The London Hotel - Paddington

The London may be one of many in the Paddington pub cluster but this prettied-up old terrace keeps sport-loving locals on side with friendly staff, cold beers and a tasty burger joint upstairs. It’s a bright, clean pub that stops short of shiny and soulless but is yet to venture too far towards whimsy or any sort of discernible theme – no taxidermy here folks. There’s a dining room, misleadingly called the garden bar (it is most definitely indoors and plant free) with long wooden tables and pinball machines, a covered timber courtyard bar and a gaming lounge tucked in behind the main bar. Said bar is packed with tall tables and boisterous male voices directed at the three big screens in the corners. This is a quick-draw and pour kind of place that is used to turning orders over rapidly – less time waiting at the bar means more time yelling ‘Are you blind, ref?’ at the TV. Paddo might boast more than its fair share of up-market watering holes, but the vast majority of punters here still favour draught beer so Super Dry, Carlton, Heineken and Stella Artois are the major players, with summery Little Creatures bright ale the small concession to craft beer on tap. Only drink NSW brews? There’s Lord Nelson and Stone and Wood in the fridges to keep small-batch snobs happy. Upstairs there is a burger pop-up that also slings a lobster, crab or prawn roll, Wednesdays are cheap pizza nights and they do a juicy pub steak for $10 on Thursday. You beauty!