please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I came to Paradise for the first time last week as so many of my work friends have recommended it to me. I came on a Friday night and had such a good time! We started with a lovely dinner and then moved on to the upstairs part of the pub where we enjoyed some great music and a good old dance. They also have a great roof terrace which is a really nice extra touch (when it isn't raining). Will definitely be back soon!
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This could be a lovely pub, in that it's a beautiful building and has an interesting decor. Unfortunately, the door-staff are incredibly rude, the dancing area upstairs is too crowded (and it's impossible to get to the toilet), and the bar food is basic, expensive and can be disgusting (don't have the Welsh Rarebit). I have no idea why there was such a long queue snaking around the building, but people seemed to be having a good time; because of the door-staff, I'm unlikely to come back here: they seemed to think they were guarding some kind of glamorous Mayfair cocktail bar, no doing security for a boozer in a grimy street off the Harrow Road.
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I was so disappointing to find that the Paradise has now turned into one of those rave pubs. I thought it had been taken over and given a new more up market image.
I went along to the paradise on New Years Day (at around 2.00pm) for a nice NY day drink and lunch with 6 friends only to find two rude bouncers on the door, music blaring out (prob a DJ), the odd vacant looking person roaming around (eyes rolling, the lot). they were even charging an entry fee.
Kensal Rise has had its fair share of Rave pubs... The Regent, which is awful and The Grey hound which has now closed but used to have DJ's on a Sunday night (this never worked for them either)... this just kills the trade of people that want to have drink and some food.
There was another group of people who also decided not to go in and have a noisy drink with a load of paranoid ravers.
What a bad management discussion to have a DJ and to charge an entry fee, do you really think that the people who you are targeting the new up market menu at are going to want to pay to get into an establishment where the music is so load you cant even have a conversation with your mates.
Would you rather cater for a hand full of Ravers (they only drink water anyway). Or say groups of people that will eat lunch buy lots wine etc??
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Love this pub - since it changed hands it has lost some of its uniqueness (if that's a word) but it is still in the spirit of old. Glad that they have got rid of those filthy and horrible metal chairs. The much vaunted Bloody Marys on the menu aren't all that - but there you go. One of those places that I drop into from time to time and always enjoy.
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Good pub, good food. The best pub in this area by a mile!!!!
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If I had read all these reviews before having visited last weekend the place would never have appealed. Whether or not the patrons are public school, rude and sobby people are a huge turn off. But I did go last Saturday and had one of the most amazing evenings mainly because the music was just excellent-really good funk and old skool hip hop -no body seems to have metioned that! Some people were over coiffed- sure, but not unfriendly I thought. I danced all night. The reason why I'm posting something is so that proper folk don't get put off because then it will turn into another boring "in-bar".
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Very pretty refurb, IMO, but the preening, swaggering demeanour of many of the patrons makes this a tedious, wannabe destination venue and too much hard work.
Fact of the Day: this bar is owned by the same people who brought you the Old Queens Head in Islington, the Westbury in Kilburn and the Queen Boadecia in Clerkenwell.
But then seanporter (below) is all to aware of this fact, aren't you, Sean?
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i went to paradise last saturday for a track suit party (thought it might be a laugh) - the bar staff were ok, however there weren't any draught beers or enough glasses for shorts (cue drinking rum and coke out of pint glasses)
not a lot of people had made the effort and despite prebuying tickets we were made to queue outside for about half an hour as "they were at capacity" - what's the point in preselling tickets then? also on going out side to get some cash and being marked by the doorstaff with a marker pen we were then asked to queue up yet again for readmission.
i'm not sure how much of this was the owners fault - the bouncers seemed cool - i think it was mainly the fault of the woman on the door who in between plastering her face with makeup (whilst working) and calling everyone "daaaaaaarling" probably couldn't tick a list (of her mates) and count to two at the same time.
i had been to paradise before it's takeover - and now with all it's expensive marketing and bought reviews in the london paper etc it just seems to attract posh tools.
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I've never been to this place, but it's name is a literary allusion (to a Chesterton poem), rather than "trite public school wordplay".
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A fine point made by the last poster....I have actually been working in London media for 20 years and can't afford a bare tenth of the gastro-fayre on offer in our capital - if the British Class War has now descended down to the level of Bangers and Mash then god help us all. The trite public-school wordplay in the pub name too speaks volumes for the kind of clientele this pub no doubt wishes to attract amidst the jarring and hopeless "transformation" of another North West London grief hole.
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the paradise is now full of posh wealthy city workers who are trying to pass off as "media types" by way of dressing in trendy gear. somehow they don't quite get it right and to the trained eye are clearly imposters. as for the pub itself if you like average over priced food and drink served by rude wannabies who think they are cool cause they work there then be my guest. personally i would rather go elesewhere.
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Love the Paradise. Was taken over and reopened last August and has done nothing but improve since. Great food, drink, music and they have loads of great comedy and cabaret too. The inside has to be seen to be believed. Haven't eaten in the dining room yet but the bar food is ace. Worth pointing out that alot of the reviews on this page are still about the old management! Just feel I should do that!
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An excellent local pub. I LOVE the decor, its like some beautiful mad stately home. Good wine list. Serve ale and great food. Lots of hidden corners to curl up in should you so wish.
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The Paradise is my favourite watering hole in Kensal Green. At first I was cautious about the refurb but when I went for the dinner the staff were charming, the atmosphere welcoming and the food was amazing - definately worth treating yourself to dinner as well as having the bar snacks sometimes if you fancy something less formal. I went and watched some live bands upstairs after dinner with a glass of organic red. Contrary to the previous review I was pleased to see this beautiful old building only enhanced by the changes made to it the inside.
