The George, Sherborne

Old pub at top of town but not quite sure what to make of it. The appeal of the floral displays and bric-a-brac on the walls is somewhat lessened by a prominent pool table. Offerings included a couple of Ringwood beers, but not impressed with the quality of that sampled, even though Cask Marque listed. Room for improvement.

Proclaiming itself "Sherborne's Oldest Pub", The George is an atmospheric old town pub aimed mainly at the tourist industry. The drinks are a bit pricey, but they do offer some reasonable deals, eg two meals (burger and chips type) with a drink each for £6.50. There is a welcoming air about the place and the staff are friendly and helpful, and well-behaved dogs are welcome too. There is a single large bar with a dining area off to one side, there's a really annoying gaming machine in the main part and there is outside seating overlooking the main shopping street. Two ales and a cider on - I had a pint of the Thatcher's cider which was cool and refreshing. A good place to sit and watch the world go by or to grab a quick bite at lunchtime.

This used to be the starting place for our Sherborne crawls but the beer had been getting worse each visit. The last visit, and going on past experience of the pub, I had a Guinness on the assumption that it would be pretty hard to foul up. Guess how wrong I was! My three mates all had beers of one type or another and all found them pretty dismal and none were finished. However, with the clientele this place attracts we didn't want to make a fuss, so just left. I certainly won't be back, Awful place.