The fact that this place advertises itself as a ‘country pub and eating’ is a clue to its main focus, which is food. Internally it is primarily a restaurant with at least two thirds of the available space set for dining. However the areas directly in front and to the left of the bar is set up more for drinking with the usual large sofa set up you get in these places, but the area to the left is large beer barrel tables with stool seating which actually was a quite pleasant spot. The decor is the usual minimal modern gastro pub stuff with wooden flooring throughout, basic pastel colouring, large double sided brick exposed fireplace with logs stored above and all the character of an Ikea showroom. But the main feature of this place is its location, just outside Wargrave on the Thames. Outside there is a large decking area with plentiful aluminium tables and chairs and then beyond this is a further grass area with traditional wooden benches butting onto the riverside, so you can sit and have a beer with the water virtually lapping next to you. And on the beer front, the chrome larger and cider taps are supported by four handpumps although Doombar was on two, one was London Pride and the Ringwood Bitter pump was reverse clipped. Fortunately the Doombar was a decent kept pint, but being Wargrave expect to pay top dollar. Unfortunately, my usual bug bear of lousy bar service in Gastro pubs was in evident in the George & Dragon. You can’t blame the staff, they were working hard enough. But as usual there were two people working the bar, who had to serve the waiting throng and also detour off to do the drinks orders for the restaurant tables, which is bloody annoying when your next to be served and you’ve been waiting five minutes already. One additional small downside is that the pub has its own moorings, and therefore attract pretentious boaty types on a Sunday who have taken their boat to the pub from the moorings attached to their palatial riverside gaff and make sure anyone within earshot knows about it.

29th Jul 2011, 19:33

Review submitted by Quinno _ amended by Quinno _

29th Jul 2011, 19:33

Review submitted by Quinno _ amended by Quinno _

17th May 2011, 23:27

Picture submitted by Quinno _ approvedmore