The Shakespeare in Birmingham

This is a zero reflection on the pub, staff,food etc as we never got past the front door. I arrived yesterday at 1pm with a friend and between us we had 5 kids for lunch. We had travelled to Birmingham for the christmas market and wanted to eat in a typical English pub. Unfortunately when my friend opened the front door at 1pm we were roared at to get out by a "woman" screaming that we weren't welcome with kids she was a complete mess at 1pm and let this bar down badly as the kids were to afraid to walk past her so we had to turn and leave. Again it was 1pm that "woman" shouldn't of been served in my opinion she was very drunk and caused more noise than the 5 well behaved kids would have. We were lucky we walked straight up the hill to another food bar were we were welcomed and fed you guys lost 7 customers yesterday for the sake of the drunken mess at your front table.

We were back doing the Nicholsons ale trail! Love it in here, especially for Hugo, always friendly and really knows his stuff. Always a top notch Guinness! Very busy this time of year but Hugo still made us feel special - thank you!

I stopped here for lunch. It wasn’t crowded when I got there but was when I left. I had the steak and ale pie. It was pretty good and the feeling inside the place was old which I liked.

Have popped in here for a lunch many times, but this time, the pie was a bit dry and I was disappointed. It’s usually okay.

Good traditional pub. Good choice of real ales.

There triple sandwiches and chips are soo good,and my husband says there IPA is the best pint going,service was really good.

Bonito ambiente! Gran personal! Pippa Emily y Hannah eran muy acogedores! ¡No esperes eso en el centro del brum! Buenas cervezas bien mantenido pub limpio y ordenado!

Went before football more expensive than I thought it would be

Este es un pub concurrido en el centro de la ciudad. Estábamos allí en un almuerzo entre semana. Parecía haber una buena mezcla de asiduos, turistas y trabajadores en su descanso. Hay una amplia gama de cervezas - el Doom Bar estaba allí. Titanic Plum Porter está en camino. Ojalá esto hubiera estado disponible en nuestra visita. En su interior hay un pub británico “tradicional”, con muchos asientos, mucha madera oscura y una barra larga. Nos sentamos afuera, tomamos un par de pintas y vimos el mundo pasar. Es un gran lugar para ver a la gente. Si estás buscando una buena pinta en el centro de Birmingham este es el pub para ti.

Chris the fake Irish man was arguably one of the funniest bartenders! 10/10 customer service

Great atmosphere good choice of bears wines and spirits and the choice of food especially pies was great.

We stopped in to The Shakespeare pub around lunch time. The place was buzzing with people enjoying their pints and meals. A walk around the place reveals that they have a room available to be reserved for groups and a backyard garden as well.

I am 66 years of age and was with a retired party of 4. My bag was searched in which I had a small bottle of juice. I was told that if I wanted to enter the pub, I would have to leave the bottle of juice on the floor by the pub door. We walked away. Crazy was to treat elderly people. I would avoid this pub.

A good city pub with decent prices.very busy lunchtimes

Nice beers, friendly efficient staff, beautiful architecture, and nice nachos

A successful evening at The Shakespeare! The bar has a cozy atmosphere and we were completely satisfied. There was really nothing to complain about – everything was great. Gladly again!

My family came after a lovely day out, we were talking to the bar staff having a laugh on us getting more drinks we were told that we wouldn't be served as the jumped up child didn't like something we had said. This place is definitely not friendly as the barman also slagged us off for being from a different town, obviously wanted to.leave her shift early!!!

Was in Birmingham, shopping. Needed lunch, so popped into the Shakespeare, having passed on my way from train station. Really enjoyed the food and drink. Friendly staff. Will definitely visit again when next in Birmingham.

Nice place to meet up for a beer 🍺

Four excellent and well kept real ales. Looked after all night by two great bar persons, Jodie and chris. Close to the station and well worth a trip. Didn't eat but the food looked great.

Had a great time at The Shakespeare, great service and food, Thank you! Will be back next time I’m in Birmingham!

