Paddington Pubs

[@liamkatt6434]

When my father arrived in Paddington from Cork, Ireland in 1935, his favourite pub was The Load Of Hay, which is sadly now a Frankie and Benny thing.

[@markw4560]

The Royal Exchange in Sale Place was my old after work pub in the late 80s & early 90s when I worked in Summit House on the corner opposite. Always wondered about any link between 'Sale' & 'Exchange' ? It was run by a lovely Irish couple called Tommy & Mary Conway. Had Brakspears on cask and, unusually back then, draught Murphys stout instead of the ubiquitous Guinness. Mary's home cooked food was amazing, with her hot salt beef sandwiches on a Friday, the highlight of the week.

[@johnrob6132]

A really interesting mix of pubs, each with its fascinating piece of history, well described by you. I never realised that Paddington had such a collection of different pubs to enjoy a drink of good beer .Look forward to the next one.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks JohnRob! As I said at the start of the video, Paddington (apart from the station) isn't a part of the city I'm very familiar with but I do think it has at least a couple of pubs worth visiting.

[@apuldram]

Momentarily. Didn’t know you spoke American 🇺🇸? Or was it just a short comment 😂

[@Thefisherman27]

You brought back a lot of good memories there of the Victoria. We used to go to their quiz night in the 90s ,brilliant pub brilliant people.I hope Neil the quiz master has now become a successful barrister.

[@TweedyPubs]

Glad to hear that! I think it has probably gone a bit foodie since then, but they still do their quiz nights apparently.

[@dansunder7minutebeerreview271]

@@TweedyPubs I have also visited the Victoria many times on my beer trips to London from Philadelphia, I never knew there was an upstairs area, will add the Mitre to my list, looks nice.

[@SimonStamenkovic]

Another great video, thanks. I must admit i was quite taken with the Mitre and Paddington in general. I always find myself admiring the houses and streets you walk along. Cheers.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Simon! Yes Paddington definitely has a few quite handsome streets, and at least one or two of these pubs I would say are worth a detour.

[@davidcharker609]

Hi There No comment on this video but just a request...I lived in the Battersea Clapham Junction area during the 50s and 60s. Any chance you could do a tour around that area ?

[@RighteousReverendDynamite]

The stained glass skylight at The Mitre is quite nice. Better having soft colored dappled light fall upon one's brow than a shaft of glaring light from a strong sun when enjoying a quiet ale inside with a lady. Curved glass window panes are tricky to make. I am not sure how glassworkers produce them. ( Fortunately, by the time of WWII, Plexiglass came into being which made the jobs easier for all the Allied aircraft workers fit in the windows for all the different noses, and top turrets of their bombers and canopies for their fighters. One wonders, or course, if the Vatican had its own Swiss Guard Air Force, would they have used stained glass?? [long sip of ale....]) . Nice outside sidewalk seating with the 2 converging streets and the mysterious church steeple looming overhead down the street. The Swan looked good. Love the fancy old brass water dispenser. Better than the ubiquitous bar "snake" dispenser with the gauche fizzy gurgle sound.

[@TweedyPubs]

A couple of nice skylights on this tour - I thought the one at the Swan was also a pleasant surprise. I'm really a fan of these, there's another nice example at the Assembly House in Kentish Town, and I agree they make for very agreeable lighting in what might otherwise be a dingy corner of a pub.

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Such an interesting brace of pubs. All look inviting and worthy of a visit. And not a Green King 👑 amongst them! 👏👏👍😀🍺

[@johnsharp8632]

Thanks Tweedy for another set of pubs. I know and love The Victoria, but I was never aware of the old water dispenser on the bar. The Swan was quite run-down the last time I visited, but it has clearly been modernised and is probably better for it. I have never visited The Mitre, but I absolutely love the windows with their delicate glazing bars and curved glass, which would always have been expensive. The lovely doors and original brass door furniture are great survivors and a real delight. My favourite Paddington watering hole in the late 80s was The Archery Tavern in Bathurst Street, which had stables at the back....the horses were ridden to nearby Hyde Park. The Archery served a great pint of draught Boddingtons when it was a really special. The Archery closed many years ago, much to the regret of many.

