The George Alstonefield in Staffordshire Moorlands

Gorgeous pub with Lovely staff and locals very welcoming people and lovely food which they made for us out of hours will definitely come back in the future

Fantastic old pub, great beer and friendly landlord. Nice to meet Nick. This pub is a wonderful building and a wonderful place to visit.

Having walked through Dovedale we were disappointed to find that the Cafe in Milldale was closed. ( Winter opening times - we should have checked first). Some kind locals suggested that we head for The George in Alstonefield. A suggestion that, given our plans, certainly worked for us. it was one of those dank, misty days that we all know so well in the UK. Undoubtedly, given the location, mystical too. We made it to the Pub and were rewarded with something really rather special. A perfect village Pub with a landlord who clearly knew what he was doing. Just what we needed. I understand the village are seeking to buy the Pub for the Community. I hope they succeed. it really is a lovely place.

brilliant pub with great atmosphere! perfect for chips and a pint after a long walk. also lovely staff to chat to! would happily come back

Popped into The George on a busy Friday evening in the hope of grabbing a bite to eat, although the lady behind the bar was on her own, they were able to squeeze us in. The food was tasty and the service good. Would recommend if in the area

This place used to be out of this world! It was a fantastic fine dining restaurant where people used to come miles for fantastic food and fantastic wine - Michelin star quality. Now, the place is ran by a temporary landlord and it’s all very sad… Poor service, awful food and the place is just being run into the ground. We had to have pie and chips as there was very little left…I wouldn’t feed it to my dog, it was that bad. And the locals want others to invest in this place…good luck!

The George has reopened as a pub with limited bar food while it's being sold by Marstons. The village hope to buy it to return it to its former glory of great beer and pub grub. Enjoy a great pint and perhaps consider buying a share in the pub?? For food it might be best to book ahead.

I realise the local village are desperate to save this pub. But a pub is a business and I walked 3 miles, arriving at 6.45. to be told by a disgruntled barmaid that "there's no food left"The locals want the villagers to invest thousands to save this pub. But a pub that runs out of food on a Saturday evening in August at 6.45 is very badly run. If you invest in this pub wirh it's present management you can kiss your money goodbye.

This pub is most definitely open! As a small child I used to come to this pub over 40 years ago n when camping in the village with my family. We have since been back so many times whilst walking nearby and always been greeted by a friendly welcome. The last time we came, a couple of years ago, it had been turned into a “gastro pub” with no possibility of walkers getting a pie and a pint, or even just a point, and we felt so sad that the George we knew and loved was no more. Fast forward to this weekend. We had heard in social media about the George’s return to a “proper pub” and also about its plight and the village’s quest to see that the pub remains the heart of the village and we decided to pay it a visit. We arrived about 5pm on Sunday to be told they weren’t serving food on a Sunday evening. They must have sensed our sadness as Nick , the very friendly bar man, told us if we could wait whilst he lit the fire, then he’d rustle something up for us. Bangers and mash were amazing!! The staff and locals were all so friendly and they most definitely do not want to lose their pub, and we know why. We shall be buying our shares in a small attempt to save the George!

This pub is definately open again. Not as a restaurant but as a pub serving great homecooked food. Lovely area and friendly staff

This place is a lovely traditional, cosy old pub full of history . We called in hoping for meal but was told by this lovely bartender that unfortunately they don’t do meals during the week. After seeing our look of disappointed he said he could see what he could rustle up as he was on his own. He came back a little while later with an amazing meal of leek and chicken pie , veg, chips and gravy on the side. It was hot, tasty and hit the spot. He even brought my dog some biscuits. Thank you so much for your kindness and going that extra mile. Very reasonable cost too. Good luck for the future… I sincerely hope you have a great season.

After a very long walk, the plan was a for a quick drink in the The George then head home, but after a quick look at the menu, we changed our plan. The menu was small but the choice was to our liking; I had the chilli with wild rice and the wife had the fish case. Both meals were good and the portion size just right for us. Oh and the beer was good to. A lovely pub and great staff.

It was a windswept wet day when we visited. There was only a handful of people in and the kitchen extract system was being serviced. However the barman went above and beyond to provide us with a tasty warm meal (we had pie, chips and peas) before we went on our way.

