Nice little pub in Oak Bay - we had a filling lunch here on our recent holiday in BC. We were on the hop-on hop-off bus tour of Victoria and stopped by the quaint village of Oak Bay because it was lunch time and we needed a bite to eat. Wandering down Main Street, we spotted Penny Farthing and its sister restaurant Vis à Vis (they share a kitchen and have the same owner). Half of us wanted English pub food, the rest wanted sophisticated French cuisine, so we compromised; we sat outdoors on the common patio and ordered from both menus! Standout dishes: - Brie tart: warm and delicious, from the Vis à Vis menu. - Buffalo Chicken Wrap: flavorful and zingy, one of my favorite dishes on the trip. - The Farthing Burger: juicy and filling. Service was friendly and relaxed, and prices were reasonable. Happy to return. read more

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Staff are always very polite and friendly. Problem is they didn't check on us very often as we were seated upstairs to get away from the noise. The Sunday roast was just a thick piece of roast beef . It did not seem fresh like it was carved from a roast. It did not melt in my mouth. The potatoes were good-food was not hot - there was no au jus no gravy it was still expensive at $33. Also I asked for a gin and tonic with a craft gin and they added another $5 on the bill which at previous visits they didn't. This resteraunt gets away with a lot because they are a favourite of the people who live in Oak Bay. Like I said the staff for the most part are very friendly but the food could be improved especially since they supposedly share the kitchen with Vis à Vis next door which is a pricier place that does have great food. I think they just need to pay more attention to the food quality and temperature and either hire more serving staff for the busy nights or just make sure they are present to check on people. And I would not order the roast again unless I knew it was freshly carved. read more

Just up from the Oak Bay Marina is the place to go in Oak Bay. This pub has the best grub in town. We had a Happy Hour to remember with local charcuterie platter and fried calamari. Local draft beers both lagers and IPA were sipped slowly as we enjoyed the boardwalk strollers. Highly recommend! read more

Penny Farthing Public House - Menu - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

As a [former] regular, you get shit service despite how much you tip. In any other country this dump would disappear.

Wait staff was gracious & super efficient. We had a couple of appetizers (time constraints) - crispy tofu & bruschetta - and they were both exceptionally delicious. An absolute thumbs up to this place. Stop in...you'll see. You won't be disappointed. read more

Penny Farthing Public House - The bar area. - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

I'm a bit torn about giving them only a 3. I would probably give them a 3.5 if I could. The Farthing Burger I ordered was tasty. The coffee was good. The price was reasonable. However, if you are in a hurry, this is not the place to go. It took them 10 minutes to come and ask if I'd been helped. Another 10 minutes to have someone come and ask for my order. Then they were out of the beer I wanted. It took another 20 minutes to get my burger. After I asked for coffee, it was 10+ minutes to get my first cup. I could go on. The wait staff was very friendly, but the pace of service was leisurely at best. read more

We stopped in for a late lunch and fell in love! The wait staff is so nice and answered questions with humor and kindness. We ordered the Shepard's pie. It was delicious as was the side salad with an amazing vinaigrette. The Guinness was served at the right temperature! Brilliant. We met the GM, Sam, and we give him the highest compliments for being so kind and knowledgeable about the food and the area. Highly recommend this gem of a pub in the heart of Oak Bay, Vancouver Island. Great food, great service, and great Guinness (they have a great selection of other local and imported beers if dark beer is not your thing). We will be back! read more

Penny Farthing Public House - Penny Farthing - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Willow is an efficient, sweet, funny, happy, amazing bartender. I needed a little alone time to do some writing on Thanksgiving and headed over to the Penny Farthing. Sitting at the bar, Willow was busy, but super efficient. She took great care to make sure I had everything I needed quickly and served up with a delightful attitude. Willow certainly has a sense of humor. I could have stayed and chatted with her all day. My day started off with a nice, big glass of red wine and a hot serving of some delicious poutine. I was geared up to spend a few leisurely hours with my new best friend, Willow, unlimited wine (since I was walking) and those lovely potatoes smothered in curds and gravy, but a phone call pulled me away from this afternoon dream. Swoop in Willow to get my poutine packaged up with fork and napkin to go. She sent me on my merry way with a smile and the happiness of a lovely few moments of Thanksgiving peace, happiness and great service. To say that my experience at the Penny Farthing was anything less than perfect would be an understatement. It was perfect!! read more