[@EverydayEnglishTipswithAmit]

What a superb video with tons of insights and history ❤loved the pub guide and felt thirsty 😅

[@PaulWalshp-wx4in]

ROYAL EXHANGE SHUT SADLY 👌

[@chrisdecoste3097]

Thanks so much for this video… we now have a few ideas for Paddington Pubs…. Cheers 🍻

[@TweedyPubs]

You're welcome Chris, cheers!

[@jackiechan8840]

Keep up the great videos fella

[@jamesstewart3317]

Tweedy, interesting and informative as ever.Keep up the great work from a dreich Glasgow.😊

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks James!

[@robcoles8493]

Ive happenned on this channel and your wine and outdoors channels. Must say, i think your reviews are really interesting and delivered in a brilliant way - friendly, unpretensious and informative. I hope you keep them coming Tweedy.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks for the very kind words Rob! I just try to give my honest (but hopefully fair / polite) opinions, and I'm glad it comes across in the way you describe.

[@liamkatt6434]

Interesting, the Royal Exchange sign referring to Richard IIi and having nothing to do with the real reason for the name as explained by yourself. I think Breweries may have had some very imaginative types in their signage departments who knew little about the subject that they were painting the sign for. A Whitbread pub in Wallasey called the 'Twenty Row' after the long demolished terrace of houses that stood at the back of it, received in the 1970s a new sign showing two college style shell rowing boats, each with ten oarsmen. Another pub named 'The Tower' After the short lived New Brighton Tower, received a sign depicting the tower of London. Perhaps the best of all was the sign once hung outside 'The Magazine' pub (circa 1757) in New Brighton which was named after an 18th century powder magazine which once stood nearby. The artist painted sailors happily rolling barrels of gunpowder, each and everyone one puffing on a pipe.

[@jillelizabeth1737]

We stayed down the street from The Swan when we visited London last month. Their breakfast is really good. Also had Sunday Roast at the Mitre. Both lovely pubs. Can’t wait to return!

[@trevoryorke8128]

Do all the pubs accept cash

[@TweedyPubs]

Not sure sorry, although I don't remember seeing any "card payments only" signs in any of these. I tend to pay by card when out making these videos because I try to say what each beer cost (I know I sometimes forget to do that) so it's useful to have my card statement as a record. I do think it's important to keep cash alive though. The last time I was in the pub "off camera" I paid cash all evening.

[@AngieBowyer]

Our neck of the woods! I know the building isn't particularly appealing but if you had stopped off at the Evening Star by Brighton Station you would have had a fabulous pint before your train back home to London. We hope you return again south soon 😄

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Angie! I wonder if this comment was perhaps meant for the Brighton video? ...but anyway thanks for the suggestion, and I think that would have been a good idea to include on that tour. Wasn't the Evening Star where the Dark Star brewery was founded?

[@uksixsix]

Brilliant videos, I live in Wigan , GRT Manchester and go to London probably 3 times a year and have been in a few of the pubs that you have talked about and am looking forward to going into many more ... January next time in London, cheers 🍺 keep the videos coming.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thank you! Really glad you enjoyed the videos, and I hope you have a good trip in January. Definitely pub weather! (When isn't it?)

[@steveallen1635]

Badger, I understand they are brewing the Coffee Stout that is currently being sold in Aldi! Worh a try, sorry if I digress! Enjoyed the video!

[@TweedyPubs]

Sounds interesting - thanks Steve!

