The George, SE1

A lovely looking pub which is oodles of years old, with a magnificent galleried courtyard, befitting its history as a large coaching inn. There were a couple of handpulls (Greene King) in average condition and some expensive but enjoyable food available upstairs with the crusties. I guess that this is managed by GK on behalf of the National Trust (this is a Grade I listed building). Staff were overseas and seemed to struggle understanding colloquial English. Worth it for the venue, but not much more on this showing as there are plenty of better alehouses nearby. This one is for tourists only.

Previous reviewers have described this pub typically comprehensively and I won’t repeat what they’ve said. I would add that I believe that this is the only Grade I listed pub in London; Dickens would undoubtedly have drank here (Dickens drank in just about every pub in this area that was open at the time!) but more unusually it is claimed that Shakespeare gave a performance in the yard. But that may well be an old wives’ tale, but I’m sure that he would have known the place. What is true is that the wood panelling in the old bar – the first door on the right as you approach the pub – is some of the oldest in London, and possibly dates from its 17th Century rebuild. I guess Greene King manage the pub on behalf of the National Trust now, as only GK ales (IPA, Abbot, OSH, Royal London, and Fireside) were available on my visit. The George Inn is certainly worth a visit for the ambience and history of an ancient coaching inn, but I doubt whether I’ll make this a regular stop, as I’m not a fan of Greene King ales.

Set in a magnificent galleried building, just off of the main Borough Road near London Bridge Station, this pub promises much but appears to have fallen into the complacency trap typical of popular tourist destination pubs. The interior is impressive enough, with a main bar set along a fairly narrow central room which leads to a wine bar and the George Room, seemingly used for dining, at one end and a second bar (the 'Old Bar') at the other. There is plenty of seating in each of the various rooms, although it's not uncommon to find that only the main bar is open. However, the real star of the show here is the courtyard, which quite rightly fills up quickly in the summer months. From here you can appreciate the amazing galleries in all their glory and the afternoon drinker can chose whether to sit in the sun or shade thanks to the way the shadows fall across the yard. Unfortunately the praise pretty much ends there. The beer range is from Greene King, with IPA, Royal London, Old Speckled Hen and George Inn Ale (£3.20) on the pumps. I tried the latter, which is presumably a re-branded version of another GK beer, and it was satisfactory, but certainly nothing to write home about, especially in this area renowned for excellent ale. Service was poor, with customers being seen out of turn and the two bar staff having a heated argument whilst serving, with one of them complaining about having to work in the heat with a hangover. I think one visit is sufficient and that a return would only be merited if it was to show someone else the building. There will always be a good number of people who will want to visit this pub, so I will happily leave them to it.

Randomness Guide to London - George entry

Randomness Guide to London - George entry

I do like the George Inn and usually pop in for one when I'm in the area. It's worth it just for the building and its history, as it is London's only surviving galleried coaching inn and Dickens allegedly drank here. The ground floor is divided into several connecting rooms with a wealth of lattice windows and oak beams. But the best bit is the courtyard, which really comes into it's own on a decent sunny evening like last Thursday. It's a great historical pub only marginally let down by the boring beer choice and sometimes-iffy service. Although this evening, despite the fact that the outside area was rammed without a spare seat to be taken, I had no problem being served as there was only one in front of me at the outside serving hatch. Beers available were the usual GK fair (IPA, Abbott, Speckled Hen), but I went for their own George Inn Ale. Yes I know it's just another GK brew in disguise and I really shouldn't pander to this tourist nonsense… but Hey Ho, at least it's not IPA

As can be seen from the pictures of this pub it is a lovely old building with large courtyard that one wouldn't expect in Central London. It was very busy during my visit and the small bar was unable to cope with the hoards of people waiting to be served. I spotted five Greene King ales along with a standard draught selection and Peroni that is found in most GK pubs. The staf were rushed off their feet and this came across in the service, but I'll let them off as it was the City Christmas party night. It is worth checking out the many rooms in this place, but now that I have been I doubt that I'll return as there are better pubs in the area.