St. Stephens Tavern, Whitehall  

This Grade II listed pub was one we didn't think would ever open again. Having been closed for the best part of 15 years, it quietly reopened its doors just before Christmas 2003. From our research, it appears that this 125-year-old watering hole has been frequented by many notables, including prime ministers such as Baldwin, Churchill and Macmillan. The results of the refurbishment are fantastic - they should be after a multimillion pound restoration done in with the help of English Heritage (or interference, depending on whom you talk to). Apparently, many of the fittings are from the original pub, having been stored since the pub closed. So now it's mellowed nicely into a distinguished pub. One thing to note, the chairs chosen have curved backs, making the small rooms feel more crowded than they actually are - sometimes ending up feeling rather cramped. It is very popular straight after work, with political hangers-on and civil servants standing around and chatting, shoulder-to-shoulder, until around 8.00ish, when things start to quieten down. There's a good range of well-kept beers on the hand pumps - Tanglefoot and Badger's Best amongst them. Outside of crush times, this is a fine place and well worth a visit if you're in the area.

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