January 2024 update: The first thing you need to know is that The Paddington’s golden rotisserie chicken is just as good as it was when Merivale reopened the jazzed-up pub back in 2015. The talented Ben Greeno (ex-Momofuku Seiobo) is still the executive chef here, keeping a close eye on the kitchen to make sure quality and taste is up to scratch. And a recent visit proves it very much is. Greeno’s signature Bannockburn hormone-free roast chook comes with bronzed and glistening skin, its meat seasoned and juicy, and served with cracking fries and a well-dressed bright butter salad. And for $38 – that includes half a chook, chips, gravy and salad – it’s also still a well-priced tasty feed.
It’s not just about the chicken, of course (though, you could just come in for that alone and leave feeling plump and merry). Part-pub, part-restaurant and part-cocktail bar, the Oxford Street boozer is a three-in-one good time. If you’re looking for a casual beer with a mate, you can do that here. Or, if you’re wanting a place to catch up for a family lunch, you can kick things off with snacks like lobster spring rolls with spicy mayo; edamame dip with wonton skins; and crispy zucchini flowers with ricotta, aioli and grilled lemon.
Larger plates span snapper with ratatouille and basil; a sirloin with a fried egg, snails and garlic butter; and chicken schnitzel with snap peas and parmesan. Dessert takes a step back in time including the sticky date pudding with hazelnut crumble, vanilla ice cream and butterscotch sauce; or lemon custard marinated berries and lemon crumb. Enjoy all this in The Paddington’s handsome space; the exposed brick walls, white tiles and distressed mirrors channelling a farmhouse chic aesthetic.
On a hot date? Then head upstairs to level one and get amongst the intimate cocktail bar, featuring blue velvet chairs, dark furniture, and stiff drinks – just how we like ’em.
Next year The Paddington will celebrate ten years, which is no small feat here in Sydney. Let’s hope the ripper golden chooks, beers and good times keep on rolling for at least another ten.
– Avril Treasure
Read on for our original review of The Paddington by Emily Lloy-Tait from 2016.
*****
If you want to pinpoint the exact moment that Oxford Street in Paddington got its groove back, it was when ex-Momofuku chef Ben Greeno threaded the first lot of Bannockburn free-range chickens onto the newly installed rotisserie at the Paddington.
Those brined chooks are the major reason there’s a waiting list at this schmicked-up pub opposite the Paddington United Church – all the foams, foraged treats and fusion in Sydney seemingly can’t beat a juicy piece of chicken with sticky, golden-brown skin for crowd appeal. And the best news of all is it isn’t going to bankrupt you to get it. A mere $39 covers a whole bird, gravy, fries and a bowl of crisp cos leaves liberally salted and dressed in diced onion and chives for flavour you can see.
You can try for a seat in one of the designated dining rooms – up the back half of the ground floor by the open kitchen, or upstairs – but this is, at its heart, a pub. We have better luck scouting for a seat in the public bar up the front or in the cocktail bar upstairs.
If all you want to do is sink pints of Little Creatures, White Rabbit and Heineken and watch the world go by, this is an extremely good looking place to do it. They’ve ticked all the boxes for a high-end pub so expect lots of white tiles, dark timbers, landscape paintings and distressed finishes – it matches the well-heeled set here perfectly.
Our favourite haunt is undeniably the bar upstairs where you can order up a Margarita (they’re calling it a Mariano Martinez – they’ve renamed all the classics so it’s worth reading the descriptions through) and sink into a plush bar stool by the open windows. Or you can take your Champagne cocktail made with gin, lemon juice and sugar out onto the little balcony for a five-minute mini-break.
Everything is exceptionally nice at the Paddington. Time, taste and a fair wad of cash has gone into transforming an underwhelming watering hole into a casual dining nirvana, and the pull of simple fare executed with precision is irresistible.
The crowds will ultimately die down, though we don’t anticipate it being quiet anytime soon. But if you’re two thumbs up for an early supper, or planning on strategically refuelling later in the night, you’re onto a winner. In fact, the kitchen is set to keep cooking until 1am (no lock-out zone here) so post-party feasting may have just found a new home in Sydney.