[@JEFFERYSJOHNSON]

Thanks Sir Tweedy - I thought I was going to be hugely embarrassed. Not that that never happens to me anyway. I have been to London 10+ times and always stay in the Paddington area and the 1st two I had never even seen. Great to know I can walk to a place for Badger nearby. I plan a trip by The Ship and Shovel to get my yearly Badger fix and next fall I have a walking/staggering distance place to go. Victoria is great and that has been my Sunday Roast place the last two years. I think of it as a place with good food but its hasn't turned into a gastro pub. The Swan is also a decent place but it had a remodel maybe 5 years ago and it sort of lost a bit of its old charm to me at least. Also been to the Mitre a couple of times... Now for some more useless comments. In your last shot in the background there is a place called The Lancaster Launderette & Dry Cleaners + Lancaster Deli Bar. Nicest people (Elvis) ever run the place and the deli there is shockingly good. If you ever need an emergency tweed cleaning around breakfast this is your place. :-) Finally there was a pub closer to St Marys Hospital called The Sir Alexander Fleming that closed a few years ago. It closed. Just struck me that just seems like an odd name for a pub even though it's right across the road from where he discover penicillin. Anyway - Not sure if the link will come across but there are 2 photos each of The Victoria and The Swan in 2008. A few years ago they went with a much younger Queen Victoria on the sign outside. That was a definite improvement. adobe.ly/3Sp1tSx Cheers - Thanks for helping me with my London pub withdrawal.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Jeff! I don't think those first two pubs are particularly well known, the first one was just included because it helped to tell the story, and the second one thrown in because it has some personal relevance. Although I do think the Royal Exchange has quite a nice exterior. I agree the Victoria has actually done a good job of developing a food focus without completely losing its pubby soul. Thank you for the photos! Amazingly the link actually survived (KZbin is usually pretty merciless with links in comments). I agree the Swan definitely looked nicer in its former incarnation.

[@montyf3594]

We enjoy your posts. But if you choose Gloombar over anything else, your standards are low

[@TweedyPubs]

I agree Doom Bar really isn't what it once was, and I know a lot of people really don't like it now (or maybe never did?). Maybe something to do with the Molson Coors takeover? An old friend of mine got married about twenty years ago and had a barrel of it at his wedding (actually in Cornwall), and I remember it being really good on that occasion. I really don't like those grapefruity American style IPAs though, so in terms of the hand pump / cask options at that first pub it was just a choice between Doom Bar and Sharp's "Solar Wave" Hazy IPA. I generally assume the keg options at any given pub are just going to be more American style IPAs and/or lagers, so didn't even really check what was on offer there. I didn't really go to that pub expecting to find a beer that would be my sort of thing, but just included it because I thought it helped to say something about the history of the area.

[@ysgolgerlan]

Thanks for a nice video, I really enjoy watching these and being able to see the interiors. 👍

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Ysgolgerlan!

[@mitchelluk1445]

ahh my stomping grounds for a beer, paddington, marble arch, Bayswater, notting hill, maida vale some real hidden gems around those parts

[@TweedyPubs]

Yes I agree, especially compared to other bits of West London (thinking of Chelsea in particular!).

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Well The Victoria and Mitre were real winners for me. Stunning. The streets looked pretty good too - with a good range of Victorian properties. Thanks for another great video.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thank you! Yes I would agree (as does CAMRA's list of historic pub interiors!) that the Victoria and Mitre are the most noteworthy pubs in the area... and yes, some of Paddington's streets are surprisingly good looking. I always imagine the areas immediately around major stations in London are going to be a bit, errrrr... "iffy". Perhaps that perception is more a hangover of the London of 20 years ago though?

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

@@TweedyPubs now you come to mention it, I have a hazy memory of walking through streets near Paddington Station that were decidedly iffy! And that would be at least 20 years ago. There were some fine buildings in your video and I didn’t see too many hideous modern intrusions. I particularly hate those ones they did about 5 years ago with cheap, grey or pine style cladding. I think I caught a glimpse of one by The Royal Exchange, but that was the only one.