Shakespeare’s Head

The name itself captures attention and lures one inside. In the heart of Carnaby street, the place was packed downstairs — as it should be for a Thursday evening. They have seating upstairs — quiet and infused with old world English charm. One of the pubs I would keep in mind for quality sit down time with the perks of pubbing. Staff, for some reason, does not smile. But otherwise, this is a great place to go to.

Have been here a couple of times for my after work beers and also eating a Sunday’s roast and I have to say that the place is great for both occasions — if you are planning to come to have lunch/​dinner or if you just want to grab a pint with some of your colleagues and friends.
The place is really big so there’s always plenty space but you have to be quick if you want to get the best sofas located in the back.
Even if it’s big the place is not noisy at all and they have a great selection of beers and wines. They have also loads of different dishes including turkey or beef roast, fish and chips, hamburgers and hot dogs. The food quality is average but good enough considering the price and the fact that it includes a drink (including a glass of wine or pint of beer).
Staff is quite friendly but a bit slow sometimes considering the amount of people that gathers around the bar during peak hours.
The only thing I miss is table service considering the time it takes to order something at the bar when there are loads of people.

During a walk on Soho we had to stop at this lovely pub, they have a great menu and the environmet was nice too.
My wife ordered a fish and chips that was super crispy and very good with the tartare sauce.
I gave a try to a mash pie with succulent lamb shank. I was a little bit worry about this lamb shank but they nailed it! It was delicious and soft, perfect!
I loved, defiantly recommend.

Service upstairs was remarkably bad. Slow and surly! When we asked for drinks that were on the menu were told brusquely «we don’t have those yet». Had to chase down the waitress to ask for milk for our tea. We ordered dessert that didn’t require any preparation other than putting it on a plate, it took ~20 minutes in the uncrowded dining room.

Como excusa para despedirnos de David y Laureta, decidimos entrar en el primer pub que encontráramos disponible y le tocó a este local. Por ser un día de fútbol, en la terraza o en la planta baja resultó imposible encontrar mesa para 6, así que subimos al primer piso.
Como es habitual en un pub londinense, el exterior del local está decorado con flores, lo que hace muy vistosa la fachada. En el interior, el suelo enmoquetado y la madera darán calidez en invierno.
Por la hora en algunas mesas ya estaban cenando, pero en otras estaban tomándose cervezas o refrescos, como nosotros pensábamos hacer. El camarero que nos atendió se le notaba un poco desganado y así fue el trato que nos dispensó. Inicialmente pedimos un cortado, una cerveza y dos refrescos. No tenían ni leche, ni Ice Tea, ni Sprite o 7up. Tampoco tenían sacarina. Acabamos con una cerveza y unas coca colas. Así que desde luego, en este pub o, la tarde que nosotros aterrizamos, había más desgana que otra cosa. Menor mal que la compañía era buena.

want to see London at its chummy best? Grab a table here in the afternoon, order some fish and chips and a beer (at the bar, no table service) and stay awhile. This is absolute mayhem with loads of people with pints all thoroughly enjoying themselves. There are undoubtedly more authentic places somewhere that purists would prefer, but this has atmosphere you are longing for when you are a first timer to London and it’s an easy walk from Trafalgar Square.

Good atmosphere, poor service, and average food.
This was a place that is expected to have a good vibe and it didn’t let down in this case. However, the service was poor, (although not server’s fault necessarily). There was one server and a single bartender on the second floor. The server tried his best, but management really should have extra wait staff on peak nights such as Saturday night. This is just basic Management 101. Nevertheless, server tried his best, but fell short.
The food was also average. My wife’s «hot» sandwich was cool to the touch and average in flavor. My chicken pie was hot and tasted great. However, the rest (mashed potatoes, peas, and carrots), was under cooked and really not edible.
What also surprised me, was the beer selection. It was a Free House, (meaning it is not tied to a particular brewery or beer). They did in fact have a variety, but few actual English beers. Their selection was mostly imports. This would be acceptable for an average pub, but not one of history and prestige as the Shakespeare’s Head.
Nevertheless, if you want a pint of beer or even wine and cocktails while you people watch, this is a decent place. Otherwise, skip this and move on to the next.

