The Albert — Restaurant in London

🚇 St. James's Park 🍺 £7.60 Estrella Galiicia

My 1000th London pub visit!

I chose this pub for my 1,000th London pub visit because my dad trained here in the late 1960s. It was the first pub he worked in his 40-year career as a publican.

The Albert is in the heart of Victoria, just a short walk from the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. The nearest Tube station is St James’s Park.

The site originally housed a pub called The Blue Coat Boy, first recorded in 1831. It was rebuilt in 1862 and renamed The Albert in tribute to Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who had died the previous year.

During World War II much of Victoria Street was devastated and later rebuilt, the pub survived virtually unscathed. Today, this Grade II listed Victorian pub stands proudly amid modern steel and glass.

This traditionally decorated two-bar pub retains a Victorian charm with modern comforts. The main bar is divided into front and rear sections with a good sized servery centrally located. Decor includes frosted etched glass, a gold-trimmed ceiling, dark carved wood, historical photos, brass chandeliers, comfortable seating, and a few TVs. To the right of the servery, a passage leads to a cosy snug with an old-world feel. Upstairs, the grand staircase has a Prime Ministers Gallery and a large painting of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, leading to the Division Bar, which features a division bell once used to summon MPs and Lords back to Parliament to vote.

The beer selection is excellent and included five cask ales. I decided on an Estrella Galiicia, my pint hit the spot, price point was high. The food menu is classic British fare, roasts are available on Sunday’s.

I arrived on a sunny Saturday lunchtime in June. The pub was busy throughout, with a lively, upbeat atmosphere. I was with around a dozen Mates celebrating my London pub milestone, and it was great to get us all together, as everyone leads such busy lives these days. The service was top-notch—I returned another day to take photos, and the team were very accommodating.

This pub was a joy to visit—for its history, stunning architecture and decor, warm hospitality, and, for me, its sentimental value. London has many striking pubs, and The Albert is up there with the very best.

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📅 7th June 2025

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We booked well in advance for Christmas dinner. There were 12 of us and we paid a deposit. We were seated on arrival and ordered food within half an hour. We then waited a further 90 minutes for our food. We also ordered dessert about 20 mins after ordering our mains as we were told the wait for dessert would be around 90 minutes.

After an hour the desserts came. We sent them back as we had not had our mains. After another hour had passed we asked multiple times where our food was and how long it would be. We had four children with us that were incredibly hungry and had not ate since breakfast. Finally at 4.10pm. 2 hours and 10 minutes later our food arrived with a complimentary bottle of Prosecco as an apology for the wait.

Unfortunately the food was inedible. The turkey dinner which most of us selected consisted of two rubbery slices of turkey, lumpy gravy, a few raw carrots, with the ends still there, a handful of sprouts which tasted as though they had been cooked in a fat that had been reused several times and a handful of roast potatoes that looked anything but roasted, at best boiled with blackened bad parts to them.

We were so appalled by this that at 4.10pm on Christmas Day we made the decision not to have Christmas dinner and requested a refund, the staff didn’t seem too surprised and obliged willingly. Although we had to pay for the bits of food that were edible enough to eat (let me make it clear there was nothing served that was of a good standard to eat). So therefore, Christmas Day, twelve of us were left hungry with no Christmas dinner. It’s ruined our day and I just can’t understand why you would think it was acceptable to offer such a service on that day...

Seated upstairs table 65 Food Ordered: Sirloin Steak Ciabatta - Medium Rare (£10.75) Sides: Mac and Cheese (£3.50)

Atmosphere - Ambient due to sports and tourism culture. Cosy and warm for the indulgence of food. Decor and paintings of Victoria & Albert give the aesthetics of 18th century England with modernised features.

Service - Service time for the mac & cheese was 20-25 minutes. Service time for the Sirloin Steak Ciabatta was 10-15 minutes. Staff on the upper floor of the establishment were keen and attentive but lacked smiling and giving customers a cosy approach. However, one staff member was very empathetic towards customers and very attentive when making sure things were in order. However, another staff member did not emphasize the correct order for the Sirloin Steak Ciabatta to be medium rare.

Food - Sirloin Steak Ciabatta - Was well done instead of medium rare, but overall, it did not make the dish appetising due to not being medium rare. Mac & Cheese - Rocket salad was beautiful with a bit of black pepper. Mac & Cheese was a bit sludgy but overall tasted satisfactory compared to other Mac and cheeses in the area. This mac and cheese was edible and worth the £.

I would definitely recommend The Albert for consumption and aesthetics such as Live sports,...