Penny Blacks

Not too bad for a chain place. Not good ale on tap. Good for the football as plenty of
Screens. Food is pub food with burgers going down well but an hour to get served not so great.

Great location in the Mailbox complex with good selection of hand pulled beers & lagers with sport on TV throughout — whether you’re on your own or in a group this is a great choice of bar…

I was reminded by Caroline C. last night that I have never reviewed Pennyblacks. Again (as I think I have said in previous reviews), the Mailbox is not an area I tend to visit regularly. Most of the venues are totally fine, they are just a bit… Vanilla Ice Cream. Perfectly nice, good when you are there but nothing to rave about. That pretty much sums up my feelings about Pennyblacks.
Pennyblacks is the Mailboxes equivalent of a boozer. It’s still got a trendy wine bar feeling to it, but it’s the nearest thing to a pub that’s available in this particular area. I have only been a few times (once for food and a couple of others for drinks), but have always had a pleasant enough time for it to have warranted three stars.
I guess I should explain the rating really… The Mailbox is very trendy. Between steak houses, a handful of fairly nice chain venues (nothing cheap) and a few bars; it’s the go to place for people with middle management jobs on the evenings and weekends. Trek down here on a Friday or Saturday night and expect designer shoes, handbags and suits a plenty having a boozey olé’ time.
Now, there is nothing wrong with that. If that’s your bag, you go ahead and grab your mates for a night on this side of the City! I just tend to prefer venues with a twist or something different (which is why your much more likely to find me the other side of the road on John Bright Street of a weekend).
Saying that, the Mailbox is situated on the Canal (and offers limited outdoor seating), so there are much worse things you could get up to on a sunny weekend afternoon than grabbing a pint and watching the sun glint off the water. The drinks and food selection here is fine and not as pricey as some of the other venues in proximity. I’ve always received decent enough service, but again, never been blown away by customer service or quality.
In summary, by all means give it a go! It’s not bad (there isn’t owt I can think of bad to say to be honest), it’s just not particularly… amazing? Different? Mindblowing? either.

If u want to sit in the sun get there early!
–The great location on the canal side in The Mailbox means it’s a bit of a Mecca when the weather is good! Inside it quite dark, but certainly a nice cosy level of lighting that works in the evening.
It is a very long bar, with high tables and benches to sit on near the bar itself and long tables for those who are dining — perfect of large groups such as Birthday party’s.
I would say it is great for those who want a quick drink before the theatre for example, or have just had a meal and one of the restaurants in The Mailbox and just fancy a change of scene.
There is quite a wide range of wines and beers available so I would say it caters for most people. Large glass of Merlot cost £7, so not cheap but could be worse!
Ther is a ‘DJ’ on Saturday nights — but it is more background music nad not too intrusive– he dosn’e seen to take kindly to requests either!;)

Love this bar. Been here via a canal boat and this place has a great vibe.
Lots of different beers on tap and if you like to watch football then here’s the place. Can get a bit busy on weekends

This bar is always busy… even on a school night. Situated in the Mailbox, along the canal. The bar is pretty big and service is pretty good. Ample seating and quite spacious. Music played is not too over powering and a good selection. Seating outside for smokers or to chill on a sunny day. I have been to formal work do’s here a few times and they always provide us with a wide spread buffet which is always good. Drinks are standard priced, there is a selection of ales. Very attractive female staff working behind the bar. This is a good place to start your night out — It gives off good vibes and gets you warmed up for a good night out.
Would I recommend this bar? YES!

Searching for a place for the penultimate Football League match of the year led me to Penny Blacks in the Mailbox.
It was my first visit to any of the bars sitting opposite the canal, but I shall definitely be back soon. Penny Blacks had a fairly upmarket feel to the place, with a large projection of the football in the middle of the bar.
For a Saturday afternoon It wasn’t that busy, but still managed to have a slightly upbeat atmosphere throughout. The seating was extremely comfortable, with various sofas dotted about. The location itself is fantastic. Being feet away from the canal on days like Saturday, with the sun beaming down, Penny and Blacks is potentially one of the best bars I have been to in the surrounding area.
Despite not ordering any food, I had a quick look at the menu and I can honestly predict that I’ll be back to have a bite to eat and a few beers when the football kicks off this summer.

