London/Paddington-Maida Vale - area within the City of Westminster, in central London

Paddington-Maida Vale is a district of northwest central London, around the vast Paddington Station of Paddington Bear fame.

Understand

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.

Paddington and the areas between it and Hyde Park - Bayswater and Lancaster Gate - consist largely of Victorian houses, some of them rather grand, which have been converted into either small residential flats or hotels. Maida Vale to the north is similar but almost entirely residential and is most notable for canalside streets and the houseboats of Little Venice. St John's Wood is distinctly upscale and leafy and includes the home of world cricket at Lord's and some of the most sought-after real estate in London.

The area has a number of connections to music. The BBC Maida Vale studios have been used for recording live music since 1934 including the John Peel Sessions. Abbey Road Studios, and the famous pedestrian crossing pictured in the Beatles' Abbey Road album are in St John's Wood.

Get in

By tube

The district is served by the following tube stations, in Zones 1 or 2:

• Paddington (Zone 1) – (District, Circle, Hammersmith & City, Bakerloo and Elizabeth lines)
• Bayswater (Zone 1) – (District and Circle lines)
• Queensway (Zone 1) – (Central line)
• Lancaster Gate (Zone 1) – (Central line)
• Maida Vale (Zone 2) – (Bakerloo line)
• Warwick Avenue (Zone 2) – (Bakerloo line)
• Edgware Road (Zone 1) – (District, Circle, Hammersmith & City and Bakerloo lines)
• Royal Oak (Zone 2) – (Hammersmith & City line)
• St John's Wood(Zone 2) – (Jubilee Line)

By train

Paddington station (PAD, IATA: QQP), Praed St, W2 1HQ, 51.515556°, -0.175833°. The London terminal for Great Western Rail trains from the cities in the southwest of the country, as well as services to Heathrow Airport and the Elizabeth line (Crossrail). Paddington station itself is a minor tourist attraction that is notable for offering the first London Underground service to Farringdon and for Michael Bond's eponymous Paddington Bear franchise. While waiting for a train, listen to the Isembard Kingdom Brunel statue by scanning the QR code. 2022-04-09

London Paddington is served by:

• Great Western Railway (GWR) trains from southwest England (Swindon, Plymouth, Exeter, Bristol, Bath and Penzance. Also for trains from Worcester, Cheltenham and Gloucester)
• Great Western Railway (GWR) trains from southeast England (Maidenhead, Slough, Reading, Didcot and Oxford)
• Great Western Railway (GWR) trains from South Wales (Swansea, Cardiff and Newport)
• Heathrow Express has 4 tph to Heathrow Airport (Terminal 5) which takes 21 minutes – the train stops en-route at Terminals 2&3 with a free shuttle to Terminal 4.
• Elizabeth line (Crossrail) services to Reading and Heathrow Airport depart from Platform A.
• Elizabeth line (Crossrail) services to Abbey Wood and Shenfield via London Liverpool St depart from platform B.

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

A traffic free local cycle route tracks alongside the Grand Union Canal in from around Northolt to Paddington Basin. The route is not part of the national cycle network.

See

While there is not a great deal to see in the way of traditional visitor attractions, Paddington makes a convenient base for exploring other parts of the city.

• Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum, St. Mary's Hospital, Praed St, W2 1NY, 51.517222°, -0.173056°, +44 20 7886-6528. M-Th 10AM-1PM. £2
• Abbey Road Studios, 3 Abbey Rd, St. John's Wood, NW8 9AY (tube: ), 51.531925°, -0.178353°. No tours. 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.
• Little Venice, 51.5216°, -0.1821°. A canal basin where the Regent's Canal meets the Grand Union, just a few minutes walk from Paddington Station.

