Why The Two Chairmen Is Worth Seeking Out
You may have come looking for The Two Chairmen because you’ve heard it’s one of Westminster’s oldest pubs, or perhaps you spotted its unusual name while exploring the streets around St James’s Park and Parliament Square.
Tucked away on Dartmouth Street, this small Georgian-era pub has been serving Londoners for nearly three centuries. Its name recalls the days when wealthy Londoners traveled through the city in enclosed sedan chairs carried by two men, while its proximity to Parliament has made it a longtime favorite of government workers and politicians.
Know Before You Go
Crowd Expectations — The Two Chairmen is particularly popular with civil servants and people working around Whitehall and Westminster. Expect a busy after-work crowd on weekdays, especially toward the end of the week. The ground-floor bar is small, seating is limited, and customers sometimes spill outside onto Dartmouth Street. Mid-afternoon is generally a quieter time to visit.
Weekend Hours — The pub is closed on Sundays and closes earlier on Saturdays than during the working week. Check the official website before visiting, particularly if you’re planning a weekend pub stop.
Food & Dining — The menu includes traditional British pub favorites such as fish and chips, savory pies and bar snacks. Food service finishes earlier than the bar’s opening hours, particularly on Saturdays, so check the kitchen hours if you’re planning to eat.
Ordering at The Two Chairmen — In the ground-floor bar, find a table first and note the table number. Then head to the bar to order and pay. Carry your drinks back with you, and your food will be brought to your table.
Reservations — Table bookings are recommended for lunch or dinner during busy periods, but you don’t need a reservation for a casual pint. Booking a table reserves your seating, but there is no full table service. The upstairs Sedan Room may also be open for additional seating when it isn’t booked for a private function.
Visiting with Children — The pub welcomes families, although the compact interior and busy after-work atmosphere make quieter daytime visits more comfortable.
Accessibility — The historic building has a compact interior, and the upstairs room is reached by stairs. Check the pub’s website directly for current accessibility arrangements.
What’s the Pint Pick?
Order a pint of Hardys & Hansons Bitter on cask, if it’s available. This traditional English bitter is among the pub’s regularly listed real ales and makes a fitting choice for an old-fashioned Westminster local.
You’ll also find Greene King Abbot Ale and a selection of other cask ales, with availability varying.
Order your pint or half-pint at the bar and pay when you order. If the card machine prompts you for a tip, you can press skip. Digital prompts are increasingly common these days, but tipping is still not customary when buying drinks at a London pub bar counter.
A Pint with Westminster’s Politicians
The Two Chairmen’s proximity to the Houses of Parliament and HM Treasury has given it another rather unusual distinction.
Known as a favorite watering hole of Treasury officials, the pub is associated with a tradition of Chancellors of the Exchequer stopping in for a drink with their teams after delivering the government’s Budget.
It’s a fitting continuation of the pub’s history: the sedan chair porters have disappeared, but Westminster’s working crowd is still coming through the door for a pint.
The Two Chairmen’s Historic Pub Sign
Before you go inside, look up at the hanging pub sign. It depicts two men carrying a passenger in a sedan chair, the form of transport that gave The Two Chairmen its unusual name.
In Georgian London, wealthy passengers could hire a pair of chairmen to carry them through the narrow, often muddy streets in a small enclosed chair. The porters would wait for customers outside fashionable houses, theaters and entertainment venues.
The Two Chairmen stood opposite the old Royal Cockpit, where spectators gathered to watch cockfighting, a popular entertainment in 18th-century London. The nearby Cockpit Steps are another reminder of this vanished corner of Westminster.
The pub itself was rebuilt in 1756, although its history reaches back earlier. Inside, look for the unusual built-in bench seating and the historic mural on the rear wall, depicting the London of the sedan chairmen. The upstairs Sedan Room takes its name from this same history.
Address: 39 Dartmouth Street, Westminster, London SW1H 9BP
Nearest Station: St James’s Park
Website: The Two Chairmen Pub
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