Paddington’s Many Restaurants

You’ll have no problems finding a restaurant to your liking in Paddington

To say that Paddington has many restaurants is actually an understatement….So many in fact, that doing an online review of all of Paddington’s restaurants could actually be a website unto itself. Suffice to say, there’s no shortage, and what’s more, there’s a huge diversity of restaurants as well. I would however, like to point out some of the ones I like to frequent and why.

Let’s talk about pub food first. Maybe it’s because I’m not really a formal kind of guy, but I love eating in pubs. I’ve enjoyed meals in many of Paddington’s pubs, and I can tell you that I’ve never had a bad experience. In particular, I like the food at the Pride of Paddington Pub, just outside Paddington Station.

The servings could be described as American in terms of their size (pretty gigantic), but the food at this pub is really good…a bit on the pricey side, but what would you expect from a pub located just outside a major railway station which funnels tourists in from Heathrow Airport.

There are quite a few Chinese restaurants as well. My favorite is Wox Noodle Bar, a tiny Chinese takeaway (you can eat in but the seating area is limited and exposed to the outside as they keep the storefront open all year round) on Spring Street where for around £6 you get enough food for either 2 people or 2 servings for yourself. It offers a large container of your choice of rice and 2 toppings. I recommend the salt and pepper chicken as well as the garlic chicken which are almost always my choices.

If you’re a fan of Italian food then you’ll love Bizarro Ristorante on Craven Road, just down from Paddington Station. The spaghetti bolognese is outstanding, and I never leave Paddington to come home without having it at least once.

Paddington also has its share of small and cozy cafes such as Mimo’s Cafe which is located on London Street just across from Norfolk Square. If you’ve arrived in London early in the morning and have to wait for your hotel room to be ready, drop your bags at the hotel and head out to one of these cafes. Sit outside and watch all of the busy Londoners hurry up and down the street.

Of course no visit to London would be complete without having Fish and Chips and there are plenty of places to get them, but I always advise my clients to go to a Chip Shop (as they are referred to in the UK) as opposed to a pub or other type of eating establishment. There are 2 Chip Shops in Paddington. The Sussex Fish Bar on London Street and the well renowned Mickey’s Fish and Chips on Norfolk Place (no pun intended). Personally I feel that Mickey’s definitely has the edge over The Sussex in terms of taste, but the Sussex is next door to The Sussex Arms Pub, which allows you to bring in your take away from the chip shop as long as you order drinks. Mickey’s too is next to a pub called The Fountains Abbey (and a very nice one at that) but since they serve food taking in food is a no no. For me, either experience is enjoyable and unique in both cases.

No matter what the case, Paddington is a real winner when it comes to restaurants. I can assure you that, no matter what your tastes, you’ll find a restaurant (or 2 or 3) that are to your taste.

As always, I’d greatly appreciate it if you share this article.