The George & Dragon Fitzrovia

"Does gout have a vibe? It’s hard to say, but The George is a pub that certainly does its best to create a gout-ish feeling. The Fitzrovia pub—run by the JKS restaurant group that counts , and amongst its all-conquering London restaurant roster—is a delicious and decadent take on a classic gastro-pub. You enter as you do any boozer in the city: with the beer taps straight ahead of you and everyone making a beeline for them. There’s an old school saloon-ish feel to The George’s downstairs bar. It’s all mahogany wood and patterned mirrors, but this belies the truth of the establishment. Look a little closer and you’ll see telltale signs that The George is more gastro than pub. We’re not saying that you’ll find regulars dabbing Guinness from their lips with a napkin, nor that Ainsley Harriott is behind the bar pulling pints—but you might notice someone tucking into a gooey black pudding scotch egg, or catch the whiff of a crispy jacket potato with masala baked beans and grated cheddar straight from Neil’s Yard. Yes, it's a pub with British pub food. As well as being something a whole lot more extravagant. That something is found in The George’s upstairs dining room. A sort of secret and seductive hideout for anyone looking to part ways with a stupendous amount of cash for langoustine scampi and chips or irresistible steak tournedos rossini. The room gives off an energy that mixes The Tudors and the posh bit of the Titanic while the staff, who are friendly rather than fawning, will very much encourage you to eat oysters. Indulgent? Yes. Silly? Certainly. The knickerbocker glory for dessert? Without a doubt. All of it is perfectly debaucherous.  Now, spending £35 on tarted up scampi and chips is not exactly everyday behaviour, but Upstairs at The George is not your everyday pub meal. This is an occasional blowout for special (or silly) occasions. Though, you can come up here and go for a few starters or, say, the steak tartare with fries. But with their all-British wine list itching to be explored and words like ‘foie’ and ‘gras’ on the menu, we can’t help but think you want to be going all in at an establishment that appreciates velvet banquettes as much as The George does. Of course, this makes it inaccessible in more ways than one. The stairs, the prices, the feeling that perhaps fox hunting isn’t so bad. But if a certain kind of British excess—complete with chardonnays from Kent and punchy devilled eggs—gets you going, then The George isn’t just extravagant. It’s extremely enjoyable. " - Jake Missing