Chris and Emily were amazing! Great vibes, excellent pint pouring. I’ll definitely be coming again, thanks for your service

Nice food but nothing much about the environment ot service. Didn’t have alot of contact with the staff. It was quite chill.

Great beer selection, great craic with Chris and Emily. What more could you ask for ?

Chris and Emily were very welcoming and gave us a great experience. Good atmosphere and good drinks!

Great banter with the staff, great pours! Thanks Chris and Emily !!

Great pub, great music, which is why we stayed till closing!

Recently visited "The Shakespeare" and had an amazing chicken burger with a perfectly poured Guinness pint by Riya! Loved the warm and hospitable environment. Definitely recommend it! Great spot to unwind after a long commute.

Popped in whilst out shopping, needed up having a fantastic lunch! The steak and ale pie was up there with the best I’ve had and my partners fish looked great too!

Great pub great service great peoplle

The lady behind the bar was lovely (she said she had just joined), she was really knowledgeable about the food and convinced us to come and try it soon. We had a bottle of wine. Lovely atmosphere with candles lit and nice outdoor seating. I will update this review when we've tried the food!

Does this pub show football games? And does the pub attract a lot of away fans that visit Birmingham?

came in for a cheecky drinkypoo after some shopping and it was so perfect🥰🥰🥰 my server mason was so sweet and served me well. be back soon xxx

CozzzzYY place, definitely a must visit for a drink and food!!

In Birmingham again for another meeting, finished earlier than expected, so what better to do than pop in to my favourite pub in the city - The Shakespeare! Don’t usually have time for food, but as I had finished earlier than planned, I thought I’d treat myself. Having worked through lunch, I opted for the Buttermilk Chicken burger, and what a choice that was. Perfectly crisp coated chicken, perfectly melted cheese, with bacon and avocado to boot. And the sauce 🤤! Couldn’t visit the Shakey without having one (maybe two) pints of Guinness, almost worth a visit to Birmingham just for that! Spoke with Hugo, the AM there, who said that he takes great pride in the condition of the Guinness (and other draught drinks) as that’s his preferred drink and would hate for anyone to get anything substandard. Great job, keep up the good work. Will be back again before the German Market, but will be staying away whilst the market is in town.

Great atmosphere and service. Friendly staff, will definitely back when I’m next in bham.

Stopped in again last night, this time I indulged in some food. Had a fantastic Buttermilk Chicken burger with a side of fries, all washed down with a couple of excellent pints of Guinness. I was looked after by the team and they clearly look after their lines/cellar well. I always enjoy my visits to The Shakey, although in this occasion I didn’t stick around long as there was a football game in town, far too noisy for me.

Stopped by for a few drinks, lovely pints and fantastic service. Will definitely be back the next time I visit Birmingham.

Great little pub just outside New Street Station. The staff are super friendly and even though it is a small pub, the general atmosphere is warm and welcoming. Lovely place to have a catch up with friends over drinks or grab a quick bite, especially since the serving time is quick!

Lovely little pub just up from the train station. Visited whilst doing some shopping. Fab gin selection and lovely and welcoming team. Thanks!

After a long day at work I went into this establishment for some food and a drink and my god it was marvellous my server mason was very helpful on my choice and gave me good recommendations , overall I will be visiting again what a lovely pub!

Went into this establishment on a busy Saturday and the staff were amazing! They were all so friendly, nice and very helpful. thank you!

Love this fine old pub❤️Great Food.Fantastic Service Can't recommend it enough👍

Had a lovely pint after going out with my husband and the waitress izzy was so charming and funny. favourite pub ever😍

I had a fantastic time here, the atmosphere was cozy, and the service was top-notch. A special shoutout to Riya, who was incredibly sweet and attentive. She made my visit extra special with her warm personality and great service. Highly recommend this place!

Had a lovely time here with friends, friendly staff, welcoming atmosphere and a great selection of drinks. Will definitely be back!