Good food and drink for a pub. Made a stop here after shopping on Regent and Carnaby street. Very busy on Boxing Day. We enjoyed the food, drink and atmosphere.

A serviceable boozer in Carnaby Street. Nothing special and a little overpriced but hey, its the west end. The staff are pretty friendly and there’s always a lively atmosphere but I prefer the Crown and 2 Chairman or The Blue Post to be honest… still good for a basic drink.

Reading the reviews, I never understand why people complain that this place is touristy! It’s in a tourist area, on a tourist street in a tourist city. If you want an authentic English Pub that’s NOT touristy, then you need to head out of Soho and central London and find a Pub in a small village where only the locals go.
In any case, I love this pub, it has a great feel, the barstaff are awesome and the beers are good! Fish and Chips are average, but I come here to drink and people watch.
There are many pubs in the area, but I prefer this one– grab a seat on the street and watch the world go by…

Crowded, pricey, and in an area that’s rather touristy. We ended up here with the husband’s work crowd for Friday night drinks.
It’s not surprising for a pub to be crowded a) on Friday night or b) in Soho, so that’s not really terrible. But when I have to literally shout to the person next to me, it’s just not a nice time. Not much to say about this place, otherwise. It’s not horrid, but there are a lot of other pubs in the area that are better.

My first meal in London, and it really set the tone. Does London have a seasoning shortage? Use SALT, PEPPER and GARLIC, guys! The mashed potatoes were literally, I think, mashed potatoes. No cream, no seasoning, just gummy, putty-​like spud mush. And the vegetables were soft and flavorless. But the service was friendly, and the meat pie was great. The atmosphere in the dining room was lively and jovial. The ale is served barely below room temp, which is a British thing, apparently. So from all I can gather, this British pub is authentic. And there’s something to be said for that.

There is more than one Shakespeares Head in London. Keep this in mind when you’re telling your friend to meet you there. Don’t send them to Holborn when you’re in Soho… yep.
This place is one of the unofficial gateways to Soho in that it’s one of the first pubs you see, so it gets a lot of foot traffic and a lot of tourists. The beer selection is average, and if there isn’t a table available, there’s really not a good place to stand without having to shift around constantly. Not a whole lot to say — it does its job and not much more.

Really good ambiance, moderate price, good staff.

Der Pub ist das zweite Wohnzimmer der Briten. Dieser hier ist ein besonders gutes Beispiel dafür. Sehr urig und wohnlich. Ich würde sofort einziehen :)

Monopoly Pub Crawl — Stop #24 — Marlborough Street (Orange)
The original plan was to go to the O’Neills. Now I know, O’Neills isn’t a great pub by any standards as it’s been replicated far too many times to maintain any sense of individuality. But it’s big, good for groups, and fairly cheap. Unfortunately, none of these things were enough to keep it in business and the Great Marlborough location has now closed. So we called an audible and went to the pub right across from it — the Shakespeare Head.
This pub has always been busy with shoppers and the like (being as it’s virtually part of Liberty) and the relatively small size means that it tend to be crowded. With O’Neills out of the picture, it’s pretty rammed and getting served can be a challenge. I recall fighting my way to the bar with the board in hand and arguing for a signature. A quick shot and a messy scrawl, and I managed to escape the heaving crowds.
If you’ve got a choice, I wouldn’t bother with this as there is nothing really alluring about this pub and the crowd quite puts you off. Add to that the staff which can be hit or miss (some are very friendly, some are sullen and act as if they are doing you a favour by deigning to pour you a pint), it’s probably better to find another watering hoe.

This was my review as posted on TripAdvisor in March 2009:
This pub is located along Carnaby Street. It was 3:15pm on Wednesday March 4^th and the place is pretty full. During my 20 minute wait, 2 staff members walked by and ignored me. This has happened to me already in London, so customer service is not this country’s forte.
Oh regarding the food? Well I’ll just never know now!

