The Speaker

The Speaker is (a) old (b) frequented by American tourists and © civil servants from the nearby Government ghetto of Whitehall (I’ll admit to being in the third lot). It’s a great little pub but is a victim of its own success and fame. I’ve been periodically over the years and this time went on a Monday night-​we struggled to find a seat or even somewhere to sit! Forget going on a Friday as it will be so packed you’ll need to arrive at 4pm! That said, if you make it inside on whatever day, you’ll find a lovely, original and slightly careworn boozer serving decent ale which is well kept. There are some dross pubs in the area but the Speaker is definitely not one of them, so its worth the effort to enter. Go on the Tokyo underground as a warm up then go to the Speaker.

Nice quiet spot for lunch. Had a yummy jacket potato with coleslaw and cheddar. Also, had a nice conversation with the bartender.

Dennis and Isabel are great. This was my favorite pub so far in London. No TV’s or Jukebox. You actually have to talk to the person next to you or awkwardly stare at your smart-​phone.
2 (or 3) rotating handles. Not a chain disguised as an old pub. This one is real. If you are in the Westminster neighborhood you should definitely stop here.

3.3 — 3.5
I came here for lunch a while back during a visiting to the Westminster Abbey grounds. My aunt who works at the Westminster school recommended this place as somewhere to go that is close by, but is not covered in tourists.
My girlfriend and I went for lunch and a couple drinks. It was a reasonably small pub without any music, which I enjoyed. The two of us ordered ploughmans lunches, and each had a pint.
The bartender was very nice, and we chatted about districts in London as well as high quality cheese. He gave us more bread to go with the cheese and cold cuts after we had finished our first set.
Don’t expect anything fancy, (they heated something up in a microwave, but it wasn’t something I ordered) but it is a decent dining experience in a low key, casual setting.
If you are touring the main Westminster sites and would like a couple of drinks without the hordes of tourists, this is not a bad option. The ploughman’s lunch was good, but I can’t speak to the other food. My sense is that this is a place to go more for drinks, less for food.

Its a pub! Definitely it gets crowded after work hours here. Limited selection of Trappists beers here, nothing too special on the selection aside from domestic UK beers. The atmosphere is more the on the side of everybody get’s together after work and just wind down to have several beers and go home. If you want to taste good beer this isn’t the spot to try different styles of beers but to hang out with co-​workers and friends.
Price — On the upper end of Euro spots. 8 GBP for a bottle of beer is not what I call cheap. If I can get the same beer in LA for $ 6 at a gastropub.
Atmosphere — Common pub environment in the UK, people after work having a few drink. Didn’t see overly drunk people here, mostly the people are well mannered here if you happened to bump into them.
Category — Beer/​Gastrobpub
Taste– Interestingly gastropub serve better food than standalone restaurants. Odd but true.
Service — Ok service. If your not a local, you might get the look ok, let me explain what I can offer you.

A nice quiet pub with decent beers which kept the boys happy. Plenty of gin to keep me happy. Quick & efficient bar staff.
No tv or music means you can actually hold & hear a conversation :)

Unlike another reviewer I find the atmosphere in The Speaker fantastic. This is a pub for adults that enjoy a conversation with friends or strangers. I didn’t find it stuffy. No music, no TV, no games. Excellent ale, friendly staff, reasonable kitchen. I want to let people know about this gem but don’t want to spoil it.

Great little pub which is all about the beer and conversation. Well kept ever changing range of beer on the pump. Currently it’s the «mild month of may» and we have a couple if very tasty brews available.
Food offering is basic — sandwichs, baked potato and the like — but tasty.
Punters are an older crowd in the main with a good showing from beer loving civil servants.
⁸⁄₁₀ Highly recommended if you are in the area and want good ale in a «proper» pub.

A good comfortable traditional pub. geared for conviviale drinking company. Very pleasant.

The Speaker is a neat, cosy little bolthole tucked away in Westminster — a perfect place to be snugly installed with a pint of real ale when the freezing rain’s lashing down outside!
A favourite of nearby officeworkers (and often, parlimentarians), if you arrive much after 5pm — or at any time on a Friday night — the chances of finding one of the few available seats is fairly minimal. You would never call The Speaker a spacious place.
The selection of real ale is always excellent — often featuring beers from the Dark Star brewery, but even when you’re not lucky enough to see one of them the lineup’s seldom a disappointment. And the landlord knows what he’s doing. It’s not an Ale Pub by a longshot though, and there’s plenty of the usual pub fare to please most punters (as well as, I’m told, quite a decent wine stable — no doubt a small concession to the tastes of the visitors from Westminster).
A traditional «woody» pub which avoids the «old man pub» dinginess with brightness & character, and the fact it’s always quite busy accurately reflects this.

Good no nonsense pub. This is a drinkers pub and although you can get bar-​food it is mainly a place to get a good pint. I have regularly used this pub over the last 3 years and the only thing that changes is the picture of the latest Speaker of the House of Commons. Can get busy at times.

A good honest pub, no music, no fripperies but a friendly atmosphere, staff able to serve efficiently and well and an excellent selection of well kept ales.

This is a traditional English pub, although I wouldn’t call it cosy because it is all quite open-​plan. It is slightly out of the way so doesn’t get as crowded as you would expect — which is good because it’s not that big. The landlord is quite staunch and a bit of a character.

THIS IS A REAL PUB.
That’s how they market themselves, they don’t do music, fruit machines or big screens. They DO atmosphere. Well if you like a pub filled of civil servants, researchers, politicians and the like then this is the pub for you.
It’s not really for me.
It is located near a Church and Scotland yard so I didn’t feel too comfortable about letting my hair down. Plus who knows who could be in there.
The smell of authority in The Speaker is a bit too pungent.

The Speaker scores 5 stars for its attempts at authenticity and style. Branded a real English pub, you will not find a fruit machine or Sky Sports telly here. Furnished with dark woods and traditional pub furniture, it’s a favourite haunt of local workers (government and otherwise). Gets quite crowded and lunchtimes and in the evenings, but that only goes to show its quality and charm.

This cosy, traditional pub is a no-​nonsense local, tucked away only a few minutes’ walk from the busy Victoria Street.
They serve at least 4 real ales (currently Young’s Bitter, Shepherd Neame Spitfire and two guest beers), plus traditional bar meals (ploughmans, sandwiches and a choice of hot dishes at lunch time). There is no piped music, TV or slot-​machines — just conversation.
The staff are friendly and efficient, and the clientele include office workers and locals: it can get very busy at lunch-​times and between 17−19h with those grabbing a quick pint after work.
Occasional beer festivals are held: this May, over 50 milds will be on offer (two each day, all different!). NB — they are closed on Saturdays.