Shakespeare Tavern, Bristol

A traditional pub oasis in the central area of modern soulless bars, this 18th century pub still has two rooms although they are now linked around the central bar. Comfortable and warm with a couple of log burning stoves in the original fireplaces, wooden floors, mostly traditional seating but with a few settles but also the occasional high version, some wood panelling, decor includes dockyard/river scenes plus an excellent aerial view of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Jugs and pots over the bar and on the fireplace mantle. The back room has some coloured glass windows but these seem to have been added over wired glass windows outside. No TV, just background music, beers from Greene King, the "house" beer called Shakespeare was a 3.9% offering but had that distictive GK taste, so one of their others I'd say, 3.9% Morland Original perhaps. Old Speckled Hen, Golden hen plus Abbot on handpump as well, IPA on one of those shiny font things, Food served, including tapas/light bites. Outdoor seating to the front at high tables and stools.

The Shakespeare Tavern is a traditional pub a short walk away from the brash barn drinking houses of the harbour waterside. It benefits from a grand frontage, being a former Georgian merchants house which was converted into an Inn in the 1770’s and as it’s a grade II listed building, the frontage is likely to stay this way. The entrance is up some steps from the roadside and past the couple of outside tables on the small balcony area out front. Inside it’s a two room pub. I only ventured into the front room which is a traditional wood interior with panelled walls and wood flooring, bar stools along the bar and then wooden tables and chairs along the front wall. It has a large fireplace to the left and then a carved wooden staircase off to the right. This is a solid no frills drinking pub and you will not be disturbed by noise from TV’s or fruit machines in here because there isn’t any. The only let down is the beer choice as, although there are four hand pumps on the bar, it’s a GK house and three of these were IPA, Abbott and OSH. The fourth pump is a guest, but this was unfortunately off during my visit. Fortunately the IPA I did have was a very well kept pint. This is a very good traditional pub, and if it was a Free House with a better beer choice than the ubiquitous brews from Bury St Edmunds, it would be up there with the best pubs in Bristol.

Traditional pub interior, decent beer.