The George Tavern

With Dalston having already snaffled the ‘new Hoxton’ crown from under its nose, Stepney can settle back & enjoy its ‘undiscovered status’ a little longer. The listed George Tavern is now central to the local scene & something of a success story, having been saved from the bulldozers thanks to a high-profile campaign by landlady-cum-artist Pauline Forster, backed by celeb support from Amy Winehouse & Kate Moss. A little seedy, a little shady, the scuffed-up interior is loved for its rough & ready charms, its tatty bar stools, its old upright ‘joanna’ & grungy beer garden – certainly not for its refreshments, which are limited to little more than pints of Staropramen or Guinness & bottles of rough house red. On a good night, you might even spot a famous face or two, although the assembled company takes any sightings easily in its stride.