This September we’re opening the doors to George & Dragon on St John Street, Clerkenwell.
It’s the latest addition to the Barworks family, and a building we’ve wanted to get right. George & Dragon first opened in 1889. More recently it was The Peasant, one of London’s earliest gastropubs, before it closed in 2023. Now we’re bringing it back to life as a neighbourhood pub and restaurant for this corner of London.
Restoring a Victorian pub
The pub is Grade II-listed, and much of the original Victorian detail is still here. Our aim has been to keep its character and restore it carefully, not to reinvent it."Pubs have been at the heart of my working life for more than 30 years," says Barworks founder Marc Francis-Baum. "So taking on a building with the history and character of George & Dragon feels incredibly special." Downstairs will be a proper local, with good beer and pub classics done well. It's somewhere to drop in for a pint and stay for something to eat.
Island moves upstairs
Upstairs, another new chapter is starting. Island, the surf and turf restaurant from chefs Tom Brown and Brad Carter, spent its first year at Mare Street Market King's Cross. It's now moving to Clerkenwell to take up permanent residence above George & Dragon. It will be Island's first permanent home, with the same focus on British seafood and meat in a new first-floor dining room.One building, two ways in: a pub on the ground floor and Island on the first.
What's next
There's plenty more to share over the coming weeks, including the restoration, the people behind it, and what to expect from George & Dragon and Island. Sign up to our newsletter or follow @georgeanddragonlondon to hear first. George & Dragon, 240 St John Street, London EC1V 4PH. Opening September.