Penny's Hotel has taken over a long standing Kings Cross pub and transformed it into an entirely new space. The pub menu has classics like fish and chips and schnitzels but it also has some real surprises with a really well priced menu.
Up until recently Penny's Hotel was the Hampton Court Hotel. It was bought by the Watering Hole Hotels and was renovated, reopening in August 2024 changing the name to Penny's in the process. The hotel is named after Penny, a woman who lived in Kings Cross. Penny was forced into sex work due to homelessness. She would operate from Penny's Lane around the corner which is named after her. But Penny used the money she earned in sex work to assist the homeless community and she was instrumental in creating the community in Bourke Street Park in Woolloomooloo.
There is a contemporary look to the pub with pink and green Spanish tiles with velvet chairs and lots of large leather booths. Black and white pictures adorn the entranceway showing what Kings Cross used to look like. The Head Chef is Adam Finley who worked at Establishment.
The pub menu has also had an overhaul. The menu has a range of Asian inspired items as well as a separate pizza and burger section. We tend to go to pubs with my in laws the Elliotts and struggle to find a place that's meets their strict budget but all of the dishes here are very well priced in the high teens or low $20s (except steak and salmon of course). I was given some strong recommendations to try two things: the potato scallops and the dahl.
While restaurants have jumped on the no or low alcohol trend, pubs are getting there and while there's no dedicated mocktail menu they can whip something up. They also have some non alcoholic spirits by Sammy Piquant. They make up a berry mocktail for me while Mr NQN has the passion fruit and yuzu margarita with tequila, Chambord, passion fruit, yuzu and simple syrup which is fantastic.
I am being bossy here but whatever you do, you have to try the potato scallops here at Penny's. These are such a nostalgic item and honestly one that I don't eat that often nowadays. These potato scallops are so moreish. They come in two flavours: vinegar salt and chicken salt. As complete opposites Mr NQN prefers the chicken salt version while I absolutely adore the vinegar salt version. I even love it dipped into a pot of black garlic aioli to give it crunchy, tangy and creamy vibes. My mouth is watering as I'm typing thinking about them!
Another starter that I really like is the Cajun prawn tacos. The prawns are Cajun spiced grilled prawns that are juicy and flavoursome combined with lettuce, avocado and chipotle mayonnaise. It just need a dash of hot sauce and it's perfect.
A very shareable starter are the twice cooked pork belly bites that are juicy and melt in the mouth with a crispy, charred edge to them. Make sure to dip them in the sour pineapple and nam jim dipping sauce and fish around the bowl for a chunk of fresh pineapple after each bite.
The Kyoto Chicken Skewers are nice although if you've used to yakitori at a yakitori specialist these may not quite be at the level. Still they're nice and Mr NQN finishes them off along with the creamy, saucy slaw.
Onto the mains! Nobody ever expects a dal to be the star of the show at a pub but yet here we are. This dal is so wholesome and full of flavour that you would never miss eating meat. It's served with rice, a grilled pita bread which approximates a naan, spiced cucumber raita and a pappadum. I'm hoping to recreate this so stay tuned!
We also order one of the specials as I absolutely love mafaldine pasta with seafood. This is served with a blue swimmer crab bisque with shaved bottarga. While there is bottarga on top it really needs a bit of a flavoursome boost in the sauce and more intensity.
Dessert-wise, save room for the apple pie pillows. The Apple Pie Pillows are bite sized versions of apple pie (inspired by the McDonalds apple pie) that are deep fried and dusted with icing sugar that are deliciously shareable. I usually like apple pie with plain vanilla ice cream but the blueberry compote and vanilla gelato absolutely works with them and I like that it's a good quality vanilla gelato and not a bland vanilla ice cream that you sometimes get.
On the drive home we stop past the Bourke Street Park where Penny established the homeless community, just to have a look at what it is like now. While it's dark and quiet at that time, there's a colourful sign for a community garden.
So tell me Dear Reader, how often do you eat at pubs? How often do you eat potato scallops?
NQN and Mr NQN were guests of Penny's Hotel but all opinions remain her own.
Penny's Hotel
9/15 Bayswater Rd, Potts Point NSW 2011
Open 7 days 10am-3am (midnight on Sundays)
https://www.pennyshotel.com.au/
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