A quirky arty bar, the Royal George is a fun, no frills environment offering a great selection of global beers to its sociable regulars.

The Venue
Artsy and funky, the Royal George is a two-floor bar, eccentrically decorated with art and giant photographs in the basement and graffiti and comic book pages on the ground floor. The furniture is a mix of random pieces and red walls, giving Royal George the fresh and decadent appeal of a place run by art students.

The basement is mostly a club with live acts playing regularly, while the relaxed ground floor often has a DJ spinning. An outdoor seating area completes the venue nicely.

The Atmosphere
Royal George is a vibrant place populated by young and artsy types: the atmosphere is chilled and chatty, livened up by groups laughing over a drink or two. During the week, post-work drinkers make up the majority of punters, leaving space for the social junkies aged 21-35 during the weekends.

Thursday-Saturday nights have a 1am license in operation and the place can get packed, but it as enjoyable during quiet weekend nights. The only down point is the service, which is just as relaxed as the venue: your drink may take a while to be delivered. The music can also be hard on the ears at times: supposedly, the Royal George plays minimal techno, hip hop, funk and indie rock, but their music selection incorporates basically everything including Caribbean tunes.

The Food
The food on offer is a homemade affair with good vegetarian options. Snacks and sharers mix together favourite global dishes, while the mains (£6.50-£10) offer mostly burgers and chips, including a great spinach and lentil burger with salsa chips. Salads, like the one mixing butternut squash, goat cheese and beetroot, and sandwiches complete the list.

The Drink
Predictably, beers are the bestsellers in this funky, no frills environment. Draughts cost the standard £2.75-£3 but the choice is really quite good: Grolsh, Amstel, Budvar Dark, Erdinger Weisse, Belle Vue Kriek are always on stock. Bottles are not less exotic with Singha (Thailand), Duvel (Belgium), Brahma (Brazil), Liefmans (Belgium), Pacifico Clara (Mexico), Innins and Gunn (Scotland) and the native Brothers. The prices aren’t out of the ordinary, in the £3.20-£3.75 range.

Bourbons and whiskeys are also popular, like the shooters going for a decent £2.05-£3.50. Wine is not lacking, either: reds, whites and roses are sold by the glass or bottle - the latter costing £10-£19 and 250 ml glasses costing £3.70-£5.20. Surprisingly, for such a laid back venue, they offer Champagne as well.

The Last Word
Not exactly a spotless bar, the Royal George is a fun place for an exotic beer with friends. Do not expect prompt service or posh decor and you will not be disappointed. Recommended to all artsy types.

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