Shakespeare Hotel

Amazing fish and chips! Nice local place with a pub feel. Friendly bartenders. Service was fast. I would definitely go back for the fish and chips. Very reasonable prices as well. It’s hard to find a meal for this cheap in this party of Sydney.

The first time I went to Shakespeare was about 5 years ago! It became one of those great places where I hanged out with friends. It’s cheap but still some of the best food pub I’ve had!
I went back yesterday after 3 years away from Sydney.
I have to give it 5 stars as the food is great and the upstairs rooms cosy.
Will definitely start going back again regularly.

Good old Shakeys! Great place to meet up with a few friends to start a Friday night with happy hour starting at 4PM. Expect to rub shoulders with friendly locals, lovable pensioners, occasional Aussie actors, and depending on your point of view some hot birds (see pic). Be sure to check out the scale model of the hotel sitting in the corner — amazing detail.
Gone are the days when you could bring your fish and chips in from over the road, but their own pub grub is great value and is one of the few places that hasn’t gone all out on the whole american style burger thang (please don’t).
A tried and true institution in Surry Hills!

This is the ultimate old man’s pub that’s for sure. As I approached a crowd of the older gentlemen and footy hooligans were loitering around outside.
Entering the pub you be pleased to know that there was just as many inside. The interior of the pub looks like it was back when ever it opened its door for the first time I’d imagine. With all that said though the back of the pub has a newer look to it with a nice modern eating area both downstairs as well as upstairs.
The pub is famous for its $ 12.50 dinners and I wanted in on that. Yes you heard it $ 12.50 for dinner. I don’t think I could even cook dinner at home for that price. It’s not just one or two options either they cater for all kinds of meats, fish and vegetarian selections.
I quickly ordered and was only waiting approximately 5 – 10 minutes and considering it was packed that’s pretty quick. I decided to order Chicken Schnitzel with mash slaw and mushroom gravy. The portion size was really big and for sure a bargain. The dish was very much like a home cooked meal. Basic but very tasty. No questioning the food here because everyone else’s looked quite tasty too.
They also offer $ 10 dinners during week nights so if your stuck till your next pay day then this place is bang for your buck.
While it’s not the best place to bring a date (unless you want an easy escape from the relationship), it’s perfect for a cheap eat or pre night on the town.

Favourite pub in Sydney!
Best bang for buck meals; everything is $ 12.50 and under.
Upstairs seating is chilled out and great for groups.
Range of beers on tap and bottled selection is great; they’ve got great stuff like 4 pines kolsch, somersby ciders and fat yak on tap.
Steaks never disappoint!
Cons:
I really miss the popcorn styled chicken. put it back on the menu!

Unfortunately the Shakespeare Hotel ain’t the same — meals got pricier, smaller and taste worse. New management, they say. RIP. Don’t go.

$ 12.50 menu is excellent I’m a frequenter of the parmy and fried chicken burger.
DO NOT GET THE PUMKIN RAVIOLI
(It sucks)
Everything else I’ve had has been good and it’s not so crowded these days.

Haven’t tried the food. Crowded, people illegally smoking, loud and stuffy. And full of housos– but that might be you thing.
Drinks well priced, but its best purpose is as a waiting place until there’s a table at Mohr Fish is ready

Good old feel pub. Cheap huge meals. Get packed in the evening. More space upstairs. And remember to bring cash or use the ATM at the pub.

What’s to say that hasn’t already been said? Cheap, fresh food. Massive portions. Standard priced beer. Old mann-​y feel. Good pub!

I lived in Surry Hills back in 2010 and back then I was very broke so when I discovered «Shakey», as I like to call it, it became my local in an instant because of its $ 10 meals. On a more recent trip to visit friends and family, I simply could not pass on having dinner at Shakey’s at least once. I have to say that even though the price has gone up a bit to $ 12.50 a meal, it still is an insanely low price for what you get. The plates are HUGE and the taste is simply incredible considering the is simply a pub meal. If this is your first visit, try the lamb shanks, the burger or the salmon. You will fall in love instantly! The prices on the beer are very decent and they have all the classics (Carlton, Coopers, Bulmers, etc.) Also, go have a look upstairs for a cozier setup that’s better if you plan to eat there.

This is a great, proper pub with affordable but tasty food. All mains are $ 12.50, which is a steal for Sydney. You can get everything from a rump steak, lamb chops, fish, to haloumi salad and pizza. My friends got the rump steak, one got the schnitzel and I had the haloumi salad, all delicious! Saw the lamb come out and it smelled sooo yummy. It is cash only so go to the ATM first.
Great prices, cool atmosphere, will be coming back to try more of the menu. Dessert is $ 7.50 but didn’t get a chance to try it.

I love the shakespere! the original thing to attract me to shakies was the $ 12.50 portions, nothing to rave about but good for their price and also good portions.
head right to the second floor for a very comfy atmosphere, best enjoyed on a more low key evening

The Shakespeare wins hand down for my favourite cheap pub feed in Sydney. They have an extensive menu of meals for $ 12.50. Personally I can never go past the steak — always perfectly cooked to order with a massive serve of mash (or chips), gravy and salad. I hear good things about the ribs, the lamb shanks, the pizzas and the burgers, so I guess you can’t really go wrong.
Beers are relatively cheap (for Surry Hills), and you can buy wine by the glass or bottle if you are so inclined. I’m pretty sure if you asked for a cocktail you’d get slapped.
Be warned that this place is pretty much always packed. Waiting around for a table is not out of the question. The cosy nooks in the upstairs section is the way to go if you plan on eating. If you’re just dropping in for a drink or 5, the front bar is gritty and charming. Loitering along the counter is encouraged.