Penny Farthing Public House - Willow is an efficient, sweet, funny, happy, amazing bartender.! - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

I'm falling a little out of love with Penny. Especially after having their fish and chips the other night. Talk about bland. It lacked salt and their fries wouldn't win any prizes. What disappoints me the most though is the lack of consistency with my favourite - their French onion soup. Sometimes it's really good and sometimes not so much. They don't always use the same breads, the broth varies, the amount of cheese varies and somebody in the kitchen is parsley happy and there's way too much parsley mixed in with the cheese and that's all you can taste. It doesn't need parsley!!!! read more

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Needed a relaxed comfortable place to work for an hour and was grateful to find the Penny Farthing. Comfortable indoor and outdoor seating (the outdoor tables have big, cozy heating towers). Huge salad with lots of goodies and the server, Gigi, was extremely kind and chill. Really made my night! read more

Penny Farthing Public House - Huge farmer's salad!! - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

To me the Penny Farthing is more than a place to eat and drink, it's an experience. It's extremely popular which adds to the ambiance. We stop there at least once every time we're in Victoria. I like the turkey pot pie and my wife likes the Buddha bowl. Today she had chicken tikka Marsala and liked it a lot. The clam chowder was outstanding. My meatloaf was, to me, a little unusual. It was firm and dry. I asked for more gravy and that helped a little. Our server, Janice, was a delight. read more

Great ambiance, SLOW service. The place was almost empty and I waited over an hour for an over priced mediocre lunch. read more

This beautiful Irish Pub, so gorgeously decorated brings so much flavor to the table. The shrimp avocado salad, the Farthing burger, bangors and mash, along with the poutine was all out of this world. Flavorful and delicious. Luke was a great, attentive bartender and server who we really enjoyed and appreciated his engagement with us. Do not pass this fantastic restaurant by. read more

The decor was wonderful...feels like a real English pub. A+ for setting and mood and the servers was great The Fish & Chips were very disappointing though The batter was undercooked and gummy and the fish was a little slimy from being undercooked as well. The Shepard'a Pure was under seasoned and the side salad tasted like oil The Jack and Coke was good though! We drive out of our way to come here and sorry we didn't eat closer to our hotel Come for drinks but pad on the food read more

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What an amazing neighborhood pub! If you like a "traditional" styled pub this is the place. They have lots of fun memorabilia and cozy seating. They also have a nice patio which is new since my last visit. This was my second visit (it had been 5 years) and it was even better than I remembered. The turkey pot pie was delicious and while it wasn't on the menu the bartender made a Black Velvet for my daughter. Definitely worth a visit..... read more

Excellent food and great service! I had the chicken burger with truffle fries, and my wife had the soup of the day (seafood chowder) and the farmer's salad. The chicken burger breading was crispy, and the chicken juicy. The truffle fries were excellent, lots of parmesan and the just the right amount of truffle oil. The seafood chowder was good, although it could have used a few more chunks of seafood. The farmers salad was great, with a generous portion of goat cheese, and the veggies were all fresh and well dressed with a delicious red wine vinaigrette. Our server, Chelysia, was attentive and quick with the drinks, but didn't hover. Great food and service, would definitely return! read more

Penny Farthing Public House - Fireplace - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

The decor of the pub is eclectic, as though they went to a bunch of garage sales and picked up anything that looked vaguely "pubby". I liked the variety of local beers but the food was disappointing. I got bangers and mash, which was bland. Using something that tasted like a breakfast sausage is not the way to go with this dish. My friend who can't have anything with gluten was hard pressed to find anything she could eat - quite shocking these days in a place like Victoria. read more

