Paradise by Way of Kensal Green, Kensal Green  

Befitting a pub that takes its name from a line in a G. K. Chesterton poem, there's a deliberately idiosyncratic feel to this place. A rather ramshackle pile with sanded floorboards and Louis XIV-style furniture, it's almost the gastropub as envisaged by Laurence from Changing Rooms. If ever a hostelry was crying out for a chaise-longue it's this one. The restaurant at the back seemed your standard gastro dining room (though with a Eurasian menu), so instead we investigated upstairs where the alignment of floors and staircases brought the work of Escher to mind. Our revelries were spoilt by one too many children running about the place: the offspring of the lifestyling professionals of the area who make up most of the clientele. We stuck to the Spitfire on our visit, though a glass of absinthe might have been more in keeping with our environs. A bit too knowing for it's own good maybe, but if your local pub is proving too pedestrian, seek it out.

reviewed:
10/05/2006

pub features:(click on an icon to see an explanation)

Sky TV (small screens)

function room for hire

large outdoor area

live music

separate restaurant

dogs welcome

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