Shakespeare’s Bar

This could be a bit unfair but…
Okay pub but the price for two beers was absolutely ridiculous! £9.80?! I say unfair as my friend that now stays in centre of Edinburgh says that is standard for the centre, been in Edinburgh a lot and never been charged that much before unless I’m treating myself to a nice strong beer. Ale selection was pretty poor.

«Proper pub with tons of video machines.
An outdoor area to relax and people-​watch.
Proper cask ales.»
Tis an Ode to getting drunk by Sir Louis R.

A nice little stop off on the way to somewhere else, or a destination pub to watch the sport. Sums up Shakespeare’s perfectly.
Every time I’ve been in here to take a wee drink and watch the football, it’s been packed solid. Always a good sign, I think — and the staff cope admirably with the queues and shouts of despair/​joy at the various sporting events.
The pub itself is fairly generic, it could almost be a bland budget version of Wetherspoons, serving the same kind of food, the same bland beers with the odd interesting one in the mix.
As I say, it’s on Lothian Road, and it’s pretty cheap for it’s location.
Can’t fault it, but can’t out and out recommend it either.

Food was almost tasteless, but cheap. The environment is fine, nice design, but service is almost inexistent. Cocktails are made out of pre-​mixed convenience products. I probably won’t come back.

Only ever come in for a quick pint while I wait for the bus. So I can’t really comment on what the food is like. But otherwise seems like a good little place. They show all the sports games and the staff always seem to be friendly. Have your normal selection of beers and other booze. But I like the place and will continue to go to it!

I last visited Shakespeares probably about 10 – 15 years ago, a few boyfriends ago, a degree ago, a paint job ago. It’s satisfying at least that I still can find the bathroom. It’s not a place that will wow you, but for a quick drink as we were looking for, it fit the bill nicely. The food was better than expected, although the fish finger sandwich was more bread than fish, it was decent bread, so not terrible overall. The fish and chips was a plateful by the look of it too. It works as an after work quickie, but quickie it is, and equally unmemorable, but it has it’s place, and probably a good reason why it has hung around for so long.

Recently redecorated this is an excellent pub for a meal out. The food deals on offer are impressive I can especially recommend the 2 for £9 deals! Plus the Codfather! Each day has a different food related deal buy a mega portion and get free deserts for example. The quality of the food is way above that on offer from other large pub group outlets charging similar prices. The manager is friendly and efficient as are the staff. Well worth a visit!

I’m writing this months too late so I’ll keep it brief. I remember liking the location of this Bar. It’s in a really interesting part of the city and near some really nice theaters (Like the Traverse). Seemed like a fine place to stop for a drink but I wasn’t overly thrilled with the food. I had a burger so maybe I just picked the wrong thing, but I personally thought it was way overcooked.

This bar is cheap and cheerful. Don’t expect anything fancy. They have lots of drinks promotions such as a pint for £2.50 and loads of food offers on the usual pub grub such as sandwiches, burgers, fish and chips etc.
This place is a step, OK maybe half a step, up from Weatherspoons but without all the characters!!! By this it can be taken any way — it could be a good thing as it isn’t as rough but also bad in a way as it lacks the entertainment value.
If the way you think is, ‘its a bar that serves reasonably priced booze’ then jobs a good ‘um!
However when there I asked for a bottle of wine. I was presented with the house and when I asked which type it was the answer I got was ‘uummmmm’ as he didn’t have a clue nor knew how to check! I decided it was probably better to give the house red a swerve and went for a Rioja instead but had to point out which bottle this was as the bar tender didn’t have a clue the difference between a Pinot Noir and a Chardonnay.
Not the classiest of establishments but it is in a good locations on Lothian Road near lots of restaurants and just off Princes Street if you need an escape from the crowds and a break from shopping.

I headed here on a Wednesday night as myself and the OH were tossing up between All Bar One across the street and The Red Squirrell a few doors down.
Shakespeare’s won as it was a place neither of us had been.
Admittedly I’ve passed by here a few times, a bit intimidated by the loud crowds and the ‘local place for local people’ feel. This time I said ‘Consarnit! We’re locals too!’ and marched through the door.
I was greeted by a bright, cheerful looking pub with a good few tourists hanging around, definitely a surprise. Most of the crowd was young fellas watching whatever match was on the large screens. The only thing that put me off was the fruit machines, with their flashing lights they can never look classy.
The staff were charming, all smiles and were very attentive (the OH thought overly so, it’s a pub, not a restaurant). Wednesday night happens to be burger night (Tuesday is grill night and Thursday is curry night) so any burger on the menu, with a drink is 5.95. Usually this would be standard but the sheer amount of meat you get for this price is amazing!
No one could accuse me of being vegetarian, but compared to The OH I’m a novice. So while I had a… ahem…ladylike burger with 2 burgers, an egg, bacon and cheese, he opted for a monster of a thing with everything I had plus sausage and one or two other bits I didn’t ask about. The look of glee on his face when it arrived…
To uphold my ‘ladylike’ appearance (as I scoffed a giant burger) I had a small white wine, the brand which goes for 2.49 a glass is actually quite nice and was a million times better than I expected.
It’s pub food, so it’s not gourmet, but if pub food is what you’re after and you want a lot for only a few bob I would definitely recommend Shakespeare’s. I’ll be back soon but in the meantime I’m trying to convince The OH to join me for one of Shakespeare’s Saturday Karaōke nights!
I will most likely be unsuccessful.

