Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Poll for date of Halifax crawl. with ROBCamra
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Shakespeare Tavern, Bristol
Bristol
BS1 4QD
Pub Type
Greene KingReviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Danny O'Revey left this review about Shakespeare Tavern
Formal Geenw King pub, accessed up steps from the main road, traditional Georgian place, neat interior
On 11th February 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Shakespeare Tavern
A mid terrace building of substantial construction with impressive if worn steps up to the front door past a small front terrace.Don't worry about the Greene King signage,this isn't one of their corporate disaster zones but rather a very good ale house.The tap room is L shaped with very fine wood panelling all around,and traditional furniture.Through an arch is a comfy back snug with it's own bar access while up a steep staircase is a first floor dining room.On the ground floor there are no food menus,it's a fine place just to sup.There were 4 guest on my visit besides the obligatory GK IPA,namely Twisted WTF,Yeovil Stout Hearted,Summerskill Whistle Belly Vengance and a good Goffs Jester Brew 9,NBSS 3.5.
One to include on any real ale tour of the city centre,possibly worth lingering for a while as it's just off the tourist radar.
On 30th September 2021
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about Shakespeare Tavern
Good beer Guide 2021 entry. Greene King but with up to 8 handpulls on.
Small terrace area at the front and typically traditional interior.
Bar staff efficient, friendly and knowledgeable about their beers.
On 7th June 2021
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1338 recommendations about 1324 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about Shakespeare Tavern
Claiming to be the "longest serving ale house in Bristol", this is a nice two-roomer with some good old woodwork. Traces of an earlier refurb are visible, notably the graphic map wall, but have weathered in quite nicely. There is a small patio at the front. However the main attraction is the enthusiasm for beers, with an excellent and changing range of guests alongside the predictable IPA and Abbot, on this occasion including Gloucester Vanilla Porter, Hanlon's Port Stout, Great Western Bitter and Tribute, plus a volunteered discount for CAMRA. A good survivor amongst the various trendy places in the area.
On 27th January 2020
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about Shakespeare Tavern
The Shakespeare Tavern is a pub that is housed in a fairly grand looking building.
Once inside the bar faces in an oblong shaped room to the front, which is bare boarded,the seating is bench seating and chairs,there is a separate room to the rear which is oblong shaped and bare boarded,there are normal tables and chairs in this room.
There were five real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Wadworth 6X,which was a very nice drink,the other real ales were Taylor Landlord,St Austell Tribute,GK Abbot and GK IPA.
Food was being served,but did not take over the pub.
The pub was very busy on my late Saturday afternoon visit,there was decent background music playing.
I thought this was a decent pub to have a drink in.
Pub visited 15/7/2017
On 27th October 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Shakespeare Tavern
This is one of the few proper, traditional pubs left in the central Bristol area, and all the better for it. There is a small patio area at the front, which is a pleasant enough spot although being opposite a busy junction it doesn’t have much of an outlook.
Inside, there’s a front and rear bar. Neither are especially big and it can get quite busy in here, so you’re often unable to get a seat. Both bars are similar in style, with much dark wood panelling on the front wall, old floorboards and a few nautical items on the wall such as old black and white photos of ships and the obligatory display of various knots in a glass case. Although the pub does not have a nautical name, it is just a few yards away from the docks, so it’s appropriate enough, and in a nod to the pub’s name there was also a portrait of the Bard as well as a few watercolours of the local area. A fire-place to one side contained a wood burning stove, although on closer inspection it was clear that this was more decorative than functional. The rear bar is a little cosier and has a couple of interesting leaded, stained glass windows.
Beers on tap were the mostly from the Greene King stable with their Abbot Ale, Old Golden Hen and Old Speckled Hen. There was also Ilkley Pale Ale and a further pump which appeared to have run out. The solitary cider was Thatcher’s Gold.
On 27th September 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1948 recommendations about 1861 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Shakespeare Tavern
A respectable Greene King pub, with a lot of character. The beer was very well kept and the manager and staff were pleasant and friendly. I went for the GK guest, Ashley Down Brewery, December - well worth a look in.
On 19th November 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Shakespeare Tavern
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.
On 28th October 2012
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Shakespeare Tavern
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.
On 11th September 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Darren Bestley left this review about The Shakespeare Tavern
Traditional pub interior, decent beer.
On 31st December 2008
- rating: 8
[User has posted 10 recommendations about 10 pubs]