The Black Penny is a brand new coffee house located on Great Queen Street in Covent Garden, providing a dedicated space for dining, drinking and debate in the centre of the capital.
Bridging the gap between fast food and gourmet gastronomy, The Black Penny offers Londoners refined but casual dining, freshly roast coffee and speedy take away at the busiest times of the day.
The Seminar Pit
The venue is split across two floors, with service and seating on the entry level and the Seminar Pit below. Carrying the torch for heated debate and daring creativity, this room will host spoken word poets, lectures on the weird and wonderful, and events to inspire, educate and entertain.
The Black Penny is inspired by the coffee houses of 17th Century England, named “Penny Universities” after the education they would deliver to visiting customers. A penny would purchase a cup of coffee and admission to the venue, which also served as a centre of intelligent discussion on all matters from politics to poetry.
Seasonal food
During the day, The Black Penny will serve an ever-changing daily menu of British influenced seasonal food, focused on flavour and quality and made with the best ingredients fresh from the market that morning.
Head Chef George Notley has created a menu which offers a range of traditional breakfast items including Bircher Muesli and pastries together with delicious fresh fruit compotes in innovative flavour combinations such as Grilled Pineapple, Chilli & Lime.
The menu also includes a selection of larger dishes such as Crispy Duck Hash with a Poached Duck Egg, Sweet Potato, Baby Spinach and Spring Onion and Slow Braised Black Penny Beans on Sour Dough with Goat’s Curd and Chives.
At lunch, a selection of fresh, seasonal salads, including Chargrilled Cauliflower & Roasted Aubergine and Black Quinoa with Avocado, which are available alongside more substantial dishes, like Stone Bass Ceviche with Fennel & Radish and Ox Tail, Ale & Kale Pie.
The Black Penny will also offer a range of alcoholic drinks including Prosecco, Bloody Marys and a selection of red and white wines.
Coffee
Coffee is integral to The Black Penny concept and it works with leading coffee roasters Alchemy to utilise the highest quality beans. Using traditional methods, this innovative approach means their dark beans are tempered with distinctive flavours and textures that make for a unique taste experience.
21st century Penny University
With a mid-late 19th Century facade and interiors, including a feature counter top for displaying the menu of the day, The Black Penny offers a unique and characterful environment with original period features that have been updated to create a 21st century Penny University.
Staying true to the educational ethos behind the venue and hailing a return of the retro notice board, The Black Penny has areas within the venue for Londoners to display posters for relevant events, talks and lectures in the area.
Customers will also be encouraged to write down and share an interesting thought or fact to clip onto the wall for others to learn from and share knowledge. Located close to the leading academic institutions in Bloomsbury and The Strand it is the perfect venue for lively debate and creative inspiration.
Capacities: Inside Coffee Shop – 20 people; Seminar Pit – 10 people; Outside – 4 people
For more information click here
The Black Penny, 34 Great Queen Street, London, WC2B 5AA
Instagram: @blackpennyWC2
Twitter: @blackpennyWC2