Old George

Old George

Last updated December 2016.

For good or for ill, the gentrification of Bethnal Green continues apace. A recent beachhead comes in the form of this shabby-chic pub from the Antic chain. The internal walls are battered and bruised, as though still recovering from the Luftwaffe. An original iron winch perches on a supporting column — supposedly too heavy to move. The furniture is straight out of your great-aunt Maud's sitting room. And the whole thing's housed in a pre-Georgian building. It's all aggressively anti-stylish.

And yet we can't help but fall a little in love with the place — an exceptional environment in which to relax with a drink (though it can get a bit chilly in midwinter). If all the studied tattiness is not to your taste, there's a slightly more polished anteroom and a surprisingly large beer garden out the back. As with all Antic pubs, there's a refreshing selection of beers (five cask pumps, none of which we'd tried before). The food menu is said to include 'occasional Jewish and Turkish influences', but there's plenty of pig-based dishes, and a rather intriguing 'Weetabix and malted chocolate ice cream'. You can also dine upstairs in the recently opened restaurant.

On Twitter as @TheOldGeorge

Quiz night is Wednesday.

Nothing creepy here.
Nothing creepy here.
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Whoever said 'form follows function' would vomit all over this place.
Whoever said 'form follows function' would vomit all over this place.
The gents lavs: geared up for those who need to dart to the toilet.
The gents lavs: geared up for those who need to dart to the toilet.
Like one, big old-fashioned car boot sale of a pub.
Like one, big old-fashioned car boot sale of a pub.
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That's quite a beer garden.
That's quite a beer garden.

Address: 379 Bethnal Green Road London E2 0AN

Phone: 020 7033 9726

Website:
http://oldgeorge.co.uk/

Monday: 4pm-11pm

Tuesday: 4pm-11pm

Wednesday: 4pm-11pm

Thursday: 4pm-midnight

Friday: 4pm-1am

Saturday: noon-1am

Sunday: noon-11pm

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