George Inn, Borough  fancyapint.com rated pub, rated2 pints - click for an explanation of our ratingsCask Marque pub - click for an explanation of the Cask Marque scheme

location:

Borough

address:

77 Borough High Street, SE1 1NH

phone:

0871 258 6115*
* calls cost 10p/minute, click here for more about 0871 numbers.

nearest stations:

London Bridge railway stationLondon Underground station
(300m) - zone 1

Borough London Underground station
(440m) - zone 1

London Bridge City Pier River Thames boat service
(460m)

Bankside pier River Thames boat service
(670m)

Cannon Street railway stationLondon Underground station
(760m) - zone 1

bus routes:

21, 35, 40, 133, 343, 344 bus info

how to find it:

From London Bridge Station go south down the High Street. It's in the second or third alleyway on the left (there's a big sign). From Borough Station go north up the high street and cross the road. It's on the right shortly before you come to the railway bridge.

click here for a larger map

nearby attraction(s):

The Old Operating Theatre, Museum & Herb Garret (170m)

Cross Bones (270m)

Vinopolis (330m)

picture of George Inn
This well-preserved galleried coaching house (owned by the National Trust) off Borough High Street serves a loyal following as well as the innumerable walking/coach tours that visit it. It serves a number of guest beers, including its own George Ale (brewed by Adnam's) All the usual suspects on tap and wines in little bottles of wine are available too. When the weather's good, the outdoor area's one of the best attractions of this pub, as it's a great place to sunbathe and people-watch while having a pint. The George Inn tolerates children and the function room on the first floor is available for hire. These are all plus points, of course, but in terms of a drinking experience, the George can be disappointing. The bars are often very crowded and it can take an age to get served (and then the service can be pretty haphazard), let alone find a seat. The George seems to be a victim of its own high profile. The cosy room at the far end of the pub, with a fire in winter, retains an antique atmosphere but the other bar areas have been modernised in a rather anonymous way. The historical significance of the George notwithstanding, there are several other pubs that we prefer in this area.

reviewed:
06/10/2008
reviewed by columbo

pub features:(click on an icon to see an explanation)

good beer served - click for explanationreal ales
function room for hire - click for explanationfunction room for hire
beer garden or outdoor seating available - click for explanationoutdoor seating
open late - click for explanationopen late

second opinion:

posted by jrhartley - Sunday 18th January, 2009, 10:47pm
I would just like to echo the above comment. Went there last night (Saturday) it was rammed, nowhere to sit. Fair enough. What was intolerable, however, was the fact the security heavies started telling everyone to drink up at 22h40 on a Saturday night as the manager had decided he wanted to be out the door of the George, the lights off, by 23h00. I spoke to him, and aside from him effectively sneering at me and telling me he was the 'duty manager' and could close when it suited him, he said "look, we're shortstaffed by two people, and i've been working since 8AM". I asked him what difference it would really make to have given the 400 customers with drinks a fair amount of time to finish their drinks in peace and call last orders at 11PM and give them 20 minutes drinking up time. He retorted "Quite a lot, actually". And then went to on say that "what did I know, anyway, as I was under the influence". QED, really, being in a pub and having had a pint, technically I was under the influence, but clearly he has a distorted view of how to run a pub if he thinks he can just keep playing fast and loose with closing times to suit his need to get out the door early. Very poor service, there are plenty of better pubs in the area, and I would suggest to anyone visiting London to observe the building from the outside but drink somewhere else.
posted by penelopegprice - Sunday 16th September, 2007, 1:18pm
This pub may be historic, but it is sadly overpriced, staffed by rude, obnoxious bar tenders, and the mixers are often flat and the beer tastes sub-standard. Last night, at just a few minutes past eleven, with an almost full pint in front of me, I started getting hassled by the heavies to drink up and leave. There was no mention of the twenty minutes legally allowed to drink up after the last drink has been served, and I had to have a stand off with one bouncer in order to remain seated until twenty past to finish my pint. I also spoke to the bar manager who simply said, "you obviously have no idea about running a business". Touche. It seemed she was more concerned with closing the pub so that she could go out clubbing rather than running a successful business. I won't be returning to this pub, and I highly recommend that anyone else considering visiting find an alternative. There are plenty of other equally pretty and historic pubs in the area.
2 comments on this pub - why not add your own?
click to visit the randomness guidesRandomness - for an alternative point of view, see TheGeorge Inn's review on the Randomness guide to London.

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