that sour tamarind dip loaded with chilli, shallots and torch ginger, which cuts straight through the oil. Ladle it over rice, not just the fish. Most places round the meal out with ulam, budu and a spread of nasi campur dishes, which is why a plate of ikan bakar rarely travels alone.
Island or Mainland: Where Should You Go for Ikan Bakar in Penang?
Worth knowing before you plan your drive: half this list sits on the mainland. Seberang Perai, and Kepala Batas in particular, is the real engine room of Penang ikan bakar, and those kitchens keep farmers’ hours. They open mid morning, serve the lunch rush, and shut by late afternoon once the fish is gone. If you are coming over the bridge from the island, go early or go hungry, and check the rest day, because most close one or two days a week.
The island flips the clock. Spots around Teluk Tempoyak, Batu Maung and Batu Uban are evening and supper affairs, several running past midnight, which suits a late dinner after a day out in George Town or a flight landing at Bayan Lepas. They also tend to sit by the water, so you are trading the mainland’s kampung roadside charm for a sea breeze. Neither is better. Just match the spot to the hour you are actually free.
Table of Contents
- 1. Restoran Ikan Bakar Din
- 2. Bayu Shellout & Ikan Bakar
- 3. Medan Ikan Bakar Teluk Tempoyak
- 4. Adrianna Ikan Bakar (Sungai Dua)
- 5. Idrus Ikan Bakar
- 6. Restoran Nelayan Terapung Ujong Batu
- 7. Restoran Ikan Bakar Amzar
- 8. Nurul Ikan Bakar Penang Seafood City
- 9. Restoran Kak Cik Ikan Bakar Kepala Batas
- 10. Anjung Ikan Bakar Nory
1. Restoran Ikan Bakar Din
More Penang diners have reviewed Din than any other ikan bakar spot in the state, and it has held its rating while doing it. Sitting along Jalan Butterworth in Kampung Permatang Manggis, it is the classic Kepala Batas roadside operation: you turn up, you pick your fish, and it comes off the charcoal blistered and dripping. The nasi campur spread beside the grill is half the reason regulars keep coming, so leave room. Note the hours, because this is a lunch kitchen that closes by late afternoon and takes Thursday and Friday off. Come before the good fish disappears.
Operating Hours: Sat–Wed 10:30 am – 4:00 pm; Thu & Fri Closed
Address: 6735, Jalan Butterworth, Kampung Permatang Manggis, 13200 Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang
Tel: 04-575 8602
Google Review: View on Google
Google Map: Navigate Now
2. Bayu Shellout & Ikan Bakar
Parked inside the Batu Maung Foodies lot near the Second Bridge, Bayu pairs grilled fish with a full shellout menu, which makes it an easy sell when the table cannot agree. Diners single out the air asam here, and the kailan ikan masin is the side that keeps getting ordered alongside the fish. It is an evening operation that runs late, so it suits a supper run after a day around Batu Maung or a late arrival at the airport nearby. Bring a group, order across both the grill and the shellout, and give the kitchen time when it gets busy.
Operating Hours: Wed–Mon 5:00 pm – 11:30 pm; Tue Closed
Address: Batu Maung Foodies, Lilitan Batu Maung, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Tel: 011-1308 3706
Google Review: View on Google
Google Map: Navigate Now
3. Medan Ikan Bakar Teluk Tempoyak
Teluk Tempoyak is a working fishing village tucked behind Batu Maung, and eating grilled fish there is about as close to the source as you get on the island. The medan opens in the evening and trades until late, with the water right there and boats in view, which is a setting no air-conditioned restaurant can fake. Point at what you want from the chiller, then let the charcoal and the sambal do the rest. It gets busy on weekends and it is casual and open air, so dress for the heat and go for the atmosphere as much as the fish.