Penny Blacks is a smart bar located in the canal side area of The Mailbox. The atmosphere is more plush pub than poseur bar, with a great choice of real ales and wines available. It is a good destination for after-​work drinks, especially on «Fizz Day Fridays» when bottles of prosecco are just £9.95 between 3pm-​7pm.
The food is typical English pub grub done well (steaks, nachos, burgers, fish and chips etc). There are weekday lunchtime deals including 2 for 1 on certain mains.
They tend to screen major sporting events, which can attract or repel in equal measure, so best not to arrange dates here during any major football tournaments — unless you are both major sports fans!

Penny Blacks in located on Mailbox and it deserves having a reputation of a fine and elegant pub. Its view from the Gas street canal is a plus so finding a seat at a table outside can turn your visit to this bar into a delightful experience indeed.
The bar is spacious and the music on the background is almost always pleasant. They also have a good ale deal when it’s possible to try three different types for less than a fiver. Their wine menu is still something to give it a try and bottles of Prosecco for £ 9.95 are available, on Fridays, from 3 pm to 7 pm. Perfect for a happy hour or a night out warming up.
I had a quite pleasant experience at Penny Blacks drinking with a couple of friends. As they also take their children we were glad to see that they seemed to please the little ones as well.
I would repeat the experience again because even it is very lively and packed during the evenings it‘s an excellent place for large group meetings and the service is really efficient.

sun 22 jan 530 after show drink from the nia football was on us girlys werent interested in that had a fruit koppaberg cider girls all had non alcholic drinks ionly i odered food had skins and pâté decent portions bread came with a foil wrapped butter portion which is one of my pet hates and it was rock hard so couldnt be spread another one of my pet hates this just shows lazyness on the part of the prep team generous portion of pâté cheese and bacon skins were fine salad garnish was dressed in balsamic drizzle nice nothing to right home about no mains ordered as was full with my 2 starters wouldnt order food again as it was a bit unremarkable but i do like the atmosphere in blacks nice for reading the paper on a satur afternoon

A very warm atmosphere and stylish surroundings await you at Penny Black’s. It’s hidden away at the far end of the Mailbox’s top level, but is well worth seeking out.
Inside, the bar stretches way back into the depths of the huge interior, displaying many real ales and draft lagers as well as a gargantuan selection of spirits and wines. The service is always very friendly and prompt, and there is loads of seating available for parties of all sizes. It’s stylish enough for business types, although unpretentious enough to appeal to anyone.
Perfect for after-​work drinks as well as more intimate gatherings, Penny Black’s also serves a decent array of pub-​style starters and main courses.

Great pub. Very good real ales on sale. It is in a great location overlooking the canals of Birmingham and is part of the Mailbox complex. They have offers on during the day for lunches etc. Worth a look — especially for real ale buffs!

Penny Blacks is a nice bar/​restaurant in the Mail Box in Birmingham. The prices of food and drinks are reasonably expensive but in my experience this is always reflected in the quality, and this is city centre in Brimingham where these kind of prices are nothing out of the ordinary.
The place is quite large so it never seems too busy which is a nice change from the other similar places near by. It’s normally pretty easy to sit down at a table even on a Friday or Saturday night.
There’s a wide selection of beers, wines and other drinks. The facilities here are always clean and well maintained.

Part of the huge ‘MailBox’ retail and restaurant development in central Birmingham, Penny Black’s is a wine-​bar and restaurant with a fabulous location on the Gas Street canal basin in Birmingham. On sunny days and at week-​ends, the whole area is buzzing with people, with narrow-​boats chugging past.
Modern and spacious (almost cavernous) with lots of wood, it’s a very pleasant venue, although pole position has to be at the front (or on the canal-​side terrace itself) so you can see the canal. Service was friendly and reasonably fast, despite the fact that they had a lot of food orders at the same time.
The wine selection looks pretty good, but actually they have a fantastic selection of real ales, including some less-​well known types. These were well served and well kept, and we could easily have spent the whole afternoon there. (Ok, we did.)
The food isn’t quite as swish as the web-​site implies — I thought it was decent, if slightly pricey, pub grub. However, portions were generous, so overall it was good value for money. I’d happily go back.