Originally the old halfway house to Stepney, The George Tavern is over 350 years old and is a shining beacon of oddity and a quirky refuge for the alternative traveller, very much at odds with its faceless, dingy and faintly scary surrounding area.

The Venue
Shadwell is never going be anyone’s destination of choice (other than a trip to the venue in question, of course), not least because it’s a transport black hole. Therefore, visits to The George Tavern are best at the exclusion of anywhere else. Plus, once you get cosy inside with your fourth pint, some peanuts and playing cards you’re unlikely to think about moving on.

The decor is best described as unfinished chic without the chic. Look out for the wobbly chairs and tables, an out of tune piano and some of the best toilet graffiti in London: 'If arseholes could fly this place would be an airport.' The music situation is even more old school than a jukebox, with a large collection of vinyl for you to sift through and play, and if someone picks out The Bee Gees there’s a large garden to escape to round the side.

Celebrities love this pub because the rare - for London - detached nature of The George means there's 360 degree light coming in, making it perfect for photoshoots. Kate Moss and Amy Winehouse are campaigning to keep it that way after a threatened development means the lighting may soon be ruined - watch this space! The infamous back room nightclub has all but closed forever; almost. It is very occasionally opened up for special, intimate occasions. Art gallery openings, independent record label launches; you know the score.

The Atmosphere
The key word here is relaxed. Despite the trendy factor pertaining to any licensed venue in which the decoration isn’t complete, you needn’t worry about spending the evening with hooray-Hoxtonites, largely because it’s not in Hoxton. You might say one gets the best of both from the clientele; enough of the arty factor to make them interesting and have the occasional pianist amongst them, but not so much that you want to scream and run.

The Food
Although The George Tavern doesn’t do food per se, Monday night is Soup Night with four bands, four poets and, funnily enough, some soup.

The Drink
The drink selection at The George Tavern is fairly wide-ranging and reasonably priced; use £3.20 a pint as a rough guide.

The Last Word
It’s just as well The George Tavern is in a dodgy area and difficult to get to (and from), because otherwise it’d be ten deep at the bar every night. As it is, you can get served in an instant between 4pm and 12am (at the earliest) on a weekday, and until 2am at the weekends. You’d be mad not to make the effort.

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