Do

• Lord's Cricket Ground, Wellington Rd, NW8 8QN (tube: ), 51.5294°, -0.1727°. 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 promoted in 2022 and now play in Division One of the County Championship. Lord's houses the Marylebone Cricket Club Museum, with a vast collection of cricket memorabilia - tours are usually available daily except on match days. 2022-10-02
• Queens Ice and Bowl, 17 Queensway, W2 4QP (tube: or ), 51.5108°, -0.1874°, +44 20 7229-0172. 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.
• London Underground Tours, 51.52247°, -0.15671°, +44 2071 831055, +44 7869 678717 (mobile). W, Th, F, Sa (and bank holidays): 11AM. Guided tours that cover the tube's 150-year-history in two hours, including its construction, design and social history. Meet at the Sherlock Holmes Statue. Adult: £20, Child (under age 12): £12, Senior (60+): £12
• Go Boat, Merchant Square, Paddington, London, W2 1JZ (on the north side of Paddington Station 50 m west of the rolling bridge), 51.51852°, -0.17381°, bookings@goboat.co.uk. 8-person boat hire for self-drive journeys round London canals. £55 2017-10-01
• Paddington Central (Sheldon Square), 1A Sheldon Square, W2 6PY ( [rail]), 51.51938°, -0.18008°, info@paddingtoncentral.com. Checkout constantly changing events at the Paddington Central development with the amphitheatre in Sheldon Square, or visit for the food, shopping and atmosphere. 2017-10-02
• Puppet Theatre Barge, 51.52159°, -0.18246°, +44 20 7249 6876, info@puppetbarge.com. A floating puppet theatre on a converted barge. Varied schedule of performances. 2020-02-20

Buy

• Paddington Store (Paddington Bear Store), The Lawn at Paddington Station, W2 1RH, 51.5161°, -0.1764°, +44 20 7402-5209. M–F 8AM–9PM, Sa 9AM–9PM, Su & holidays 9AM–7PM. The official store of Michael Bond's famous Paddington Bear with merchandise including books, DVDs, souvenirs and of course, marmalade. 2021-05-08

Eat

Good value eats abound in this area. The Bayswater/Queensway area has many excellent Middle Eastern, Indian and Chinese options. Edgware Rd is another good bet for Middle Eastern and the area around Paddington Station itself is a hive of small cafes. Warwick Avenue and Maida Vale are home to some good, stylish mid-market restaurants.

Budget

Near Paddington station

• Raffles, Paddington Dental Practice, 13 Craven Rd, 51.5148103°, -0.1768806°. 2022-05-01
• Le Gourmet, 157 Praed St, 51.5160476°, -0.1746152°. Lebanese 2022-05-01
• La Tazza Cafe, 143 Praed St, 51.5163697°, -0.1740888°. 2022-05-01
• Paramount Lebanese Kitchen Paddington, 26 London St, 51.5158289°, -0.1746490°. 2022-05-01
• Wasabi, Unit 12, Paddington Station, Bridge Street, 51.5158404°, -0.1770305°. 2022-05-01
• Sandro Sandwich Bar, 22 Spring St, 51.5150661°, -0.1760609°. 2022-05-01
• Micky's Fish & Chips, 29 Norfolk Pl, 51.5169633°, -0.1727899°. 2022-05-01

Around Little Venice

• Da Daniela, 49 Shirland Rd, 51.5241999°, -0.1885868°. Italian cuisine 2022-05-01
• Little Venice Fish Bar, 264 Harrow Rd, 51.5207605°, -0.1914169°. 2022-05-01

Bayswater

• Taza Takeaway Kebab House, 35A Queensway, 51.5113345°, -0.1873717°. 2022-05-01
• Lo Spuntino, 128 Bayswater Rd, 51.5103657°, -0.1873721°. 2022-05-01
• Malaysia Hall Canteen, 34 Queensborough Terrace, 51.5121763°, -0.1854835°. Temporarily closed as of May 2022 2022-05-01
• Lokkanta, 31 Westbourne Grove, 51.5155777°, -0.1897183°. Turkish 2022-05-01

