ChinaHouse, Penang

The longest cafe in Penang and it lives up to the scale. The tiramisu was rich and the chocolate cake was outstanding. We sat in the semi-outdoor section that felt like a colonial hallway. The art gallery upstairs is worth a look while you wait for your order.

The cake display counter is enormous — easily 30+ options. We tried two slices and both were excellent. The heritage building has kept its old-world charm. They give you crayons and mahjong paper to doodle on while waiting, which is a nice touch.

The sprawling 16,000 sq ft space has multiple seating areas — inside, outside and semi-covered. Free WiFi is available. The cakes are the star — the food menu is decent but secondary. Coffee was average compared to specialist cafes in George Town.

The cakes and pastries are good but the service was slow and the staff seemed disengaged on our visit. Prices are higher than most George Town cafes. The narrow building layout means seats near the entrance get a lot of foot traffic. Come for the cakes, manage your expectations on service.

The heritage atmosphere is special — this rambling triple-shophouse is a unique setting for coffee and cake. The signature cakes are consistently good. We sat in the courtyard section and it was cool and pleasant. Over 2,400 reviews on TripAdvisor and still going strong.