Shakespeare, Canterbury

Modernised pub in a historic building off a narrow lane that's almost an alleyway. Must once have had a lot of character, although much of the building's fabric remains so the various seating / dining area are still small. Also has a linked wine bar across a small rear courtyard. As a Shepherd Neame house, I found Master Brew (£4.50) and Spitfire from two of the four handpumps.

Shepherd and Neame, at WTF are you playing? What was once and should still be a fine, traditional city pub has undergone a ridiculous and wholly unsuccessful conversion into a cafe-style hole. It completely fails to be a wine bar, pub or American-style bar. The music is dire. Overpriced non-traditional contrived snacks are served on bits of wood – presumably plates are no longer 'cool'. Most of its Jacobean character has been removed. The staff are irritating and argumentative. The décor is naff and they forgot to remove the gaming machine. The courtyard is piled with empty boxes – is this an artistic statement, or have they just been too idle to take out the rubbish? The clientele were mostly pretentious morons. I am reminded of the Simpsons episode where Moe's Tavern is transformed into 'M'. There were 3 ales on. I managed to persuade the bar-thing that I really, really DID want a pint of Spitfire and not one of the alternatives he tried so pitifully to sell me, and found the beer to be in good condition but served much too cold and drastically overpriced. Until this place gets over its mid-life crisis I cannot envisage enjoying a return visit, but if you have an incontinent chihuahua, a straggly beard and delusions of 1970s trendiness, this IS the place for you.