Operating Hours: Tue–Sun 5:30 pm – 11:00 pm; Mon Closed
Address: Jalan Teluk Tempoyak Besar, Kampung Teluk Tempoyak Kecil, 11960 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Tel: 019-413 2572
Google Review: View on Google
Google Map: Navigate Now
4. Adrianna Ikan Bakar (Sungai Dua)
Adrianna carries the highest diner rating on this list, which is not a small thing for a kitchen doing this kind of volume. The pitch is Kuala Perlis style ikan bakar, brought south to Sungai Dua in Butterworth, and it clearly landed. It runs from late afternoon to midnight, making it the mainland answer for anyone who cannot make the Kepala Batas lunch window. The brand has since spread to other outlets, but Sungai Dua is the one with the deepest following. Go with a few people so you can order more than one fish and work through the sides.
Operating Hours: Tue–Sun 4:00 pm – 12:00 am; Mon Closed
Address: Jalan Perusahaan Sungai Lokan 3, Sungai Dua, 13800 Butterworth, Pulau Pinang
Tel: 019-500 8222
Google Review: View on Google
Google Map: Navigate Now
5. Idrus Ikan Bakar
Ask an islander where to get grilled fish at 11pm and Idrus comes up fast. Sitting opposite the marine police station off the Sungai Nibong stretch in Batu Uban, it opens late afternoon and keeps the charcoal going until 1am, every single day of the week. That reliability is the whole appeal. No rest day to remember, no lunch window to race, just fish over fire whenever the craving lands. It is a proper open air supper spot with a steady late night crowd, easy to reach from Gelugor and the USM side, and exactly the sort of place you end up at after everything else has closed.
Operating Hours: 4:30 pm – 1:00 am (Daily)
Address: 3, Lebuh Raya Sungai Nibong, Kampung Batu Uban, 11700 Gelugor, Pulau Pinang
Tel: 012-452 8858
Google Review: View on Google
Google Map: Navigate Now
6. Restoran Nelayan Terapung Ujong Batu
A floating fishermen’s restaurant out at Bagan Dalam in Butterworth, this one has been feeding locals since long before anyone was posting photos of it. The fish is the draw and the ikan bawal is what regulars point newcomers towards, whether grilled or fried. Everything is no fuss: plenty of parking, easy seating, no air conditioning, and a menu built on whatever came in. It only runs a lunch service and closes on Sundays, so this is a weekday or Saturday midday plan. Go early in the sitting, because the variety thins out as the afternoon wears on.
Operating Hours: Mon–Sat 10:00 am – 3:00 pm; Sun Closed
Address: Bagan Dalam, 12100 Butterworth, Pulau Pinang
Tel: 018-403 2128
Google Review: View on Google
Google Map: Navigate Now
7. Restoran Ikan Bakar Amzar
Out in Kampung Pertama along Jalan Permatang Pauh, Amzar is the sort of kitchen that runs on regulars rather than reviews. It opens at nine in the morning and closes by five, which tells you exactly what it is: a daytime nasi campur and grilled fish house serving the surrounding kampung. You queue, you look at what is laid out, you take what appeals, and the fish comes off the grill to order. Thursday is the rest day, so plan around it. If you are exploring the Permatang Pauh and Seberang Perai side and want an unhurried local lunch, this is a solid stop.
Operating Hours: Fri–Wed 9:00 am – 5:00 pm; Thu Closed
Address: Kampung Pertama, Jalan Permatang Pauh, 13700 Permatang Pauh, Pulau Pinang
Tel: 012-400 5141
Google Review: View on Google
Google Map: Navigate Now
8. Nurul Ikan Bakar Penang Seafood City
The Seafood City outlet at Persiaran Bayan Mutiara is the strongest of the Nurul spots on the island, and it is built for a crowd. Opening mid afternoon and running past midnight, later still on weekends, it handles big groups and late finishes better than the smaller roadside operations. Grilled fish sits alongside a broad seafood menu, so this works when half your table wants ikan bakar and the other half wants crab or prawns. It is a short hop from Gelugor and the Bayan Lepas corridor. Handy when you want the food without the kampung drive.
