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Shakespeare, Canterbury

Pub added by elizabeth mcgraw
5 Butchery Lane
Canterbury
CT1 2JR
Phone: 01227463252

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Shakespeare

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.

On 29th January 2023 - rating: 6
[User has posted 8066 recommendations about 8066 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Real Ale Ray left this review about The Shakespeare

Traditional pub interior with a Gastro style eatery at the rear, it was quiet on our early doors visit. The bar had four handpumps, with three in operation. I wanted a pint of Spitfire, but the pub clip was turned back. The young barman, made a suggestion towards their craft keg served in the kitchen area. We settled on a couple of halves of Late Red, which was tasteless.

On 10th November 2016 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3378 recommendations about 3378 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


E TA left this review about The Shakespeare

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.

On 28th January 2014 - rating: 5
[User has posted 3272 recommendations about 3237 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about Casey's

Previously known as Casey's, this Shepherd Neame pub has happily returned to a variation of its original name, having been recorded as Shakespeare's Head, Shakespeare's Inn, Shakespeare's Tavern and just plain old Shakespeare. Like most of the buildings on Butchery Lane, it's a historic setting, with records of the pub dating back to the 1700's, although the current building has been given a few modern touches to satisfy the needs of a wide customer base. The interior is bare boarded, with a few seats in the front section before you reach the servery. The rest of the pub is laid out down the right hand side, where various areas open out into individual rooms of sorts. There is a good deal of Shepherd Neame brewerania dotted around the walls and I noted some displays of various beer bottles, again mostly from Shep's. One unusual feature that I don't think I've seen anywhere before was the use of adapted milk churns as bar stools - a novel idea and quite a fitting choice in this pub I thought.
There were three Shep's beers available on our visit - Master Brew, Spooks Ale and a very drinkable Tallyman's Special. The bar staff were very friendly and gave a warm welcome to our potentially daunting sixteen-strong stag party group. The pub does food as well, and the menu noted the pub's efforts to source ingredients from the local area.
I thought this place had a nice feel to it and I enjoyed exploring the interesting building and the effects of their tasteful refurbishment. It's a good option for tourists wanting a bite to eat, but it's not to be disregarded as a drinker and I enjoyed the best pint of Shepherd Neame beer here of the many I sampled across a long weekend in Kent.

On 16th November 2013 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]