Penang has charming mews hotels like Muntri Mews and Noordin Mews inside its UNESCO heritage area.
Last 31 May 2025, we had a nice brewed coffee and roti Baba (the halal version of the heritage roti babi) at the Muntri Mews Cafe. This is what makes Penang such a unique melting pot.
The term “mews” refers to stables with servants’ quarters above them, built behind grand houses in cities like London in the 18th and 19th centuries.
These mews in London have since been converted into expensive apartments. I recall a mews occupied by Hugh Grant beside the apartment we were staying in at Notting Hill in June 2024.
A lovely book that showcases the wonderful heritage of Penang houses is Heritage Houses of Penang by Khoo Salma Nasution and Halim Berbar (2009).
LWH, 14 Dec 2025