Very convenient for the theatres and the Usher Hall. Also at the moment some good deals on. Bottle of wine for £8 for instance.
Had a bite to eat and was served very quickly, which was quite necessary as I was going to the theatre. The staff were friendly and attentive especially for a reasonably large pub.

A great place to watch the football on the projector as the food and drink is quite cheap and there is usually a lot of room. The food isn’t anything special but it is tasty enough to put it above your average pub grub. They also do an OK karaōke on saturday nights that’s a bit of fun especially after a few drinks though they do seem to get a lot of the stag and hen nights passing through during the night which can potentially be annoying.

I found this pub to be atypical; it’s a little fancier than most and the only one I’ve seen with pink brocade wallpaper! A friend and I rushed over here to see the World Cup final, as we’d missed the first half working at the Usher Hall just thirty seconds away.
The staff were so engrossed in the match I’ll commend them for being able to take my order! The place was packed, as expected, but had enough breathing space and screens to keep everyone satisfied. My friend and I settled down in front of a huge floor-​to-​ceiling screen (I suspect this was a temporary projector-​enabled fixture) and enjoyed the match, as the chants of the Dutch and Spanish supporters (whom I have to say are extremely creative with their expletives and songs!) I really liked the atmosphere and would definitely go back to see another important sporting event there!

Drinking on Lothian Road is usually divided into 2 distinct sets of clientele — the stag party groups that frequent the seemingly endless stream of «gentleman’s clubs» along here, or the real ale drinkers who bar hop from Bennet’s to The Cloisters and then work their way up towards Princes Street. And whilst, just for the record, I fall into neither of those categories, my flatmate loves a good real ale pub and so I’ve been dragged along here on a handful of occasions.
It’s an ok pub, albeit a bit on the small and pokey side, and the construction works going on outside seem as if they’re never going to end — this really doesn’t add much to the atmosphere of the place. I think before the smoking ban came in this place would have been much more buzzing and vibrant, but now it just seems a bit redundant and boring. If you’re going to a show or a gig at the adjacent Usher Hall, it’s an ok place to pop in for a drink beforehand. Otherwise, you probably woldn’t go out of your way to come here.

In all honesty, I don’t generally find Lothian Road public houses particularly enthralling, because a lot of them seem to float around the same level in terms of banter and atmosphere. There’s nothing essentially wrong with some of the pubs, they’ve just not got the kind of vibe going on that I usually go for, plus I think there are far superior areas to go drinking in.
Saying that, Shakespeare’s is a perfectly decent pub to grab yourself a beverage in, and it’s really conveniently located for a pre or post event drink if you’re going to the nearby Traverse Theatre, or heading to a gig at the HMV Picture House a few doors up the road. Shakespeare’s seems to have been around a lot longer than some of the other places that have come and gone on Lothian Road, or at least changed their name, so it must be doing something right. The place seems to have a good number of regulars in attendance, being your average, laid back pub with no pretensions, which is always a bonus if you’re just wanting to relax and have a good gab over a pint.

This really isn’t a bad pub and you can pick up good value food and drink from here. I’ve come in here for a meal for a meal on occasions solely because its got a great deal on at the time (I hadn’t even planned to eat and was just passing).
Inside it’s easy to see the big screens around the pub whether there’s a game on or whether it’s just sky sports news on.
All in it’s good value for money, well decorated and a good sort of quiet which isn’t lonely, but more respectful — you can enjoy a quiet chat or meal without being pestered.

The current spate of construction outside of Shakespeare’s is fairly off putting when you scan Lothian road for a place to drink. Thus for the time being, Shakespeare’s has never really been on the radar for potential watering holes.
The interior in pretty standard, sporting a typically old pub style with oaky beams and brass fittings. Pints are cheap at £2.30, apart from that it’s all standard stuff.
Not really worth meandering through the wire mesh fences and dusty building materials. A-​Ok.

The Shakespeares pub is conveniently located near the two most popular theatres in Edinburgh — the Royal Lyceum and the Traverse. The pub is old and traditionally equipped with two entrances leading to different streets. It is a very busy venue, especially during the weekend, and is much loved place for hen and stag parties. There is defo a cool atmosphere. It is much liked place fro visit by tourists just like its sister pub in London.

I have heard many times from visitors to Edinburgh that Lothian Road can sometimes be a bit intimidating due to the number of ‘adult establishments’ and the street’s less touristy feel. However I think that if you are in this area of the city, Shakespeares is a safe choice of bar.
There is a mix of clientele here but the bar generally stays quiet and punters keep themselves to themselves. There is the normal selection of lagers etc and quite a decent wine list.
The décor is an old style pub feel but is kept in good condition and clean, and if you visit during the day (on a nice day!) there are tables outside where you can sit and watch the world go by.
To be frank, I wouldnt go out of my way to visit this bar, however if you are already on Lothian Road and fancy a quiet drink, I would advise a visit to Shakespeares.

I like Shakespeares a lot, its dead handy as a meeting place for after work with some mates. On Monday — Thursday they do 2 for 1 on the food menu which is great for when I meet mates and the food is actually quite nice which always seems to surprise me in pubs!
The staff are generally quite nice and the place has a good atmosphere. They show all major sporting games and have plenty of seating. Also a juke box and games machines aswell.
The toilets are not the nicest though but they are clean enough.
Its a good central place for a drink after work or for a starting point on a night out!