Inside George & Dragon: As Seen in Broadsheet's First Look
In September we reopened George & Dragon on St John Street. Downstairs it's a Victorian pub with a long wooden bar, cask ale on the pumps and a few good snacks. Upstairs is Island, the surf and turf restaurant from chefs Tom Brown and Brad Carter, in its first permanent home.Broadsheet came by in the first week for a First Look, and their headline put it more neatly than we could: "Classic Pub Downstairs, Surf'n'Turf Bonanza Upstairs." Che-Marie Trigg's piece ran on 18 September, then led Broadsheet's London newsletter. A week later it was back in their round-up of most-read stories. We were glad it found an audience, and it's a good guide to what we're doing here. Here's a walk through both floors, with a few of the best bits from the article.
A Clerkenwell pub since 1889
George & Dragon first opened in 1889, and the building is now Grade II-listed. Broadsheet called it "something of a time capsule reflecting the area's changing fortunes", and a lot of the original fabric is still here. There's a tiled wall mural of St George fighting the dragon, a sturdy wooden bar, and mosaic floors that still carry shrapnel damage from the Blitz. Ask behind the bar and someone will show you where.Later on, the pub was renamed The Peasant and became one of London's first gastropubs. It stopped trading in 2023. Bringing back the original name felt like the right way to start the next chapter.
Downstairs: a proper local
The ground floor is built for Clerkenwell locals, and we've kept it simple. "We're not trying to do anything new," Barworks founder Marc Francis-Baum told Broadsheet. "We're a beautiful boozer – having drafts and cask ale on is extremely important."There are cocktails too, and the Margarita is already doing well. The bar food comes from the Island kitchen upstairs: scotch eggs, oysters with butter and bacon crumb, and a reuben sarnie. "We've had a few things that we think are a bit 'us', but also very approachable pub classics," says Brad. "A few little bar snacks that you can just drop in and order, but then actual plates as well." Those bigger plates include salt and vinegar skate, and piri piri chicken with crab sauce.
Upstairs: Island
Upstairs, Island's 60-cover dining room is kept mostly monochrome. Against that, large paintings of St George and the dragon by British artist Blue Logan bring in the colour.The cooking centres on British produce. The rare-breed Tamworth pork comes from Paddock Farm in Oxfordshire, the ex-dairy beef steaks from Txuleta, and the bread and buns from St John Bakery just down the road. Start with lamb belly and clam skewers, or steak tartare with prawn crackers. For something bigger, the mixed grill comes loaded with chicken, scallops, beef and chops.There's also something new for Island: a chalkboard menu, pub-style, with fish and steak sold by weight and a choice of sauces. And the Wagyu and lobster lasagne from Island's King's Cross days has been reworked for its new home. "Obviously cottage pie is a big pub thing," says Brad. "It's steak mince with chopped lobster and then a thermidor mash on top. I recommend having a steak, having a fish, and then have that as a side dish."
Sunday roast in Clerkenwell
The roast was always the busiest service at Island, so it came with us. "Our strongest service and food became the roast," says Brad. "And we've gone, where's the perfect place to put that? In a pub."On Sundays you can order beef rump and cheek, porchetta, or a catch of the day with lobster bisque. There's also a family-style platter of beef, porchetta and chicken to share, and a seafood platter. Brad's advice is to start with a couple of caviar vodka Martinis and a few oysters, "and then getting stuck into a roast".
Why a Pub
Putting Island inside a pub was a simple decision for everyone involved. "We're all very attached to pubs," says Marc. "We all know what a pub is about. So, [Carter and Brown] coming in, doing their wizardry upstairs, and us having amazing pub gastropub food downstairs was just a no-brainer."The two floors are meant to work together. A pint downstairs before dinner upstairs is how we hope a lot of evenings will go. As Brad put it: "Our biggest advert is those people downstairs drinking, enjoying themselves."
Visit George & Dragon
You'll find us at 240 St John Street, London EC1V 4PH, a short walk from Angel. The pub is open for drinks and bar snacks. For dinner or Sunday lunch upstairs, book a table at Island. Please choose Island when you book, so we know you're heading upstairs.Read Broadsheet's full First Look: First Look: George & Dragon Is Classic Pub Downstairs, Surf'n'Turf Bonanza Upstairs.