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    The Shakespeare

    3.5 (18 reviews)
    ModeratePubs, Italian, Pizza
    Closed 6:00 pm - 11:00 PM

    The Shakespeare Photos

    THE SHAKESPEARE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Casual
    Outdoor seating

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    Reviews With Photos - The Shakespeare

    Larissa R.

    So, I admit, I would never have walked into this pub had I not needed to use a toilet badly. If it's any indication of what I had been up to, I had been travelling up from Gordon's Wine Bar at the Embankment after consuming a bottle of wine and was trying to get off the Tube at Farringdon to do some more drinking. Except Farringdon station was closed for one reason or another (I'm not sure the Tube people even had a reason), so I got off at Barbican instead. I had the Shakespeare in my sights as soon as I emerged from underground and marched straight across the street. Perhaps against my better judgment. You see, the Shakespeare looks like a straight-up local boozer of a pub. The kind that's not particularly friendly towards out-of-towners, you know? Despite there being a hoard of local geezers standing outside the door smoking with their pints in hand, thanks to some good ol' alcohol-fuelled disregard, I barged right on by them. 'You cold?' they asked. 'Yes, very,' I answered. 'You're from America?' they continued. 'Yep,' I said as I kept walking straight toward the toilets. After I had the most wonderous pee of life in some pretty glamorous toilets for a pub, I figured it'd only be courteous of me to purchase a drink from the barman. The availability of beer was pretty good, and the selection of liquor was better than I would have expected to find, in all honesty. One of the locals came over and had a nice long chat with me and my sister, mostly about how my sister had come to visit me from Orlando, Florida and how he had taken a holiday there (most of my conversations with random English people transpire along these lines...). All in all, I was impressed by my time at the Shakespeare. Sure, it's TOTALLY a local pub. But the locals there sure are friendly. The drinks were good, and the surroundings were top notch.

    Shakespeare club
    Sally C.

    Cute little place with blackboards scrawled with Shakespeare's lines about libation. Great atmosphere. Service was meh and unfortunately so was most of the food. We dropped in because we thought it looked charming from the outside. I had the Shakespeare club with the soup of the day, which was potato and leek. The soup was bland and watery. Our tables did not have S&P and the waitstaff were eating their own lunches between taking orders. My sandwich actually had a piece of plastic IN it, similar to a tine of a plastic fork. When I brought it up to a passing server (not ours), he took the plastic from me and apologized halfheartedly. I still had to pay for my meal. My friend quite enjoyed her pizzaola steak and mash, but they got the order of her food wrong and most of us were nearly done eating by the time her entree came out. I will say that the fried pizza dough strips were very tasty- the only redeeming thing about my visit there!

    Yummy pasta dishes or pizza ... In proper Italian style...

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    10 months ago

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    8 months ago

    All good, very friendly and boozy, real Clknwll gem! Beerz and cheerz wanted - you got it!

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    8 years ago

    Decently crowded at 11.30 on a Friday. Hung out bravely outside with the smokers with my friends. Decent food.

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    7 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

    Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

    4.1(443 reviews)
    0.7 miBlackfriars, Holborn
    ££

    We went to more than a dozen pubs while in London and the surrounding area on vacation recently so…read morewhile reviewing them, I'm trying to focus on what made each a distinct memory/experience for us. My wife actually booked dinner reservations in advance for Ye Old Cheshire Cheese, it was one of a few we did that for rather than just popping in. For some of these, Cheshire included, it isn't a bad idea if you want a full meal to do so as it gives you a table in a dining area that is quieter than the More raucous areas of the pub and guarantees you plenty of elbow room to dine. Every pub has fish and chips, and we had our share of it during our 8+ day trek, but my wife swears by this place as having the absolute best. I'd likely agree with that--we both had the traditional fish, chips, peas platter and every bite was great. We had a few slices of sourdough to hold us over while waiting for those plates. My wife had a bit of wine, and I tried a lager, lower ABV ale, and a pour of scotch opting for their "house" scotch. The spirits/beer menu was the same I saw used at a couple of what I think must be "sister" pubs all using the same distilleries and brewers. We were too full to try dessert. Service was friendly. Not sure if it was the vintage of my scotch or her wine, but price-wise this was by far our priciest pub visit in the area and I can't quite point my fingers at why, but I don't regret our meal and time here. As for historic interest, you can find pictures and placards of many of the pubs famous patrons from history--Dickens, Mark Twain on visits to London, etc. A first edition of a Dickens' book adorned a post by our table.

