The Red Lion takes private bookings for business meetings, working lunches, corporate gatherings and celebrations of up to 40 guests in two function rooms. The pub stands at 48 Parliament Street in Westminster, London, between Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament, and is run by the London brewer and pub company Fuller's.
Seminars and company events
The two rooms suit the small formats that work well in central Westminster: a board meeting, a team briefing, a client lunch or a leaving party for a department. Both are offered for business meetings, corporate events and private dining, and both have internet access. The Cabinet Room is the more self-contained of the two, with its own bar, private restrooms and a TV screen that can carry a presentation or a live broadcast. The Dining Room has plenty of natural daylight, which helps over a long working session. Requests are sorted into table, meeting and event bookings, and the pub sends a brochure on request. The manager handles functions directly by phone or email.
Rooms and capacities
The Dining Room seats up to 40 guests and holds the same number standing. It is the larger and brighter room, styled after a Victorian gin palace, with some private bar service. The Cabinet Room seats up to 32 and takes 30 standing. It sits in a discreet part of the building, and its private bar pours a selection of beers and ales on tap. The pub spreads over three floors in total, and children are allowed in both function rooms, which helps for a family celebration.
Catering
Food comes from the pub's own kitchen. The menu is built on British pub classics made with fresh, seasonal produce, with pies as a house specialty, and the drinks list covers cask ales and a selection of wines. For a private booking the kitchen serves lunches, dinners and party food in the rooms, which makes the Red Lion a practical place for a meal after a morning of appointments in Whitehall. Food service runs from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday and to 9:30 p.m. on Sunday.
History and setting
The site has a long record as a drinking house. A medieval tavern known as the Hopping Hall stood here in 1434, and the Crown bought the property in 1531 after it had passed through several owners and names. Charles Dickens was a regular as a young man and later recalled how the landlady looked at him. The pub served every British prime minister up to Edward Heath in the 1970s, including Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee. For a visiting delegation or an overseas client, that history gives a meeting at the heart of government a clear sense of place.
Getting there
Parliament Street runs south from Whitehall to Parliament Square, so the pub is a few minutes on foot from Westminster Underground station, served by the Jubilee, District and Circle lines. Charing Cross main-line station is within walking distance along Whitehall, and many bus routes stop nearby.
