Backdoor Bodega
Cocktail bar · George Town ·
Speakeasy with creative cocktails inspired by local flavors
Speakeasy with creative cocktails inspired by local flavors
"Hidden behind a streetwear shop called the Swagger Salon, this snug, eminently likable speakeasy began as an “overpriced pin shop” where buying a lapel pin got you a free drink; in 2022 it cracked Asia’s 50 Best and launched Cocktail Week, drawing 80-plus guest bartenders to galvanize Penang’s bar scene. The red, hardbound menu reads like a portal to local flavors—rasa sasam (whiskey, tamarind, jaggery), a rojak-inspired sipper, and the R.B.S. (tequila, tomato vinegar, chicken stock, Worcestershire, clarified milk) that arrived for me in a red sandwich wrapper, potent and pungent with a freshly scorched slice of white cheese. The vibe slides from cool and low-key—’90s hip-hop, quiet chatter, a Chinese blackjack game—to raucous when bartender Thanesh’s mid-trick theatrics cue clapping and shots; there’s truly no town like George Town here." - Arati Menon
"A heavyweight of the modern Penang bar scene located a short distance down on Gurdwara Road, celebrated for championing Malaysian-made craft beers and helping shape the city’s contemporary nightlife culture." - SilverKris
"Born out of a clothing shop’s staff pantry and hidden behind the orange door at the back of adjacent Good Friends Club, tiny Backdoor Bodega draws in a small crowd of local insiders. They come to enjoy the laid-back ambience (cream walls, a mahogany bar and a foosball table). “Remember that, like a real speakeasy, we don’t sell drinks: only drink-inspired, limited edition lapel pins. Buy one, and get free booze,” owner Koh Yung Shen cheekily explains. For an innovative cocktail with a local twist, try the signature “Kelapa Hotak” – sweet homemade coconut rum washed in pandan leaves." - cooper
RACHEL N.
Aqasha
Paul B.
Ilke K.
Chloe T.
Boon Hoong O.
ed E.
Cullum M
