Cleveland Arms, Paddington, W2

The Cleveland Arms looks promising from the outside, and before entering I was hopeful of a nice comfortable traditional boozer. Unfortunately I was met by a pub that has been stripped to an inch of its life to become what feels like a late night bar. I was the only customer during a recent Friday afternoon stop off, but the friendly barmaid informed me that if would get very busy at 17:00 and will stay like that all night. Rather her than me! I’m no linguist, but I believe that the people running this place are Italian. There is seating in the front windows that is faced bay a deep U shaped bar that supports three handpumps. Only Marston’s Pedigree was available because the TT Landlord was off and one was unused. A premium keg range is also available. I spied some sofa seating in the rear of the pub, but didn’t investigate as the barmaid was more interesting. There was some background music playing which I imagine gets louder in the evening. This isn’t somewhere I’ll be visiting again anytime soon.

Grade II-listed and dating from 1852, this was probably once a coaching inn, judging by the entrance to the righthand mews. There are beautiful polychromatic tiles to the entrance and a deer’s head mounted to a wall, but otherwise BF pretty well nails it with just a little more to add. I don’t believe the ornate carved ceiling is original and certainly what’s not original are the shabby chic rag washed walls, with ugly exposed metal trunking to power the sconces. Downstairs is a swanky dining room with herringbone bare brick walls, next to substandard lavs; Deliveroo would not be welcome now, so I suspect that its tolerance was down to the kitchen being closed due to the plague, as it’s now a serious gastro affair. Customers were a few very inebriated locals, then the young with a substantial and very noisy Spanish contingent. Of particular note was the presence of very inquisitive and noisy dogs, roaming all over and yapping noisily, stretched leashes aplenty to trip the unwary. Ales amounted to two unused pumps, the one for Pedigree reversed and Landlord at a reasonable £5.20 a pint and in excellent condition too; there’s a Timothy Taylor’s Champions’ Club award nailed to a wall, which explains the superb quality. This pub is ok and was probably once better. It would be greatly improved if the dogs were banished to the outside, their annoying presence ensuring that I won’t be returning, the lack of ale choice acting as a further disincentive.

Official site of Cleveland Arms - www.theclevelandarms.com

Official site of Cleveland Arms - www.theclevelandarms.com