The George Inn

The National Trust-owned George Inn is stolen away off the choke of Borough High Street, although its historical significance as the capital’s last surviving galleried inn means it’s often an obligatory stop-off for tour groups & guided walks. Dickens made reference to its medieval charms in Little Dorrit, while its proximity to the Globe meant it was a regular haunt of Shakespeare & his ilk. The best time to soak up the atmosphere is during the mid-afternoon lull, before the office hordes descend & spill out onto the cobbled courtyard – supping pints from the Greene King range as well as the pub’s own George Inn ale. Most of the interiors have been ‘modernised’ in some sense though a few remnants of the past remain, including the grand fireplaces & ancient wood panelling.