Sein oder nicht sein, das ist hier die Frage
Es ist schon sehr anstrengend in London ein geeignetes Restaurant für die Mittagsmahlzeit zu finden. Zum einen erschwert natürlich das Überangebot die Wahl, dann sollte es natürlich auch nicht allzu teuer sein und darüber hinaus auch noch den eigenen Geschmack treffen.
Man kann natürlich zu genüge Hamburger bei Mc Donalds bekommen oder in einer der vielen Burger King oder Kentucky Fried Chicken Filialen einkehren, aber das macht ja eigentlich nicht satt, sondern eher ein noch größeres Hungergefühl. Es sollte also etwas Handfestes sein, und als Familie natürlich auch ins Budget passen. Das Kind wünscht sich Pommes, der Vater ein ordentliches Steak und die Mutter gesunde Sachen die nicht so doll auftragen. Um all diesen Wünschen wirklich gerecht zu werden, muss man die Augen schon etwas geöffnet halten.
Mit diesen Wunschgedanken gingen wir die Oxford Street entlang, wo uns erstmalig die Hungergelüste’ trafen. Zwischendurch einen Hamburger bei Mc Donalds, aber wie gesagt, das stillte den Hunger nicht wirklich sondern wirkte eher wie ein Snack zwischendurch. Am Oxford Circus rechts abgebogen um auf der Regent Street in Richtung Piccadilly Circus weiter zu gehen. Komm, lass und doch mal eben in der Carnaby Street vorbeischauen, die alten 60’er aufleben lassen., bat ich, und die Familie war einverstanden. Ein kleinwenig versteckt, östlich der Regent Street, war sie aber flott gefunden.
Nur das 60’er Flair war irgendwie verschwunden. Das hatten wir doch etwas anders in Erinnerung. Also wandten wir uns dem anderen Wunsch wieder zu, dem Essen. Aber warum sollte es gerade in der Carnaby Street ein geeignetes Lokal geben. Mutter’ wollte mal eben in einem Taschengeschäft an der Carnaby Street schauen. Die Männer’ verweilten solange draußen davor.
Wir stehen da also auf der Carnaby Street, Ecke Fouberts Place und lassen unsere Blicke nichts ahnend schweifen, bis diese auf ein Ecklokal fallen. ‘Shakespears Head’ (
) ist dort groß angeschlagen. Schnell ein Blick auf die Speisekarte geworfen und die Hoffnung auf ein tolles Dinner war erneut gegeben. Diese versprach nämlich genau eine Mahlzeit nach unser aller Vorstellungen, und das zu einem vernünftigen Preis. Ein paar wenige Tische waren vor dem Gebäude aufgestellt, aber diese waren leider schon alle besetzt.
Aber ein Blick in den Gastraum ließ die Vorfreude wieder schwinden. Das ist ja nur ein PUB! Die Hoffnung wurde jedoch nicht aufgegeben und ein weiterer Blick um die Ecke gewagt. Und siehe da, ein zweiter Eingang wurde gesichtet. Eine kurze Nachschau, und man musste feststellen, dass sich hinter diesem Eingang eine Treppe zum oberhalb des Pub liegenden Speiseraums, dem Familyroom, befand. Dort waren sogar noch Tische frei.
Schnell die Mutter geholt, und ab über die enge, knarrende Holztreppe in die obere Etage begeben. Am Eingang wie üblich gewartet, wurden wir bald von einer freundlichen Mitarbeiterin des Lokals in Empfang genommen die uns einen Tisch in der Nähe des riesigen Wandkamins zuwies. Die Einrichtung mutete ziemlich alt an. Dicke Eichentische mit entsprechender Bestuhlung, absolut gemütliches Ambiente durch die mittelalterliche Raumgestaltung. Als wäre hier die Zeit stillgestanden.
Auch das Essen war sehr geschmackvoll. Die Speisekarte ließ keine Wünsche offen. Das Personal war sehr freundlich und die Gerichte wurden zeitnah serviert. Offensichtlich war das, was wir auf den Tellern hatten auch kein Dosenfutter’, sondern wirklich frisch zubereitet, jedenfalls schmeckte es so.
Der Aufenthalt in diesem Speiselokal war wirklich ein besonderes Vergnügen und hinterließ einen bleibenden Eindruck, ohne den wahren Hintergrund des Ursprungs dieser Lokalität zu kennen. Diesen erfuhren wir erst zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt, als wir die Englandreise zuhause nachbereiteten.
Der Geschichte zufolge ist dieser Pub 1735 erbaut worden. Die damaligen Inhaber waren Thomas und John Shakespeare, entfernte Verwandte des berühmten Dichters William Shakespeare.
In früheren Zeiten stand der Pub auf dem Gebiet der Kaufmannsgilde in der Nähe des Gutshofes Six Acres Field’. Seit dem 18. Jahrhundert befand sich hier ein Straßenmarkt, und im 19. Jahrhundert gründete sich anliegend eine Reitschule von Major Henry Foubert. Seit den 60’er Jahren des 20. Jahrhundert findet man hier eine der bekanntesten Londoner Einkaufsstraßen, die durch den Hippistyle der Flower Generation’ der Swinging 60’s bekannt wurde.
An der Gebäudeecke ist eine Shakespearfigur angebracht, die offensichtlich aus einem Fenster auf die Straße hinunterschaut. Die fehlende Hand dieser Figur ist durch einen Bombeneinschlag im 2. Weltkrieg abgerissen worden und nicht wieder ersetzt worden.
Und wieder zeigt sich einmal mehr, dass Geduld mit etwas Glück zum Erfolg führt. Dieses Restaurant werden wir jedenfalls bei unserem nächsten Londonbesuch mit auf die Liste der Orte setzen, die wir auf jeden