Great pints of Guinness - after a pretty run of poor pours of Guinness they got it right and the young fellow with the moustache did a great job - there were some bad pours from other servers I noted - and it begs the ? If you can't pour it right then don't try . I hope they continue - VGC golf course is the gold standard - the manager worked in Dublin and makes sure it's done right every time. read more

Penny Farthing Public House - This is my own pour at home - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Everything we ordered in our party of 4 was great: shrimp veggie stir fry, cobb salad, pork sandwich special, Guinness beers and Arnold Palmers, and a Caramel brownie dessert big enough to share. We all had different dietary requests and they were all met with a smile. We had one of the best waitresses I've had in awhile. i would come back easily again. read more

I use to come into the restaurant regularly but after hearing from a friend that they were belittled and poorly treated because they did not leave a tip. Between the serve and manager on they assumed that my friend understood the correct process to pay bills in Canada when actually they did not. The assumption led to my friend crying and the scene/situation being shared with all the other patrons in the restaurant. Possibly asking or educating could have gone a lot better and led to them coming back again. Personally I will never step foot in The Penny Farthing again plus share this horrible experience with everyone I know as no one should ever be embarrassed or poorly treated. I may not work in service industry but if I did not get a tip then I would self reflect and see if my actions led to why I did not get a tip. Charging over and creating a scene that embarrassing the paying customer only leads to a negative experience for all. read more

Purports to offer a true English pub experience yet serves 18 ounce "pints" rather that the 20 imperial ounces one finds in an actual English pub. read more

While the pub did have a lovely British feel to it in the heart of Oak Bay the food was just mediocre. The steak was very bland and so were the fries. The Caesar salad wasn't particularly remarkable and if I were to just go on that information I would give it 2 stars but its historical look and setting will allow me to bump it up to 3 stars. read more

Service: bright, happy, helpful, energetic staff to see to your taste buds desires, known or not. Food: French onion soup was hot, rich, and thick with onions. I liked the light touch of cheese and bread so as not to over power the main ingredients: onions. The sodium level was higher than I like, but not overwhelming. The pulled pork short rib meat was a tab cold but still packed full of flavor. The bread for the sandwich was airy and crunchy at the same time. The dip was lightly flavored and a welcome addition. The fries were thick cut and crispy. Beer: the options were plentiful and well suited to pair with the food options. The IPA (fat tug) hoppy and refreshing. The brown (dark matter) was smooth and artfully flavored with a hit of nuts and a finish that rolls like velvet across the tongue. read more

Penny Farthing Public House - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

This was a favorite spot for shepherds pie and bangers and mash but now the food prices are off the hook with a very reduced and very expensive menu. $24 for 1 sausage and some mashed potatoes are you kidding? Will not be going back there any time soon. Makes me laugh they want you to support during these tough times and then they rape you on prices. Also the waitress had a very snippy attitude so good luck. Wont be back read more

What a cool pub, in the Oak Bay area. I wish we had a pub in Orlando, FL that looked like this one. Lots of options on tap, but I went with a local... Blue Buck Ale. Very nice. read more

Penny Farthing Public House - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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Awesome pub. We stopped in here during a bike ride that turned to rain and had lunch and beers. The bartender, Marina, was totally awesome and chatted with us and kept us entertained. The locals rolled in and were super friendly. My wife had the fish tacos and I had fish and chips and both were excellent. The place was clean an had an overall good vibe to it. Would definitely go back. read more

Penny Farthing Public House - Beer! - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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It seems like a nice pub -- clean with a wide selection of beer and food -- though the vegetarian options are limited. I had the vegetarian burger. The ingredients listed beans and brown rice but I didn't detect one bean. There were some seeds, lots of rice, oil, and breadcrumbs. It was kind of gross. My partner had a kale salad with tuna which she enjoyed. I don't particularly like raw vegetables so the kale salad wasn't an option for me. read more

