The Red Lion

A tavern called Hopping Hall stood on this spot as early as 1434. The current Red Lion dates from about 1890, and its regulars are MPs, lobbyists, and civil servants — it sits on Parliament Street, a minute's walk from Downing Street and the Palace of Westminster. The division bell is still installed, though it's largely ceremonial now that MPs have phones. Charles Dickens visited as a boy. The occasional ringing still confuses tourists who think it's a fire alarm.