The Speaker, Westminster, SW1

There were a handful of ales on – Young’s Bitter; Spitfire; Coach House Brewing Co Taverners; and a wheat beer whose name I failed to note. I saw a menu lying around, although I didn’t scrutinise it, and there was nobody eating when I arrived at around 2.45. This is a very rare type of pub, in that it has no piped music, no games machines, no cash machines, and no one-armed bandits. There is no doubt that it is a real pub, even though it has a somewhat modern feel to it, perhaps due to the pine clad walls and bar counter. It’s carpeted throughout, giving it a warm feel and helping to suppress the sounds of conversation. The walls are covered with all manner of prints, caricatures of numerous parliamentary heavyweights from over the years, miscellaneous paraphernalia, and even framed photographs of ex-Speakers Betty Boothroyd and Mick Martin, and current incumbent John Bercow. This is a delightful pub in which to enjoy a quiet(ish) pint or two, and I shall undoubtedly visit this little gem again.

This is a small and tidy back street pub, not too far from the busy Victoria Street. The place was almost full and therefore very cramped when I arrived on a recent Friday evening, but I was fortunate enough to be able to get a stool at one of the small tables near the stairs. There is a surprising amount of seating available thanks to efficient use of the limited space and drinkers were also able to take their pints outside, albeit in plastic glasses, and drink on the pavement. The interior benefits from the large windows which run along two sides of the building and provide a good amount of natural light. There are a large number of political caricatures on the walls, as you might expect in a Westminster pub, and I spotted a few display cases here and there, which I couldn't inspect properly due to the crowds. The place appears to have undergone a fairly modest refurb, and is in pretty good condition as a result. Four ales were available - Young's Ordinary, Shep's Spitfire, Hop Back Entire Stout and Dark Star Paradise Weiss. I had an excellent pint of the Entire Stout and would have happily sunk a couple more had I not needed to move on. The service was quick and friendly despite the crowded bar area and the staff had propped the bar hatch open with a list of upcoming ales written on the underside. Posters listed upcoming themed weeks which focus on beers from specific breweries or certain types of beer (I had just missed a wheat beer week). I quite enjoyed my time here and although it's not an outstanding pub, it has enough going for it to merit future visits.

Randomness Guide to London - Speaker entry

Randomness Guide to London - Speaker entry

Bit of a strange place this. Its very light inside, as there is lots of glass and the modern fittings are in pine. Small, light and airy, not what you would expect looking at it from the outside. Part of the bar has been turned into a food display case which looks weird, but this is probably down to the lack of space. Its not over friendly, I was served very gruffly, or particularly comfortable or interesting and not really a place I would want to go out of my way to revisit. However, the saving grace for me here was the quality of the beer - absolutely spot on, and included a mild for May. I had a crawl of 9 pubs between Victoria and Westminster and the beer here was the best.