The Royal Exchange, W2

Occupying a street corner position in a Paddington side street is The Royal Exchange, a small single bar locals pub with a part tiled frontage. First licensed in 1841, the pub name refers to the exchange of the Royal Mail when it was still transported by coaches before the start of the railway era. The main bar area is small and features stools at the bar and several tables and chairs around the edge of the room. At the back is a slightly larger more comfortable area with banquette seating. Locals seem to prefer the front area and tend to occupy the bar stools so that they can easily converse with the friendly and helpful staff. Reflecting the landlords Irish roots, the walls are decorated with numerous paintings and framed pictures of famous racehorses. Note the fine imaginative painting of a racehorse galloping down the road outside the pub. Several framed newspaper sports pages record for posterity occasions when Ireland won the Six Nations Rugby. My visit last week brought another first – a first sighting of a do it yourself breathalyser kit on the wall just inside the front door. This seemed a bit odd – you would expect to be more likely to find this in a remote country pub inaccessible by public transport, not in a pub a few minutes walk away from Paddington Station. I can’t imagine many, if any, of the regulars drive to get to the pub. In recent years, the pub management seem to have stared to realise that they need to widen their customer base. Hence, without compromising the traditional, unpretentious feel to any real extent, we have champagne bottles on the window ledge and a food menu that includes a good value Sunday roast. Real ales are Greene King IPA and Brakspears – the seemingly permanent range. Based on my infrequent visits over the years, real ale trade is minimal, but the Brakspears is usually in good nick. The Royal Exchange is not a showstopper by any means, but if you like unpretentious back street locals, you could do much worse than seek this one out when in the area.

Came across this corner pub by chance, and was glad that I did. The customers around the little bar and in the small extra seating area beyond were a mixture of students and older Irish regulars, but very noticeable was the calm and friendly atmosphere at a busy time on Friday night when most other pubs around Paddington would have been worth avoiding. The regular Greene King IPA and rare Brakspeare Bitter were available on handpump, with the former being a reasonable pint (if a bit cold) at £3.00. Worth the short walk from the station to seek out this traditional backstreet boozer.

Randomness Guide to London - Royal Exchange entry

Randomness Guide to London - Royal Exchange entry

Functional one bar pub with the bar on one wall and seating opposite, opens up to a slightly raised area to the rear with copper topped circular tables where a TV is located at the time showing England's capitulation to the Aussies. I am unsure the mainly Irish locals were too concerned. Lots of horse racing pictures, empty champagne bottles on shelves. GK IPA and Brakspears Bitter on handpump. Braks ok and drinkable. A decent bet for a pint close to Paddington Station.

Located in a side street off Praed St, just a stone's throw from Paddington Station, this pub nevertheless remains what I would regard as an unpretentious backstreet boozer. It appears to be very much a locals' pub, with what was obviously a group of regulars sitting at stools at the bar. Nonetheless, we got served straightaway and had no difficulty seeing the two handpumps that were dispensing GKIPA, and the more rarely seen Brakspear's Bitter. I had the latter, which tasted fine, although a little too chilled. It's a smallish corner pub; as you enter you are in the main bar area, and there is another small seating area at the rear, containing two or three tables with banquette seating and small stools. This is the best pub in the vicinity of Paddington Station. Definitely worth dropping in for a pint if you're in the area – as long as you appreciate the honest, down to earth pub and are not looking for a tarted-up gastro pub in which to enjoy an exquisite gastronomic experience!