St Stephen's Tavern

St Stephen's Tavern

The St Stephen's Tavern is a pub situated in Westminster, close to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

St Stephen's Tavern in Westminster: A traditional pub in the heart of Westminster, close to Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, House of Commons, and Westminster Pier.

The St. Stephen's Tavern is the closest pub to Big Ben situated right opposite the Houses of Parliament.

St. Stephen's Tavern is the closest pub to Big Ben situated on the corner of a cobbled street in the centre of London, where the likes of Winston Churchill and Stanley Baldwin (prime minister three times between 1923 and 1937) used to take a tipple.

The pub is also a desirable spot for film and TV producers, with its intricate decoration, oak panelling and carpets (which are all in the same style as parliament itself) as well as the clear shot through the window, framing Big Ben’s clocktower.

This very traditional pub was first built in the 1800s as a Victorian tavern and one of five pubs in parliament square.

Thankfully, many of the original fittings were able to be salvaged and are now back in use!

http://ststephenstavern.co.uk

Reviews and related sites

St. Stephen's Tavern, Whitehall, Westminster, London - review

Review analysis
food   staff   value   location   drinks   menu  

The Tavern stands opposite Big Ben (properly named Saint Stephen's Tower, hence the pub's name) on a street generally so crowded that many pass by without a second glance at the attractive late 19th century building with its wrought iron sign and balconies, and a big glass lantern over each door.

Lunch times and early evenings can be unbearably crowded, but in the mid-morning (full English breakfast is served until noon) or mid-afternoon it can still feel like something of an undiscovered secret.In common with several other pubs (and indeed restaurants, clubs and shops) in the area, St. Stephen's Tavern retains a curiosity: a Division Bell mounted on the wall above the bar.

When the bell rings MPs have just eight minutes to dash back to the House of Commons, or risk the wrath of their Party leaders.Disappointingly, the Division Bell in St. Stephen's Tavern is not a traditionally shaped bell, but rather a square box with a gold-coloured grill that houses an electronically transmitted 'alarm'.

Stephen's Tavern has three public areas - a double height front bar with high etched glass windows and a lovely coffered ceiling, a cosy saloon bar to the rear (with a range of daily newspapers available), and, up a narrow staircase, an attractive mezzanine balcony area with green leather banquettes arranged in a series of snugs.

Download the current menu from the St. Stephen's Tavern website The staff are a friendly lot, and are happy to chat to tourists (when they're not too busy, of course) and point out the division bell and explain how it works.

St Stephen's Tavern | Londonist

Review analysis
food  

As any foo' know, the tower that everyone call's Big Ben is really called St Stephen's Tower.

Indeed, it never was St Stephen's Tower — a name that sprang from a journalistic mistake and somehow gained popular pedantic currency.

Pointless preamble over, St Stephen's Tavern is the closest public bar* to the famous clock tower.

This means it's quite possibly the only British pub that many tourists visit.

*There are other bars inside the Palace of Westminster, but most folk don't get to visit them.

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St Stephen's Tavern, Westminster

"One of the best new nights ever!

We had a great night. "

Which venue is this?

He objected to my photographing Simmons'"private property"...." Which venue is this?

Book St Stephen's Tavern, Upstairs Room (London) – HeadBox

Review analysis
food   staff  

Look no further than St Stephen's Tavern a Pub down 10 Bridge Street, Westminster, London.

The St. Stephen's Tavern is the closest pub to Big Ben situated right opposite the Houses of Parliament.

*Our Heritage - Hall and Woodhouse is one of the few remaining regional family brewers, brewing our award-winning Badger beers in Dorset and offering warm hospitality at our pubs for over 230 years.

*Our Food - We use regional food partners, typically from family businesses like us, who provide us with quality ingredients that our team of talented chefs (not microwave technicians!)

*Our Hospitality - We employ nice people who think like us and enjoy the same things that we do; food & drink, and, perhaps more importantly take real pleasure in looking after people and making them happy.

Parliament Street - UK Parliament

Review analysis
food   staff   location   ambience  

The earlier building had been a public house and restaurant owned by Henry Champness, and his decision to rebuild came at about the same time as the re-development of the other eighteenth-century buildings along Bridge Street, such as Palace Chambers and the St. Stephen’s Club to the East, and the slightly later offices of the London and North Western Railway to the West.

The houses on the east side of Parliament Street form part of an eighteenth-century development initiated by the Westminster Bridge Commissioners in 1750.

From circa 1831 to 1842, during the building of the new Palace of Westminster, both numbers 2 and 3 were used as the Office of the Clerk of the House of Commons, and the Parliamentary Journal Office.

The houses on the east side of Parliament Street form part of an eighteenth-century development initiated by the Westminster Bridge Commissioners.

From about 1831 to 1842, during the early stages of the building of the new Palace of Westminster, both numbers 2 and 3 were used as the Office of the Clerk of the House of Commons, and the Parliamentary Journal Office.

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