The Penny Black

There’s a reason why this place is packed every night of the week with English bankers: it’s right in the heart of the Boat Quay and is more British than tea and scones with the Queen. If you’re visiting from the UK, a trip to this mock-Victorian tavern is about as adventurous as pulling a beer can from the fridge, and approximately ten times more expensive. In every possible sense, this is a facsimile of a night out in London (in fact the humidity and local bar-staff are the only reminder that you’re still in Asia); and just like the Big Smoke itself, a Friday-night stint here will wage war on your wallet. But for convenience and location alone (not to mention a happy hour lasting eight and a half hours) it still gets our stamp of approval.