The George Inn on Borough High Street is London's last surviving galleried coaching inn, rebuilt after the Southwark fire of 1676, when open galleries fronting a courtyard were standard for inns serving travellers on the road into Kent; many other examples were lost in the Second World War. Charles Dickens visited when part of it served as a coffee house and gave it a mention in Little Dorrit. The National Trust owns the building, but it runs as a working pub under tenant Greene King, so there is no ticket and no membership needed; you walk in, order a drink and sit under the beams or out in the cobbled yard. Reviewers love the feeling of stepping back in time and find the small upstairs gallery restaurant far quieter than the courtyard, which gets loud on match nights. Tips from visitors: arrive early because seating is limited, book a table ahead if you want to eat, and Borough Market is a few minutes' walk away.
