please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
A curious joint that is reminiscent of the album cover of Soft cell's 'Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret'. Now facing the hoardings for the Crossrail project, it is quite an interesting option were the beers slightly better. Meantime and Camden are run of the mill 'craft' choices as are Proper Job and Doom Bar on the ale side of things. cans of Cwtch's 'Clwb Tropicana' in the fridge saved the day.
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Cracking pub, once you know it's there.
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Just off Charing cross road, down a grotty little side street that smells of wee and is opposite a huge building site sits the Royal George.
From the outside it doesn't look very nice or look like anyone ever goes in there. But then you'd be wrong.
Inside is a medium sized bar with plenty of seating serving a smashing selection of booze. The staff are like their clients, slight bohemian and quirky and they know their stuff..giving you a run down of whats best and what they like.
Downstairs is a function room/extra seating that on a wednesday evening becomes the base for their 'Kare-Uke' Ukulele nights
If you can get past its exterior and its location its a relaxing well stocked treat
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Small pub located in a charmless post-war building located at the end of Goslett Yard, a short side street on the west side of Charing Cross Road. Very cramped inside, especially during the regular live music events, meaning that there is often a large crowd outside on the pavement. However, there is also a downstairs bar, so you wonder why they don't make more use of it. Two handpumps, but only one in use when I last visited (and this didn't even have the clip fixed to the handle) but this did offer a decent pint of Adnams Stout. The chalkboard outside did also proclaim that they have 22 (bottled) ciders available.
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The beauty of this place is the location for sure. Nice staff too.
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This is a pub well worth avoiding, the service is very slow with unmanned wasted bar space downstairs. They have a reasonable choice of beer but get so busy at times it's not worth the wait. They have a late licence and it gets busier than they can handle, with people trying to get a last drink before heading home.
The worst thing about this pub is the staff's attitude when it comes to closing time, as there's an outside areaat the front fo the pub ie: the street (that is if you want to stand and watch people queing up to get into G.A.Y.) they are very pushy when it comes to letting you cross the premesis boundry when trying to use the loo before going home. I was pushed off the premesis even though I had been drinking there for an hour and a half and told, 'Were closed, you can't come back in.'
When this happened to a friend of mine a few months later the staff not only kept him off the premesis they also told him to urinate in the street! Which I think is a public order offence. A bad attitude towards customers means they lose them. They should sort their act out and stop being so offensive.
Normy - 11 Feb 2010 19:44 |
Now here was a real suprise, went out last Friday, now I came here years ago, before a gig, it was always that dingy little pub that you went too before a gig only because it was the closest place, the service was never good and it always looked dirty.
However things have most definatly changed, it looked great, it was well cared for, people eating at most tables, but still that same friendly vibe.
But the best bit was when, I ordered my pint of ale and was shocked, when the bar man actually took the time to tell me about a new guest ale they had, this was while the pub was busy and he was also serving someone else as well !!!
The ale was great and the rest of our night was fantastic, I will be back.
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I to have noticed a great difference in all aspects of this establishment,i've been drinking here for over two years and love the odd saturday night here.
and so what if the last few comments are from staff its shows they care!!!!
service is far better i'm the first to say it was shocking service in the past,good on the new manager if be the case...
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Emily1983 and dez_93200, I notice you are both new, �one-time� posters and in your mid twenties. Although you make some attempt to restrain your �reviews� they essentially read like advertising puffs. This leads me to conclude you are either the new owner(s), bar-staff or in some way connected to the venue.
It may well be that the Royal George has improved of late, in which case-great, because it needed to.
However, anyone who is not a casual user of the site can see through self-promotional guff like this at a stroke. (Five reviews in a year, then two in a week? Hmmm.) It might be worth taking on board that ultimately, it tends to backfire on the venue.
Finally, I stand by everything I said about my visit to the RG at the time.
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I was really shocked by the reviews I've read here, I was at the Royal George last week on a Friday and I had a great time. Albeit I haven't been in a for a long time and I grasp that they're under new management so obviously these reviews are reaaaallllyyyy old. I didn't experience anything of the sort.
The new manager has obviously thought to hire a new vibrant team that actually want to work, I was served by a all of the staff throughout the night and had a nice chat with one of the barmaids about the different live bands performing in the pub.
Great atmosphere, really eclectic crowd. I quite like the range of lagers (nothing like Carling, Kronenberg or Fosters ew).
I had one of their huge burgers from the BBQ which was really nice, chef was really smiley, which is weird for a chef in my experience!!! ha
All in all, I had a good night and recommend for people to come and see the good changes in the place!
