Paddington

Okay, I probably don't see myself heading down this way again, at least for a long time, so it probably doesn't matter all that much that I didn't particularly like this pub. Then again, there are probably others around that would be interested. I guess it really had to do with this place being just that little too classy. Yeah, I'm not really a big fan of classy pubs, and this one is certainly one of those places that I am not all that keen on. The other thing is that, considering all the other pubs along this stretch of road, this one certainly does not stand out all that much either.

So 'Paddington' it's almost sickening. Hemmes new pub referb project is open and in full swing. I visited on day 2 and so had the rest of Paddington. Wait time was 45 mins for a table. Food rotates (pun, you'll see) around rotisserie meats and veg. Revolving chooks are the star, which are proudly on view, getting all golden in the open kitchen. The fit out is pretty nice, Hemmes knows what people like, that's for certain. I'm just not sure I could see myself getting comfortable here. Its a bit high-end for 'casual pub dinner'. A bit of a 'scene', you know? You'd want to freshen up a bit before visiting. But the buzzy atmosphere will wake you out of a mid-week slump. Positives: food is well executed, staff make an effort, and perhaps most importantly, The Paddington will bring some life back to the fading face of Oxford st.

The food is French brasserie with a fancified broccolini side dish twist - but service was ill mannered and saggy bottomed. My partner and I walked into this emptying establishment with hunger and familiarity leading the way. We were left standing at the front of house for nearly 10 minutes whilst the assistant restaurant manager, Nicki, stood back intermingling with a non-descript group of patrons. Nicki's attitude at hello was smug and unwelcoming. We were a party of two in a near empty restaurant. There was absolutely no reason to look around to see if there was seating available, especially after surveilling the restaurant from the cozy corner he watched us from upon entrance. Our waitress was kind and very accommodating but not once did "darling nikki" check in to see if we were satisfied the way he did all the other tables. Repeatedly. Rude. Food was delicious but his attitude was as stank. I would think twice before visiting an establishment who serves CHICKEN with attitude.

Came back for lunch after a previous dinner visit - impressive the first time & definitely worth the return. We now know why they're known for their roast chicken! Possibly one of the best roast chook experiences of our (not young) lives! Excellent service too on what initially may have been a boring Wednesday afternoon for the staff. Already a Sydney favorite for this visiting Melburnian!

The Paddington is a nice place to cool down after a long day of work. The inside is well designed and it is very cozy. They have two bars (one on the entrance and on the second floor) and a dining area. The staff is friendly and the service is fast. My girlfriend and I had baguette with melted butter for starters and it was really good. She is french and she confirmed that it's one of the best in Sydney. We had whole chicken rotisserie for our main course. It goes with chopped roasted chicken with thinly sliced fries and lettuce. The servings were big for the two of us and it was absolutely delicious. Everything was cooked to perfection. Highly recommended.

You know what you're gonna get with ol' Hemmesy - schmick, well-thought out, well designed venues with people-pleasing interiors and some kind of cool factor surrounding the food and cocktails. People just want to be seen at his bars, they pop on their best smocks and a button down and love life, convinced they're at the epicentre of the universe for a few short hours. The wait for a table was 30mins, which was fine, we propped up the bar and sipped on The Fog Horn Leg Horn, a negroni-esque cocktail made with Chivas Regal and rinsed with chicken fat, which was novel. Couldn't really taste the fat but it was a tasty cocktail. And, BONUS, all cocktails on the list are $16. Finally. A place that makes cocktails accessible and not half your pay cheque for something with liquid nitrogen and an ostrich eyelash. The rotisserie chicken is good, it comes $24 for a half with a plate of chips and cos lettuce - they're probably making some serious coin on this dish, the profit margin here would be through the roof. The cos was surprisingly great, and it comes with a little jug of gravy. Also had the parmesan curd with legumes - peas are the star of the dish, they're spectacular - along with the Squid in XO, which was just okay, and also the Prawn Salad which was minced prawn in a san choy bao-esque creation. Interesting, propbably wouldn't order again. Will be back for cocktails though.

Great food that suffers from a bit of poor service. We ordered some apps and the $100 ribeye (which they said would take awhile) but it took a really loooooong time, we arrived at 6:45 and the steak came around 8:20. It would have been better if the server would have checked in a few times, but we had to flag her down. The manager stopped by to apologize and offered some drinks (which he charged us for). I enjoyed the food, just wish the experience was a bit better.

