George IV, Kentish Town, NW5

The George 1V is a corner pub that is hidden away in the back streets of Kentish Town. The lower half of the pub is almost covered in foliage. Once inside there is a single room which is wrapped around the bar on three sides,it is carpeted throughout,there is a small raised area to the front,the seating is normal tables and chairs and small stools,there are small lit lamps on all tables which looked very strange on a Friday dinner. There were no real ales on the bar,i had a drink of John Smiths Smooth Crap,which was a pretty poor drink,there was also keg Wm Youngers bitter on the bar. The pub looked very plush and 80s like inside. There were a few locals in on my Friday dinner visit. Cheap food was also advertised which i would have tried if i had not had a load of sandwiches. I am pleased i found this pub out as there are not many left like this in London anymore. Pub visited 2/6/2017

This looks a very attractive pub from the outside with its mass of ivy climbing over it, together with hanging baskets providing a floral display at this time of the year. It’s pretty good inside as well. Nicely carpeted, it’s furnished with good quality (mainly round metal framed) tables and chairs, plus some little round stools, and the inevitable tall stools at the bar. The walls are crammed with all manner of prints, some are a bit arty, but not too many or too arty. There’s original cornicing on the ceilings, cast iron pillars and a bit of wood panelling on the wall by a raised area on the left. But otherwise there was nothing of heritage value that I noticed. As I entered through the vestibule entrance I spotted a couple of handpumps on the bar around the other side of the central peninsular servery, both with clips reversed. Nonetheless worth asking about real ale I reckoned, but was told that they haven’t sold real ale for ages as there’s no call for it. Fair enough I suppose, but the two handpumps do raise the hopes of real ale drinkers. The best bet was keg Youngers Best Bitter at £1.60 a half. The food was good value though. Sarnies were £2 - £2.45, and main courses weren’t much more – e.g. steak & kidney pie, mash and mushy peas rocked in at only £3.45. With the introduction of a couple of decent real ales this would be a top notch pub.

This is one of those back street boozers that hundreds of people see everyday as they pass on the elevated North London line (Overground) but hardly anyone walks past unless they live on the same road or are maybe off to the industrial park. This is a shame as I think this is a great pub, even if though it doesn't serve any real ale. The pub was fairly busy when I visited as the Arsenal v Chelsea kick-off was impending, but there was still plenty of room to sit away from the screens and I was served as soon as I got to the bar. I found the locals to be extremely friendly and I was involved in some light hearted banter with a couple of them before my Guinness had been poured. I will make a point of returning here when I'm next in the area.