Things to do in Paddington: Best restaurants, pubs, bars and more

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Jochan Embley6 November 2018

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Paddington may be known the world over thanks to a certain anthropomorphic bear, but its reputation among Londoners is somewhat muted.

To the uninitiated, it's an area that seems to be dominated by a train station and the offices that line its streets. That's a little unfair though – there's plenty to Paddington, it just takes a little looking.

There are some excellent restaurants, serving up food from all corners of the culinary globe, and a fair few historic pubs too.

Whether you're in the area for work, or just off the train and looking for something to do, fear not: Paddington will keep you occupied.

Main attractions

The Paddington Basin is a hub of activity. GoBoat offers budding seafarers the chance to rent their own electric canal boats, offering a chance to explore Paddington, Little Venice and Camden by water. They're actually terrific fun and ideal for a weekend day out. The Floating Pocket Park, meanwhile, adds some much-needed green space to the area.

Merchant Square and Sheldon Square host regular events, from screenings of major sporting events to outdoor cinema nights.

Restaurants

Pearl Liang

London Shell Co is the place to go for those seeking something out of the ordinary. The restaurant is in fact a barge, which sails along Regent’s Canal as you eat, voyaging through Little Venice and past Primrose Hill on the way to Camden Lock. It’s a terrific little restaurant and far from a novelty though, with plenty of fantastic seafood on offer across five-courses.

Lockhouse is all about the burgers — in fact, one of its most popular offerings, the Locked & Loaded, was named as the best signature burger at last year’s National Burger Awards. It’s a bit of beast, with double patties, double cheese and double bacon (adding lettuce, pickles and onion for good measure).

Stuzzico supplies the best Italian food in the area. The food is simple but effective, adding a few modern flourishes to the traditional favourites — try the seabass fillet with pine nuts, olives and raisins. For pizza, go to Heist Bank. They’re all cooked on fluffy, moreish sourdough bases and topped with mouth-watering extras. There’s a great selection of craft beers too — the perfect accompaniment.

Fancy some dim sum? Go to Pearl Liang, which has a whole menu dedicated to the little pockets of deliciousness. It’s the speciality, but the seafood options are also well worth exploring, as well as all the Chinese classics found elsewhere on the menu.

Casa Malevo is one for the carnivores. The Argentinian restaurant has a homely, intimate feel to it and specialises in steak — each of its cuts are deftly cooked and burst with flavour. Be sure to sample the wine list, comprised exclusively of bottles from the South American country.

Kurobuta is an izakaya-style Japanese joint, specialising in small plates. They’re all supremely flavoursome, especially the wagyu sliders, which are accompanied by onion tempura, umami mayo and Japanese BBQ sauce (at £16 for two pieces it isn’t cheap, but boy is it tasty). It also runs a bottomless brunch on Saturdays, which offers unlimited dishes for £35 and unlimited prosecco, beer or wine for an extra tenner.

Angelus plates up contemporary French food amid a backdrop of cosy art nouveau interiors. The menu is refined — there are only three options for mains on the dinner menu — but it’s very much a case of quality over quantity. The wine list is superb too, so ask one of the friendly waiters for a recommendation and then order a carafe.

On the face of it, the Heron seems like a good old fashioned English boozer — and in many ways, it is, but it also does some terrific Thai food. The dishes are packed with bold, hugely satisfying flavours. Try out the gang som goong kai cha om (a sour orange curry with prawns, thai herbs and bitter leaves omelette).

For street food, head to KERB, which sets up shop twice a month on Sheldon Square. The trader line-up is a mouth-watering one, featuring Taco Dave, Indian Street Kitchen, Jamon Jamon and plenty of other favourites. There’s a similar vibe over at Pergola, which has four food stalls (Patty & Bun, Canard, Mam, Yucatan) and a couple of bars spread out across two floors. The outdoor terrace comes into its own during summer, but is also fully heated for winter.

Pubs and bars

The Cleveland Arms

If you’ve just got off a train in Paddington station and are in desperate need of a drink, then head straight to the Mad Bishop & Bear. The brilliantly named boozer is situated inside the station itself and, although it doesn’t do anything special, it has a solid range of beers. As railway pubs go, it’s a good one and Fuller's did a nice job with the refurb a little while back.

A couple of minutes’ walk away from the station is the Pride of Paddington. Adorned by hanging flower baskets, it's ideal for a photo as well as a pint. Ffeeling peckish? Be sure to go for the fish and chips, which are the best in the area.

The Victoria is a proper English pub — lots of wood panelling, plush armchairs and brass light fittings — with a great selection of beers and ales on tap. Try to grab a chair on the small outside terrace when it’s sunny, if they haven’t already been taken.