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After reading the reviews here I was expecting a frustrating night trying to get surly idiots to serve me, choking back indigestible food in a grubby shack, but that certainly wasn't the case. The website says they're under new management, which should be taken into account - they've got a promotion to win a case of wine if you fill out an extensive feedback form, so they're obviously concerned about righting any vestigal wrongs.
I was greeted by a huge smile from a pretty barmaid and was served instantly (no queue for the bar, thursday 6:30pm). Service was fine all night, and while it never got rammed, it was definitely busy by the end. Nothing special nor dissapointing about the drinks selection or prices, food was ok, service speed was fine. The clientele were the same fun mix as previously mentioned, and the game of "laugh at the person who didn't realise it's a cul-de-sac" was as enjoyable as other reviewers have stated!
Don't be put off by reviews here which no longer ring true - give it a chance and you'll probably be as charmed as I was by this fun & quirky pub and its handy central location.
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After a flying visit to The Harp in Covent Garden beforehand, my visit to The Royal George proved to be going from the sublime to the ridiculous. The approach via the glass showered yard seemed ominous, as indeed it was:
A seedy, dingy interior over two floors. Young, narcissistic, disinterested bar-staff. Loud, intrusive music. Only London Pride as a real ale, stale tasting and too cold.
It�s not very often I can�t wait to get out of a pub, but the RG induced that feeling in spades. Very disappointing.
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Got to admit that I do agree with a lot of the comments about this pub, getting served can be a let down. But it is a gem when you want a mixed atmosphere, it seems you'll find anyone from City Suits to Indi Sindys hanging around here.
Went in there last Saturday and the music policy was brilliant, plus the djs (there must have been about eight in total!!!) were mincing around and having a laugh, flet like a proper party atmosphere. Popped in for my usual couple of pints before heading to a club but ended up staying far too long and had to pay through the nose to get into a club late! A good sign though!
Advice: Try the classic pincer movement at the bar!!!
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I would very much like to dismiss The Royal George, but I am there so much after work, it must be fairly good for me to keep going back.
Although management has changed (for the worse - bar manager doesn't know what a smile is) it's pretty standard for a west end pub. The food is above average and it's great for a lunch hour or mid week drink, but if you are thinking of going on a Friday, be warned, you can wait for a good 30 - 45 mins, particularly as bar is quite tiny compared to pub size and the inadequate bar staff seem capable of serving those in their direct eyeline and then get upset if you say who has been served in front of you.
Been going here for on and off 3 years, and staff still don't even crack a smile or recognise the regulars, odd for a pub that states they are friendly!
They do hold quiz nights, BBQ in the summer, film nights and other things, which shows they are trying. Try harder though and get some decent staff!
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brilliant venue for an alternative night. music policy is great - no crappy chart hits!
food is basic but good quality - the burger i had was huge!
wide selecion of beers all clean and well looked after.
the only problem is that the bar is tto small for the busy times. sometimes you can wait for ages, especially on a friday night full of office crowds.
all in all a refreshingly different pub for central london.
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Have you ever dreamed of having the superpower of invisibility? Sneaking into the cinema for free, having a good old gawp in the ladies' changing rooms, scaring the bejesus out of people by pretending to be a ghost? Well, dream no more, you can have the best emulation of invisibility superpowers ever by standing at the bar of the Royal George and trying to get served.
I really like this place, quirky, great music, attractive clientelle. Maybe they had a 'special' day of guest bar staff or something when I went in there the other day, because the staff in there then were as effective as lepers in wind tunnels. Highlights included a bar maid who kisses her teeth at you if you have the temerity to tell her she just brought over the complete wrong order, and some little idiot who only seems to be able to serve whoever is standing directly in front of him at the time, rather than scanning the bar to see who's next. Even told him that's we'd been waiting there for yonks, said he'd come over next, then just served a girl who plonked herself directly in front of him about a nanosecond before.
I'll give it another go, maybe when the Summer holidays are over though and the barstaff have gone back to school.
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Once upon a time they did quite nice food. But the last two meals I ordered her were reallly bad - the second time I just gave up and sent it back. Burnt steak sandwich. (How hard can that be.) The time before that they served a lamal kebab not in the pitta as it used to be srbed with mint yoghurt, but next to the pitta which was cut up into pieces as if for a child, in what appeared to be a dog bowl. Won't be eating there again.
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Looks a bit bland and not particularly welcoming from the outside but inside it�s OK and has some decent beers. Located just off the Charing Cross Road at the end of Goslett Yard.
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Used this pub on Saturday evening by default (stag do). I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this pub. It's nowhere near as bad as it initially looks. Service was fast and efficient which was a surprise as it was quite busy. The London Pride was quite decent as it goes.
