Part of our Best Pubs in London microsite. Is your local listed?
Once upon a time, the Barbican complex contained many a pub. We even did a pub crawl around their abandoned sites a few years back. Today, the Shakespeare is the last man standing... and even then it's technically on the Golden Lane Estate next door.
The Shakespeare pub is named after a famous playwright you might have heard of, and a bust of the man protrudes from the outer wall. The Bard lived briefly in Aldermanbury, a short walk away, and is also remembered in the Shakespeare Tower on the Barbican.
It's also a good place for trivia fans to drink, thanks to that famous factlet that identifies Goswell Road as the only 'Road' in the City. That makes this the only pub on the only road within the Square Mile.
The pub itself is a jolly old place (and, despite appearances, it is getting jolly old, having recently celebrated its 60th birthday). It's young at heart, though. Regular vinyl and jazz nights fill the place with music, and they also do a popular Monday night quiz.
The beers are keg-led (mostly from Renegade Brewery), with a small selection of cocktails. All in all, the 'Shakes' is a surprisingly laid-back kind of place for the City.
