The Abbey

Really poor service from some of the staff — extremely slow despite not being particularly busy. The beers were poured short in each round & we had to ask for them to be topped up. What is that all about?! Hendricks gin served with lemon. Urgh.
The poor service definitely loses it a star.

The Abbey used to be the standard choice for leaving/​birthday/​Friday drinks and lunches for my workmates and I in the past, but slowly this has shifted over to other local bars and pubs in the area. Unfortunately, while The Abbey has a good location and pretty interior, the prices and quality displayed are deeply frustrating. Despite displaying what looks like a vast array of wine, the wines I have had by the glass have varied from just about acceptable to all out disgusting. As for the food, what used to be a lovely menu has degenerated into overpriced, low quality sandwich and chip combos. If you want a good value, much better quality pub lunch then walk five minutes down the road to The Slug and Lettuce.

There is nothing particularly special about this pub, but it does have some positive traits after a few visits, being so close to my flat.
First, while it can be rather busy at times — particularly right after work, it is a good sized space and generally possible to find a place to sit. At times it is quite mellow (such as weekend afternoon) which is sometimes quite pleasant.
In general, the service is quite good — in fact during one of the more quiet times the bartender offered to switch on the football match in the more lounge area upstairs, and even came by to ask if we wanted another pint (nearly unheard of in a pub!) — exceptional that day, but generally good each time I’ve been.
Finally, the menu is broad enough to offer options for nearly any diet restrictions. While not most mind-​blowing food ever, it tends to be pretty good and certainly better (and with some healthy options) than many of the pubs around.
Good space, good service, OK food — if in the area, a pretty good place to have a pint and snack.

Okay if you’re just ordering a beer, but our party of four agreed the food was very bland. The gourmet burger I ordered was so burned it was inedible.

A decent enough subterranean wine bar in an area otherwise a bit short of reasonable places to go.
The décor is bland in a pared-​down, modern sort of way but it’s bright and well lit, and kept clean: it feels like a chain, so it’s no surprise to find it’s owned by the Marston’s Pub Group. The food is more pub than restaurant, too — sandwiches, burgers, baked potatoes, salads, pasta and ‘proper’ mains — all in the range of £5 for a basic sandwich to £13 for steak and chips. But there’s enough choice and the lunch I had there was perfectly decent, if nothing to write home about.
The wine list is OK, and it’s all in the £12-£19 price bracket, again aiming for the pub crowd rather than wine aficionados. Champagnes and sparkling wines are more expensive, up to £100 for a Dom Perignon, though if you were willing to part with that sort of cash, I can’t see why you wouldn’t go somewhere classier.
The main downer is that it can get very busy in the evening, especially so on Fridays, with lots of office workers, with resulting slowing effects on service. A mid-​week lunchtime is much more pleasant.

very nice pub… part of the marstons chain, but you would realise it.
a very nicely decorated basement bar with lashing’s of maple wood and brass!
well worth a visit and drinks are reasonably priced.
it was quite quiet when i went but the very long bar looks able to cope with large crowds.

This used to be my local and I have to say it wasn’t a favourite. If your idea of a nice bar is a place with no natural daylight and full of suits however, you’ll like it!

This is the classic Whitehall watering hole — dark, vaguely smoky (even since the smoking ban), and overpriced. I am forced here regularly with colleagues after work, and given a choice I would go elsewhere, but it happens to be our local. Watch the steps as you go downstairs, as they can get very slippery when it’s rainy.

The Abbey is a nice option for an after work drink slightly away from the hecticness of Victoria station. It is a split level pub in a basement decorated in rather a grand style with portraits of former PMs hanging from the walls (no doubt in reference to its Westminster neighbours). There is a reasonably priced Tapas sharing menu — okay its your usual reheated deep fried style pub grub but its a good alternative if you just want a nibble with your after work drink.

there are two Abbey’s in Westminster, one you will find a load of civil servants drinking and one you won’t. This is the one one you will.
the Abbey has gone through lots of variants over the years but it seems to have stuck on this incarnation for a while. A decent enough bar if you are in the area but it has zero soul so unless it’s one for the road after work I’d stay away.
it can take an ages to get served as the bar is long and the barmaids short, try the upstairs bar if you can but they only have a limited amount fo stuff up there. one good thing is the fact you can book areas for free so a decent place to have leaving drinks.