The Shakespeare, SW1

Much has been said about the Shakespear on various review sites, much of it negative, some of it justified and some maybe a little overreactive. Firstly, it is a Taylor Walker branded Punch tavern which are normally bywords for average at best and with half a dozen Taylor Walker pubs within a few hundred yards, it suffers from having no specific identity to single it out from its neighbours The interior is quite large and split into 5 sections, all much of a muchness in way of décor and furnishings with little that stands out of being of interest aside from a few old pictures of the area. One section is reserved for diners although it was deserted on my visit despite the pub being quite full. There was a sign for a lounge bar downstairs called Sapphires but the door was locked when I went to investigate although I believe there is a separate entrance located elsewhere. There were a couple of flat screen and music that was little more than a thumpy background against a cacophony of raised voices and would probably give me a headache if I was subjected to it for any length of time. The service wasn’t exactly prompt but was friendly enough when it came. The 4 ales available were fairly predictable to anyone familiar with Taylor Walker pubs, the choices being Old Golden Hen, London Gold, Doom Bar and Theakstons Old Peculiar. The Old Peculiar was decent enough quality wise but at £3.75 a bit pricey although to be fair it is a premium strength beer. A full pint might have made the cost a little more tolerable. Food is the usual PubCo choices with main courses around £8-£15. Due to its location right outside Victoria train and bus stations, it attracts a transient customer base largely made up of tourists arriving at the station or commuters gagging for a quick pint before going home. It is also a haven for bag snatchers and given the amount of warning signs (including the drip mats on the bar) I would expect that thefts are a regular occurence. Despite its numerous detractors it is always healthily populated and whilst it certainly wouldn’t be my pub of choice it does cater for the unadventurous and could probably be a lot worse.

This place is open from 10am until 12am everyday and serves food from 10am until 10pm, not that you would catch me eating in here. I arrived early Sunday evening and I had to wait a while at the bar even though there was no queue, but I was served a decent pint of Guinness. Also available were Pride and Ordinary alongside a selection of standard and premium lagers. There is a plasma screen, but no sport is advertised, and the music was very loud which I couldn't understand until I saw the state of the toilets and realised that it must be to drown out the screams of unsuspecting tourists who think that they have just booked a holiday in the hole of Europe. If this pub was located anywhere else it would have closed down years ago like many other inferior pubs have done. This is not the worst pub I have been in, but I do find it embarrassing that tourists think that we find establishments like this acceptable, even though they are the ones keeping it open.