Amusingly, since the 1800s some pubs near the Houses of Parliament have been equipped with a “division bell,” which rings—rather like a fire alarm—to warn socializing MPs they have only 8 minutes to scurry back to vote. The custom has been replaced by an app, which is disappointing. Other pubs that retain their division bells—St Stephens Tavern on Bridge Street across from Big Ben, the Red Lion on Whitehall—are cloyingly touristy, but not the Marquis. A single-room pub with bare floorboards and high wood walls, it’s a hangout for government types (and their lobbyists) and prides itself on real hand-pumped ale.