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I enjoy regular visits and have allways found the london pride in good condition.
Staff polite and helpful, though not as well trained as should be.
Pleasant outside seating area.
This pub has a pleasing quirky/unusual feel to it and is a refreshing change from the bland, standardised offerings nearby.
A notice states that only plastic glasses are allowed outside, though i have not seen this enforced.
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Quite simply, LETS GET DRUNK! Quality booze.
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I like this pub, very handy for the Astoria and other places.
They do some great beers too - if you like stouts, try Dark Budvar for a Czech alternative to Guinness, it's actually a dark lager but has a similar taste to a good quality stout.
I love sitting out the front in the summer months and watching people walk or drive down the little road, not realising it's a cul-de-sac. The look on their faces when they realise it's a dead end and the only thing down there is the Royal George is great. :D
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Very handy for meeting up before gigs at the Astoria or Mean Fiddler or Borderline - preferred it when it used to be a proper rock pub though, it was definitely a place to specifically travel to rather than just somewhere convenient to have a beer due to its location if you see what I mean.
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one of the better pubs in the area - good mix of drinkers in a quirky bar. excellent lager selection, although it had no bitter on my last visit.
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Usually plays decent music, has no smoking room downstairs (pah). Interesting mix of people but usually friendly enough
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Set back from Charing Cross Road, it is quite easy to walk past the Royal George and some would say that�s not a bad thing. Built into a rather nondescript and unattractive building down a rather unwelcoming yard, the pub has little going for it to attract new customers off the street. The interior can best be described as Continental Bar meets Las Vegas - a bit tacky with an over-indulgence in left over Christmas lights and mirror balls making the place look like a seedy strip joint. London Pride is the only bitter (and is hard to spot being tucked away at the end of the bar) but there is a decent selection of continental lagers. The Elvis pinball machine adds to the Vegas feel and there is a widescreen LCD TV (presumably for sport). You certainly do not feel like you are in a London pub and traditionalists should steer clear. It can get packed and service can be very slow (I have walked out of here in the past as it was impossible to get served). There are some seats outside but Goslett Yard is not the most attractive place at the best of times. Basically, not a lot going for it in my book but if you are looking for something other than the typical West End pub, it may have some appeal.
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odd place. couldnt settle in either like previous postings. in an odd location too. probably wont return as much more fun to be haad further south at Cambridge Circus environs
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Found this pub a great place to go during the day time/ early evening, it is not too busy, prices are what you expect for west end pubs. note that they stop food at 3pm then start again at 5pm. which left me hungary. haven't ventured there in the night yet, but am planning to soon. staff are friendly and had no wait to get served. they play good music as well.
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well....i would rather explain this pub as a funky pub ...my main attraction of this pub was thursday night live blues music,now they stopped it for last one month(bad,bad,bad)...but still i would love to go there with mates ...though i need to wait sometimes 20/30 mins to get a drink on the weekends, and yes ..would love to see the old people are behind the bar again !
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Hmmm, normally I have no problem whatsoever formulating an opinion on a pub I've had a beer or two in, but this place leaves me confused.
Neither as fantastic as some would have it nor as awful as certain others would suggest. Prices are typical West End so no complaints there. Service when I went was pretty poor but the beer was good. It's the look of the place and the atmosphere that perplex me though. Neither feeling comfortable enough to really settle in nor being so trendy that normal blokes like me stick out like sore thumbs. In a short time there the atmosphere seemed to continuosly oscillate between being strangely quiet and dead to very noisy and boisterous without any obvious reason for the change. Wouldn't whole-heartedly recommend it but can't advise against giving it a go either. Will probably return for further drinks here but there is a nagging suspicion in my head that the other pubs nearby are better if not as oddly complelling.
Sorry if this is no help to anyone!
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loved this pub, what has happened.. fridays used to be amazing and all the staff danced behind the bar.. bring back the two sisters marylou and bex
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I think this is a great pub. Differant and even though it's in the middle of all the chaos, it's tucked away just off Charing Cross, so it's not over crowded. I work in central London right near tottenham court road tube station and I think it is a great place to take my mates after work that isn't a giant crowd. Great beer, great staff. Highly recommend this one!
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This is a great little pub - a real find in the middle of central London. I just happened upon it one day when looking for a loo after shopping!The "oddness" that others have mentioned is its real bonus. It's a bit arty and different which is a real breath of fresh air after the hundreds of bland boring chain pubs that central london is plagued with.
If you want a nice plain ordinary bar then go to 'All Bar One' if you want the staff to smarm all over you with a fake smile on their faces then go to 'TFI Fridays' or some such place. If you want an interesting, decent pub to have a quiet pint (or a good night out with a lively atmosphere - depending on when you go) then I'd definitely recommend this little Gem.
