A DAY AND NIGHT AT THE GEORGE

BOSTON HAS its 'Buddies' and LA has its 'Hollywood' and while the new George Bar and Bistro on South Gt. George's Street might not compare for overall size it aims to serve its gay and lesbian clientele along precisely the same lines.

With fine food, informal ambience, 3 bars, dancefloor, entertainment and, from September, late-night openings with a full bar, The George has easily become the premiere meeting place in Ireland for gays of all ages and backgrounds.

Though the old George Pub had been going strong since 1985, the decision last May by owner Cyril O'Brien to acquire the next door site and turn the two units into one has dramatically enhanced the venue, making it a worthy complement to the run of perennially trendy meeting places directly across the road - Bewley's, Marks Brothers and the recently launched Globe.

Its 20 foot high glass facade is an imposing addition to the street and quite a contrast to the more typically low-key frontage of Dublin's earlier gay haunts. (Anyone remember Rice's? Or Bartley-Dunne's?) Times have certainly changed and The George's refurbishment reflects this. As my lesbian pal Phil told me when we met there for a drink last week, "We're here, we're queer, we're legal." While lesbians had never actually been illegal, her meaning couldn't have been clearer.

As we sat there, bathed by the warm afternoon light, watching the world go by it seemed that we would never retreat into the shadows again. The fact that the reopening came right on the heels of the recent decriminalisation was more serendipity than strategy. Nonetheless, The George has already become a potent symbol of that hard-earned freedom.

The celebration, it seems, continues by day and night as people ceaselessly stream through the place, circulating along its handsome wrought iron balcony and stairs, its high-camp upstairs bar (Industrial Greco-Roman is the only way to describe the design of painters Dave Byrne and Trish Fitzpatrick), its downstairs side bar (where The George itself was formally found) and its sprawling wood panelled main bar.

chorus girls

We decided to indulge in the food. The crab claws, at only £2.95 were a meal in themselves and the Cajun chicken, at £4.95, was a succulent feast piled high with fresh veg and chips. All that, plus dessert, for under a tenner. Needless to say, we were impressed. The current menu also features a full range of sandwiches, salads, omelettes and rotating specials such as mussels in a white wine cream sauce and sweet and sour pork. Since the kitchen closes at 7.30pm it's an ideal place for a lazy afternoon lunch or a pre-show dinner.

As the day turns into night I'm amazed at the number of familiar faces that make their way through the crowd. Everyone sounds uniform in the praise for the place and the feeling of a big, private party inevitably takes hold.

A former affair suddenly appeared at the balcony above and together we went off on what he described as a 'pub crawl in a pub'. Retreating to the back, downstairs bar I was struck by how much it'd retained the feel of a much-loved local, even with all the whirl of activity around it. We chatted intimately for about twenty minutes. Quite romantic really.

And that, of course, is the great beauty of what they've pulled off: The George Bar & Bistro combines wildly contrasting atmospheres and balances them with a genuine hospitality that is both welcoming and warm. It's cruisey but comfy, trendy but casual, both public and private, sociable and intimate.

Before the evening ends I'm introduced to Paul Edward, the entertainments manager. Seems there's a full programme of special events and theme parties planned. On the twentieth of this month at 9.30pm, for example, the chorus 'girls' from the upcoming production of La Cage Aux Folles will be taking the stage and performing numbers from this highly acclaimed show. If that sounds too camp for your tastes (though, seriously, how can anything be too camp?) I'm assured that we'll be seeing a wide range of musical and comedy acts in the months ahead.

It'd been a great day and though I didn't find Mr. Right that evening I'm sure he'll get around to The George one of these days. I mean, it's obvious. Everybody will!

• Frank Hutchins