George & Dragon

The fashion & art packs meet nightly at Hackney Road’s ever-scuzzy dive bar, the George & Dragon. It’s not about the cheap drinks (plastic cups of cooking lager & generic voddy), nor is it really about the decor (no, not even the art installations in the loos, or the glittery animal heads on the wall); it’s all about the scene. Gay & straight (with the balance in favour of the former), young & younger, mingle on the pavement outside in the summer, or press up against each other inside to an eclectic soundtrack of forgotten pop. There’s standing room only most nights (seats are for out-of-towners). Think club not pub.