Along Edgware Road

• Lahore Biryani, Edgware Road, 51.5208619°, -0.1710277°. A Pakistani restaurant 2022-05-01
• Micky's, 332 Edgware Rd, 51.5208794°, -0.1711112°. 2022-05-01
• HAWLER Restaurant, 355 Edgware Rd, 51.5223122°, -0.1735751°. 2022-05-01
• Baraka Piri Piri, 357 Edgware Rd, 51.5223558°, -0.1736227°. 2022-05-01
• Darna Restaurant, 436 Edgware Rd, 51.5229787°, -0.1741880°. Hookah Bar 2022-05-01
• Azmar, 442a Edgware Rd, 51.5231009°, -0.1743634°. Middle-Eastern cuisine 2022-05-01

Mid-range

• Kalamaras, 66 Inverness Mews, W2 3JQ (tube: ), 51.512496°, -0.187284°, +44 871 3327813. 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. Mains £10-15
• The Waterway, 54-56 Formosa St, W9 2JU (tube: ), 51.522784°, -0.18787°, +44 20 7266-3557, info@thewaterway.co.uk. Stylish bar and restaurant alongside the canal at Little Venice. Has alfresco dining area right by the water during summer. Mixed European food Mains £15-20
• Il Gusto, 11 Craven Rd, W2 3BP ( [rail]), 51.514844°, -0.176693°, +44 20 7402 2111. 8AM-11PM. An inexpensive casual Italian restaurant serving pasta, pizza and seafood. Also has an extensive dessert menu. Mains: £7.50-19.50 (Nov 2018) 2022-05-01
• Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant, 84 Queensway, W2 3RL (tube: ), 51.51293946743316°, -0.18737756604865738°, +44 20 7229 4320. noon-11PM. One of London's most esteemed Chinese restaurants, known internationally for its Cantonese-style roast duck. 2022-05-01

Splurge

Drink

• The Mad Bishop & Bear, Paddington Station, W2 1HB (go to The Lawn eating area, and up the escalators to the top floor), 51.516°, -0.1766°, +44 20 7402 2441, madbishopandbear@fullers.co.uk. Daily 9AM–9PM. A surprisingly good pub. It is a Fullers 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. 2021-05-08
• The Prince Alfred, 5A Formosa St, Maida Vale W9 1EE (200 yards north of Underground), 51.524409°, -0.184958°, +44 20 7286 3287. Daily Su-Th noon-11PM, F Sa noon-midnight. Lavishly decorated Victorian pub near Lords cricket ground. 2022-07-12

Sleep

This district has probably the greatest range of budget and mid-price accommodation in central London.

A lot of the hotels here are converted Victorian houses which makes for a charming stay but can also mean dodgy plumbing and poor heating systems. And check if the property has a lift if this is important to you.

A good option for the value-conscious is to check the large range of service apartments available. The standard of accommodation at these is often much better than you would get in an equivalently priced traditional hotel.

Budget

Hostels

• Equity Point London, 100-102 Westbourne Ter, W2 6QE (a 2-min walk from Paddington Station), 51.516388°, -0.180901°, +44 20 7087-8001, infolondon@equity-point.com. An affordable hostel that has clean and cheap rooms. From £15 including breakfast, internet access and bottom linen
• The Green Man Publove Hostel, 308 Edgware Rd, W2 1DY, 51.520363°, -0.170385°, +44 20 7723-7980. Very cheap hostel above a pub aimed at young partying types. Gets very raucous indeed. Dorm and private rooms. Dorms from £12, privates from £45

