Paddington’s canals have got a lot more going for them these days.
And here’s a spot you do want to touch with a bargepole.
It’s called Pergola Paddington (or Pergola Paraíso in its current, Mexican-styled, incarnation), and it’s commandeered a leafy, two-storey, 850-capacity semi-outdoor space in the Paddington Basin development for street food and cocktails. And you.
Shielded from the industrial views around it, it’s a little oasis amidst the glossy offices and bustling transport lines. You’ll arrive to find yourself on the fairy-lit upstairs terrace, equipped with swing seating, breezy cabanas (ideal for bigger groups, and bookable in advance), benches and a very large bar, at which you’ll spy cocktails on tap, draught beers, wine and G&Ts.
Head downstairs, and you’ll find the pergola itself, festooned with fairy-lights, flowers and foliage and set with rows and rows of picnic tables – handy, since your nose will soon be leading you to one of the street food stalls, which currently include:
Filth & Co, purveyors of burgers, mac & cheese bites and comfort food snacks;
Dos Mas, Mexican street food traders doling out tacos, nachos and patatas bravas; and
Crudo Cevicheria, the city’s first spot to allow you to build your own ceviche bowl.
Behind their two lengthy bars, the ‘tenders will also be mixing up frozen tequila cocktails and summer spritzers, pouring the wine and pulling a couple of craft beers and ciders on tap. The DJs will be spinning records till late to fill up the dancefloor. And on Saturday nights, the Dusk parties see stilt-walkers and fire performers work the crowd as the sun sets.
Which should heat things up.
NOTE: Pergola Paraíso is open from 4-11pm Mon-Tues and 12-11pm Wed-Sun. They take walk-ins, but you can make reservations (for up to 199 people) on their website right HERE.
Pergola Paraíso | 5 Kingdom Street, W2 6PY
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