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, 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 cosy daybeds (large enough for up to 15 people, 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;
Niji Japanese Kitchen, sending out sushi, bao and gyoza;
Salt Shed, a team of curers-turned-BBQ’ers plating up slow-smoked and fire-scorched meats; and
Rudie’s Jerk Shack, serving delicious Jamaican jerk classics alongside saltfish fritters and fried plantain.
Behind their two lengthy bars, the ‘tenders will also be mixing up cocktails and spritzers, pouring the wine and pulling a couple of craft beers and ciders on tap. And for this summer, they’re serving up a couple of Moët & Chandon specials, including a passion fruit slushy (read: frozen pornstar martini) and Champagne on ice.
Seems like they’ve taken it off the back burner.
NOTE: Pergola Paddington 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 Paddington | 5 Kingdom Street, W2 6PY
Partial to a tipple? Peruse the Best Bars in London