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Area of central London, England
Photo: Hegster at English Wikipedia, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Paddington-Maida Vale is a district of northwest central London, around the vast Paddington Station of Paddington Bear fame. This inner London district is somewhat bereft of attractions but it does have a large range of budget and mid-priced accommodation. That, combined with the convenient central London location and transport links, makes it a popular area with visitors.
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The laboratory in which Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928.
World-renowned studios where many famous musicians and groups, most notably The Beatles, recorded music. The equally famous zebra crossing, immortalized on the cover of the Beatles' album Abbey Road, is right in front. In the vicinity, in Cavendish Avenue, is a home that used to be owned by Sir Paul McCartney.
A canal basin where the Regent's Canal meets the Grand Union, just a few minutes walk from Paddington Station.
The home of cricket, Lord's usually hosts two international five-day Test matches each summer (which sell out), as well as limited-overs One Day International and Twenty20 cricket. It's the usual stadium for Middlesex County Cricket Club, who were relegated in 2023 and now play in Division Two of the County Championship - these games last 3-4 days. Also here are London Spirit men's and women's teams playing in The Hundred short game. Lord's houses the Marylebone Cricket Club Museum, with a vast collection of cricket memorabilia - tours are usually available daily except on match days.
Queens is an entertainment centre with 50,000 sq ft of activities including ice skating, 12 lanes of ten pin bowling, karaoke rooms, bar, food and video games.
8-person boat hire for self-drive journeys around London canals.
Sheldon Square
Checkout constantly changing events at the Paddington Central development with the amphitheatre in Sheldon Square, or visit for the food, shopping and atmosphere.
A floating puppet theatre on a converted barge. Varied schedule of performances.
Lebanese
Italian cuisine
Temporarily closed as of May 2022
Turkish
A Pakistani restaurant
Hookah Bar
Middle-Eastern cuisine
Very popular and large Indian restaurant, probably not as good as the Standard though.
Temporarily closed as of May 2022. Markets itself as London's oldest Greek restaurant. Not sure if that is true but it has been around a long time in this quiet mews in Bayswater and is a favourite with local residents. Counts several celebs amongst its regular clientele. Try the taramasalata and keftedes.
Stylish bar and restaurant alongside the canal at Little Venice. Has an alfresco dining area right by the water during summer. Mixed European food
An inexpensive casual Italian restaurant serving pasta, pizza and seafood. Also has an extensive dessert menu.
One of London's most esteemed Chinese restaurants, known internationally for its Cantonese-style roast duck.
More a beer expedition than a pub.
A beautiful white pub with a theatre inside
A small and trendy pub/bar with a focus on Guinness.
Wood panelled Victorian Pub
A surprisingly good pub. It is a Fuller's pub, serving well-kept real ales. It is in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. Breakfast is served from opening (M-F 9AM, Sa 7:30AM, Su 10AM) until noon, standard pub food is served at other times.
Samuel Smith's
Lavishly decorated Victorian pub near Lord's cricket ground.
A Fuller's 18th century coaching inn.
with a terrace overlooking the Union Canal
Fullers
An affordable hostel that has clean and cheap rooms.
Very cheap hostel above a pub aimed at young partying types. Gets very raucous indeed. Dorm and private rooms.
Popular budget hotel.
Very clean budget hotel.
Two-star hotel.
On a quiet garden square 5 minutes walk from Bayswater station. Single, double and family rooms with en suite bath. A few dormitory rooms.
3-star bed and breakfast. Well-appointed, modern bedrooms with spotlessly clean and en-suite facilities.
Small hotel run by the YMCA. Rooms are small and basic, but reasonably priced and comfortable (and with free Wi-Fi). Breakfast is normally served from 7:30-9:30AM (though apparently can be arranged earlier through management the day before) and consists of various breads, jams, hardboiled eggs, cottage cheese, deli meats, yoghurts and breakfast cereals; with a choice of fruit juices and tea or coffee. Not to be confused with the much more expensive Royal Lancaster Hotel.
Good value for the price. The rooms are tiny, but that is where the resemblance to other London hotels ends. The rooms are immaculate, the plumbing is perfect, the decor is beautiful, and the fitness room is brand new.
In three Victorian townhouses, reception and service are automated. Comfy place right by the railway station.
Opposite Hyde Park, with136 guest rooms, a bar, a restaurant and a meeting room.
Essentially inside Paddington Station. A nice and convenient place to stay, particularly if someone else is picking up the tab.
Right alongside Hyde Park and many of the rooms have clear views over the park.
Close to Paddington Station.
Very friendly staff. Spotlessly clean quiet room. Great view of Regents Park. Breakfast is excellent. Service the same. The location is superb, particularly for any cricket fan, as it looks right over Lords cricket ground.
Chic hotel in a knock-through of three Victorian townhouses.
Modern 4-star hotel. Amenities include various meeting rooms, a Mediterranean-style restaurant and a contemporary lounge bar. There's also an indoor pool and a gym, along with a steam room and a sauna.
Paddington Bear Store
The official store of Michael Bond's famous Paddington Bear with merchandise including books, DVDs, souvenirs and of course, marmalade.
By train
By bus
Various bus routes go to and through Paddington. Visit the Transport for London website for details. Use of a Hop-On Hop-Off sightseeing bus is also a possibility.
By boat
A Waterbus runs from Camden Lock through the Regent's canal to Browning's Pool, Little Venice.
By bicycle
For bicycles, there is a traffic-free local cycle route tracks alongside the Grand Union Canal from around Northolt to Paddington Basin. The route is not part of the national cycle network.
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