Paradise by Way of Kensal Green

About Paradise by Way of Kensal Green

A grand 1892 rebuild with turn-of-the-century working-class splendour, now a candlelit warren of live music, cabaret and film nights.

Rebuilt in 1892 as the Old Plough, this cavernous pub takes its evocative name from G.K. Chesterton's poem The Rolling English Road, which ends with the pilgrim reaching "Paradise by way of Kensal Green" — a nod to the great Victorian cemetery just up the road. The tall-ceilinged rooms, oak panelling and ornate mirrors have been given a shabby-chic makeover, with taxidermy, oil paintings and religious icons filling every corner, and an upstairs music room hosts DJs, cabaret and film screenings deep into the night. It's one of North Kensington's most theatrical nights out.