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Detail Pages
The Shakespeare, Birmingham
Birmingham
B2 4JD
Pub Type
Nicholsons (Mitchells & Butlers)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about Shakespeare
Recently closed and refurbished and now rebranded as the 3rd Nicholson's pub in Birmingham.
Its had a tasteful interior change, keeping features like the half tiled wall, generally just (I would say) improved to fit with the Nicholson's image. Luckily there are some 'before' photos on here from Andy Ven.
There appears to be a suggestion that the rear area will be more formal dining.
Its 30 seconds walk from New Street Station (Stephenson Street entrance) and just off the the shops in New Street and therefore tends to get busy. With emphasis on more formal eating as well, it could be a victim of its own success and to be comfortable here you may need to time your visit. Also the staff are a little 'green' as may be expected from a new start. Its going to be interesting to see how this does, I expect it will be very busy come summer, and there is seating on the street outside. If the staffing improves and there is a chance of being more comfortable this could easily move up one or even two marks in my rating.
6 real ales, including Thornbridge Jaipur and 2 others I have never tried, the quality was very good. There is also a selection of wines, and mulled cider on my visit in December. Usual Nicholsons menu, pushing their traditional food (pies/sausage etc). The beer choice is similar to the other sister, Old Contemptibles, but is much better than previous here.
Its also 30 seconds walk from its new sister pub, Bacchus, but very different and, with the promise of ABC Brewery's 20 tap ale house coming next year, Birmingham continues to improve on the ale/pub front.
On 10th December 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about Shakespeare
A fine Birmingham boozer very close to the current Stephenson Street entrance to New Street Station.
Its not the biggest pub and is split into two areas, a bare boarded front bar, with a slight raised area to one side, and what looks likt somebody's drawing room at the rear which is carpeted and has a fire place. There are some nice touches, like the M&B mosaic as you walk in, and some of the tiling inside, and the end room decor. Its comfortable, clean and a fine place to drink, though its not large and tends to expand onto the pedestrian Lower Temple Street outside.
It has the same value for money menu as the nearby Troc.
Real ale in the form of Marstons Pedigree and EPA as well as Deauchars IPA when I visited. Beer was well kept.
Overall a nice City Centre pub & would make an excellent waiting room for the nearby station!
On 10th December 2010
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Soup Dragon left this review about Shakespeare
A terraced town centre pub, slightly garish in yellow, with etched windows and a small patio area.
The interior is an open plan room, though with two destinct areas with the serving bar to the right on entry. The decor is a mix of peach, yellow, white upper wall and ceiling, as well as some lovely green and white tiling. There were old photos of Brum on the walls. The place does food, but we didn't eat. There was a TV, with some programme on and the background music was general and a decent level. The service was friendly and the clientele a general mix and it was busy enough.
Beer; tap stuff with two nadpulls in immediate view, which were Everards Sunchaser and as good a Jennings Cumberland Ale that you will get. However, as the bar ias actually curved i found that there were two other handpulls, with Black Sheep Bitter and an excellent Timothy Taylor Golden Best on.
A pub i had not been into for at least 5 years, but one i wish i had. A definate success story on this latest visit and i will return more often now.
On 26th September 2010
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3067 recommendations about 3062 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Taylor left this review about Shakespeare
It was the first non smoking pub in City Centre BEFORE JDW came along. Not far from New Street station. Timothy Taylor is permament resident ale. You will be lucky to find table to eat as it gets packed between lunchtime and late evening. Huge mirror on rear of the room. Can be bit cramped on rush hour time. Nice pub, shame about the size.
On 4th February 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 75 recommendations about 75 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Chris Kilmister left this review about Shakespeare
Nice Pub.
Had some good times in the pub next door(Temple Bar) now a shoe shop, shame.
On 26th February 2008
- rating: 6
[User has posted 13 recommendations about 13 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about Shakespeare
One of 3 pubs in town to bear the Bard’s name, this is a smallish traditional style pub with an attractive exterior and 2 sectioned layout within. The front main bar has bare floors, a couple of subtitled TV’s and games/fruit machines. The rear section is carpeted with a further TV and some quite tacky Vegas style lighting. A staircase leads off to one side although I believe this is merely for the loos. There are also a few street tables out the front when weather allows
Despite obvious modern touches, there are a few original features by way of a quite grand fireplace, patterned windows, and remnants of old tiling and there are a few old photos of Brum on display although the emphasis is much reduced by the presence of multiple cheap drink promotion posters.
The ale choice was OK but not particularly interesting with Abbott, Landlord and Adnams being the options on my visit and it took some considerable time to get served given that it wasn’t even particularly busy.
It is an OK pub for a couple of pints without being anything exceptional and probably fine as part of a crawl but not anything of sufficient substance to warrant a lengthy session.
On 7th August 2007
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]