Paddington is of course famous for one little bear from Peru who’s partial to marmalade and is recognised all over the world.

But now there’s a new Bear in town with the opening of Paddington’s latest pub – The Bear which occupies the former Cork and Bottle wine bar on Spring Street, near the station.

The business has been taken over by The Craft Beer Company and is the company’s ninth London outlet offering a bewildering choice of 41 beers all sourced from small independent breweries.

General manager Kiran tells me his food menu is limited to eight kinds of burger and fish and chips – as he wants to do one type of food and to do that well.

Kiran and Nicole – The management team at The Bear

The post New Bear in town appeared first on Best Place To Stay In London.

Seats once occupied by the likes of Diana Ross, Mike Tyson. Phil Collins, Elton John, Mike Jagger, Joan Collins, Robert Redford, Pavarotti, Sean Connery, Liz Taylor and Rod Stewart are now shared by all the Sussex’s customers enjoying the end of lockdown.

The Sussex has undergone a phenomenal refurbishment during the pandemic and now features plush black leather seating, genuine airplane fuselages mounted on the walls, funky airport style signage, and a comfortable upscale business class lounge at the rear of the pub.

So, when next visiting Paddington be sure to check in at the Sussex – and enjoy the flight.

The post Supersonic Sussex appeared first on Best Place To Stay In London.

The post Flower of Scotland appeared first on Best Place To Stay In London.

The post Thunder and Lightning…Pubs open at last. appeared first on Best Place To Stay In London.

Customers are still forbidden from enjoying the experience of sitting in the interior of this remarkably well preserved genuine Victorian public house with its fabulous engraved glasswork and stunning gallery of nineteenth century Royalty displayed on every surface.

However, the pub’s landlord and landlady, Chris and Helen (pictured above) tell us that they are really excited to be opening again after so may months during which the locals have told them they have really missed their pub.

Tiny Rebels’s Boogaloo – a passion fruit Indian Pale Ale – is an innovation waiting for the Victoria’s first returning customers, though the establishment’s booze hounds will probably be supping something a little more traditional.

Seating capacity outside is at 60, and the kitchen will be back in operation on 12 May. Paddington is slowly is coming back to life and as Queen Elizabeth told the nation right at the beginning of this awful pandemic: “We will meet again”.

The post Victoria reigns again appeared first on Best Place To Stay In London.

The same is true at the Heron with the outdoor space at the back of the pub becoming a busy meeting place for thirsty locals starved of human companionship for so many weeks.

Paddington’s locals are truly showing a ‘Blitz Spirit’ as they brave the temperatures, finally able to enjoy the freedom of a pint or two in a happy neighbourhood atmosphere after weeks of lockdown.

The post Chilled atmosphere and warm welcome at Paddington’s garden pubs appeared first on Best Place To Stay In London.

Ordering at the bar

Unlike bars in much of the rest of the world, table service is quite rare in the UK. Food and drinks are ordered at the bar when you arrive and you will be expected to pay the whole bill (check) for that order there and then. Most places will allow you to ‘run a tab’ where your card is either held behind the bar or run through a machine so the bar can collect the amount owing should you forget to pay when you leave. If your card is behind the bar you simply settle up when you are ready to leave.

Tipping

In days gone by, the correct form when tipping was to say to the bar person when ordering “Have one yourself” whereupon the member of staff would ring up half a pint of either bitter (ale) or lager (light beer) and then drink it while they were working, or consume it after time (bar closed – half an hour to drink up) when the staff would sit down after their shift to have a relaxing ‘lock-in’ drink together. This tradition has gone out of fashion a little with the current trend of forbidding consumption of alcohol when working. Staff will still ring in a drink at the till should you offer, but changing times means the etiquette has become a little hazy nowadays and some bar staff (many of whom are not UK born) may ring in drinks probably more expensive than you were intending to pay for.

Cash tips have traditionally been confined to restaurants (often as a mandatory service charge over which you are not expected to supplement), black cab drivers and women at the hairdresser’s. These days it’s fair to say that the best way to show appreciation for the service you are receiving in a pub is to offer a cash tip. Sometimes the staff will put these gratuities into a communal jar behind the bar and share the proceeds at the end of the night, especially if there are kitchen staff hidden from the customers. Almost everyone working behind a bar is earning minimum wage or a bit more, so your gesture will always be gratefully appreciated.

Rounds

There’s a very long-standing tradition in Britain of groups of friends buying ‘rounds’ of drinks for each other when they go to the pub, where they each take turns to buy drinks for all members of the group. This doesn’t mean that each round is identical in cost, as people change their drink choice over the course of the evening or skip a drink if the haven’t finished, or as people join and depart from the group. The attitude is “what goes around comes around” and that everything evens out over time. People who join in rounds and then regularly disappear off to the loo (restroom) when their turn arrives to pick up the tab are soon rumbled and will earn the scorn of their compatriots.

If you meet someone you’ve never met before in the pub and get chatting it will not be at all unusual if they offer to buy you and your partner a drink. While strictly speaking reciprocation is not a hard and fast rule, there’s an unspoken expectation that you will return the gesture when you are both ready to order again. Then you keep taking turns until the end of the evening or until one or both of you collapses.

Personal space

Talking to strangers is absolutely fine in British pubs, particularly if you’re standing or sitting at the bar. It’s one of the joys of our pub culture that the duke and the dustman (garbageman) can meet on absolute equal terms in the boozer and will often get along famously as the drinks flow. As a caveat, there’s an old maxim that you “Never discuss religion or politics in the pub” which is probably sage advice until you get to know your new mate (buddy) a little better and can judge where the land lies.

However, although you can chat freely to anyone at the bar – and can have discussions with people at nearby tables, don’t park yourself uninvited at someone else’s table, particularly if you are a guy and that someone is a woman on her own.

No offence meant

One rather peculiar aspect of the British character is the habit some of them have of sometimes saying seemingly insulting and derogatory things to their closest friends. This can take some outsiders by surprise but it should not. This is just a manifestation of the British sense of humour which veers towards the absurd and self-mocking. Just look at it this way – the more the British like you, the more likely they will be to take the mickey. Don’t take it personally if you are gently teased.

So, I hope you now feel comfortable to pop along to your nearest watering hole and enjoy a convivial time at one of the many great pubs in W2 and beyond. And please free feel to add your comments, advice or personal experiences below. Cheers!

As always, we would greatly appreciate it if you share this article.

The post Paddington (UK) pub etiquette appeared first on Best Place To Stay In London.