The George Fitzrovia

Originally launched as an upstairs downstairs concept with much fanfare, The George has settled into a more traditional gastropub format as of 2023. Now a single, all-day menu covers both the ground floor pub and upstairs dining rooms (previously there were separate menus for each) and The George has settled on no-nonsense pub grub, albeit executed to the standards you’d expect of owners JKS Restaurants (who also run the likes of Lyle’s, BiBi, Sabor and Gymkhana).

The menu has changed but thankfully, much of the decor has not. The George was beautifully renovated when it reopened in 2022 and the upstairs dining room is particularly lovely, resplendent in glossy forest green, with plush Georgian dining chairs, velvet banquettes, a vintage rug and restored fireplace giving the room a chic, welcoming living room vibe.

London’s gastropubs have ventured more and more into restaurant territory in recent years, but by comparison, The George keeps things pretty simple. Among the snacks there’s a black pudding Scotch Egg with a piquant Oxford sauce, a bowl of fried squid with good aioli, and steak tartare toasts with Thai basil and sesame. So far, so straightforward, but lots of good pubs get the simple things wrong, and The George gets things just right - everything is nicely seasoned, the Scotch Egg has a nice jammy centre, the steak tartare toasts are piled high.

The same is true of mains, which include a hefty chunk of fish and good chips for a very reasonable £13, and an excellent beef and Guinness pie, which is rich and meaty enough that we can forgive it being a lonely pastry lid, rather than a proper pie. Meanwhile, bar staff downstairs make a punchy Negroni, and manager Conor Daly is an expert Guinness-puller. There’s nothing flashy about The George - if you want a gastropub with flair you might want to go elsewhere - but if you want all the best bits of a no-frills pub experience, you’ll be very happy here indeed.

The George is an 18th century, Grade II listed pub in the heart of Fitzrovia which was renovated and re-opened at the end of 2021 by JKS restaurant group (Gymkhana, Hoppers and Trishna) and James Knappett (Kitchen Table). The project is the second partnership for JKS and Knappett who are also responsible for The Cadogan Arms in Chelsea.

Having been restored to its former glory, the pub is made up of two floors, with a traditional pub on the ground floor and a second dining room upstairs, alongside private events spaces. On the ground floor, guests enter to traditional wooden interiors, designed to honour the pub's long history as a proper British pub, with mahogany bar and dark green leather seating. Here diners can order cask ales, craft beers, seasonal cocktails and tapped wines alongside a considerable whisky collection that nods to the pub’s historical patrons, including Dylan Thomas and Brendan Behan. The compact cocktail list spans a selection of classics and signatures, with highlights including a Sticky Toffee Old Fashioned and a Rhubarb Collins.

Three upstairs rooms are distinct: the rich red leather of the Gluepot Bar, then olive green banquettes and vintage rugs in the main dining room, and the long banqueting table in the private dining room. 

The menu riffs on traditional pub grub, with a hefty range of snacks available to go with your pint. On the menu at the time of writing you'll find classics like prawn cocktail, rarebit croquettes, beer-battered fish and chips and a beef and Guinness pie. There's a bit of international flair to the menu as well though, as evidenced by dishes like cauliflower and onion bhajis and red curry pork scratchings, but The George still offers chops and steaks from the grill as well as a comforting British pub menu. The menu has been designed by Knappett himself, so you can expect a bit of luxury thrown in for good measure.