The Duke of Kendal has been serving thirsty Paddington locals since 1838. It’s a lively, friendly boozer, and if you’re going to head along, be sure to arrive in good voice — the pub is known in the area for its spontaneous singalongs, made possible by the piano that sits in the corner of the pub.

The Cleveland Arms is another long-time favourite (it opened 15 years or so after the Duke of Kendal). It’s a classy, laid-back place, with a cosy open fire and plenty of pleasant period features reclaimed during the pub’s renovation in 2014. The food is well worth trying, too.

The best craft beer pubs in London

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After some wine rather than a pint? Go to Cork and Bottle, the Paddington offshoot of the Covent Garden original. It’s great for a full meal (the ham and cheese pie is a perennial favourite), but perhaps the greatest pleasure here can be found by pairing one of the many wines with some cheese, a great selection of which is available.

Heist Bank, mentioned in our restaurants section above for its sourdough pizzas, is also a great spot for a drink. The focus is on craft beers, including the venue’s own Heist Bank lager and other favourites, such as Fourpure, Beavertown and Gispy Hill. The cocktails are straightforward but well done — think negronis, G&Ts and the like.

Channeling the chilled-out vibes of a San Francisco loft, Royal Standard does a range of tasty cocktails at a not-overly-expensive price — most cost £8, while a happy hour runs from midday until 8pm everyday, offering two of the same cocktails for £11.

The Mitre pub is another great place for a pint, but you want to be heading downstairs to the bar that is hiding underneath it. Old Mary’s serves a good number of craft beers, but the best money is spent on the cocktails, which are innovative and playful.

Coffee shops and cafes

KuPP, an all-day cafe, takes inspiration from the Scandinavian way of doing things: relaxed, homely and delicious. It works best for a relaxed breakfast, with one of the open sandwiches (a speciality from the region) a great option. Java U, meanwhile, takes cues from the coffee shops of Montreal, offering a relaxed, trendy environment to sip your cuppa in. Feeling indulgent? Try the espresso con panna, which adds a dollop of whipped cream.

Kioskcafe is an interesting proposition, halfway between a newsagents and a coffee shop. It stocks a broad range of international magazines and newspapers, all of which are best perused while sipping one of the drinks from the coffee bar (the espresso is especially good).

For brunch, Beany Green, sitting on the banks of Regent’s Canal, is probably the best option in the area. It does things as the Aussies do — healthy but tasty — with the smashed avocado, charcoal bread, labne and Aleppo chilli option one of its most popular. A more traditional English breakfast, replete with all the trimmings, can be found at Cafe Dylan Dog, but for a quick, hearty snack before at a reasonable price before you get onto the train at Paddington station, head into Sandro Sandwich Bar.

Music and nightlife

Duke of Kendal

Paddington’s nightlife leaves a lot to be desired. There aren’t any notable nightclubs to speak of, so if you are going to stay in the area, hunker down in one of the bars and remain there until kicking-out time. Camden is probably the liveliest nearby area for nightclubs — try the Jazz Cafe or the Camden Assembly — or, slightly further on, go to Egg in King’s Cross.

Likewise, there aren’t any leading venues dedicated to live music. Although, as mentioned in our round-up above of the best places to get a drink, the Duke of Kendal is loved for its boozy music nights, so might be your best bet.

Arts

The best museum in the area is the Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum, dedicated to the Nobel Prize-winning bacteriologist who discovered penicillin. It restores his laboratory to how it would have looked as he made the world-changing breakthrough back in 1928, and is popular with tourists and school trips alike.

For art lovers, Démodé Gallery is the place to go. It's a quirky place, with exposed brick walls and patterned carpets, but shines for its quality of artworks on display. A little further to the east, in neighbouring Marylebone, Lisson and Cube galleries are both worth visiting, while to the west, in Westbourne Grove, Maddox Gallery is excellent.

Most Instagrammable spots

Paddington Basin

Sheldon Square

Paddington station

And one more thing…

Paddington Bear, the much-loved character who first appeared in children’s books back in the 50s, has received a new boost in popularity in recent years thanks to the Paddington films. In the books and the films, he first arrives into London on a train bound for Paddington station — and now, on Platform One, there’s a small bronze statue of the bear. There’s also a statue of Paddington with his original creator, Michael Bond, over in Sheldon Square.

How to get there

Rail: Paddington station

Tube: Paddington (Bakerloo, Circle, Hammersmith and City, District lines), Lancaster Gate (Central), Edgware Road (Bakerloo, Circle, Hammersmith and City, District lines)

Bus: 7, 23, 27, 36, 46, 205, 332

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