Prince George, Hackney

A much loved multi-roomed pub in the heart of Dalston.

This handsome corner pub in Dalston is a former Whitbread house and is now a thriving member of the Remarkable Pubs family. It dates from the 1850s, when this area was being rapidly developed. The main entrance, set back from Parkholme Road, has a portico with Doric columns. There’s a shallow vestibule, with the etched glazing on the inner doors bearing the name of the pub. Within is a lofty L-shaped bar-room with the servery directly in front. Formerly a partition here divided the space into two sides, with the public bar on the left, but it was removed in 1985. A second entrance on the Wilton Way side, also with a vestibule, allowed access to this bar.

There is a classic Victorian counter - note that the right-hand end has been slewed slightly towards the back. The three-bay mirrored bar-back, probably installed in the interwar era, has four columns with Ionic capitals supporting an elegant cornice. Its woodwork has an attractive light walnut veneer. The archway to the right gives access to a back room. This has an opening to the servery, with a diminutive semi-circular counter which dates from pre-war times. At some stage, a wall on the left was removed, revealing a hallway and an elegant staircase. There are two more rooms at the back of the pub, one of which was formerly a kitchen.

Much of the pub retains its original panelled dado, and there are two attractive tiled wooden fireplaces.