Victoria, Paddington, London

Nice, small, very british. I came from Germany and it was the best place to be in London.
Lovable and good eating. My favorite place in London. Very nice service and lots of charm.
Well done!

Without question my favourite pub in London, The Victoria is blessed with a great location (near enough to Paddington to be within a six or seven minute walk of your train); fantastic, unspoilt Victorian decor and fittings; superb, friendly staff; an outstanding beer selection, beautifully looked after; and great food that comes in proper grown-up portions.

The only downside I can think of is that the gents' toilet is down in the basement, which can only be accessed by means of the steepest, narrowest staircase I have ever seen. It has to be negotiated sideways - particularly after two or three of the Fullers beers on offer in the bar. But it would be churlish to deduct a star from this wonderful oasis simply for that reason.

Outstanding place that everyone should visit.

Came here to kill time while waiting for a train out of Paddington. It took me 4 minutes leisurely walk. Was not disappointed. Good British example of a victorian pub. Busy local with excellent Fullers beers on draught and good food at reasonable prices. I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff, will come again when in London.

Great to discover this friendly classic Fuller's pub in walking distance of Paddington. Will be my new "quick-drink meet-up-before-catching-train-home" place.

Lovely polished wood Victorian interior, and good outside seating (fully used even in October!) and all the beers you would expect.

This is the first pub I ever visited in London and it remains my favorite. Its small and cozy and full of locals. I sampled several of Fullers better selections and ended the evening with Steak and Ale Pie and an ESB. You should put this one on your list of cool London pubs. Its only a short walk from the Royal Lancaster Hotel.

Beautiful pub just a few minutes from Paddington station. Lots of wood, brass, fireplaces, mirrors, detailed railings: it’s a quintessential old-style city pub.

Friendly neighbourhood feel, too. A gang of rollerbladers came in last night when we were there. Inside is close quarters, and watch your head, fellas, when you go downstairs to the toilet. There are tables outside on the pavement too.

There are a range of Fuller’s ales: I noticed London Pride, ESB, Discovery.

Food was decent. I had a steak and Guinness pie, my mate had fish and chips.

This is one of those pubs worth a visit for the interior alone.

The main ground floor bar (originally divided into Public and Saloon Bars, but now one bar) is an amazing example of a High Victorian interior, with acres of polished wood, two impressive fireplaces and mirrors decorated with an intricate fleur-de-lys pattern. A clock on the wall is dated 1864, although the area was built in the period 1830-40.

Upstairs are two rooms (both available for hire): the Library is like a room in a private house, with wood panelling, a large decorative fireplace and classical Georgian detailing - broken pediments, scallop-shell recesses, and is cosy and intimate. The Theatre Bar is an extraordinary room, with a painted ceiling, heavy drapes over the curtains and white wood and gilt detailing. Much of it apparently came from the old Gaiety Theatre on the Strand.

It is owned by Fuller’s, and serves their real ales as well as highly regarded food (though I’ve not eaten here). I tried a pint of Fuller’s IPA - not always easy to get - which was malty for an IPA, and at 4.8% pretty strong, too. The men’s toilets are down a steep and windy staircase, with narrow steps, so be careful how many pints you have before descending…

This Pub dates back 160 years, and it shows in a very positive way.
Great interior, while nobody can say how old really, certainly looks like most of it has been around for a very, very long time.
The artwork of the mirrors behind the bar feels original, as do many other details. It is said, but no one can prove it, that people like Charles Dickens and Winston Churchill used to be regulars in their times.

Beers are mostly variety of Fullers, but also of the inernational variety. I was drawn to a pint of Leffe which was great.

I found the people at the bar extremely friendly while I was probably the only visitor not living around the corner.

What hurts the wandering eye a bit are the aircondition boxes mounted to the ceiling, but then it is not a museum but a place where people go to enjoy a pint or two.