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This USED to be a really good pub full of locals and artsy types. It has recently gone through a refurb (which isn't bad just not as funky) and the doormen and crowd have completely changed for the WORST! What was once fun and laidback is now full of people with their "Saturday Best Club Clothes" on (and I'm not speaking of cool London club clothes but guys with pressed shirts, shiney shoes - not many trainers worn in here anymore. The crowd has gotten really tacky and rude as if all the uncool Notting Hill people have discovered it. It's really sad as it used to be a really nice pub to chill out in but has become too sceney for this 'hood. There are a lot better pubs to check out in Kensal with a lot less attitude.
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Went in here for a quiet drink on Saturday afternoon but couldn't get to the bar easily as there was a babies pram in the way. Eventually got to the bar and after moving a bottle of babies milk out of the way to see what was on offer, decided to leave. The ignorant parents who sit over one large glass of house red or a pint of bitter discussing baby Tarquin and Francesca seem to have priority in this place. Its disgraceful.
What is wrong with these people and their need to spoil other peoples enjoyment by taking their kids to the pub. Pubs are adult environments and surely there must be a better place to take your kids than a pub. I certainly won't be going back eventhough its practically on my doorstep.
Does anyone know where all the pubs have gone?
The Greyhound up the road seems to have gone the same way as this one.
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Paradise is by no way of Kensal rise! We went there for a quiet evening to celebrate a friends birthday and were sorely disappointed by our experience. We ordered and paid amongst other plates the �10 charcuterie plate from the bar menu which we were told was not available once all the other plates started arriving and they simply replaced it with another plate of lesser value without even offering a refund or apology!!! We were constantly hassled by the clientele for our stools that were obviously occupied and as we were leaving we witnessed the bouncer being accused of racism by a rather angry young woman. Do not go there for a peaceful evening, this pub looks gentrified but trust the experience is far from it.
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friday evening, some staff were rude and quite frankly racist. certainly won't be returning for a second visit.
anonymous - 22 Apr 2007 14:12 |
3 times we've visited this pub and each time the staff and what we presume are the regular "in-crowd" have been rude/arrogant, we've give them a "3 strikes and out", this pub is a long, long way from Paradise!
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Agree a lot with below - quite shabby and not that much to rave about but found myself having good couple of eves in here with a good atmosphere. Not tried the food yet.
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Can't see what all the fuss is about. Apart from a decent Sunday roast i can see no reason to go here.
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An EMO bar full of middle class kids with 'issues' and arty blokes who look like Jez and Quin from Private Eye. Nevertheless it has a certain unique charm to it, though a fair bit of work needs to be done as it's pretty shabby in places (the gents for instance had no working lightbulb forcing one to piss in the dark).
2 beers on (Adnams Broadsde being my choice) which were in good nick served by Dan Hawkins from The Darkness, who also appeared to be in charge of the rather eclectic playlist (Nico etc) that you usually wouldn't find in a pub.
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Time for a lick of paint and a bit of spring cleaning. Less shabby-chic than just plain shabby. A tired boozer with tired looking staff. I do quite like the restaurant side though. It's a bit too big and the menu can be eclectic to say the least but i have had a couple of very good meals here.
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I like this place. It has character. It feels quite bohemian, with a hint of shabbiness here and there (the armchairs have a tendency to try to devour the unsuspecting). It can be difficult to get a seat sometimes, especially if they're showing a football match, but it's worth a go. There's a smaller room to the right of the entrance, with a real fire on cold evenings, and rooms to hire upstairs. There's only one cask ale on the handpump: Spitfire, usually well-kept. It used to be one of my least-favourite beers, but I've grown to like it. They also have Old Speckled Hen from the keg. The restaurant in the back room is pretty good: modern British cooking at fairly typical "gastropub" prices, and about the same quality as the Greyhound. The best of the Kensal Green pubs, I think.
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This place rules - simple as that. And i've not even sampled the food yet. Next time I'm up there I'll give it a go.
One thing, which has been mentioned below, is the fact that maybe there could be a little bit more seating for those just wanting a beerintheevening.
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Much better than any of the other pubs in the immediate vicinity. You can sit outside at the back but it smelt a bit of toilets last time. Nice decor in the pub-side. There's not much veggie choice for mains, but last time it was nice if slightly over-priced. I hear the meat / fish dishes are better value for money.
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The restaurant is too big. However the bar area is a nice mix of people. Trendy hipsters, old time locals, singles, couples, gay, straight, etc. The lagers are a bit pricey for a pub in this neighborhood though.
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Slightly overdoes it on the shabby-chic motif. The punters are all "individuals" and as such look the same as one another.
Great to see Spitfire on tap though.
Adeybaby - 4 Jul 2004 15:52 |
Excellent pub, greet food, top totty
anonymous - 14 Apr 2004 20:06 |
Best pub food in Kensal Green by some way, great Sunday lunch but a little too children friendly on that day
Miguel Armand - 13 Feb 2004 17:01 |
Great bar. Friendly staff. Gents bogs smell horrible.
Tim - 1 Jan 2004 18:02 |
The restaurant is great, but the pub itself is uncomfortable and small.
Peter - 10 Dec 2003 16:25 |
fairly friendly.
booze good as is the food.
better atmo than nearby
william IV which is generally
stuffed to the rafters with
music industry me me me's crazed
out of their heads on gak and barking like the dogs that they are.
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Great pub. Food, and can be hired out
anonymous - 24 Mar 2003 14:38 |
Great decore and food, always an interesting crowd and good music.
Justin Gale - 24 Jun 2002 11:23 |
