Shadwell · Tower Hamlets
The George Tavern
A Grade II*-listed pub named in a will from 1601, saved from redevelopment by its own landlady
- Address373 Commercial Road, Shadwell, London, E1 0LA
- Websitethegeorgetavern.london
- OwnershipIndependent pub
About The George Tavern
A Grade II*-listed pub on Commercial Road with a documented history stretching back to at least 1601, run for decades by landlady Pauline Forster and used as a location by Madonna, Kate Bush, PJ Harvey and other musicians.
A pub on this Commercial Road site is named in a surviving will from 1601, giving the George Tavern one of the longest documented histories of any pub in Tower Hamlets, and its current Grade II*-listed building reflects centuries of continuous use at this junction near Shadwell. For decades the pub has been run by landlady Pauline Forster, who has repeatedly fought off redevelopment pressure from surrounding building schemes threatening to hem the pub in and undermine its trade, becoming something of a local cause célèbre for independent East London venues under commercial pressure. Its atmospheric, slightly ramshackle interior and back room have made it a favoured filming and video location, used over the years by artists including Madonna, Kate Bush and PJ Harvey, alongside a steady calendar of live music, theatre and film shoots that keep it functioning as much as a cultural venue as a conventional pub. It remains one of the most distinctive independent survivors on the Commercial Road corridor.
On tap
Cask ales and standard bar drinks
Food
No kitchen — a music and events venue as much as a drinking pub