Black Penny

Love this bar off the beaten path! Great craft beer selection in cans! And bonus!!! Clean bathrooms!

What a gem! Cynthia was so entertaining. She had amazing beer suggestions. Her cocktails were even better. Thank you so much for being so kind to us. We will tell everyone who will listen to check out this place.

Rolled up here late, after 3am for sure, after hours of karaōke and amazing dinner and heady talks. We sat at the bar and I don’t remember how I described what I felt like drinking, but I remember the bartender calmly and happily jumping right to the challenge, inventing something I’ve never had before that hit all my favourite notes — bitter, sour, fresh, delicious. Chill divey beautiful crumbling French Quarter bar with perfect cocktail wisdom, none of the touristy vibes, all the love and and an open smile, quintessentially New Orleans.

Awesome bar away from the madness of Bourbon St. This is a super cool place with excellent craft beer, all in cans (also mead and cider). The atmosphere was very chill and when I showed up with a large party in costumes, they were very accommodating. Also, awesome hoodies for sale!

Stopped in on the advice of the bartender over at Boondock Saint. This is a departure from your typically boisterous bar in the quarter. A place you can sit down and have a conversation without having to shout over drunk tourists. Very good beer selection. Not necessarily vast but full of very good beers. The bartender was good at what he does and did a great job of making a recommendation.

Love this place. Laid back and super cool local hang out.
Exposed brick and sweet décor make it feel like a NOLA hideout.
Excellent beer selection. No food but you can order from neighboring places. Will be back when I’m in town!

Interior and vibe is very nice looking and has that old feel to it. LOTS of beer to choose from. Music can be a little loud but it’s a good space that a lot of people can wander in and out of easily. Dog friendly neighborhood bar.

I see that this spot is listed as a «dive» bar, but with the atmosphere and an amazing beer list, I think this watering hole ranks a few notches above that. Yes, this bar is so much more than a dive bar. It’s a treasure on North Rampart. Granted, this bar isn’t located in the best area, but bring a buddy and you should be fine.
We stopped in here after a show at the Saenger. I had been wanting to try this place ever since some beer loving friends mentioned that Black Penny has a legit beer selection. I liked this bar as soon as I walked in– it was nice and dark with a seating area off to the side, if you didn’t want to sit at the bar itself. We decided to sit at the bar and I was thrilled to see that their beer menu was out of control. So many craft bottles and cans– I was a happy camper.
I sampled a few beers and I enjoyed all of them. I love that they give you the can or bottle and then give you a nice glass that you can pour it into. Perfect!
After sitting at the bar for a while, we decided to set up camp at one of the small table and chair areas that are on the side. This spot is a lot less hustle and bustle than the bar itself.
The overall atmosphere of the place is dark, cozy and a little mysterious. The bartenders were family and the patrons were all having a good time. I can’t wait to return and see what else Black Penny has to offer.

Found a new favorite bar in NOLA!
With each trip to New Orleans, the more local hangouts I try to find.
Black Penny is less than a year old and at the edge of the Quarter on Rampart. Luckily for us, it just mean right around the corner from where we were staying.
We went on Monday night while it was still relatively early (7pm). It was our last night in town so we decided to check it out. Luckily Black Penny did not disappoint!
There were only a few other patrons at the bar and Cynthia was bartending.
She greeted us immediately and she was super welcoming. After checking out the menu, I quickly realized they’re the first BEER bar I’ve ever visited in New Orleans. While they mostly sell canned beers, it’s really quite the variety of craft canned beers. I was very impressed!
While it was a relatively quiet night, Cynthia made her rounds talking to everyone at the bar. And her conversations weren’t forced, she’s just genuinely kind and social. She even indulged me in my limited knowledge of local life in New Orleans and the surrounding areas from the stories my ex boyfriend used to tell me.
Most importantly though, if you’re not in a beer mood, Cynthia can make a mean drink! I’ve stated in other reviews that my two default cocktails that I ask bartenders to make help me determine if they’re a good bartender: the Old Fashioned or The Moscow Mule. It’s easy to mess those drinks up.
Cynthia got them on point!
We spent most of our night at Black Penny, and we left with a great buzz.
I will most definitely be returning!

Absolutely fantastically friendly folks. Best bar tenders ever. Rhett made our trip to NOLA!