This was one of the pubs I went to during my first trip to the UK. Despite the chaos of locals coming in and out, it was just what we where looking for. The décor was simple, lots of wood components which made it cozy in a weird way. The staff was very friendly, and on point.
I had a falafel burger, and it was hands down the best one I tried during the whole trip. My sister had one of their pies, and that one was yummy also.
Overall, nice place to have a couple drinks and people watch.

Went here for a late dinner, the restaurant is situated upstairs which is a plus as it’s quieter than the pub downstairs.
I wasn’t overly impressed. Food was OK at most, I ordered a roast beef dinner and was presented with 3 measly slices of beef! I want more! The mash potatoes were very nice though as were the Yorkshire pudding. But at £10+ it’s not good value for money at all. Good location near/​on Carnaby Street and service was quite friendly/​informal which I liked.
I would probably come back for drinks only.

It is a run of the mill pub with debatable history and slightly overpriced beers. However, it is in possibly the best corner for people watching and outside drinking in all of London. You’ll see it all here, settled behind the reassuring comfort of an icy pint.
Cheers to location, cant be beaten.

Have no idea what relevance this pub has with Shakespeare, except they have a bust of his upper body leaning out of a window on the outside. Bask in the history tourists… for thou ist in the shadow of the bard! Clicky, clicky photee photee.
Décor straight out of the ye olde London pub guide complete with dark mahogany and textbook fish and chips on the menu. This is the kind of pub tourists and newcomers to London visit before they realise they are a dime a dozen and there are actually proper pubs around the corner.
Nothing special about this place at all, ‘cept a crazy lady sat down next to me and tried to sell me a flower, she’s a Carnaby Street local loony. But you can sit outside on a sunny day and enjoy the march of the trendy and the pleading desperation and annoyance of the charity muggers.

I worked here in 2002-​03 so I am biased. Please consider this before moving on.
It’s owned by a large conglomerate of pubs that specializes in looking like they are original. This is nothing new and you would probably be hard pressed to find a real old world pub in London. The primary manager is a dick. And unless he has retired or moved on, I sincerely doubt anything has changed. His wife is alright and his kids are adorable. It isn’t as touristy as it could be considering it is in the center of stupid tourist ville.
Other than that, there are some locals who are great, it gets crazy on Friday and Saturday nights. Tip your bartender. They make shit for money.