Hog Penny Pub
Hog Penny Pub at 5 Burnaby Hill claims the title of Bermuda's oldest pub, and the dark wood interior backs up the claim. The space is modeled on a traditional English pub and has been serving pints since 1957. Low ceilings, timber beams, a long wooden bar, brass fixtures, and the kind of worn-in patina that takes decades to develop. Capacity is around 60-70 between the main bar area and a smaller back room. The clientele is heavily local, with a core of regulars who occupy the same stools several nights a week. Visitors are welcome and treated well, but this is a Bermudian institution first. The bar stocks a decent selection of draught beers including some British ales alongside Bermuda favorites. Food is traditional pub fare: fish and chips, shepherd's pie, and a Bermuda fish sandwich that regulars swear by. Entertainment varies by night, with quiz nights, live acoustic music, and karaoke making appearances on the weekly schedule. The atmosphere is low-key and conversational, a proper pub where people come to talk, drink, and settle in for the evening rather than hop between venues.
What to Expect
Push through a heavy wooden door into a dim, low-ceilinged pub that smells like old wood and beer. The bar is immediately to your right. Regulars look up, nod, and go back to their conversations. The room is warm, compact, and genuinely feels like it's been here for decades, because it has.
Warm, worn-in, and unapologetically pub-like. The kind of place where conversations happen easily and the bartender remembers what you ordered last time.
No regular live music. Background music is classic rock and British pub standards. Occasional acoustic acts or karaoke nights break the pattern.
Casual. This is a pub. Bermuda shorts, polo shirts, jeans. No one cares as long as you're wearing shoes.
Pub lovers, anyone who wants to drink with Bermudians rather than tourists, visitors looking for a low-key evening away from the waterfront scene.
Cash (BMD/USD at par) and credit cards. The regulars mostly pay cash.
Price Range
Beer $8-12 BMD, cocktails $12-16 BMD, pub meals $18-28 BMD, fish sandwich $16 BMD
Beer ~$8-12 USD, pub meals ~$18-28 USD
Hours
Daily from 11:30 AM for lunch. Bar stays open until midnight weeknights, 1 AM Friday-Saturday.
Insider Tip
Go on quiz night (check their schedule, usually midweek) for the best local atmosphere. The fish sandwich with coleslaw is the thing to order from the kitchen. If you want to talk to Bermudians, sit at the bar rather than a table.
Full Review
The Hog Penny doesn't try to impress. It doesn't need to. The pub has been operating since 1957, making it one of the longest-running bars in Bermuda, and the interior reflects every one of those years in the best possible way.
The room is small and dark. Ceiling beams hang low enough that tall visitors duck instinctively. The bar itself is beautiful in an understated way: dark wood polished by decades of elbows, brass rail at foot level, proper bar stools. Behind the bar, a collection of spirits shares shelf space with Bermuda memorabilia, old photographs, and the kind of clutter that accumulates in a place with real history.
The beer selection is better than most Bermuda bars. Draught options include a couple of British ales alongside the usual Heineken and local options. The Goslings range is well represented. Cocktails are straightforward. This is a beer-and-spirits pub, not a mixology showcase. Yours Truly is next door if you want craft cocktails.
Food is honest pub cooking. Fish and chips arrive in generous portions with proper chips, not fries. The Bermuda fish sandwich is a local institution, and the Hog Penny's version holds its own. Shepherd's pie on a cool evening (yes, Bermuda gets cool evenings in winter) hits the right note.
The regulars make this place. They're a cross-section of Bermudian society: business people, tradesmen, retirees, and a few expats who've been adopted into the fold. Sit at the bar and you'll be in conversation within minutes. Bermudians at the Hog Penny are friendly, opinionated about cricket and sailing, and happy to share recommendations about the island.
Compared to the waterfront bars on Front Street, the Hog Penny trades views and energy for authenticity and comfort. There's no harbour panorama, no live band (most nights), and no cocktail menu. What there is: a genuine pub atmosphere, good beer, decent food, and the company of people who choose to be here because they like it, not because it's the place to be seen.
If you've spent two evenings at the waterfront bars and want something different, this is where to go.
The Neighborhood
At 5 Burnaby Hill, right next to Yours Truly cocktail bar. A 30-second walk separates two completely different drinking experiences. Front Street's waterfront bars are a 1-minute walk downhill. The Pickled Onion is 3 minutes east.
Getting There
From Front Street, walk uphill on Burnaby Hill. Hog Penny is on the right, next to Yours Truly. From the Ferry Terminal, 5 minutes east on Front Street, then left up Burnaby Hill.
Address
5 Burnaby Hill, Hamilton, Bermuda
Other Venues in Front Street
Docksider Pub & Restaurant
Harborfront pub on Front Street with outdoor patio seating overlooking the water. Serves pub food and cold beer. Popular with both locals and visitors. Beer $8-12, cocktails $14-18.
Bermuda Bistro at the Beach
Casual open-air bar on Front Street near the ferry terminal. Live music on weekends, relaxed atmosphere, and a local crowd that shows up late. Known for its Dark 'n Stormy cocktails. Drinks $10-20.
The Pickled Onion
Multi-level restaurant and bar with a rooftop terrace overlooking the harbour. Live bands on Friday and Saturday nights play covers and local music. The rooftop is the prime spot. Cocktails $16-22.
Yours Truly
Cocktail lounge tucked away on Reid Street, one block from Front Street. Craft cocktails, dim lighting, and a more intimate atmosphere than the waterfront bars. Cocktails $18-24.