Great fishcake , chips and chilli sauce from the bantering barman. Cooked totally to order and when I wanted it I'll be back

It's back! At last. The George returns to reality with a friendly pub atmosphere. I sat there unstressed and had a very nice soup and crusty roll in relaxed surroundings.

Lovely pub,called in for a beer and to get out the cold weather after a walk with the dogs..nice location fire to stare into,just wonderful.

Pub back open!! The pub is the heart of the village. Friendly welcome. Good beer. Amazing location. Proper pub and not a restaurant.

THE GEORGE IS BACK!! Had a lovely pint next to the fire in a beautiful rustic atmosphere and not a 9 course tasting menu in sight. I'm so happy for the village to have got it's pub back, and what a wonderful pub it is too. Long live The George. Unpretentious. Dogs welcome and good beer. Cheers!

Thrilled to hear the George had reopened welcoming locals who just wanted to pop in for a drink…I have fond memories of visiting the pub on a regular basis many years ago Went for a drink last night to be greeted by the hew landlord and had wonderful time and will now be a regular customer So good luck Nick and thank you for your warm welcome

The George is OPEN as a pub. The George has historically been at the heart of the village, welcoming walkers, holiday makers, visitors and locals alike. Over the last couple of years the George was converted to a high end restaurant which did not welcome drinkers and pub food eaters of any description. It is a sad tale but the restaurant is no more. On Friday last, the George opened as a pub and the village and supporters of the "old" George made their mark. The pub was heaving from 5:30 to close of play, thank you Nick. Hopefully the Village and friends can keep the well loved community hub and we can enjoy a warm friendly atmosphere for many years to come.

The George is back! Thank goodness we have a village pub once more. Well done Nick and the team. All are welcome once more hooray.

Back open as a VILLAGE PUB! Serving a decent pint of Pedigree for now. PACKED on opening night. Nick did a great job behind the bar. Very different to the reviews over the last couple of years. If you are walking and fancy a pint, you now have 2 proper pubs to choose from here. Don’t forget the WATTS RUSSELL down the hill in Hopedale.

The George is open again! Last night, 23 February, Nick the landlord welcomed drinkers once again into the pub. Although it's only open for drinks at the moment he's planning on serving food sometime in the future. The place was packed. Standing room only and great atmosphere. Ignore previous reviews to this one as it's now under new management and is now being run as a pub.

"Given the circumstances we have faced, losing our home and our business plus the obvious state of the economy, I would ask you to reflect on your actions here; this review says far more about you than it does anything else." Well, it doesn't though does it? It's just one person's well rounded, well written assessment of The George and how such an establishment might move forward. It is a summary that contains praise for your time there, honest opinion and ultimately constructive criticism. I think that your virtue signalling comment says far more about you than it does anything else. A trait apparent in many of your responses to critical reviews. If you take the reviews so personally, as it seems you do, then perhaps the hospitality industry is not for you. But anyway, moving forward...we have been big fans of the George in previous incarnations. It is a wonderful location and I sincerely hope it can be given a new lease of life and fulfil it's enormous potential.

We visited The George while staying at a B&B in the village and had a wonderful evening with friends. The food was perfect. We were so disappointed when we returned and found the pub closed. What a terrible loss to the village and all concerned. We really hope someone will be able to bring the George back to life soon and so sorry it had to close. Thanks for the wonderful memories we had there.

It's disheartening to hear about the closure of The George. For years, it was a regular dining spot for us when we traveled from Uttoxeter. Unfortunately, the strain on profit margins became increasingly noticeable over time. This financial pressure led to a decline in the quality of the dining experience, eventually deterring us from continuing our visits. The chef and the team undoubtedly possessed talent, yet the lacking welcoming atmosphere and an open culture for feedback seemed to hinder the George's success. Despite some positive reviews, I can't help but wonder if our collective honesty about the underwhelming aspects, such as the lackluster tasting menu, could have instigated positive changes before many of us ceased our visits. Moreover, the decision to restrict locals from dropping in for a drink proved to be a misstep, alienating a significant portion of the community. I sincerely hope that a new owner or manager recognizes this as an opportunity waiting to be seized. With the right approach and improvements, there's potential for this establishment to thrive once again. Staffordshire deserves a culinary gem with innovative menus and refined culinary techniques – a place that could truly attract and retain support from locals and travelers alike

