The Sussex Arms, Paddington, W2

A modern bar that was practically empty on a late Saturday afternoon. No real ale and a mostly ordinary keg selection bar the Allsopps Pilsner. I can't see any reason to return.

Modernised bar with stark black-and-white illuminated signage, rather disturbing purple lighting inside and large screens showing music videos at some volume. More interestingly, as part of an aviation theme, there are two banks of ex-Concorde seats facing each other in the centre and other bits of miscellanea about the place. Also has a row of small tables out on the front mini-terrace. No real ale, and a mostly dull selection of of keg beers enlivened by finding Allsop's Pilsner (£6.10) beside a couple of Goose Island taps.

A pub has existed here as the Sussex Hotel since at least the mid-19th century and was at some stage a Taylor Walker pub, judging by the arched sign bracket. Cheap looking frontage indeed, the knobbly black and white ceiling persists as per the previous review, but otherwise it’s much changed, doubtless not for the better. The floor is modern bare boarded, but the walls are now bare brick with large TVs to the left and right with one above the bar, broadcasting the incessant drivel that is MTV. Otherwise, the interior’s multicoloured lighting makes the place look a bit like a lap dancing club. The place is now marketed as being ‘aviation themed’, some elements of which can be seen on the unbelievably cheap and uninformative website; the chrome thing you see is one of two matching sections of polished aircraft fuselage with windows, probably taken from an old airliner, like a Lockheed Constellation. Further sections have been fashioned into two glass topped tables, which sit between probably the rarest seats you’ll ever find in a pub: four, two-bank reclining seats taken from Concorde (see photo). Probably all sat on at one time by David Frost, they’re surprisingly small, possibly smelling a bit Joan Collins. Customers were very blokey, though this is a very blokey area. Ales: real ale has been withdrawn and barholes were blocking one of the chrome founts, which may have dispensed ‘craft’, the fount nearest me dispensing, inter alia, Camden Hells at £3.30 a half, served by a friendly barmaid. This is probably the least appealing pub in an immediate vicinity dominated almost entirely by poor pubs, all of which are local too me. If drinking in W2, I’ve two words for you: Mitre and Victoria.

A pretty unappealing exterior akin to an Ayia Napa coke bar conceals a fair interior which is a square room with a teeny little side offshoot. What I assume to be the old knobbly square ceiling decor has been retained and painted to stand out. There are banks of modern etched mirrors either side of the room with a television showing athletics in the middle. Large hanging lights along with gold and green embossed wallpaper make for a surprisingly pleasing ambience. Three ales on - Pride, Portabello Star and Black Sheep which all came through sparklers. My half of Black Sheep set me back a barely credible £2.60 but was in fair shape. Entered this one with low expectations so in that sense, I was fairly happy. Too expensive for me to be making a return journey though.