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A strange one. It's got character for sure with cool furniture to boot. An odd mix of people frequent here and the downstairs bar begs the question; who is this intended for? If these sound like slurs then they're not. Anything that can disorientate in such surroundings is fine by me.
Good for: This has yet to be defined but I shall be back to found out.
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Can't agree with the recent comments. I have been coming to this pub for quite a while. You must have caught it on an off night. It is distinctly different from the usual chain pubs....which is the great appeal for me! Bar staff are usually friendly, nice mix of people. On Thursdays they have a blues jam which is always a great night.
anonymous - 7 Mar 2005 13:16 |
Accidentally strolled in here during yet another drunken haze. Sooned sobered up though. This place just seemed very odd - just had one drink and left very quickly. Bar staff were not particularly polite and did not speak to anyone other than the mate I was with. Possibly just caught it on a bad night ?
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Great jamming session last night :-)
anonymous - 3 Dec 2004 12:54 |
We have been drinking here for the last couple of years under the reins of Mary-Lou and Becky, unfortunately they have moved on.
Such a shame, the new staff seem to have a problem with serving clientele in the order they arrive at the bar. You can wait for ages to even be noticed.
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What a great pub! Used to be better when the old management was running it.. I think her name was Becky or something similar.
Still great though. The blues jam evening on a Thursday night has to be one of the best free nights out in London!
Roger - 1 Oct 2004 10:56 |
I used to work here - when it was a rock pub. (2 years ago) Two refurbs later - it looks amazing, and when it comes up for a management vacancy, I will definatly think about going for the job. For me, it's perfect - cool without trying too hard. I will definatly go again.
anonymous - 28 May 2004 18:21 |
i like a place with fairy lights and 70s sofas. it is quite mental, in a kitsch way but like zoe says it does work.
not the cheapest pub in the world, but no worse than anywhere else that fancies itself a bit in that area. if you want cheap go to wetherspoons, right?
if you want somewhere with nice lighting, comfy seats and music that isn't too loud you can't hear.... that's a bit different from your usual stodge boozer, but without the self-conscious "we want to be in time out" factor - you could do worse...
clarabelle - 12 May 2004 15:42 |
This pub is fine. If you like a pint of Hoegaarden or Leffe then this is a place for you. Sure it's over priced, just like every other bar in central london, but so what? it's a nice enough place to meet mates and sink a couple...
steve - 14 Apr 2004 17:00 |
I say ignore the disgruntled rockers, it is now a decent pub with a good atmosphere. I like it a lot.
If you want a metal pub, this is not what you're looking for, if you're looking for a nice atmosphere, friendly people and a central location, then you're in the right place.
One more thing - The eclectic decor shouldn't work, but it does, really well
zoe - 3 Apr 2004 15:14 |
Used to be better when it was more of a rock pub. Now it's a trendy bar (like 90% of other places in the west end) and even more overpriced than it was before. If you want to go to a decent pub before visiting the Astoria, try the Angel on St Giles High Street (2 minutes walk away) instead.
Chris - 18 Mar 2004 12:08 |
This bar is great. Handy for supping a few and meeting your mates before heading off to the Astoria. When I was there recently they has a band playing in the basement bar.
Dave - 16 Mar 2004 14:03 |
this used to be an excellent pub u used to go here then to the intrepid fox and then on to a nice rock club but nopt anymore:(
u used to meet metal ppl like � of iron maiden but not anymore this place suxx now
fever
anonymous - 12 Sep 2003 21:53 |
A real toilet - overpriced, bad beer and a clueless clientele.
Darryl - 11 Aug 2003 12:53 |
don't book this pub. It is unorganised, the management does not know what is happening in it's own pub. They cost us money due to their bad organisation. I will never go there again.
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hi there we were all at this pub last weekend went to see mostly autumn playing at the mean fiddler, great time in here, the assistant manager, forgether name now, was gorgeous, if any one sees her ask her if she remembers the lads from york drinking them out of guiness!!! grat spot, watch out for the tequila girl!!! DITA from Denmark!!!
Martin - 9 Jun 2003 14:18 |
This used to be a heavy metal pub, but now it's the sort of pub they have in Islington.
John - 16 Apr 2003 13:17 |
This used to be a great 'rock' pub with decent music, footy on the telly and a pool table downstairs - 20 of us turned up there on Saturday night to find it had turned into a somewhat more 'upmarket' establishment... Still, not to bad after the shock had worn off - comfy sofas downstairs and a late license placated us.
Pauly H - 23 Dec 2002 14:59 |
