When searching for deals on London hotels and thinking of British culture, what springs to mind? Huge mugs of tea, jovial natters about the weather, Premier League football, how to queue like a Brit and forever maintaining that stiff upper lip.
The other great British institution beloved by Londoners is happy hour – clocking off after a long day of work and going to the pub for a wallet-friendly pint or buy-one-get-one-free cocktail.
Whether you’re in town for business or leisure, be sure to put aside an hour of your day at least once to indulge in happy hour. Perhaps longer as happy hour deals in London often tend to exceed 60 minutes! You’ll rub shoulders with office workers of all kinds who have checked out of work for the evening and headed to their local for a pint or two to wait for the rush hour commute to calm.
From your accommodation in Paddington London, you’ll be in walking distance to some terrific watering holes where you can treat yourself to a refreshing drink without blowing your budget. Whilst you’re waiting for the hour to tick to happy, enjoy a drink and a light bite at the bar on-site at the Park Grand Paddington Court.
1) The Royal Standard, 8-9 Sale Place, London W2 1PH
Ten minutes walk from the Park Grand Paddington Court you will find the recently re-opened Royal Standard which boats a very generous happy hour between 3pm and 8pm every day, so you can get a head start on the city workers. The cocktail deal is two of the same for £11. Sip on their pina colada and be whisked away to hotter, sandier climates, go continental with a French Martini or tickle your tastebuds with a tangy ginger vanilla mojito. If you need to take a break from cocktails, bottled beers are three for £9. Locals love this bar for it’s lively, informal atmosphere.
2) The Lockhouse, Paddington Basin, 31-33 Merchant Square, London W2 1AZ
Overlooking the Grand Union Canal in the Paddington Basin, Lockhouse is an urban, modern bar with a touch of vintage charm. They have Happy Hour prices Monday – Thursday between 5pm – 8pm, offering bottles of wine and prosecco for £17 and cocktails for £7. Expect twists on classic mixes – such as an Espresso Martini with butterscotch, the melon margarita and blueberry mojitos as well as the refreshingly zingy Breakfast Martini which mixes two English staples; gin and marmalade!
At weekends you can enjoy their boozy brunch which is accompanied by bottomless Bloody Mary’s, Mimosas or prosecco for additional £20 per person.
3) Smith’s Bar & Grill, 25 Sheldon Square, London W2 6EY
Moments from Paddington Station and your accommodation in Paddington London, you will find Smith’s Bar & Grill in a prime spot along the canal – the ideal setting for sipping on some cocktails whilst people-watching. Fortunately, cocktails are two-for-one every weekday between 5.30pm and 7.30pm – and all day at weekends, after midday! Their menu includes classic staples including the Cosmopolitan, Moscow Mule and Tom Collins as well as the Brazilian Lady, which mixes cachaça, vanilla liqueur and orange juice with a dash of prosecco to put a spring in your steps. Smith’s Bar & Grill also has ping pong tables to keep you entertained and work off the cocktail calories!
4) Pergola Paddington, 4 Kingdom St, London W2 6PY
Chicly designed, Pergola Paddington is a pop of colour and botanical alfresco drinking. They operate happy hours every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday between 4pm and 6pm – with two-of-the same-for-one deals on bottled Peroni, Meantime Pale Ale, gin and tonics, house wines and tap cocktails. For gin aficionados, for £20 you can sip your way through unlimited gin and tonics every Wednesday between 5pm and 8pm. You must book in advance to participate in Ginsday.
5) The Beachcomber, 86 Queensway, London W2 3RR
Whisk yourself away to the late-night Tiki bar only ten minutes’ walk from the Park Grand Paddington Court Hotel. Vast amounts of bamboo, faux evergreen and nautical themed maps deck the walls of this hideaway in homage to natural rainforests and the travels of Christopher Colombus. Their experimental mojito menu is on happy hour daily between 7pm and 9pm, mix and match two for one, each pried at a happy £10. We love their Fruity Frenchman which blends rum with pomegranate and lychee juices, it’s all about getting your five a day, of course.
6) Burlock, 31 Duke Street, London W1U 1LG
Slightly further afield than your accommodation in Paddington London, this basement rum den is completely worth it not just for their mega happy hour but also for the ambience. Relax to Latino rhythms among a tropical, Cuban inspired setting. Their generous happy hour runs Monday to Friday, 5pm – 9pm, and Saturday 6pm – 9pm. A bottle of house wine costs £11, a bottle of prosecco is £18 or you can take four bottles of beer for £10. Alternatively, two cocktails for £10 or share a bowl of punch for £18. They have a live reggae band every Wednesday evening and a live DJ every Thursday, spinning a mixture of Latin jazz, samba, boss nova and reggae.
7) The Larrick, 31 Crawford Place, London W1H 5NN
The Larrick is a traditional English gastropub, boasting a high-quality food menu and a daily cocktail happy hour. With options including the Pink Gin Fizz, Caipirinha, Espresso Martini and Negroni, you can snap up two for £12 between 5pm and 8pm. Wednesday night is their Cocktail Club, where happy hour extends until 11pm.
If you’re taking advantage of weekend deals on London hotels, the Larrick run a bottomless brunch deal on Saturdays where you can have a lazy breakfast with unlimited Bloody Mary’s or prosecco for £25 (capped at two hours). The pub is light and airy, with big windows and they also have a more intimate side area with old school panelling which can be booked for private functions.
Cheers!