    Cool pub dating back to 1300s?…read more Fish and chips were great. Price was okay given its a popular and historic spot. Beer was excellent and prices reasonable Only complaint was the dining area was extremely quiet on a Friday afternoon. A little strange for a pub

    Photos
    Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese - Downstairs

    Downstairs

    Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese - Steak and kidney suet

    Steak and kidney suet

    Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese - Outside garden

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    Outside garden

    The Centre Page - Modest entrance area.

    The Centre Page

    3.6(25 reviews)
    0.6 miBlackfriars
    £

    After visiting Shakespeare's Globe across the Thames River, I was rushing to the airport and…read morespotted this place near St. Paul's church after crossing Millennium Bridge. Given the location, I knew it was probably a tourist trap and I wish to avoid those usually but had no time so stopped in on a Monday afternoon for lunch. I'm so glad I did! I was in London only briefly and had yet to try proper fish and chips and I was definitely WOW'd. I've only had this in America, and this was definitely better than anything I've ever had. When it arrived on my table, I could feel the heat from the plate -- that's how scalding hot and fresh it was, and I loved that! The cod was absolutely massive, a thick portion of fish deep fried with the skin on within an incredibly crunchy beer batter. There were pieces of bone in it, but no bother, this only made it seem more fresh. The chips (thick cut fries) were perfectly crispy and both the fish and chips were insanely delicious with a bit of salt and malt vinegar (which I had to request by walking up to the bar). The dish came with a tartar sauce and ketchup, but tasted way better with the salt and vin. I absolutely love that the fish and chips also came with mushy peas, whereas most pubs only give you fish and chips alone. The dish was also very well priced at 9.95 GBP, and I was able to use my credit card, rounded up to 10 GBP because they have a 10 GBP minimum for using cards. I appreciate that this restaurant had free wi-fi, which I found out by asking my waiter, who quickly provided the secret code for me to use. In America you would never ask your server for this but I noticed that nearly every hotel and restaurant I visited during my 11-day tour of Europe offered wi-fi. Good on them, because how else would I check in to a restaurant on Yelp and shower them with praise and circulate promotional foodie photos on Instagram? During a weekday, many workers nearby flood this place to grab a pint during lunch....now, why don't I work in London? I would give this place five stars based on the food alone, but I am giving it four because I wished the service had been more attentive, as I had to go up to the bar to get malt vinegar and also to ask to pay my bill. I understand service in Europe is more laissez-faire than in America, but since this is a tourist spot I would have liked to be checked on by the staff at least once during my meal, and certainly to be presented with the bill. Note: They also serve Sunday roast dinner for 9.95 GBP on Sundays

    Great location, great specials and great service. This is a solid pub that seems to attract a good…read morecrowd. Being from the states I am not as familiar with all the UK brands --- but they seem to offer a wide variety of beers (lots on tap) and cocktails. TIP: I recommend hitting this place before 5:30 on the weekdays as the happy hour crowd fills this join up.

    Photos
    The Centre Page
    The Centre Page - Downstairs dinning area

    Downstairs dinning area

    The Centre Page

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    The Banker

    The Banker

    4.3(16 reviews)
    0.9 miThe City
    ££

    We had passed this pub several times, as it is located on a common route to the hotel we were…read morestaying in, and we wanted to have our first London pub experience, so try it, we did. We arrived just after the work day, and the crowd was buzzing just outside. We did the self-seating option indoors, and sat down to a great view of the Thames river, as we pondered our meal choices from the menu. The location is just great. For a leadoff drink, I had to go with the house cask ale, which was the Fuller's ESB, a drink I've been enjoying since the 1990's, and it delivered as expected. I went with an order of Sausages with mashed potatoes and peas...it doesn't get much more classic than that, and I was happy with it, especially with the quantity (3 sausages!). Wifey was on the hunt for a meat pie, and she went with the Steak, Ale & Mushroom Pie, which I can report was wholeheartedly approved. One of the better pies we've had on the overall trip, and the best we had at a pub location. The overall vibe of this pub is exactly as you might picture it, and we weren't disappointed with any aspect. Service, though not overly patient (hey - they were busy), was competent and pleasant. Cheers!

    Great pub in the City of London. Found it while walking near the River front after crossing north…read moreover London Bridge. Casks, drafts, lots of seating - both indoor and outdoor. They had billiards and some other entertainment. Quick service.

    Photos
    The Banker
    The Banker
    The Banker

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    The Shakespeare - pubs - Updated July 2026

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