I have eaten at the George a few years back and had a great meal that stuck in my mind as a place to revisit. On recommendations from work colleagues and having previously had a great meal, I rebooked on the last Saturday available before closing. I was excited to get a slot and had high hopes for the meal that I was looking forward to for a number of weeks. We selected the 4 course set menu lunch as we didn’t want anything too heavy but enough to go away feeling satisfied. The first course was bread with spring onion butter and broth. We sat with our bread for around 5 minutes waiting for the broth to arrive but unfortunately it did not. As we were hungry, we ate the bread which was lovely accompanied with the spring onion butter expecting the broth to follow. As our plates were cleared I asked where the broth was. The owner replied that he had given us the wrong menus but there was no broth available. Which of these was the truth I don’t know. In a Michelin restaurant you would not expect to be missing an item on a set menu, it’s frankly appalling. Especially as people I know who had been before had recommended the broth, so it is something I was looking forward to. We continued with the meal which I would class as a 3 course set menu with a side of bread. Everything else was very tasty and I have no complaints. We finished the meal expecting to receive a discount for the missing item off the set menu that was not replaced with an alternative. Unfortunately no discount was applied but we were hit with a service charge of £20. This is not something I agree with in the UK, we are not in America where staff do not receive a statutory minimum wage. I would happily have left a tip but a service charge is extremely cheeky. Wish the guys at the George all the best in the future but I expected a bit of integrity and to be told up front if we were receiving a part menu. Off the back of this if the George were to stay open I would not have returned.

What a disaster ! I booked through the website as recommended from the answer phone message, It was Sunday morning and booked the 2.45pm slot for 6 persons all travelling approx 1 hour. The website says they will confirm the booking, i rang approx 20 times from 10.30am until 1.00pm to try and get a confirmation, I thought the reason for not ringing me back must be they only open at 12.30, the last time I rang I left a message asking for someone to ring me back. I eventually received a call at 1.37pm we had already set off, on listening to the message we were told they were fully booked ! Questions, Why was there various slots to book on the website? Why tell me to book a week in advance on the answer phone message when you can book on the day, why tell me we have availability the following Sunday, Why let people book early time slots and not answer the phone or let people know if successful or not. We have visited on numerous occasions before and receive loads of marketing emails enticing us back but today was extremely annoying We were left with nowhere to go and elderly people thinking we were going out for lunch

Unfortunately a pub owner who based on the reviews it appears cannot take any sort of criticism - perhaps it is a flawless establishment. I visited a coupleof weeks ago and the welcome was as rude as the responses to some of the negative reviews. Avoid.

We arrived early on Saturday evening hoping for a couple of drinks before heading home for dinner. The bar is nice, warm open fire, all looked good.

During our recent visit with friends to The George, we were blown away with the exquisite dining experience. Creative and imaginative dishes, locally sourced produce, paired with excellent service and a fantastic drinks - we can’t wait to return for our next occasion!

Very slow service - we arrived for an 8pm table and were welcomed and seated but no orders were taken for food or drink for half an hour and we ate nothing until 9.15! The food was confused tiny portions beautifully cooked meat but super super expensive - we ate two courses each had two. Glasses of bubbly and two glasses of wine and it cost £140

on numerous occasions now we have tried to eat here with family and friends and on every occasion it seems like a mammoth task to be able to book a table. They never seem to be able to answer the phone and when we recently booked online they initially said yes and then an email later said that they were not then able to accommodate our group. Its a shame because it seems like a good pub with good food. Sort out your booking arrangements.

I was planning a couple of nights camping in Alstonfields with my family. Change of plans now we have found that dogs are no longer welcome. Amazing how a pub in this area can afford to do this

Awful experience, no where to sit as all tables were laid for diners. Bar was clogged with very rude locals standing and blocking access - even they had no seats. Owners not interested in casual trade. Drinks were okay, but hospitality was not as one would expect in a Derbyshire village! Even worse than the Duncombe Arms in Ellastone. The owners of The a George and simply too greedy, and hav no regard for the traditional pub welcome. Shall not be revisiting and would not recommend.

Fabulous food; great atmosphere. Never disappoints whether it be a casual lunch or a formal dinner...

