Mikkeller Bar London, E2

Now a modern craft bar set in what once was The George & Dragon, It's a single room with modern seating, the walls are painted in a shade of duck egg green, which either has changed since Tris's visit or one of us is colour blind, however that was as exciting as it got in the interior. There are twenty keg taps which had ten Mikkler beers on, the other ten were guests, unfortunately I can't remember if any Cider was involved. I was the only customer in though it had only just opened, the front door was purposely open on a relatively cold winters day, it was unpleasantly cool inside. My beer was Mikkeller American Gothic which was decent enough but not enough to make me want to hurry back.

This pub dates back to the late 18th century as the George & Dragon, a name along with former brewer Watney Combe Reid’s logo, can be seen to the corner splay. It had become a shop in 1996, but reopened in 2006, the current name arriving in 2018 as this is now a collaboration between Mikkel Borg Bjergso (who?), founder of Danish brewery Mikkeller and Rick Astley (what?). The interior has a modern boarded floor, with hipster-style bar and bar back with a large list of 20 beers on offer, including at least one cider, some Japanese offerings and some Astley-themed. Otherwise, there’s a pale grey colour scheme with white ceiling, spherical translucent hanging lamps, slatted bench seating, black café-style chairs and a peripheral granite drinking ledge to the modern sash windows, with tall black metal stools. Décor comprises a few potted palms, then some framed art, again, some Astley-themed, the overall experience being a little sterile. Customers were few in number, but apart from one solitary drinker, were all southeast Asian. I couldn’t really navigate the beer board, not having a clue what most of the offerings meant; you won’t find terms or words such as ‘stout’, IPA or ‘porter’ here, me somewhat randomly plumping for a half of something called Talus Kolsch at £3.10, it tasting like fizzy cold beer, served by an enthusiastic barman. I suppose that for those with rather deep wallets (some beers were nudging £7.00 a pint) and a fondness for non-UK beers might like this place, but it’s not for me.

Official site of Mikkeller Bar London - mikkeller.com

Official site of Mikkeller Bar London - mikkeller.com

This is a simple single room bar showcasing the many creations from the Danish Mikkeller brewery, seemingly making use of a former pub premises. Perhaps most surprisingly of all, the venue got up and running thanks to a collaborative effort between the brewery and 80’s pop flop, Rick Astley, for whom a number of the beers available here have been named! The angular room has exposed floorboards, neutral painted walls and large lattice windows along two sides which were totally steamed up on a freezing cold January evening, making it impossible to see inside when walking past. Drinking ledges run underneath these windows, offering good people watching when the windows are clear, whilst two rows of chairs and the odd back-to-back park-bench style seats run through the centre of the room, with a final fake-stone drinking ledge on the far wall. The servery is to the rear of the room and has a wooden slat bar counter with a fake stone top and dark tile bar back, where all twenty keg taps are sited. A beer board has been mounted above the bar and it clearly lists the full range of draught beers, giving strengths, styles, prices and volumes, which I found very helpful having heard of none of these brews despite recently touring the brewery’s various Copenhagen venues. A strange decanted full of a dark red liquid stood at the end of the bar and upon enquiring, I was told that this was a Danish cherry wine – it was on offer, so I assume others found it as unappealing a sight as I did! The decor is restrained, limited to a few Mikkeller posters and other such promotional bits, plus some mirrors. Loud music played throughout my visit, mostly 70’s rock standards, but this wasn’t too obtrusive and there was a nice hum of chatter from a pretty large crowd who had braved the weather to check this place out. The taps offer no less than sixteen Mikkeller beers alongside four guests, so it’s worth taking time to study the beer board before approaching the bar, as Mikkeller make extreme brews that command extreme prices. Sadly, even the sensible strength brews come with Scandinavian price tags, and I had to fork out £6.20 for a pint of Rick’s Brown – an admittedly excellent brown beer that I really should’ve savoured a lot longer at that price. The beer board is a little confusing, as prices shown aren’t always for a pint, but some mental arithmetic shows most sensible strength beers working out at over £6 a pint. Lots of fruit/limbic/sour beers were listed too, so this place is a good bet if that’s your preferred style. The barmaid here was very friendly and whilst I can’t be certain, I got the impression that payment here is by card only. Funnily enough, I quite liked this place, despite the ridiculous pricing, lack of cask ale and basic layout. I found the atmosphere in here no different to that of a busy pub, with some comfortable seating and extremely tasty beer making it easy to settle down. Of course, the prices make an extended session here virtually impossible, but I can see myself returning here occasionally as a bit of a treat, just to see what exciting beer they have on next.

The former George & Dragon initially looks little different as you approach, apart from a fresh coat of dark grey paint at ground-floor level. However, the interior has been given a complete makeover in minimalist Scandinavian style, with just the counter and a limited amount of light modern seating. As you would expect, it hosts a fine array of 20 craft keg taps on the bar-back divided about 50:50 between the Danish brewery and a range of English guests. I tried a schooner of their Weisse Pineapple (£5.30) which was a curious concoction, but doubtless there were many other more extreme and even more expensive brews available if you looked hard at the board above the bar.