please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Bland and touristy, but I did once see three very merry Chelsea Pensioners fall off their bar stools, one after another, toppling like a set of red dominos. They were laughing so much they couldn't get up for some time. Maybe they'd just been told the price of the beer.
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Situated in a tourist area it is neither a local or tourist pub. Trade varies accrding to time of day. Suffers from americans wanting to taste every beer without regard to waiting customers. Also suffers the tea and coffee brigade. Why dont they go to a cafe? Ever changing staff,ut this is due to management.Glad to see they have stopped children coming in the bar areas, tourists used to think it was ok to let their brats run rampant.
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We went to this pub after the FA Cup Semi Final and they were happy to serve us and take our money. On returning after the Final, we were refused service as we were wearing football shirts. When we asked would it be ok if we covered the shirts with jackets, we were told we would not now be served as we were "getting lippy". I hasten to add that we were predominantly a group of 40-somethings who were just looking for a place to have a few quiet celebratory beers. Clearly more interested in fleecing the tourists. Avoid.
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Reasonable, if pricey boozer. Food was good and actually not too dear.
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Large pub with traditional decor, popular with tourists.
Staggeringly however, on my visit at approx 8 pm yesterday evening, none of the 5 real ales were available as the lines were apparently being cleaned ( all at the same time !?).
When I therefore ordered a pint of Guinness, the barman replied " I'll just have to go downstairs to change the barrel".
Its a nice pub, but they need to get their act together better on the drinks front to warrant a return visit from the John Bonser roadshow
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great staff crap management
anonymous - 4 Nov 2007 08:08 |
Came in very handy when I was looking for somewhere to have breakast and they did a great Full English that was good value £4.99. I liked the atmosphere so much we returned later in the day to sample the beer which went down extrememely well after a day pounding the streets of London.
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beautiful fittings in this pub and it should have bags of atmosphere. dunno why, but it doesn't. too many tourists?
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Seems to be re etablishing itself after the refurb. However they should teach the staff how to pull a decent pint,espsecially guinness, a 2 inch head isn't appreciated. Could do with more staff when it gets busy.
anonymous - 2 Sep 2007 06:42 |
Not much has changed following the minor refurb. Still attracts the tourists in great numbers.Not as busy as it once was at weekends but that's like most of the pubs in the area which are overpriced and totally average.
anonymous - 13 Aug 2007 07:04 |
I remember this pub from 70s when it stank of cats and had threadbare lino on the floor. It has been refurbished several times maintaining a victorian theme that goes down well with tourists.The pub benefited when Liz took over as manager and lifted the place out of the doldrums.Has benefitted from yet another refurbishment but needs something more to become one of the really goods in the area.
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Not been in since the refurb, but previously this was a decent pub in a very handy location, with a good choice of real ales. The upstairs carvery lunch was excellent value for money!
alexw - 28 May 2007 15:57 |
Note: The Albert is closing temporarily from mid March to early April for (much-needed!) refurbishment in all departments. The food, drink and service are already great so with the refurb (and the upcoming smoking ban) this pub can only get even better.
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Elegant old pub with its frosted glass and wooden panelling. Seems to have retained its Victiorian character well. Always busy, but big enough to cope. I always get the impression its a bit tatty and grubby, but looking round last night I couldn't pin down why, and decided that it really isn't. Whenever I am drinking in this area I nearly always go either here or to the - sublime - Cask and Glass round the corner. Good range of ales and decent food.
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Functional and that really sums it up. It has potential but certainly not up to the standard of some of the pubs nearby.
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I can't add much to the last poster. It looks good from the outside and inside is quite nice and dusty looking but a bit disappointing compared to outside. The beer i had in here wasn't great but not bad. I don't know why but I wouldn't go out of my way to go again.
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This wonderful large Victorian pub juts out like a brick peninsula from the jungle of steel, concrete and glass office blocks that now dwarf it. The downstairs has been knocked through into one continuous room, the front being an open spacious area with plenty of tables, large etched windows with grand curtains, a high decorative ceiling and different areas divided by wooden screens. To the rear is a smaller cosier area with a fireplace, fruit machine and several old pictures of either Royalty or Parliamentary themes, pride of place being Queen Vitoria’s wedding. The L shaped bar has a traditional frame with an inbuilt clock and still has gas lights attached. There are usually 5 Real ales albeit nothing adventurous (Pride, Youngs, Courage Best, Bombardier, Deuchars if you are lucky) on offer at fairly reasonable prices given that the pub can be very touristy - Westminster Abby and the Houses of Parliament etc are a few minutes walk away. Personally I have never had any problems with getting served. The staircase to the right of the bar is adorned with portraits of distinguished prime ministers, many of whom have dined in the upstairs restaurant. The choice of bar food is not particularly extensive given that they seem to do a good lunchtime trade – expect to pay around £6.00 - £7.50 for a main course although there are specials on the boards near the bar. It must be said that parts of the pub are getting a bit tatty in places, notably some of the seat coverings but this former Evening Standard Pub of the Year (1984) still carries enough grandeur to keep it as a regular main entry in the Good Pub Guide. The pub is generally relaxed with unobtrusive piped music and a fair bit of character. Apart from tourists and office workers, it seems to be popular with Chelsea Pensioners whose presence feels so in tune with the surroundings. Despite its shortcomings, if you like traditional pubs with a bit of character then you won’t go far wrong here.
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If you have an hour or two to spare - then this is the pub for YOU !! It takes that long to get served mainly because of the hordes of far eastern tourists. I think the pub has a 'deal' with a coach firm, because no sooner had one party of tourists departed, then another appeared.
Beer was average and certainly not worth the wait ! Pub itself is okish - reasonable decor - but as I went in for a drink (not just to pass the time), it lets itself down at the bar.
Avoid unless you have time on your hands.
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Nice looking pub from the outside. Inside is fully of tourists leading to quite a wait at the bar. Food is truely awful.
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Not a bad pub but not memorable by any means. Seemed to have a few resident drunks and the food looked a little off......
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Still full of tourists, and dust from the recent building work next door hasn't helped. One to avoid.
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Overpriced, full of tourists, staff aren't very good and always seems really smokey. Avoid this, there are so many better pubs around Westminster.
Paul - 5 Nov 2004 12:07 |
Preferred two other pubs in the area, but this was passable - very smokey, and tour busses in the area - those people ate upstairs in the dining room. No friendly staff.
Carolyn Bountress - 17 Oct 2004 03:58 |
Not much going for it. Rude barstaff. Smoky horrible carvery thing. Characterless.
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I too visited The Albert as part of an all day tour. It was a okay experience, as far as food goes, but then we were tourists, and if they had any disdain for us it didn't show. The staff and other patrons were certainly pleasant enough. It is an interesting old building.
DeeDee - 29 Jun 2004 03:47 |
The food is dreadful, it's overpriced and full of tourists. And civil servants. But it's quite big and the staff are friendly. You'd be better off with The Sanctuary round the corner on Tothill Street!
Laura - 28 Nov 2003 16:32 |
Rather unpleasant, dirty English pub with not much to recommend it at all. Totally forgettable.
Maurice McKay - 25 Jul 2003 17:14 |
One of Central Londons better pubs.......had a great night chatting away to two very interesting Chelsea pensioners from the nearby home
ian - 2 Jun 2003 14:19 |
Went to this pub as part of full-day tour. Food and atmosphere was very satisfactory.
Doris - 17 Mar 2003 20:01 |
