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Image posted by Malden man
Submitted on Saturday, 30th May 2015
With picture contributions to 1703 other pubs
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Detail Pages
The Speaker, Westminster, SW1
Westminster
SW1
SW1P 2HA
Served areas
Speaker Pub
Now serving https://t.co/uB4zEPzegR
6:24 PM Dec 11th 2017 from Twitter for iPhone
Reviews of The Speaker (Average Rating: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Speaker
Dating from 1729 as the Castle, it was renamed the Elephant & Castle 61 years later and the Speaker in 1999, now hemmed in by modern blocks of flats in a rather dead Pimlico/Victoria backwater, which in the mid-19th century, was a notorious slum. Not now of course, with the pub getting an interior makeover and décor upgrade in 2019, meaning that some of the earlier reviews may no longer apply.
This is a small, one roomed pub, with three-quarter height oak panelling. Furniture is essentially tall, with drinking ledges rather than tables, with some studded banquettes to front and rear. There’s an interesting tiled bar back which doesn’t look like one of the tediously repetitive glazed tiled affairs, so beloved of the unimaginative. Décor comes in the form of some knickknacks above a ledge and framed prints; also on display is a Division Bell, this being one of at least three in the area, similarly appointed. Customers were probably associated with the Palace of Westminster and on looking down, I saw a little chocolate brown dachshund – Dr Frankenfürter – sniffing my foot. It was a good job I hadn’t hopped off my stool, otherwise fido would be a no-no; he slunk off back to his toy filled basket.
Ales on offer were Landlord, Doom, Mister Chubbs, Sambrook’s Powerhouse and Twickenham’s Winter Star at £2.75 a half and a bit limp when compared to the blurb on the pump clip, served by a friendly barman.
This isn’t a bad little place if you don’t mind heavily modernised ‘old’ themes; worth a visit if in the area.
Rated 6.5.
On 25th November 2021
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1982 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Philip Carter left this review about The Speaker
The Speaker has had a refub. It was a great pub before, but now it is even better. Now the pub is much brighter and the seating is more organised, i.e. fixed. The windows looks like they can be opened fully. The gents toilet upstairs has been upgraded. Now there is a function room upstairs as well, which looks like it can seat 30 people.
On 29th May 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 757 recommendations about 720 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Speaker
Quiet corner pub in the back streets of Victoria/Westminster. Cheapest pint of the day in three pubs visited. £4.90 for a good pint of Landlord.
Nice pub.
On 17th February 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1337 recommendations about 1323 pubs]
View more reviews of The Speaker (20)
St James's Park Crawl by Philip Carter
Victoria to Westminster tube, 11 pubs, 7 of which are in Good Beer Guide 2010 by Danny O'Revey
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- Official site of The Speaker - www.bestcitypubs.co.uk
- Randomness Guide to London - Speaker entry
- Facebook - The Speaker
- Twitter - Speaker Pub
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Speaker - whatpub.com
London Victoria, 0.71 miles, 13 min walk (show)
London Charing Cross, 1.11 miles, 21 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Beer Festivals : Yes - themed events on the pumps - last updated 26 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Beer Garden : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Quinno _
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Car Park : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Child Friendly : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Darts : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Dog Friendly : No - In-house dachshund. - last updated 24 November 2021 by Tris C
- Function Room : Yes last updated 24 November 2021 by Tris C
- Hot Food : No - BYO food. - last updated 24 November 2021 by Tris C
- Jukebox : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Karaoke : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Live Music : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Micropub : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Pinball : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Pool Table : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Quiz Night : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 25 September 2017 by hondo .
- Real Cider : No last updated 26 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Wheelchair Access : No - WCs upstairs. - last updated 24 November 2021 by Tris C
- WiFi : No last updated 24 November 2021 by Tris C
