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Image posted by David Walton
Submitted on Thursday, 21st May 2026
With picture contributions to 2400 other pubs
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Detail Pages
The Shakespeare, SW1
SW1
SW1W 0RP
Reviews of The Shakespeare (Average Rating: 4½ of 10) see review guidelines
David Walton left this review about The Shakespeare
Visited previously 23/01/19.
Cask here was GK IPA, London Glory and St Austell Tribute. Keg offering of Level Head, the GK Pilfer peach lager, Madri, Jubel peach lager, Peroni, Estrella Galicia, berries & cherries Old Mount cider, Inch's, Hazy Day, Guinness, Moretti, Camden Hells, Amstel.
GK pub opposite the front of Victoria station. Bare boarded sort of almost closed U shape with the bar counter near the turn of the U on the left-hand side from the front opposite the station. Lots of regular tables and chairs, tall leather padded benches serving tall tables, some banquettes along internal walls - you get the picture. Several TV's showing earlier cricket action without sound, that provided by an easy listening music soundtrack. Quite low ceilings with ambient lighting and an overwhelming background of chatter of patrons in a busy station pub. Not the most exciting pub in the world but station pubs rarely are unless they have elegance and a great and varied cask beer offering - this one is a GK pub need I say any more?
On 31st October 2026
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2153 recommendations about 2103 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Shakespeare
Large, touristy pub opposite Victoria station, with a typical Greene King knocked about interior which still hints at a former multiple room layout. There are many separate seating areas throughout the pub, all slightly opened out into adjacent spaces and generally all feeling much alike one another, so that no particular part of the pub stands out as being the best place to grab a seat. Tables and chairs fil most of the floorspace, but a few high stools and padded benches can be found here and there as well. The walls have low wood panels with neutral shaded uppers decorated with corporate blackboards, plain mirrors and a lot of old pictures, many of which seem to relate in some way or another to Shakespeare and his plays. There are also a couple of display shelves filled with bottle collections, whilst a few slot machines have been squeezed into recesses around the room. The servery runs along much of the rear wall and has a nice wood panelled counter front and polished stone top beneath modern metal frame pot shelves. A large Shakespeare mirror dominates the bar back, which is otherwise quite a plain, boxy affair strewn with fake plants, which can also be found entwining the handpulls. Tunes played quietly in the background throughout my stay and there was a constant flow of customers coming in and out, as you might expect for a pub next to a busy station.
There were four ales available when I arrived – Greene King IPA, Abbott Ale and London Glory, plus St Austell Tribute. The latter was slopped up by a surly barman but was in decent enough nick and I was a little surprised to spot quite a few pints of cask ale being sold – turnover must be sufficient for them to keep four ales on the go.
I came here with extremely low expectations, having dodged the pub for many years thanks to poor reviews on this site and elsewhere, but it must’ve turned a corner in recent years, as I found it an entirely inoffensive, corporate pub experience, with decent beer, plenty of seating and a reasonable atmosphere. Not somewhere I’m likely to seek out, but if you’re looking for a quick pre-train pint, you could definitely do a lot worse.
On 20th September 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3387 recommendations about 3387 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Shakespeare
I came here once before around 20 or more years ago and I really don’t remember it being anything like this; has it been expanded into new buildings as it seems huge?
Essentially this place is one very large room, designed in wholly fake Victorian style, with split levels, multi-screens for sport, games machines, recessed aircon units in the ceiling and a Clear Channel illuminated advertising screen. The pub has more styles of furniture than DFS, with different zones receiving an individual theme. There are sauce bottles and plastic menus on tables and a security guard watching over all, who seemed to be tourists.
Ales: one reversed pump, then GK IPA and Abbot, so a Neck Oil it was at £3.35 a half.
This is a very poor pub, even by GK standards, but failed to prepare me for the neighbouring Victoria, but what should one expect when drinking next to a busy railway station?
On 7th November 2021
- rating: 3
[User has posted 2353 recommendations about 2290 pubs]
View more reviews of The Shakespeare (14)
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- Official site of The Shakespeare - www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk
- Facebook - The Shakespeare
- Twitter - The shakespeare
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Shakespeare - whatpub.com
London Victoria, 0.14 miles, 2 min walk (show)
London Charing Cross, 1.39 miles, 26 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 22 July 2020 by ROB Camra
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 22 July 2020 by ROB Camra
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 22 July 2020 by ROB Camra
- Beer Garden : No last updated 22 July 2020 by ROB Camra
- CAMRA Discount : No - Discount withdrawn - last updated 22 July 2020 by ROB Camra
- Car Park : No last updated 22 July 2020 by ROB Camra
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 07 November 2021 by Tris C
- Darts : No last updated 16 January 2015 by Nick Davies
- Dog Friendly : No last updated 07 November 2021 by Tris C
- Function Room : Yes last updated 22 July 2020 by ROB Camra
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 14 October 2015 by hondo .
- Jukebox : No last updated 16 January 2015 by Nick Davies
- Karaoke : No last updated 07 November 2021 by Tris C
- Live Music : No last updated 22 July 2020 by ROB Camra
- Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 07 November 2021 by Tris C
- Micropub : No last updated 22 July 2020 by ROB Camra
- Pinball : No last updated 16 January 2015 by Nick Davies
- Pool Table : No last updated 16 January 2015 by Nick Davies
- Quiz Night : No last updated 16 January 2015 by Nick Davies
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 22 July 2020 by ROB Camra
- Real Cider : No last updated 22 July 2020 by ROB Camra
- Wheelchair Access : Yes last updated 16 January 2015 by Nick Davies
- WiFi : Yes last updated 22 July 2020 by ROB Camra