The Black Penny is a project of Bar Tonique owner Ed Díaz and former Erin Rose manager Bert West.
The bar has more than 50 craft beers in cans. Cocktails, however, are not the focus. Instead, The Black Penny is a casual place to hang out.
The location used to be the Ninth Circle. It’s been completely redone. «It was a real dump before.» Salvaged barge boards were used to give The Black Penny a vintage feel. This is a locals hangout and they are a real friendly crowd. Open til 4 a.m. I plan to return here again and again.

We ventured a little off of the strip to visit this bar at the suggestion of a NOLA local. We were told that the Moscow Mule here was the best. For this to be a signature drink of theirs, I was immediately surprised that the cocktail was served in a regular glass not a copper mug as I have grown accustomed. The flavor was good the presentation was just not as I expected. Several in our party enjoyed other drinks from the menu and overall everyone was satisfied.
I think this is a great place to have a drink with friends in the city while avoiding most of the Bourbon Street excitement. It’s not too far away though that after you have a drink or two you can still go turn up or people watch on the strip if you desire.

This is definitely going to be a go-​to spot for me — good selection of canned beer (I know I’m weird, but I really prefer cans to bottles) for really reasonable prices. Cool, low-​key atmosphere — which is tough to find in the FQ.

Fantastic craft beer selection. Very NOLA-​friendly as they’re all in cans so you can take one to go. The bartender (owner) is a doll who sincerely cares. I haven’t had any of their cocktails but I watched the time and attention that was put into each one and I was impressed.
I never went to the bar that was here before but this place has such a wonderful rustic charm that I almost don’t think its fair to call it a dive bar.

I have been back on the west coast (and micro brew country) for two weeks and STILL can’t stop talking about this place.
Granted, I am a beer girl and was probably getting tired from all the mixed drinks — but I loved this little hidden away gem! The place was pretty empty when we got there so the bartender was able to really focus all of her attention on us. She gave wonderful recommendations to each of us pertaining to what we told her we normally drink.
The place was very very dark, so if you’re uncomfortable with that kind of vibe, this probably isn’t your spot.
It helps that it was located a hop skip and a jump from our hotel, which made it very convenient!

This was a really cool bar with lots of interesting decorations. We asked the bartender for recommendations and she talk to us a little then gave us her thoughts. Everyone was happy with the beer she recommended for us, it was obvious that she was knowledgeable about the different varieties and personal preferences. It has a real old and comfortable feel. Like you could hang out there all night. It was empty because we arrived pretty early, but we still had a lot of fun chatting with the bartenders working and looking at all the interesting photographs and paintings on the walls. The bar is located on Rampart street which is a little of a walk from the French Quarter main area. I wasn’t too impressed with the rest of the neighborhood, but this is a gem to search out.

Some people have spirit animals. I have spirit bars. And this one has awakened my inner wild child. It’s new (opened two months ago from time of review) and run by two people. Yes, two. They also did the remodeling themselves. That kind of intimate, hard-​working care reverberates in this space with reclaimed wood (from an old high school gymnasium), exposed brick walls (which look like abstract expressionist masterpieces), and lush lighting.
What this is is a bar for dive bar rockers all grown up. Yea, we hit our 30s but we still love some grit. We also have developed taste. At the Penny, instead of sh*tty swill, you’ll find a selection of about 20 – 30 domestic and imported microbrews (mostly, if not all, in cans, just in case you think we forgot our PBR roots). There’s wine and a nice booze selection. Bulleit is present. So is Fernett (yes ma’am!).
Reasonably priced joint, too. For two shots of Fernett, two bulleits on the rock, and three beers, the price was $ 36.
So far this is an industry and locals bar that brings in like-​minded folk. But they are very welcoming to anyone. Good music (guessing it’s Tandy’s ipod on random) from ‘90s alternative rock (so we can get all nostalgic) to soul to contemporary garage rock.
Wishing nothing but the best for this place — may they strive and thrive!

It’s alway special when you can find a beautiful, swanky, yet laid back and affordable bar in the quarter. The renovation of this former hole in the wall is spectacular. The new owners stripped down all the tacky coverings to reveal an unbelievable gem. Open doors, comfy lounge style seating, a full bar and over 60 beers. These guys know there stuff and are happy to share it.

Stopped in yesterday. Great spot — bartenders friendly and canned beer selection spot on with some rare imports. Solid new addition to rampart.

I would like this place but all they’re doing is playing one of our favorite bands for us and they don’t even have any fucking Galliano!!!