Operating Hours: Mon–Thu 3:00 pm – 12:30 am; Fri–Sun 3:00 pm – 1:30 am
Address: 25, Persiaran Bayan Mutiara 3, 11700 Gelugor, Pulau Pinang
Tel: 019-747 4727
Google Review: View on Google
Google Map: Navigate Now
9. Restoran Kak Cik Ikan Bakar Kepala Batas
Kak Cik sits in Taman Aman Putera and keeps to the Kepala Batas rhythm: doors open at ten, fish off the grill through the lunch hours, shut by four, closed Wednesdays. It is a homely, unpretentious kitchen rather than a destination restaurant, and that is precisely why the neighbourhood keeps it busy. Expect the familiar format of grilled fish with sambal and air asam, a run of nasi campur dishes on the side, and prices that make a proper lunch easy. If Din is packed out or shut on one of its rest days, this is the sensible fallback a few minutes away.
Operating Hours: Thu–Tue 10:00 am – 4:00 pm; Wed Closed
Address: 1, Lorong Aman Putera 1, Taman Aman Putera, 13200 Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang
Tel: 012-587 1469
Google Review: View on Google
Google Map: Navigate Now
10. Anjung Ikan Bakar Nory
Nory rounds out the list with the best rating of the Kepala Batas group, earned off a smaller but notably happy crowd. Out at Kampung Paya Keladi, it breaks the local pattern by opening late afternoon and trading to midnight, which makes it the rare mainland option for a proper ikan bakar dinner rather than a rushed lunch. The setting is kampung through and through, open air and relaxed, the kind of place where nobody minds if you sit for an extra hour. Tuesday is the rest day. Worth the detour if you are heading up the north Seberang Perai way in the evening.
Operating Hours: Wed–Mon 4:30 pm – 12:00 am; Tue Closed
Address: Lot 906-F, Jalan Paya Keladi, Kampung Paya Keladi Hujung, 13200 Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang
Tel: 012-239 1396
Google Review: View on Google
Google Map: Navigate Now
Which Ikan Bakar in Penang Should You Try First?
If you only have one shot at it, let the clock decide. Free at lunch and willing to cross the bridge? Point the car at Kepala Batas and try Din, with Kak Cik as backup if the queue or the rest day defeats you. Only free after dark on the island? Idrus never closes on you, and Teluk Tempoyak gives you the sea breeze with it. Feeding a mixed group who cannot agree on anything? Bayu or Nurul Seafood City will keep everyone quiet.
Two habits will save your trip. Check the rest day before you drive, because almost every kitchen on this list closes at least one day a week, and go early in the service rather than late. Ikan bakar is a first come, first served business, and the best fish is gone long before the shutters come down. Get there while the charcoal is still hot.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ikan Bakar in Penang
Is ikan bakar in Penang halal?
Ikan bakar in Malaysia is a Malay culinary tradition and the kitchens on this list are Malay run, so pork is not part of the picture. That said, formal certification varies from stall to stall and can change over time, so if halal status matters to your table, check the latest certification with the outlet before you go rather than assuming.
How much does ikan bakar cost in Penang?
It depends entirely on the fish. Smaller everyday options like kembung or selar keep a meal genuinely cheap, while bawal, pari or anything sized for sharing costs more, and prices shift with the season and the catch. Most places price the fish by weight or by piece from the chiller, so ask what you are paying before it hits the grill. Add rice, ulam and a drink and you are still looking at an affordable meal by Penang standards.
What is the best time to go for ikan bakar in Penang?
Go early in whichever service you are targeting. The mainland spots around Kepala Batas and Permatang Pauh are lunch operations that open mid morning and close by late afternoon, and the selection thins out as the day goes on. The island spots at Batu Maung, Teluk Tempoyak and Batu Uban are evening and supper places, several running past midnight. Weekends get busy at the seaside ones, so an early evening arrival beats the crowd.
What should I order alongside the fish?
Do not stop at the fish. Air asam, the sour tamarind and chilli dip, is the thing that makes the meal, and it belongs on your rice as much as on the fish. Most kitchens also lay out ulam, sambal belacan, budu and a spread of nasi campur dishes, and grilled squid or prawns are usually available if you want to widen the order. At the shellout style spots, mixing grilled fish with a seafood order works well for a group.
Disclosure: This list was compiled by the team at My Weekend Plan after extensive research and shared opinions to suggest helpful recommendations for the public. The sequence of brands is in no particular order so if you have any other great suggestions too, please email us support@myweekendplan.com.my. For more information, kindly refer to our copyright, privacy & disclosure policy.
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