Lovely little pub right next to the train station! Popped in to collect ourselves after a long train journey and it was lovely - great beers, looks like a proper pub - very much enjoyed my visit and I’ll pop back in again next time definitely!

We had an amazing time here with my team. Thanks to the bar staff.

Still always lovely to nip into the Shakey when we visit. Next trip will be for the Christmas markets, looking forward to the mulled wine!

Great pub, but just too noisy for us but we still enjoyed our time there.

Such a great little find right next to the station. Would 100% recommend for food and drink, the staff were great and the beer selection was even better

A historical drinking den of mine Many a Friday night drink after work The staff now young and the in crowd but not the inn crowd as Much humour as a fire in an orphanage But it's a pub

Nicely pulled pint. Service with a smile was a bit of a miss but it was a pleasant experience to sit outside and enjoy the sun & breeze

Looking for somewhere to settle in for a few quiet afternoon pints - the first of the day- I stumbled upon The Shakespeare. Looked ideal, so in I went. On ordering I was met with the strongest look of contempt I can recall ever witnessing (and I worked for several years in Ireland's busiest acute psychiatric unit). Yes, I was served, and there was nothing wrong with the beer, but... I don't expect all sweetness and light when ordering in any bar, but I can really do without feeling like I've just landed in the reception area of a gulag Epilogue - so I went to the Head of Steam where I was received in a civil manner and served a pint which was about £2 less expensive

Expensive Guinness but has outdoor seating when the door men allow. They say no drinks outside when villa or blues at home. But I've asked why at times when no football is on. Doormen replied cus he doesn't want to collect outdoor glasses. 😒

Very comfortable really enjoyed a beers food looked great.

Just a quick beer after the cricket but a great venue to stop at.

Menu said food from12, waited until 12.45,and told would be another 45 mins.

Dog friendly,good food, good beer, brill atmosphere. What more is there to ask for?

Good choice of beers, nice theme to the place

Nice pub, with good selections of ales and beers. Food was fine, sauce that came with veggie burger was memorably good. Would pop in again if passing. Thanks.

After a busy day travelling, called into The Shakespeare for some dinner. I had the Classic Cheese & Bacon burger and a pint of cask ale. The food was delicious and really hit the spot. The beer was perfect. The service was friendly, efficient and professional. The pub was busy. Highly recommended.

A fab pub full of atmosphere in Birmingham plus I did the Guinness challenge first time spot on 👍

Nice chilled place to enjoy a drink close to the station

Was a warm day, the inside of the dark brown pub smelt like sweat. Managed to get a table outside where we were treated to entertainment of two spice heads fighting. Not the pubs fault all the dregs of Brum seem to congregate in the local area but still hard to overlook. Didn't eat (couldn't stand to eat inside and didn't enjoy the outside ambience) and bar staff were attentive enough.

Very nice pub if a little pricey

Popped in for a couple of Guinness and fish and chips! Came to £28. The food was delicious and the service was great!

Popped in here on a Saturday afternoon for a few drinks with my daughter. It was quite busy with people standing at the bar and sitting at the tables. They have a great range of beers, ciders, ales and spirits. We did not order food so I can't comment . The bar staff were excellent and tried not to keep people waiting too long. I ordered a pint of Madri which was refreshingly cold, crisp and tasty, my daughter had half a Weston's cider which she equally enjoyed. This is a nice little city centre pub, can feel a bit claustrophobic when busy though, and whilst the atmosphere is pleasant, the toilets are a bit small and the gents were quite smelly. We wanted to take our drinks outside but we were politely told by one of the door staff we could only do that if we sat at one of the outside tables, which unfortunately were full - they won't allow you to stand and drink outside-which I find strange as I've walked past before and seen people doing this. So we went back inside to stand. Shortly after, one of the door staff came to tell us there was a table free, which I thought was lovely of him. Both the gents on the door were chatty and polite. Sitting outside was great, watching the busy street but, and this is no fault of the Shakespeare, we were approached 3 times by homeless people asking for money. That and the almost constant sound of street preachers and dodgy buskers really lets Birmingham City Centre down in my opinion.

