Paddy's Craic Gets Even Bigger Thanks to 200sqm Expansion

As the shiny, new golden sign recently installed on the facade beside Paddy O’Shea’s suggests, the popular pub's craic is set to become even bigger. In fact, co-owner Paul Rochon and his team will expand the Dongzhimen Waidajie Irish sports bar by almost 200sqm in the coming months.

The expat hotspot – which won Best Community Pub Award for Asia, Africa, and Pacific and the Best Community Pub Award at the 2018 Irish Pubs Global Awards – has acquired the neighboring space at number 28-3, which was until recently occupied by the short-lived Uno Bar.

Read: Beijing's Paddy O’Shea’s Nominated Alongside the Best Irish Pubs in the World

The transformation will unfurl in two stages. According to Rochon, stage one of the expansion has already begun, and involves knocking down the dividing wall and adding "a new bar, a sofa area, six more TVs, and another huge screen." Once complete, this will bring the total screen count up to a dizzying 22 for the sports bar come June.

From there, Paddy's will also gain a second floor and a balcony. For now, Rochon is remaining tight-lipped about what to expect from the second floor, except promising that it will be "a big surprise."

The bar will also be adding another element to its dining roster: Japanese food. In the same way that upstairs neighbors Ganges Indian Restaurant serves customers at Paddy's main bar, patrons will also be able to order grub from the Fukurou restaurant, who currently occupy the second floor at 28-3.

Paul assures us that the bar will remain open throughout the renovation, adding that the second stage of the plan will come in August, when the bar will "do a total revamp of our kitchen to be ready for the Rugby World Cup."

For now, there is not much to be seen of the works from the outside, but we look forward to enjoying even more of Paddy's famous craic when the works are complete.

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Images: Paddy O'Shea's