Editor Pick
Happy Hour to Start Your Evening on Boat Quay
- April 9, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Eric from Aiea from San Jose, California
Despite it being an English pub – and not an Irish one – I would be hard pressed not to have added Penny Black to my list of pubs that deserve a visit on St Patrick’s Day. There is just something about a Victorian Pub that harkens back to the olden days of colonial Singapore when it was thought of as the Gibraltar of the East. Not a lot of places can bring those feelings to you and the feel of a bit of history like the Penny Black can.
Here you will find the place often full with the after work crowd from the CBD. Not only is this a great pub - in a great location – it manages to just be one of those places that becomes every bit of a staple stop on each visit to Singapore. The Penny Black is the ideal place to start or stop a night – and sometimes – it just ends up being a great place to spend the whole of the evening with friends.
Penny Black is located in the Central Business District on Boat Quay at the Raffles Place entrance and not too far from the Raffles Place metro stop. Here is a place that looks and feels every bit like a Victorian London pub. The reason for that is that it was designed and built in England by master craftsmen and shipped over piece by piece to Singapore where it was re-assembled by the same craftsmen that built it in England. The result is a place that by looks and the good expectations it gives off of a comfortable and cozy watering hole (when it’s not packed to the gills) that could be any of the great pubs in London – except – it’s in Singapore. It can be a pretty snug fit when it is full of people – but with a fun crowd of locals and expats and tourists – it always makes for a fun time in meeting new people.
Many people start out their evening here for one great reason – they have an eight hour long Happy Hour from 11:30 – 8pm! That provides a great reasoning for a pre-dinner pint or for making the Penny Black a great place to link up at for going to dinner at Boat Quay or Clarke Quay. The Penny Black serves up six premium beers on tap including Kilkenny, Guinness, Heineken, Tiger, Erdinger Weissbier, Strongbow Cider and Old Speckled Hen. Happy hours: 11.30am – 8pm daily.
The term "Penny Black" is dated to what was the world's first adhesive postage stamp which had printed in the color of black and it was sold for one penny, and first issued on the 6th May 1840 in the United Kingdom. That would fit the timeframe of the Penny Black very well in its looks.
The AC inside makes a perfect stopping point in the middle of the day and a nice break from the oppressive tropical heat outside. Also, the outside tables offer a great spot for people watching alongside the busy Singapore River. The second floor upstairs Snug Bar atop The Penny Black provides a comfortable setting for get together, cocktails, or even informal business meetings. They do serve both pub and local specialty foods.
From journal Ringing in St Patrick's Day in Singapore
The Penny Black
- August 19, 2004
- Rated 3 of 5 by
Timone from Warwick, United Kingdom
This is a British theme pub that is ideally placed on the boat quay for a nice lunch or quick beer on your way around the river area of the city. We called in for a beer on the walk from Chinatown to St Andrew's Cathedral. The staff are friendly and there is seating inside and out. The toilets are the most Victorian part of the pub, being tiled just as they would have been back then. We didn't see the place when it was busy, but I imagine it does get very busy. There are TV screens and the pub regularly runs various sporting events (especially English ones) and does an interesting array of merchandise (glasses, T-shirts, etc.) Not a bad place for a quick beer; we didn't test the food, but it looked and smelt wonderful!
From journal Exploring Singapore