Paddington Inn

Ph: (02) 9380 5913; 338 Oxford St, Paddington 2021 www.paddingtoninn.com.au

modern australian, $, * for Ambience
Open Lunch-dinner Mon-Sun, Closed Xmas Day; Licensed; AE DC MC V, No bookings, Seats inside 60, private rooms, Kids welcomed
Chef (--) Owner (--)

Mietta's Review
This huge Oxford Street landmark offers, among other things, a giant fish bowl window for people watching. The crowd is classic inner east - gay, straight, whatever, youngish, groovy, yuppy. Very respectable food at the back. All in all quite a scene for the young, or at least the young at heart. Avoid it at all costs when the footy at the nearby Showgrounds has just let loose.

Other published opinions

Sydney Eats 2008 "A schmick pub of the leather booths and dark timber variety, the Paddington Inn has an equally smart bistro"

Sydney Morning Herald By Lenny Ann Low, 31-7-2007 "The 1850s pub, long a popular meeting point in Paddington's main stretch, underwent an extensive facelift in the late 1990s. Almost three months ago its revitalised back bar, central open-air courtyard and upstairs terrace were launched. The back bar and eating area now features curvy banquettes, cherry red walls with mustard and brown stripes and a ceiling covered with dangling, crumpled mesh rectangles. Tonight, groups of stylish women converse conspiratorially in every corner. A lone man drenched in hair product and nervousness stakes out a semi-circular corner banquette."

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2007 Score: 13/20 "Gotta love a busy, friendly pub serving well- priced, well-cooked food. Move quickly through the smoky front bar to the cute downstairs dining area, with concrete floor, earthy burgundy-and-caramel walls, wooden tables and chairs and a few cosy booths."

Sydney Eats 2006 "The sleek dining space at this ever-popular pub has trialled a few styles of food and now seems to have settled on mod oz classics that will keep the drinkers next door from starvation. The menu changes every six weeks or so"

SMH Good Food Guide 2005 Score 13/20 "At this training ground for several of Sydney's great chefs (including Matt Moran and Genevieve Copland) we're now lucky to have est./Forty One/MG Garage protege Matthew Hilford doing his take on the great-value pub bistro. Despite a bit of a makeover, the room at first glance looks the same as ever - the rear of a heaving public bar full of people keener to drink (and many, to smoke) than to eat. But find yourself a bare table, order at the counter and drool over competently cooked dishes with more than a little flair."

Sydney Eats 2005 "It's been up and down for the dining room at this always popular pub, where the quality has varied as often as who's in the kitchen. For now, things are looking good, with a newish tapas menu"