Typical city pub, prices reasonable but no choice of real ale.

Excellent, I enjoy that old pub feel , alot of atmosphere and with little effort I was made to feel at home very comfortable experience ,didn't try the food but barmaid madon was very knowledgeable recommending a whisky to my taste and a large selection of gin a very nice experience for anyone looking for that local pub feel with good music ,whether your a local or not,izzy and mason offered effortless customer service making my stay very comfortable while away from home .

Great boozer, lovely staff and a good selection of beers, Izzy, Emily, Jodie, Mason, Hugo and Harry all friendly and charming.

Came here with a group of friends Bar was soaked in beer and sticky so was the floor. Not much seating and very hot and sticky. Not somewhere I would take the wife.

A lovely old pub with lots of character. And when you went in you felt welcomed

Brilliant. What can you improve? I will tell you. Nothing😁. Fabulous

Went here because it was very close to the station. Staff were friendly and helpful, service was great!

I like Nicholson's pubs as they're always decent. This is no different. Good ale, friendly people

Four stars because it's quiet and has a good range of beer.

This place used to be great, but we went there yesterday and got charged almost £18 for 2 drinks. Obviously we just went elsewhere. Fortunately there are plenty of places nearby that charge half that.

Lovely old pub great pint of Guinness

Great spot with excellent selection of beer! Fairly priced and great atmosphere.

Quick stop off on the way home last night. Busier than usual for a Thursday, but good to see. Had a great pint of Shropshire Gold. Didn’t order any food this time, but I will be back. Keep up the good work!

Great pub right next to New Street, the only downside is the constant stream of beggars outside, not the pubs fault though

Just popped in for a quick pint, very hand for the train station.

The pub seemed a bit dingey inside. Not sure I'd come back again. The staff weren't very interested in the customers there so overall it felt not very welcoming.

The service that we were given from the bar staff was exemplary. From being found a table for two, then being told that another table was free, that may be better for us and it was as we had more room. Checking what food was available as we were at the end of the lunch time period. They checked on us regularly, to see if everything was to our liking. Considering how busy and noisy it was. It saw as if a football match had just ended. All in all it was a very enjoyable experience.

To be honest, I ate the best fish and chips ever here. Warm and welcoming atmosphere, a real English pub.

Friendly and helpful bar staff, excellent beer and a good, quick fish finger sandwich on a Sunday lunchtime. We’ll be back on our next visit to Brum.

Changed my mind. It was really good.

Had a great time here meeting my friends

The Shakespeare is a great spot for locals and visitors! The staff are friendly and service is fast. With it being directly next to Birmingham New Street station it is perfect for a quick drink or snack. As we came for a quick drop off I grabbed a nice pint of Amstel and also some bar snacks. We ordered the Ham & Cheese Toastie and chicken bites which was absolutely amazing! They have lots to choose from and the quality of food is great! Highly recommended

Toasted beef sandwiches plus chips and salad.

Fantastic pub in the heart of Birmingham

Really busy and noisy, but it was a Saturday football day.

Out with friends for me 60th very nice friendly place

Decent selection of ales. Close to New street station

Proper pub! I love it in here, its comfortable and has a great atmosphere, bar staff know what they are doing, plus it has lots of passing trade so has a traditional feel. Also do the most amazing nachos 😋😍

Great pub opposite the station superb decor good music what more could you ask for when you get off the train! A good beer

Stopped in again for a quick pint before getting my train home. I wasn’t there long enough to get food in this occasion, but had an excellent pint of Shropshire Gold (had recently come on so a pretty fresh pint!). As usual, a perfect serve, accompanied by some beef crisps. Always have a lovely experience at The Shakespeare, with attentive and knowledgable staff. Great recommendation on ale. Will be sure to stop by again. I’m not in town very often, but make sure to pop in whenever I am.

Lovely old pub. Drinks expensive

We didn't have food, just beer. Was nice to find a good pub