“It’s down in the Fiveways, like a tiny, mini suburb within Paddington. The brekky rolls they do are awesome. I get the bacon and egg roll, and they do really good veggie rolls too.”
Occupying the corner of Oxford and William Streets, the Paddo Inn has been pouring beers since 1814. In mid-2017 it was relaunched as a classic neighbourhood bistro, quickly confirming its popularity among locals. Who doesn’t like good food, good wine and a warm reception? One of the masterminds behind the reinvention of the pub has been assistant manager Kenny Floyd.
Kenny, how long have you worked here?
I’ve been an assistant manager at the Paddo for one and a half years. I started in January 2017 after managing an array of other venues including the Erko, the Clock, Public House Petersham and the Edinburgh Castle.
What do you love about the Paddo?
Paddo Inn has been a cornerstone of the Paddington community for decades. [Chef] Matt Moran got his start here with Bruce Solomon, and now they are back, collaborating again. I love Paddo Inn’s ability to adapt and keep up with what the community needs. The best example of this is the renovation of the dining room, and how it’s reflective of the guests that come here.
We heard the board games are going off in in the front bar.
It has gone gangbusters – we’ve had to triple the amount of games. On early weeknights everyone in the front bar is playing an old board game. People walk in for a beer and go, “Oh my god, you guys have Yahtzee? I haven’t played that in years.”
Who is the most memorable customer you have encountered?
Definitely Lawrence – he is ingrained in the history of the Paddo and I feel it’s a privilege to call him my mate. He visits nearly every day, orders the same drink and is always so pleasant and he has the best stories. He has lived such a crazy life – he was an elephant keeper overseas, and trains exotic animals. In addition to that, he is a photographer and actually took most of the photos that you see around the Paddo today. My favourite is the massive one hanging over the front bar booths, taken in 1984, and you can see the pub is absolutely booming and overflowing onto the street – the laws back then were a lot more relaxed.