Our dinner venue after a drive through and walkabout of some of the sights & sounds of Oak Bay, and Oak Bay Village during a stay in Victoria recently. The Penny Farthing is one of three Victoria Pub Company properties, the other two (Irish Times Pub and Bard & Banker) are located in downtown Victoria. We popped in for a look-see early in our walkabout of the area, then dropped back later to catch a flight of ale and dinner (about 5 pm). We chose to sit at a table in the quieter back portion of the pub. For the flight of ale (four, 7 oz tasters), we picked the four tap brews 'featured' that day - a great selection we thought - they were cold and tasty, and daughter and I sure enjoyed them. Here's what we tasted: -- Tofino - IPA -- Parallel 49 - Gypsy Tears -- Category 12 - Disruption Black IPA -- Philips - Odyssey Nitro Porter Was there a clear 'winner' amongst the four? did not think so, but the IPA's might have been given a slight nod. They were all excellent brews, and sure hit the spot that late-afternoon. For food, it was a tourtiere and burgers: -- Mom - braised short rib and onion tourtiere (w/mashed potatoes and fresh broccoli) -- Daughter - mushroom brie burger (w/fries) -- Me - house burger (w/salad) Daughter and I shared the fries and salad. Decent preparations and rather nice presentations, and good portion sizes. We did good, and very little went back to the kitchen (just some mashed potato and pie crust). We enjoyed our experience at The Penny Farthing - a great flight, and good food and service. read more

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A great looking pub from the outside and I was hoping for a great experience inside. But it was not to be! Their system of seating yourself needs work. It was a busy Saturday night, but we found ourselves a table upstairs. We sat down and waited about 10 minutes but nobody acknowledged us. Since we came for dinner and not just drinks I went to look for a menu. Found one and spent another 10 minutes reading it before the waitress said she would come take our order. She eventually came, but no apologies or even an excuse for having us wait 30 minutes. Ordered a flight of Beer, which came in about 5 minutes. The beer was good, but we were not told what the beers were. Most places have labels or at least a speech by the server. We ended up guessing what we were drinking. There was a good one, but I'll never know what it was. A table next to us was also having problems. Their table of 6 got their food in take out containers because the kitchen staff thought it was a to-go order. It was packed as such and brought to their table. There was no effort to plate it, so they ate it out of the box. Food was OK, typical pub food. Asked about the band, but they said there hasn't been one for years. Too bad, it needs something to liven up the place. It was pretty quiet by the time we left at 8:30. read more

The service was cheery and helpful. The ambience just what one would hope for. The beer list is extensive and the food exactly what one would expect. I particularly like that each day of the week has a special deal well worth using to save a bit of money and which encourages sampling different items from the menu. Worth checking out. read more

Penny Farthing Public House - Front steps - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Excellent fish and chips. Really enjoyed sitting outside and people watching! Highly recommend.

This is the first time we were less than thrilled. We both ordered F&C. The C were terrific, but the F was too thickly breaded. A common problem among cheaper digs, the heavy soft, soggy breading was a first for PF. In their defense, however, the kitchen is seriously understaffed (one cook) due to post-pan blues. We'll give them another try...sometime. Hey, nobody's perfect. read more

Great little pub in the heart of oak bay! Way bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside, it never seems too crowded and service is always good whether you come as part of a large or small group. The food is good, decent prices and always seems to be fresh and delicious. Drinks are good too! We've been here a couple times when they have had live music - it gets pretty loud so we usually come earlier in the evening and leave before it starts. But the musicians are usually good and if live music is your thing you might love it! Would definitely recommend this place - great for lunch, dinner, or just happy hour! read more

Penny Farthing was a stop that one of the hop-on-hop-off buss tour guides recommended when we jumped off in the Oak Bay area of Victoria, and we really enjoyed this place. Our server was super nice and super friendly, especially since my father-in-law loves to chat. She was very patient and helpful with him and all of us. We sat in the back room near the fireplace. My wife and I grabbed a couple of blankets to ward off the chill and drinks were ordered. We also got prawns and poutine for starters. Of the several poutines we ate, my wife and I rank Penny Farthing's as the best we had! We also had fish and chips around the table. Everyone was satisfied and happy with Penny Farthing. Certainly a wonderful place, a great stop, and one of our favorite memories of our Victoria holiday! read more

