What a perfect way to wrap up our vacation ! We were on the hunt for a fun, lively pub to soak in some local vibes, and by sheer luck, we stumbled upon The Shakespeare Pub. The atmosphere was just the right mix of relaxed and energetic, just what we're looking for. The menu was a pleasant surprise, especially with several vegetarian delicious options. We ordered the cauliflower tacos , loaded mac & cheese , a hearty steak & ale pie, and a fresh . Of course, the beers were cold and plentiful, just how we like it. The staff was quick, welcoming and super helpful, even if we did have a little initial confusion about how to order but turns out, that you can just head to the bar and order. read more

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I wanted a classic pub while visiting London for the first time and it was pretty close to where we were left off for a tour so figured why not! The fish and chips were just ok, the breading slid right off and could have been a little crispier. The fish underneath was moist but a little under seasoned, not terrible though. The fries were just ok. I really loved the interior vibe, lively and cheerful. Good drinks on tap especially the ciders. It was super crowded but we were able to find an edge of a table. read more

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Nice beer and cider selection and friendly/helpful bartender but the fish and chips were very meh. Bathroom also could've been better kept. Just go for a drink if you're around Victoria Station and eat somewhere else. read more

Just stopped in for a late-night chips and beer after a long work day. The chips were fantastic, nice and crisp, salty and thicker cut without being soggy. Beer was solid! Fun vibe, like that it was casual and walk-up service to make it easy. 3.5 rounded up read more

Nice place. I do agree with another review that mentioned the pub is a bit confusing to figure out where to go to order initially...but easy enough to figure out after a few seconds observing. This is a classic pub atmosphere and food. We stuck to drinks because we had a late lunch planned elsewhere and wanted a quick drink. My Old Mout Cider was really good. My husband wanted London Glory, and unfortunately they were out (bummer!), but they offered an Abbot instead. He said it was a good alternative. Staff is quick and ready to offer alternative suggestions. This is a good spot for a London pub experience for a quick beer and bite. read more

The Shakespeare - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Gins to choose from. My friend had the peach gin and 7-up. It was a candy drink- I did not feel the gin but the peach. I am sure 3 of these and there will be no pain. I had a 1/2 a pint of Lager- hot weather out there 88 f Pub always busy - jump into a table right away read more

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The fish and chips were very good. You walk in and pick a table, note the number, go order, give them your table number, and your food will be out shortly. Ketchup and vinegar are available. Very convenient to Victoria Station. read more

Best fish, chips, mushy peas... great ambiance. Wish they had seats at the bar, though...

We would stop here most nice on the way home to our hotel. Always had a great time inside as a large area never felt crowded. Always felt taken care of. read more

Love the food!!! fish, calamari, etc .... They were bomb! especially the sticky toffee pudding The service was very good even was busy that time. It's a pub. English pub but the section area was okay with kids I'm going again soon.... read more

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We stopped here after getting the train because it was the first place we saw! The reason I'm taking away one star is just cause when we walked in it was a bit confusing to know what to do. We are from the US and didn't know if we just sat ourselves or what the process was. But we quickly found a table and ordered at the bar. Drinks and beer were good and food came out fast! And it was all also delish! My card was charged 3 times but it seems to have fallen off now. The machine was being funny so I'm sure this was just a mistake. just make sure you check your card! read more

Great pub with a very friendly atmosphere. Walked in and were able to walk right up to the long bar and were greeted immediately. Easy to order and pay. Excellent beer selection. Highly recommended for a short break and drink. Food also available. read more

This is a cool old pub with great food, a great location and the service went above and beyond

Food is reasonably priced. They don't have any sauce to go with the English breakfast except ketchup.

Loved this place. The vibe was nice, staff were great, the drinks were good, and the toffee pudding and pie we ordered were delicious. I would definitely recommend. Loved Shakespeare! read more

The Shakespeare is located right outside Victoria Station in London (UK), making it convenient for travelers to grab a bite or a pint. It appears to be a traditional English Pub but my companion and I dropped in for breakfast on a rainy morning before wandering off to visit Liz and Phil at Buckingham Palace. We wandered in and waited a few minutes to be greeted and seated but that didn't happen. We chose a table and somebody said we have to order and pay at the bar. We kept it simple by both ordering a bacon and egg sandwich and coffee. The kitchen kept it really simple by slapping a fried egg and a couple pieces of bacon between two slices of plain white bread (with crust) on a plate. No garnish, no frills. This is as plain as it gets. It tasted okay. It's hard to mess up three ingredients. The coffee was good, freshly ground and brewed. The rest of their menu featured some traditional British pub fare, such as Steak & Ale Pie, Bangers & Mash, Scotch Egg, Fish & Chips, and so on. And then there's Korean Spiced Chicken, and Nachos. Hmmm... Nothing stood out about our experience here. Everything was just plain, ordinary, and boring, but not bad. I wonder what it's like for lunch and dinner. BTW, Liz and Phil weren't in. read more

