Westminster · Westminster
St Stephen's Tavern
The closest pub to Big Ben, with its own Division Bell.
- Address10 Bridge Street, Westminster, London SW1A 2JR
- Phone020 7925 2286
- Websiteststephenstavern.co.uk
- OwnershipPart of Hall & Woodhouse
About St Stephen's Tavern
Standing since 1875 in the shadow of Big Ben, this ornate Victorian tavern has its own parliamentary Division Bell, ready to summon MPs back to vote.
St Stephen's Tavern has occupied this corner opposite the Houses of Parliament since 1875, and its position has shaped its character ever since: a working Division Bell rings behind the bar to warn MPs and peers drinking here that a vote is imminent, giving them roughly eight minutes to sprint back across the road. Prime ministers from Stanley Baldwin to Winston Churchill and Harold Macmillan are all said to have used it, and its ornate Victorian fittings — etched glass, patterned tiling — have been carefully preserved through a full restoration.
On tap
Real ales and a broad wine list, chosen to suit both tourists and Westminster regulars.
Food
British pub classics and fish and chips, served to a constant churn of visitors and parliamentary staff.
More pubs in Westminster
- The Red Lion500 years of pub on the doorstep of Parliament.
- The Silver CrossLicensed since 1674, and said to have once been a royal brothel.
- The Morpeth ArmsRiverside views straight across to MI6, and a ghost from the old prison.