Buckingham Arms

You're on Petty France, that narrow street tucked behind St James's Park where the real Westminster happens away from the tourist crush. The Buckingham Arms feels like the kind of place where someone's been nursing the same pint since 1993, and frankly, why wouldn't they? The beer selection is genuinely impressive—they rotate interesting guest ales alongside reliable standards, and the staff actually know what they're talking about. The food is no afterthought either; proper pub classics done right, the sort of thing that makes you wonder why other places near Parliament charge double. It gets properly busy during the week with the parliamentary crowd, which gives it an energy that feels authentically London rather than performed for tourists.