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The food was awful. It was listed as Scampi, but was served as a few (about 8) pieces of broken shrimp in a thick fried batter -- nothing about it was scamp-like. The garden peas were cold, hard, and shrunken. Do yourself a favor and walk across the street to Victoria Station for some takeaway. read more

The Shakespeare - The heavy greasy breading that covered broken pieces of shrimp that were listed as scampi on the menu. - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Great place for a quick bite and/or drink. Have a fun menu with London classics. Sit down and order at the bar with your table number. Fish and chips were great! Conveniently located outside metro. read more

First time visiting while on holiday and the steak & ale pie was absolutely delicious! (Wish they served this back in the states!). Located right outside of Victoria Underground station. Highly recommend to pair it with a cold pint of Guinness! Cheers! read more

The Shakespeare - Steak & Ale pie, Guinness - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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We have an awesome dinner here our last night in London. My mom and I both got the fish and chips, it was good. I'm not for fried food but when I'm London you have to have fish and chips. My dad got the beef pie with mashed potatoes, he loved it and are ever bite. We ended up getting desert, it was a strawberry ice cream cheesecake sundae. Very good. Plus great Guinness! read more

The Shakespeare - Fish and chips - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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The Shakespeare was opened late on Christmas with pretty decent prices ranging from 20-30 pounds. For tourists from America, you need to first grab a table before you order. The gentleman helping us seemed pretty annoyed when we didn't have a table number to give him. Since it was Christmas, I ordered their Christmas dinner plate and a cheesecake. Both items were OK to me but my boyfriend enjoyed the cheesecake a lot. If staying near the Grosvenor, I'd visit but not a place you should trek for. read more

The Shakespeare - Christmas dinner (they were opened for Christmas) - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Its never good to feel unsafe while having dinner. The back of my chair tapped against the back of another diners chair, unintentionally, and for which I apologized. The reaction from an individual at that table, who was not the one I tapped, was to threaten violence. The behavior seemed like a very poor way to welcome a visitor to your country. I mentioned the incident to a staff person, who apologized, but basically shrugged it off. This pub is located across from Victoria Station, and can be pretty busy, and it seems like a mix of people stopping for a bite and/or a pint. The food was acceptable, fit my expectations of a pub. the fish and chips were very nice. It can be a little confusing, you have to find a table that is empty, then order at the bar with your table number. The food arrived fairly quickly. Perhaps the angry gentlemen who seemed easily offended at innocent chair taps is meant to provide a real pub experience, I think I will pass next time and eat at one of the other restaurants in the area. read more

The Shakespeare - the exterior of the Shakespeare - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

The service was fine. The staff very nice and friendly. Ambiance is great for drinks. The best part of the food were the chips (fries). The shared plates: bao buns (inedible), sausages (dry), burger (dry, overcooked, unimpressive). read more

Really enjoyed this pub, it is next to where we stayed at the Clermont. Food was good, took a minute to realize you have to go to the bar to order. Silly American I suppose, quickly realized that's par for the course at the pubs in UK. Overall good experience, great location. read more

What a horrible meal! At dinner time on a Saturday half of the menu items were unavailable. So the four of us chose from what was left. Two received their meals promptly - mediocre chicken wings and terrible, greasy fish and chips with their warm white wine. The other two? Nothing. When approached the waiter said there was a mixup and it would be 10-15 minutes more. After 20 minutes when we located the manager - it appeared they forgot to prepare the food. Eventually a second inedible fish and chips arrived with a raw hamburger and uncooked bacon. Disgusting. And likely against health regulations. Avoid at all costs! read more

We stopped in for dinner. It was great! Fish and chips were exactly as we expected!!! We returned a few nights later and had a few drinks. No Irish coffees but we're not in Ireland so had some vodka sodas. Met some pretty chill English people that were playing drinking games, got pretty faded, had a lot of fun Convenient location, probably 3 minute walk from Victoria station directly next to the Z hotel which is another fine establishment I may add. Bill was reasonable and staff was super friendly! read more

The Shakespeare - Venison Pie! - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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Our tour guide recommended this pub so we were very excited to give it a try. Sadly, the food, atmosphere and overall experience were the worst I have experienced in quite some time. First: you order at the bar, however no one seats you, the staff you see on the floor do not provide direction so if you have not read a review that directs you to order at the bar you will be lost. Second: we got the fish and chips and the fish was so greasy I could not even eat half of it. The hamburger was ok, but really who can screw up a burger even though the fries were super over cooked. Overall I would recommend fast food or a sandwich from a convenience store Don't waste your time or money here. read more

The Shakespeare - Pornstar martini - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

My favorite pub in London so far. Tried 4 different pubs and this has been the best do far. Service is good and the cod bites were fantastic. Went to a special fish house for fish and chips and it wasn't anywhere near as good as Shakespeare's cod. Hell's Ale has been my favorite beer so far. Big place that is clean and a good crowd. read more

