The Paddington

Great atmosphere for a pub. I ordered a lamb, couscous salad with capers and kalamata olives. It was perfect, with just the right amount of seasoning. Service was professional and attentive. Great location so close to the hotel I am staying at.

Light was dim and there were TVs everywhere, however it wasn’t noisy like other sports bars. Tables were clean and nothing smelt bad which was a plus. The huge space was divided into different sections and rooms to accommodate small and big events. I never heard of this place before so it was a great surprise (Perhaps could use the word «pleasure» instead of surprise but up to you.) to find that their food was above bar food level.
Wonton and chicken pizza was average. However I did not believe it when I saw their seafood chowder. Chowder with a proper bread bowl? The shape of the bread was lovely — crispy lid and chowder full of wonderful seafood! It wasn’t too creamy so I enjoyed it very much. The beef skewers were tender and seasoned just right. The pork burger was delicious with Japanese mayo, cabbage and apple.
But the best surprise of the night was the Guiness & Baileys cheesecake. It was like crazy delicious. Caramel-​like Guiness flavoured cheese top was soft which contrasted with the crispy and cookie-​like base. My oh my. (It’s a shame that this dessert is only available on functions menu though)
I decided to revisit Paddington a week after this event. It was Tuesday night so the quiz night was on — we did anticipate that there would be some delay but sadly they mixed up our order which meant that the food was served even later than we had expected. Two dishes came first then the remaining two came after about 10 minutes which was a bit awkward.
I have a thing about trying new things instead of sticking to the best dish I had. So four of us ordered new things which turned out to be… not the best option. Market fish (23) was teamed instead of fried which gave a soft texture but not to how I like it. The potato that came with the dish didn’t compliment the fish well, however parsley cream sauce was lovely. My Prawn and calamari salad (18.5) was interesting as it had sun-​dried tomato in it, but had no wow factor. Spinach cannelloni was delicious as we only took a bite of it but it was too creamy for my friend. Fish & Chips (23) was the best out of these four as it tasted wonderful with generous servings of chips, peas, salad and tartare sauce. What a value for money that was!

Located on the fringe of town, The Paddington provides a great pub-​like atmosphere.
I would stick to the beer at this place, as the food can be a bit pricey relative to its quality.
The bar is a favourite amongst my mates, due to being located on the city-​fringe, as well as having an onsite TAB, pool table and multiple TVs and big screen. This has led to The Paddington being the leading choice for events such as the Melbourne Cup and State of Origin games.
There is a great range of beers on tap, and the numerous businesses nearby provide a bustling environment after work.

The Paddington is a clean and spacious bar on the outskirts of central Parnell, frequented by local business people during the lunch hour and the Happy Hour. It sure beats trekking up the steepness that is Ruskin Avenue.
Kilkenny on tap, typical English Sunday Roasts, reasonably priced meals that is at a higher quality than «pub food». You may have to wait a little longer during the lunch time rush but staff kindly offered complimentary drinks to my partner and I because of a longer than usual delay.
All in all a decent Auckland bar and a good local spot. Don’t forget to pick up a Paddington Frenzcard as a reward for your hard drinking.