The Shakespeare, Lincoln

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Blackthorn _ left this review about The Shakespeare

A traditional looking, white stone-washed pub on the main road in to Lincoln. Inside however, it’s clearly had a contemporary makeover, which may well have detracted from some of it’s character.

There are two bars, with the lounge on the left and the “public bar” on the right. The lounge has had some work done, with a remarkably shiny, almost mirror like wooden floor, new curtains and new furniture. Up a couple of steps at the rear is a separate carpeted area. The walls however remain artexed, and the ceiling too is fairly rough and ready. There was a plasma on the rear wall with regular Sunday night TV being screened with the volume up rather too loudly. The only other couple in here were glued to the TV, which didn’t create much in the way of atmosphere. There was a dart board on the floor below the plasma that looked as though it could be hooked over the top of it when required.

The public bar also had two plasmas on showing the same TV channel, and again with the volume up too loudly. If I want to watch TV I’ll stay at home and do it, thanks all the same. Here there is also a wood stripped floor, albeit it not quite as shiny as in the lounge, a few leather high backed chairs, a selection of fruit machines and some unusual table top quiz machines as well as a couple of signed football shirts in display cases. The tables were all very high with correspondingly high chairs which made manoeuvring them difficult. The walls had been re-plastered in this bar giving a more up to date appearance, but the Formica fake wood front to the bar counter let the decor down somewhat. The barmaid was friendly and chatty, but this couldn’t compensate for the lack of atmosphere. The two punters watching TV in the lounge soon left, and it was only us left.

The only beer offering was keg John Smith’s and Old Speckled Hen. There was a cask pump, but apparently this had run out earlier in the day. The solitary cider was Strongbow, which would have been bad enough if they were actually serving it, but this was also off as the lines were being cleaned.

On 3^rd July 2011 - rating: 5
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