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Shakespeare, Stoke Newington, N16
N16
N16 8RY
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Shakespeare
Hidden away in a large residential area between Dalston and Stoke Newington, this is a very pleasant street corner pub with an elongated U-shaped layout. There are entrances on either side of the pub, each with their own mosaic tile floored porch bearing the pub’s name and also sporting some excellent etched glass panes including one denoting the Saloon Bar and other for the Luncheon Bar. Sadly, there’s no such distinction once inside, with any partitioning walls removed, leaving a long peninsular bar to serve two sides of the same room. The room is bare boarded throughout with hard pews and low stools around the perimeter and plenty of bar stools around the servery. The bar has a nice dark wood panelled counter and high modernised bar back decorated with a colourful retro poster for some random European drink. This is part of a wider theme, with many similar posters decorating the left-hand side of the room – some of the most striking breweriana I’ve seen in a long time. Elsewhere, old photos of the pub and blackboards listing drinks options fill much of the wall space, along with the temporary addition of a World Cup wallchart and bunting. To the rear right is a nice marble fireplace, lit on my freezing cold Winter’s evening visit, with a plain mirror above, and I also spotted a few TV screens dotted around the room, all switched off in favour of a pretty loud soundtrack. Limited pavement-side seating can be found to one side of the pub, and I think I saw a sign for a rear beer garden as well. I visited on a Saturday evening and was pleased to find the place doing a good trade, although less so when I realised that a good number of the customers were children.
There were three handpulls in operation when I arrived, offering a choice of Fullers London Pride, Taylors Landlord and Five Points XPA. The latter was a fairly reasonable £4.95 a pint and in pretty good nick. They also have a modest craft keg range including beers from Beavertown, Five Points and a selection of Eastern European lagers.
I only came here because the pub I’d intended to visit was closed and this was one of the closest alternatives, but I’m glad I did, as this is a very pleasant pub with plenty of attractive original features and a fairly decent beer range too. It doesn’t quite do enough to merit a visit in its own right but is worth the detour from the main thoroughfares to check out if you’re in the area.
On 9th January 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Shakespeare
Known locally as The Shakey,this street corner pub has some good internal features besides exterior seats tucked behind the low railings.The entrance has fine etched glass and great mosaics,and was once the way to two distinct rooms,partially opened out but retaining the upper section of the divide.Classic island bar.Pew seating benches with some really good features and fireplace at the end of the long side,no doubt the former lounge.This in turn leads to an attractive walled beer garden.
The large plate glass windows give plenty of light,and the wooden floor gives it an ale house vibe,there was no sign of food offerings.Wood panelling to the dado rail and some interesting art work on the wall to the short side.Sports screens were at minimal volume for the Test match.
Three real ales offered on my trip in Shepherd Neame Master Brew,TT Landlord and Five Points XPA (Had better,NBSS 3,£4.95) .There are craft keg options such as Five Points Jupa,Verdett's Xtra White and some Litonel lagers.
Decent enough stop on a crawl,the superior juke box maybe worth investigation although there is a free play option to maintain the calm atmosphere.Friendly welcome too.
On 12th June 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about Shakespeare
On approach, this would appear to be a fairly plain former Whitbread’s backstreet Stoke Newington pub, part of the reliably good Remarkable Pubs chain. It’s clad to the ground floor in rather staid brown glazed tiling with the curtilage bounded by very high railings to a beer patio. I came here once before in May 2018 and it hasn’t changed. It’s cited on CAMRA’s heritage list as having an interior of Some Regional Importance and indeed, there are some fine details such as the etched and cut-glass panels, console brackets to the bar and a fine marble fireplace to the rear snug, lit in colder months. There are satin drape curtains, the walls and ceiling are magnolia Anaglypta with brown lacquered wainscotting to around one-third height. There are hanging spherical opaque lamps and the floor is a bit rough; furniture is as you’d expect in a pub of this type. There’s a ‘secret’ back garden, looking all very tidy.
When I last came here, there was on overreliance on sport, but this has been hugely toned down, all for the better, with conversation being the dominant source of noise, rather than hysterical commentators. Indeed, the pub is literally in hearing distance of the Emirates – I could hear the home crowd cheering a goal on leaving – yet no TVs were active on my visit.
There’s no food here, with a BYO grub policy; I didn’t spot any of the jars of winkles in vinegar available on my last visit, which is a shame.
There were three ales on with a clip reversed. On my last visit, Five Points XPA was on but today it’s just Pride, Seafarer and Dark Star’s Orbit at a very reasonable £4.85 and in good shape considering.
Hands down this is the best all-round boozer in N16 and one of the best in the borough. It is though, let down by a rather dull selection of beers, the best choice in the postcode going to the nearby Rochester Castle. If this pub got its ale selection in order, it could easily be one of the best pubs in all of Hackney, but is certainly worth a special visit if in the area.
On 24th September 2021
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1983 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about Shakespeare
The ales on here were Sambrook's Junction; Adnam's Ghost Ship; London Pride; and Dragonfly Brewery's 2 O'Clock Ordinary (£2 a half). The latter was in fine shape, and is a standard, but full flavoured, brown bitter. Although this pub is now part of the Remarkable Restaurants chain, it is still very much a pub, and according to WhatPub doesn't do food - and I certainly didn't see any sign of food when I was in Saturday lunchtime.
There's a central island bar, and the three doors (two with their original vestibules) indicate the multi-room format that this old Victorian boozer would once have enjoyed. But there's still some original etched and cut glass in place; the bar counter's original, as are the cast iron columns of course.
The furnishings are almost entirely hard wooden settles, or recycled church pews possibly, hard wooden small round stools, plus a couple of armchairs. The floor's bare boarded with what looks like the original boards. The decor's all a bit avant garde (apart from a black and white photograph of Jimmy Greaves with the ball at his feet, probably about to score) with a 3D enormous depiction of a Roman (or possibly Greek) Godess on one of the walls, plus other arty stuff. But for all that it doesn't strike me as an arty sort of pub. According to a big chalkboard, the quiz is still on Monday evenings.
This is still a real pub. There's nothing remarkable about it, despite the operator's name, and the bit of arty stuff around the place, but I quite liked it although I was in at early doors when it was very quiet. It's certainly worth a punt if you're in the area, but it doesn't open until 1600 weekdays, so visits have to be timed accordingly
On 6th December 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about Shakespeare
I popped back in here one evening last week and found a much better welcome. Three Fullers ales were available this time along with Butcombe Bitter. Aesthetically speaking it was pretty much as I remember from my last visit, but I did spot a new addition of bar snacks with a choice of cockles, mussels and pickled eggs amongst others.
I also noted that there is a quiz every Monday from 9pm.
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20th May 2009
This isn't the most exciting pub and the barmaid didn't look very impressed to be working, but I did have a nice pint of Pride. Adnams, Discovery and HSB were also available alongside a selection of premium beers.
There seemed to be a more affluent crowd in here compared to some other pubs I have been in the area and there are no distractions from TVs or fruit machines.
This wouldn't be my pub of choice if I was going out on the tear as this is the sort of pub you would take a date.
I found it quite difficult to get settled and I don't think that I would stay for more than a couple of pints if I ever visited again.
On 4th October 2010
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5233 recommendations about 5201 pubs]