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The Sussex Arms, Paddington, W2
W2
W2 1HL
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 4½ of 10) see review guidelines
Moby Duck left this review about The Sussex Arms
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.
On 7th January 2024
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Sussex Arms
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.
On 27th November 2023
- rating: 5
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Sussex Arms
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.
On 14th January 2022
- rating: 3
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Sussex Arms
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.
On 10th October 2017
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5081 recommendations about 5064 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about The Sussex Arms
One room in the modern style in spite of iron columns, some tongue and groove, a knobbly ceiling and cut glass mirrors still surviving here. Three pumps of better than average beer although I baulked at £5 a pint for London Pride. There are three big screens in quite a small space, showing music although European championship games were advertised. The staff weren't bad, especially for London and there was some table service, at those prices I should hope so.
On 12th June 2016
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3269 recommendations about 2978 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Sussex Arms
They had on London Pride, St Austell Tribute and Upham Brewery Punter (£2 a half, and a new one on me). There were no menus in sight when I was at around midday on Friday.
This is a fairly smallish pub, with the main bar having the bar counter on the back wall, and with a few tables and chairs in another small room to the the left and rear of the servery. The main feature in this pub is the wood panelled ceiling, complete with small bosses that look a bit like light fittings. This feature is most unusual, and probably even unique in London. The place is bare-boarded with mainly normal tables and chairs, but with a half dozen or so large dark red armchairs – but no tall tables/tall stools! A handful of fairly meaningless prints decorate the walls, which are in fact dominated by the three TV screens tuned to some channel called “MTV”. There are a few seats outside at the front.
I didn’t particularly enjoy my brief visit here, mainly because of the strong smell of cleaning products, and I didn’t much care for the “50 funk pop classic anthems” being shown on MTV and being churned out over the sound system. Perhaps others welcome this “music”, but I suspect it was being played for the benefit of the bar staff. The unusual ceiling was definitely the most memorable thing about my visit to this pub. It’s not one I’m likely to return to, although it does apparently have Cask Marque accreditation. But there’s nothing really wrong with it, and at another time it might be more comfortable and relaxing. It’s open from 10.00 AM to 11.00 PM every day, which is a plus.
On 7th December 2013
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]