Hotels

• Ascot Hyde Park Hotel, 11 Craven Rd, W2 3BP (Few minutes' walk from Paddington Stn), 51.514801°, -0.176761°, +44 20 7402 5447. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. Popular budget hotel. Single: £40-100, double: £44-113 (prices fluctuate greatly)
• Bluedaws Private Hotel, 133-135 Sussex Gdns, W2 2RX (2 min from Paddington Stn or Hyde Pk), 51.51524°, -0.17204°, +44 20 7723-6040. Very clean budget hotel. Singles £25, doubles £35, triples £45, including English breakfast
• Mina House Hotel, 21-23 Craven Rd, W2 3BU (Few min walk from Paddington Stn), 51.514108°, -0.178023°, +44 20 7723 9276. From £79 per night (free breakfast)
• Mitre House Hotel, 178-186 Sussex Gdns, W2 1TU (5 min walk from Paddington Stn), 51.5145°, -0.17452°, +44 20 7723-8040. Two-star hotel.
• Barry House Hyde Park, 12 Sussex Place, Hyde Park, W2 2TP (tube: next to and ), 51.514278°, -0.172783°, +44 20 7723-7340. from £65

Mid-range

• Brynteg Hotel, 109 Sussex Gdns, W2 2RU (tube: ), 51.515643°, -0.171242°, +44 20 7723 6040, bluedaws_uk@yahoo.co.uk. 3-star bed and breakfast. Well appointed, modern bedrooms with spotlessly clean and en-suite facilities. Singles £50, doubles £65
• Lancaster Hall Hotel, 35 Craven Terrace, W2 3EL (tube: ), 51.513006°, -0.178837°, +44 20 7723 9276. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10:30AM. 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, hardboild eggs, cottage cheese, deli meats, yogurts 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. Singles £79, doubles £99 (includes breakfast) 2018-11-08
• Mercure London Paddington Hotel, 144 Praed St, W2 1HU (tube: ), 51.516114°, -0.174952°, +44 20 7706-8888, stay@mercurepaddington.com. 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. Singles from £70, doubles from £120
• The Pilgrim, 25 London St W2 1HH (next to Mercure), 51.5158°, -0.1745°, +44 20 7667 6000. In three Victorian townhouses, reception and service are automated. Comfy place right by railway station. B&B double £130 2020-09-05
• The Westbourne Hyde Park, 51 Gloucester Terrace, W2 3DQ, 51.51318°, -0.177929°, +44 20 74025077.
• Hilton London Hyde Park, 129 Bayswater Road, W2 4RJ (tube: ), 51.510348°, -0.187523°, +44 207 221 2217, reservations.hydepark@hilton.com. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Opposite Hyde Park, with136 guest rooms, a bar, a restaurant and a meeting room. 2021-03-15

Splurge

• Hilton London Paddington, 146 Praed St, W2 1EE (at Paddington Stn), 51.515632°, -0.175737°, +44 20 7850-0500. Essentially inside Paddington Station. A nice and convenient place to stay, particularly if someone else is picking up the tab.
• Royal Lancaster London, Lancaster Terrace, W2 2TY (tube: ), 51.512388°, -0.175096°, +44 20 7262-6737, info@lancasterlondon.com. Right alongside Hyde Park and many of the rooms have clear views over the park. From about £120
• Hotel Indigo London-Paddington, 16 London St, W2 1HL (tube: ), 51.515453°, -0.174217°, +44 20 7706-4444, stay@indigopaddington.com. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. Close to Paddington Station. From about £130
• Danubius Hotel Regents Park, 18 Lodge Rd, NW8 7JT, 51.529901°, -0.168649°, +44 20 7722-7722, enquiries@danubiuslondon.co.uk. 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. £148-198
• Roseate House, 3 Westbourne Terrace W2 3U (tube: Paddington or Lancaster Gate), 51.514007°, -0.176621°, +44 20 7479 6600. Chic hotel in a knock-through of three Victorian townhouses. B&B double £200 2020-09-05
• Hilton London Metropole, 225 Edgware Road, W2 1JU, 51.519336°, -0.16949°, +44 207-402-4141, cbs.londonmet@hilton.com. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. 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. 2020-12-17

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