George & Dragon, Acton, W3

This High Street pub is Grade II listed and has a very unusual interior, with entry into a small front seating area which gives way to a snug-like mid section before you finally emerge into the main bar at the rear of the building. The front room is apparently the former main bar, but now acts purely as a seating area, with impressive dark wood panels and muted lighting creating an atmospheric spot. Traditional seating options line the perimeter of the room, broken only by the fireplace to the left with a large portrait hung above, whilst to the right, a board lists all of the pub's former landlords. If the front room is dark and atmospheric, the mid-section is positively gloomy, with some button backed furniture set into a simple recess, a few bits of taxidermy on a high shelf and yet virtually no light source, perhaps explaining why it was empty on a reasonably busy evening. The bare boarded main bar has a central island servery dominated by two huge art-nouveau statues stood on the rear part of the bar counter. To the rear, the room is taken over by a small brew plant - the home of the Dragonfly Brewery - with a couple of mightily impressive brewing coppers standing out. The room has limited seating aside from bar stools along the four sides of the counter, with just a few pews and low stools to the front and left. There is a marble framed fireplace on one wall and a nice mural on another, but the lack of soft furnishings makes the space a bit echo-prone and therefore not as relaxing as the front room. I noticed a jukebox in one corner and there was a very good selection of tunes playing throughout my stay, whilst a trip to the toilets entails a brief outdoor trip through the small side patio area. I'd expected to find a few Dragonfly beers on, but only their 2 O'Clock Ordinary was available alongside guests in the shape of Liberation EPA and Clouded Minds Elisir. With one pump unused, two ciders from Milwright occupied the remaining handles and the keg range included some other small batch stuff admittedly including more from the in-house brewery. The barmaid who served me was very friendly and chatty and poured me a pretty good pint of the EPA. I'd hoped that this place would be the highlight of may crawl around Acton and I think it just about edged it ahead of the Wetherspoons. I liked the quirky layout and distinctly different drinking areas this pub offered and thought the service and beer quality was as good as anything I'd encountered that day. I'd suggest this is the one pub to visit when in the area and would happily make a return visit.

This is another Acton microbrewery, this one being the home of the Dragonfly Brewery. This is a TARDIS of a pub. You can see from the photographs that it's in the middle of a high street terrace, and on entering you are in what might be regarded as the main room, which is nicely panelled and sports a board naming all of the landlords/ladies back to the 18th Century. It's obviously a very old pub then. But to get a drink you have to walk past some more tables and chairs on the left into another large room with a vaulted ceiling at the very back of the building. There's a central island bar here, with the brewing apparats at the back of the room. Off to the right of this room, on the way to the toilets, is a bit of outside seating. This pub also offers a CAMRA discount. We had a couple of pints of the 2 O'clock Ordinary, which seems to be their standard bitter, which, as you would expect, was in excellent shape. There were several other Dragonfly beers available, but for some reason I failed to note them. They clearly do food as we saw some people eating, but there weren't any menus on the tables when we dropped in at around (most appropriately considering what we were drinking) 2.0 PM. This place is full of character, with ancient wood panelled walls, uneven black beams and posts. The reproductions of a couple of old masters in the front room is a nice feature as well. This pub is a must for anyone contemplating a crawl including Acton.

I have to say, I found this one pretty dark inside, particularly the middle of the 3 drinking areas. I passed through that one on the way to the bar, which is at the back of the pub, beyond which are the conditioning tanks of the on-site brewery. Not surprisingly, beers from that brewery are offered, on both cask & keg. I tried a 2 o'clock Ordinary, which was as described (albeit at about 16:00). Fullers beers were also available. Food was on offer, and was primarily burgers and hot dogs. I have absolutely no idea how The George & Dragon stacks up against other pubs in Acton: it seemed reasonable enough to me, without causing any great excitement. Probably best for those keen to tick off yet another London brewery.

What was a delightful pub is now home to the Dragonfly brewery.They have ripped out the front bar and it now looks like a railway station waiting room.The rear artdeco style bar is now home to a large brewery and a massive island bar dominates the room.Very little seating and now its like drinking in a factory.Three Dragonfly beers on keg and 5 hand pumps with 3 Fullers beers and Dragonfly -bitter and stout.The 2 Dragonfly beers on cask were dull.

This is due to open in mid May as a new brewpub / gastro pub hosting the Dragonfly Brewery. It is unclear whether this will mean a change of name for the pub.

Randomness Guide to London - George And Dragon entry

Randomness Guide to London - George And Dragon entry

The attitude of the barmaid that I was served by was far from satisfactory, but I still think that this is a decent pub and the ‘dining room' at the back is well worth a look. The Pride was off during my visit, but the HSB and Chiswick were well delivered. I didn't spot any TVs which wasn't surprising as this is a sit down and drink whilst talking to your mates pub. It is a little dark for my liking, but I would return if passing.