Let's cut straight to what's great about this place!!!!! The barbecue chickens. I don't know what they do to make them taste so good but they take them to another level. Service was super friendly and helpful and even though the place was packed, especially downstairs at the bar, we were served in a timely fashion. Will definitely be back for more of that chookie

Stopped in late night for this roast chicken I've been hearing about. It did not disappoint. First, this restaurant is located in Paddington, Sydney. I fell in love with Paddington. Points right off the bat. The restaurant itself is lively and energetic. Great vibe to dine in. We ordered the half roast chicken, potatoes and wine. Two of us couldn't finish the chicken and potatoes. It was cooked/roasted to perfection. Wow, so juicy. And the potatoes (recommended by the server) was the prefect addition. I will def come back here whenever I'm in Sydney again! Thanks Paddington!

Apparently they're best known for the chicken-- which I will fully admit is on me, I messed up and did *not* get it. Instead, I got the beef rump... which was good but not particularly special, and the crab toast, which was very good but pricey for what it was. The duck hearts atop a tortilla with jalapeno was surprisingly good tho-- did not expect such discrete flavors to work well together, but it did! The other area where I failed? The rear tables for groups of 6 or so in the kitchen look like a much, much more complete experience. Chefs hard at work, waiters everywhere... that may not be your thing, but I found the tables near the front of the restaurant (the bar, really) to be much, much more dull. Could be an easy 4 stars, but so far, that wasn't my experience.

The space is very nice, Merivale always got it right in terms of look and feel of its venues ! But I was not very impressed with the food - we found the chicken and the sides quite dry (roasted carrots/ pumpkins and potatoes). The highlight was the fish with lentils and roast pumpkin - seasoning and flavors all married well... But not really what you expect when roasts is the specialty... For 6 of us (ladies only) - 1 whole chicken and the King trout + 2 sides turned out to be the perfect amount (and a cheap bill...). I would return for drinks but not for dinner.

The atmosphere is nice and I liked the open kitchen, especially with the smell of the roast chicken. But I was a bit disappointed by the food. The chicken, for example, the menu doesn't specify where it comes from. No label. I asked the waitress who told me it was free range, but how to make sure?? The chocolate mousse with salted caramel was absolutely delicious, I really recommend it, even if it is a bit expensive for just a mousse.

It's all about the chicken and gravy with a side order of salad. Clever distressed inteior, okay service, but recent 'changes' to the menu like the crab on toast being halved in size is disppointing. Over all, still a fun night out.

Oh my soul! The best of the best. The Espresso Martinis are to die for! Sat upstairs and really enjoyed the ambience. Went down for dinner later on, where the hostess was amazing and so friendly. She showed us to our table and offered us replenishments. True star! Dinner was above and beyond. Lamb with melt in your mouth gnocchi followed by Parmesan Broccoli and Pork Knuckle.. I was in awe! Added some French Fries and wine for the thrill Love this place. So vibey. Music was incredible. Could have stayed there all night long

Dinner was excellent. Chicken was the best! Salad, fries, vegetables all top notch as well. Cocktails and appetizers also on point. Would come back in an instant!

We were there on a footy day, hadn't booked but were found a space on the balcony at the top overlooking the bar and chicken cooking area. Atmosphere was buzzing the decor is very cool. It was busy and the service, or rather lack there of certainly reflected this. We got there, ordered a drink and then waited ages to get our food ordered - the person that delivered our drinks was not able to do it and said they'd get someone, that someone took ages. Finally got to place the order, couple of us has a selection of starters to share, and one got a main. We specifically asked for it to all come at once so we could eat together. We waited, and waited, the people next to us that arrived after us got served, then the people to the other side. We kept trying to get the attention of someone but no one was paying any attention to those sitting around the narrow part. When we were able to ask, we were assured it was on its way. Still nothing, asked again - this time it did turn up...just the starters though! By this time, we had been waiting over 1/2 hour, those around us (arrived after us) had been served and finished. Finally the chicken turned up - the 2 of us having starters had now finished our meal. The poor chicken eater had to eat so fast so we could make the start of the footy game. Then, just to top it off, in the salad, metal filings of some description. Highlighted this to staff, but we had to go as we were going to miss the start. On the way out, were approached by the manager offering us a drink after the game. nice gesture, but when we did pass after the game, it was packed and they weren't letting anyone in! Overall very pricey for what it is, and our experience of service was severely lacking.