My partner and I love going to the Penny Farthing, not only because it's within walking distance of our home, but also because the food and service is excellent. I've tried the fish and chips, pizza, burgers, and the 3 course roast beef dinner special, and every time I have been thoroughly satisfied with the flavour and freshness of the food. It's a great destination for a beer and conversation, or a full meal. read more

Great service, food and atmosphere. A pubish environment with a very good selection of beers. Try the scotch eggs.

My morning started with getting sick on the ferry from Seattle to Victoria on a particularly choppy trip, then catching a Grey Line hop-on, hop-off tour of the city, luggage still in tow, to get a sense of the place, since I had never been on the west side of Canada before, or the Northeast in general. According to the Grey Line brochure, Oak Bay had quaint shops and could be a good place for lunch, so my mom and I disembarked, not knowing anything about the area. We walked down the street, which was lined with small produce vendors and little boutiques, and considered the tea room before settling on Penny Farthing after checking out the menu posted outside. The exterior of the place was also inviting--very English pub style and clean-looking. I had a veggie burger which I think had a bit of cheese in it that I pretended to ignore along with fries and HP sauce. As an American, it was a delight to order the HP sauce, which is probably less exciting to Canadians and Brits than for someone who has to go to Little India in Artesia, CA, to get it. The menu was more expansive and fresher than a typical pub, hence the "gastro" prefix. The service was friendly and prompt, and the ambiance was relaxed and cozy. I sat next to two older gents, one of whom had a righteous toupee, which I can only think he wore to keep his head warm as it couldn't have fooled anyone. It seemed like a great neighborhood place. After coming in a bit tired and still slightly queasy, I left feeling full, warm, and satisfied. If I had had more time, I would have grabbed a pint and settled in by the fire to while away the Saturday afternoon, listening to chatter and unwinding. read more

What a charming little pub!! Situated in the gentrified, quiet neighborhood of Oak Bay, Victoria, one could easily believe they're relaxing for tea in a cricket grounds club house. The menu offers a few notches up from regular pub faire (mussels, pork belly, braised beef short rib, etc.), yet still manages to satisfy those in need of fish (and oysters) and chips, burgers, salads and traditional British pub grub. Note, this does not convey every unique dish they offer. Blue Mac & Cheese, Charcuterie Plate, Halibut Cheek Sliders, Lamb Burgers, Prime Rib with smoked horseradish mayo. The menu is as vast as it is intriguing and delicious. EXTRA: The locals look like they could have easily been drafted out of a 1980s British Mystery TV show - English accents, cricket sweaters and badged club blazers abound! Love it. read more

The Penny Farthing is a warm, kindly place that reminds me very much of a pub I used to visit when I lived in Britain for a few months. My boyfriend has never had the nice British Sunday roast before, so I reserved us a 7 p.m. table, and off we went. The beer list was lovely, with an excellent selection of local and English brews. I had the wild salmon filet sandwich, which was nicely spiced and tasty, and he indeed had the Sunday roast with leg of lamb, which he found excellent and of which I stole several vegetables and some of the potatoes. I would have liked to stay here much longer, eating and drinking and enjoying ourselves; this would have been a great place to be for a few hours at least. Unfortunately, we had both gone to the pub feeling out of sorts, and had to leave early and return to our hotel for some rest. I was so tired that I remember the Penny Farthing like a really yummy dream, and would like to go back sometime for a more conscious experience. read more

This is a beautiful English gastropub on the main strip in Oak Bay. While one doesn't usually associate fun with the goings on "behind the tweed curtain", this is indeed a fun place. The fun ends early though, 10:00 is bedtime at the Penny Farthing. Get there early so you don't end up standing at the bar having your first pint at last call wishing you'd been early enough for bangers and mash. http://www.pennyfarthingpub.com/ read more