We've walked past on a number of occasion but this is the first time there has been time to stop and enjoy lunch.Although we hadn't booked and the place was very busy the very efficient friendly woman,who I assume is the owner, found us a table and we enjoyed extremely well cooked and presented food. The coffee and inventive puddings were well above the bland standards offered by most places in the Peak. It's in the details like this that make this place stand out.One small quibble; the beer selection was limited to a pretty bland couple of ales from Bass. In an area surrounded by a number of quality Brewers it was disappointing there were no local ales on tap.Highly recommended.

Having had a really good, though expensive sandwich last time we passed through the village on a walk we were looking forward to having the same again today. But apparently they no longer serve sandwiches. This is a pub that has always seemed to prefer its customers to arrive in fancy cars to sit at reserved tables but it now seems to actively discourage passing trade. The woman serving at the bar was distinctly standoffish. She didn't need to bother. We won't be going back. Nice pint but walkers no longer welcome.

We visited on a weekday night in August. The pub was not particularly busy and it soon becomes clear that you have walked into a restaurant in an old pub rather than a pub as the service is quite stiff and formal and there was no "pub" atmosphere whatsoever. We were seated in the restaurant which was both physically and metaphorically cold and utterly silent, which was disconcerting.The pigs head croquette was quite bland and under seasoned and the accompaniments while pretty, were essentially sliced apple and radish; not overly clever. My steak was adequate; it was correctly cooked but was otherwise unremarkable. The accompaniments (a mushroom, some roasted cherry tomatoes and a few flaccid chips) were also adequate. At one point my wife asked if my chips were better than they looked. They weren't, unfortunately. The "smoked butter" in a jar was a gimmick and utterly irrelevant. Given these bits and pieces cost mere pennies, it makes twenty four quid for a rump steak astonishingly expensive, especially as there was no provenance indicated on the menu for such an expensive piece of meat other than it was a "butchers rump steak". Really? As opposed to what? Where else do people buy steaks?We had to ask for a wine list and drank a reasonable Portuguese red which was £17 for half a litre (or £8.50 for a large glass - at that price it would be reasonable to expect to taste it first). No coffees or pudding, and including the tip, our bill was ninety quid for two. Most eye catching however was the price of half a pint of Marstons Burton Bitter (ie their most bog standard session ale) at an eyewatering £1.90! Assuming they aren't so cynical as to charge more for halves, that makes it an astonishing £3.80 a pint!!! I daren't imagine what they charge for a premium bitter...In summary, although we had a very nice evening in the George, it had little to do with the ambience and even less to do with the food. It really is unjustifiably expensive and we certainly couldn't recommend it.

It was a wet October day and after a week of fine weather we needed to find somewhere where we could escape from the rain and have an enjoyable lunch. The George did not let us down by providing a warm friendly atmosphere, good service and great food. We had one gluten free in our party - no problem for The George chef, whilst others had venison and fish and chips - a really lovely meal. Thank you.

Took family here for dinner, arriving as the kitchen opened and was told just how lucky we were to get a table at all - everything needs to be booked in advance. High expectations then, and trying not to be too put off by the lack of any sort of warm welcome. Menu sounded interesting, but what arrived was underwhelming. The bill at the end, including a small tip, was an eye-watering £125 for two adults and two young children, and only the kids had pudding (two tiny scoops of icecream for £6 each). Sorry, I think this place has become a victim of its own success - overpromising, raking it in, and obviously making so much money it has just stopped trying. Such a lovely venue, but I was hoping for a warm Derbyshire Dales welcome and a better quality experience overall.

We ate here two evenings while staying in a local B&B. The food is very good and the service and friendly staff were both excellent. We booked ahead as advised by the owners of the B&B and enjoyed some warm weather and good beer in the rear yard before sitting down for our meal. Some interesting reviews from walkers on this Restaurant Pub. We are keen walkers as well and would not expect to find a table for a large group or a table for a Sunday Lunch at a popular Pub with such good food without booking in advance. So please do not accept the reviews here that decry this pub because it was fully booked and yet still provided a meal providing you left before the people who had booked arrived and the rest.Pubs are not part of the social services and do not have a duty to provide walkers with food or water to accompany your own sandwiches. This pub has avery small bar and welcomes groups but needs advance notice for large groups of walkers.This is a well run business providing good food and beer at prices to reflect the market conditions. Please remember how many pubs close down each week in the UK and understand that its the food that keeps them alive. Book ahead for food.Excellent and we will return.