Albert, The

This distinctive pub stands like a proud beacon amongst the towering characterless office blocks of Victoria, a superb piece of London pub architecture on the grand scale, and very handy for parliamentarians. So much so in fact that the pub has its own division bell, used when a vote is called in the nearby Commons. The décor is not unreminiscent of that employed by those who decorated the Houses of Parliament after their Victorian re-creation, all gold and oak.

Downstairs there is a good robust bar area, filled with good robust people drinking and eating food along the same lines, whilst upstairs a rather more sophisticated dining room does the fancy stuff, and is not always open, so do check first if that is what you're after.

Honest pub grub is served downstairs, no gastropub pretensions, whatever they may be, just relatively simple homely fare, the sort of food most of us would be delighted to come home to (and some of the lucky ones do). Sausage and mash, fish and chips, lasagne, splendid ploughman's lunches, shepherd's pies, and so on.

A wide choice of wines and draught beers keep everybody happy, and service is cheerful and prompt.