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Picture of St Stephens Tavern
Image posted by Just a quick pint, then I'm off
Submitted on Saturday, 2nd March 2019
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St Stephens Tavern, Westminster, SW1

10 Bridge Street
SW1
SW1A 2JR
Phone: 02079252286
Correct details

Served areas

Reviews of St Stephens Tavern (Average Rating: 7 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Blackthorn _ left this review about St Stephens Tavern

Located in a prime spot directly opposite Big Ben and the House of Parliament, this is unsurprisingly something of a tourist magnet and was pretty much full to capacity on our Sunday lunchtime visit. As far as I could make out, all punters were dining and the eastern European (?) landlady made it fairly clear that you weren’t welcome to take a table if you weren’t planning on eating. We weren’t, but did manage to stand in the middle of the small back room, clustered around a high table provided for this purpose. We did feel a little in the way though, with waitresses and punters continually squeezing past.

The ground floor of the pub consists of two rooms, an impressive high-ceilinged room at the front and a smaller bar at the rear. The front bar has tall windows with red drape curtains giving good views over Parliament square, some very impressive carved wood panelling on the ceiling and black Chesterfield style fitted bench seating around the permitter. An elaborately carved backdrop behind the bar ran right around the corner and this was interspersed with etched mirrors, and behind this was red flock wallpaper. A number of old black and white portrait photographs were on the wall, as well as an old wooden clock. It really was quite an impressive room, although difficult to fully appreciate given that you could really only just poke your head in the door without getting in the way. The rear room was somewhat cosier with lower ceilings and wood strip on the floor, although still quite elegant in places with more wood panelling filling an entire wall, elaborately carved and filled with arched mirrors.

Beers on tap were all from Hall & Woodhouse with their Fursty Ferret, Badger and Tangle Foot. The solitary cider meanwhile was Mortimer’s Orchard. Overall, I was a little disappointed with this given it’s highly regard reputation, but perhaps if I’d visited at a quieter time when I could sit down and appreciate it a little more I may have felt differently.

On 24th February 2023 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1937 recommendations about 1850 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Tris C left this review about St Stephens Tavern

A grade II-listed building and a CAMRA listed interior of Regional Importance, this pub dates from 1875 and is situated in the shadow of the Palace of Westminster and especially St. Stephen’s Tower, home to Big Ben. Having been renamed Elizabeth Tower, I’m surprised the pub hasn’t followed suit, but there are plenty of existing Queen’s Head hostelries.
There’s a massive amount of spectacular wood carving with much etched and cut mirrors and glass; the carpeted floor is now modern bare boarded. There’s a lot of avocado green studded banquettes, with low Britannia-style tables and matching chairs - perfect for smashing your knee against - and a lot of dark wood field panelling to walls; lighting comes from an extraordinary amount of hanging brassware. A unique point is that the pub has a remote Division Bell, so MPs can neck their pints in time to vote.
Ales: clumsy staff were dishing out Tanglefoot, Fursty Ferret and Badger Best at a decent £5.15 and as good as one has any right to expect.
The interior is clearly spectacular, warranting a visit in its own right, but service is poor as is the bar staffs’ English. The beers aren’t to my taste really, agreeing with BF. With all the noisy tourists and restless children, I doubt I’d return.

On 2nd October 2021 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1955 recommendations about 1922 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


custodian 42 left this review about St Stephens Tavern

Badger ales on hand pumps - I had Tanglefoot. More bottles in the fridge. Very busy with both bars being full of diners, most of whom were tucking into very nice looking fish and chips. Would return.

On 1st March 2017 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]


View more reviews of St Stephens Tavern (17)
This pub features in the following crawls:
Victoria to Westminster tube, 11 pubs, 7 of which are in Good Beer Guide 2010 by Danny O'Revey
Along the Thames by Roy Collins
Circle line Clockwise by Nick Davies
External web links for St Stephens Tavern

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Pub location see interactive map of local area
Map location corrected by Danny O'Revey
London Charing Cross, 0.7 miles, 13 min walk (show)
London Waterloo, 0.95 miles, 18 min walk (show)
London Victoria, 1.19 miles, 22 min walk (show)
Latest updates View all updates for St Stephens Tavern, SW1
24th Feb 2023, 10:06
Review submitted by Blackthorn _
 
2nd Oct 2021, 19:32
Review submitted by Tris C amended by Tris C

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 02 October 2021 by Tris C
  • Bar Billiards : No last updated 02 October 2021 by Tris C
  • Beer Festivals : No last updated 02 October 2021 by Tris C
  • Beer Garden : No last updated 02 October 2021 by Tris C
  • Car Park : No last updated 02 October 2021 by Tris C
  • Child Friendly : Yes last updated 02 October 2021 by Tris C
  • Darts : No last updated 02 October 2021 by Tris C
  • Function Room : Yes last updated 02 October 2021 by Tris C
  • Hot Food : Yes last updated 22 September 2015 by Bucking Fastard
  • Jukebox : No last updated 02 October 2021 by Tris C
  • Karaoke : No last updated 02 October 2021 by Tris C
  • Live Music : No last updated 02 October 2021 by Tris C
  • Live TV Sports : No last updated 02 October 2021 by Tris C
  • Micropub : No last updated 02 October 2021 by Tris C
  • Pinball : No last updated 02 October 2021 by Tris C
  • Pool Table : No last updated 02 October 2021 by Tris C
  • Quiz Night : No last updated 02 October 2021 by Tris C
  • Real Ale : Yes - Hall & Woodhouse. - last updated 02 October 2021 by Tris C
  • Real Cider : No last updated 02 October 2021 by Tris C
  • Wheelchair Access : No last updated 02 October 2021 by Tris C
  • WiFi : Yes last updated 02 October 2021 by Tris C
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