Vile, disgusting toilets that were not clean. Soap dispensers ripped off the wall and one available to use. Toilet bowls were vile. Poo and sick visible up the bowls so unusable. Toilet roll everywhere on floor, urine on floor in the male and ladies toilets! After telling a staff member of my concerns, he ignored me and continued to serve other customers. we were able to walk in on a Saturday night. Weird, as every other pub is fully booked on a weekend evening! People are walking off the street! if the toilets are that bad, what are the kitchens like??? read more

Did not eat because they were out of literally everything. The server/bartender was also terrible and basically came off as though that they didn't want anyone there. Just skip it, unless youre desperate to eat something quick before the train. read more

Skip this one. Worst fish and chips and steak pie ever. There are plenty of pubs in a stone's throw - pick one of those. Any of them. Shakespeare would be ashamed. read more

I remember coming to this pub back in 2011, namely because we had to travel all the way down here just to get to the Victoria Coach Station (and I discovered that trying to get from one side of central London to the other in a short space of time can be incredibly difficult). Anyway, I came here purely because of the name, and really wasn't all that impressed. However, since I happened to be back in the area, namely because the Gatwick Express dumps you at Victoria Station, I decided to check it out again. Well, nothing had really changed - it was still rather ordinary, and pretty crowded as well. While not one of the worst pubs I have visited, it certainly wasn't one of the best. read more

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Beer! Long day of walking, the beer is cold so we're hanging out We didn't stay to eat.

Convenient little pub near Buckingham Palace. Fish and chips are average and served with peas. Mac and cheese with bacon was the highlight! Find a table on your own and look for the table number. Order from the bar and let them know your number so they can bring you your food. There's a pizza parlor in the basement if that's more of your taste. Very casual sports bar feel, there were families and groups of friends of all ages. read more

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The place demands to go in. Food is English fair but have to try it and a beer. A great snack place place. read more

I would make a couple of things understood. First, this pub is owned by Green King, a large conglomerate with hundreds of locations in the UK. It is not a locally owned drinking spot. Secondly, know how things are in the pubs. You first find a table and get it's number. You then go to the bar and order and pay for your food which is brought to the table. These very noisy places are not where you come for a relaxed dining experience. The menus in the pubs are strikingly similar and feature many standards including bangers and mash, my meal here. This was comprised of three sausages, a mound of mashed, and peas doused in gravy. It was quite good but rather predictable. A had a side salad that was terrible. The Brits generally make them with a green called rocket which is extremely bitter. They certainly need some lessons in how to make a salad. Except for the salad, this was a nice place. Just know what to expect. read more

Just ok! Nothing special, trust me! Your typical pub fate but terrible service. The worst thing were the signs all over telling you to watch your purse and bags because of thieves. Closed circuit TV's were everywhere too. Seems like they have a major problem in this pub! I would avoid it. Plenty other great pubs in the area. read more

The Shakespeare - Cool pub in Victoria! - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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This place gets a solid three stars....nothing more, nothing less. Yes, there were hiccups. We ordered a chicken pie and a meat pie, and got two meat pies. When I tell you the mashed potatoes were ice cold, I mean that they literally were taken from the freezer and not heated thoroughly. Awful........ BUT alas, four tiny words saved the day: steak and ale pie. It was honestly good enough that I was glad we had two and didn't have to share...blessing in disguise! Filled with chunks of meat in a thick brown gravy and encapsulated by a crispy/flakey crust, this pie was hands down the best thing we ate in all of London. My fiance genuinely didn't think I could finish it as the portion is pretty big (imagine something slightly larger than the palm of your hand and 3-4 inches tall) but there was no shot I was leaving even a bite behind. We didn't mention the pie mishap since we absolutely loved what we ended up with, but told the waitress about our chilled mashies. She brought us a plate of piping hot potatoes and with the side of steamed veggies and pint of London Pride, our meal was then complete. In a pretty touristy location near Buckingham Palace and Victoria Station, the food and experience were much better than expected! Insider tip: log into the WiFi and you'll see a coupon for $5 off your meal. The coupon will be delivered to your email if you signup for it and you can use the voucher immediately on your phone. read more

The Shakespeare - Steak and ale pie - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Don't go, unless it is pertinent to eat someplace named Shakespeare. The service was terrible, I am pretty sure we could have left without paying and nobody would have noticed. Their version of a ploughman is bad. A weird Brie pie thing and an apple that was dry and looked as though it was cut the day prior. One person at our table ordered something completely different than what they got. They paid for what they ordered. Getting the bill was as challenging as getting service to start with. read more

As a tourist this place scared the crap out of me. Visited because it was next to my hotel. Felt threatened twice by the crowd even though security was outside. Bartender was nice enough but drinks weren't great and place smelled like urine. Nothing good here. read more