It’s not pretty, but it does the trick! People generally come here for the cheap food rather than for the well-​worn, old-​school character of the pub itself. $ 12.50 is pretty good for a meal, especially in Surry Hills, but they did instigate a 25% price hike a while back — the meals used to be $ 10, something that the Shakespeare was famous for! But I guess inflation affects everyone!
The pub itself looks like it hasn’t seen any renovations in a while, and the front bar looks perfectly suited to locals who wouldn’t like change anyway. Upstairs, there is another bar and a couple of rooms with tables in which definitely give it a quirky look. It can get pretty busy with the throngs of people getting their cheap food, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, so you may want to get their early-​ish so that you won’t be attempting to eat a steak (the steak is great by the way) while standing up… it’s tricky!

I am not really the pub crawl type so it is not that surprising that I had never been to the Shakespeare Hotel. A friend of mine Nathan wanted to go for the $ 12.50 steaks (they actually serve a wide range of meals all for $ 12.50) When I went inside I was not impressed at all, it was a pretty daggy looking place. However upon going upstairs my first impression evaporated. It is fantastic up there. It is like a smoky 1930’s saloon with big, old furniture much of which is falling apart, it is dim and is pure atmosphere. I loved it. Suddenly the name Shakespeare’s made sense as it really was like entering some kind of time warp, has anyone seen my Tardis?
The food was very ordinary but for $ 12.50 who really cares, I would definitely go back, the atmosphere makes it entirely worthwhile.

I miss the days when very few people actually knew about the Shakey — and it certainly wasn’t cool. Now the hipsters have moved in and if you’re not there by 7pm on a Friday night, the chances of getting a table are slim to none. It’s still a loveable old favourite though, and the old English pub feel and super cheap prices will still have us going back time and time again. The $ 10 – 12.50 pub menu is excellent and the steaks are huge. Service is fast, so get a spot before you grab your buzzer. I’d avoid the dining room downstairs and head up into one of the smaller rooms on level one if you can find a space. This is a no-​nonsense, give me a $ 10 note and I’ll give you a meal kind of place, and I love it.

The Shakespeare Hotel in Surry Hills is teeming with attractive men. In fact, it’s one of the few places I’ve been to lately where the male to female ratio resembles a cricket score. Not that I’m complaining.
On this particular night, large groups of males (what is the collective noun for men?) are doing their best to sample the Shakey’s awesome menu — and sample they do, each guy having ordered at least two different plates from their menu of «over 20 main meals, nothing over $ 12.50, no conditions». And this is no small feat, as the plates here are piled high with chips, salad and a hearty serving of [insert meal here].
The Shakey is a great place to be, regardless of the sex of its clientèle. Thriving with Surry Hill’s population of 20-​somethings, the pub could have the potential to be wanky but manages to avoid it completely, opting instead for cheery and laid-​back. Upstairs is dark and sultry, fitted with leather couches, fringed lamp-​shades and heavy wooden tables that one must loiter around on busy nights in hopes of a seat. Downstairs, the kitchen-​adjoining dining room channels the mess hall from M*A*S*H, whilst the front bar disregards pretence for your old-​school and simple «come here to get a beer» bar.
The Shakey is one of those awesome Sydney pubs that you just can’t beat. The food is fantastic pub fare. You get a great range to choose from and they’re all dirt cheap (despite the fact that they’ve all gone up $ 2.50). You’ll probably have to wait around for a table, but it’s worth the wait if you know what’s coming. What’s more, you don’t mind just milling about amongst the good cheer of the Shakey — especially if the ratio is in your favour.

The Shakespeare on Devonshire is my kind of pub. its not quite ‘a dive’ but its not far off. I mean that in a good way. Its got that slightly rough feel to it, but essentially its a pretty respectable place.
Situated between Crown and Elizabeth Streets in Surry Hills, it is perfectly placed to attract a diverse clientele. It is also the ideal Friday drinks spot appealing to the many creative /​boutique businesses that operate in the local vicinity.
The best parts of the Shakespeare are the pavement and the road. Let me explain. The crowd tends to spill out onto the pavement when the pub gets busy and/​or the weather is good. Sometimes this even extends to the street itself. Now, this is illegal of course, so part of the fun is trying to manage your drinking while avoiding the half hearted attempts of the pub security to get you off the street and onto the pavement. this all adds to the charm and gives the shakespeare a distinctive ‘Unique Selling Point’. I’ll say it again… my kinda pub.
Oh yes, there is also a great little fish shop across the road which allows you to bring your beer or wine in while you have a good feed. Big thumbs up.

The Shakespeare Hotel, named after my favourite Bard, John Shakespeare, William’s less famous, equally bardy nephew, the Shakespeare Hotel has a number of things going for it.
Number one is the beautiful Victorian era room upstairs which is used for dining and also for drinking, a room of old leather couches and oaken tables. A stencilled wooden moose head jutting out above the mantle piece while the patrons enjoy their beer and bread below.
Number two is the bistro, with high quality food the likes of Rump Steak, Lamb Shanks, White Fish or Crispy Skinned Salmon, among many other options on offer also.
The menu recently went from all of these meals priced at $ 10 to $ 12.50, and while they will lose some of their appeal, those that know how tasty that Crispy Skinned Salmon is won’t stay away for long. That’s me by the way. I’m the one who knows.