The Shakespeare in County Durham - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

We were sold two pints of vinegary cask ale, so we immediately took them back. The young woman behind the bar, who was very full of herself, told us that there was nothing wrong with them and she wouldn’t change them. She then appeared to have changed her mind, took the beers, and threw them down the sink. We waited for our replacements, but she told us that she wasn’t going to serve us anything else. When we complained about that, she told us to leave, in a very loud voice, as she clearly lived playing to an audience. She was rude, cocky and in desperate need of customer service training. I have been going in the Shakespeare, on trips to Durham, for over forty years. I will never go in there again. Absolutely shocking .

We were sold two pints of vinegary cask ale, so we immediately took them back. The young woman behind the bar, who was very full of herself, told us that there was nothing wrong with them and she wouldn’t change them. She then appeared to have changed her mind, took the beers, and threw them down the sink. We waited for our replacements, but she told us that she wasn’t going to serve us anything else. When we complained about that, she told us to leave, in a very loud voice, as she clearly lived playing to an audience. She was rude, cocky and in desperate need of customer service training. I have been going in the Shakespeare, on trips to Durham, for over forty years. I will never go in there again. Absolutely shocking .

Pre gig meet up, a little cramped but the service was good, Guinness was good

Only had a drink. Small and friendly old worldly pub

A really cute pub with a cosy, welcoming atmosphere when during midweek when we visited

Always like visiting here, love the chairs to the right of the bar. Beer selection is better this time.

I always seek out and support traditional pubs. The beer & service was fine but the pub is filthy. Surfaces had obviously not been cleaned in a long while. The pub was smelly and the hand drier in the gents was not working. A grungy experience. What a shame!

One of the oldest pubs in Durham City, this pub is like a flash to the past. Excellent beer, vibrant atmosphere, and many rooms containing many of the original features. The only reason I marked the food down is that they don't serve pub grub; only snacks. Well worth a visit.

Best bar in durham Also a good pint

Great little put full of locals and decent beer.

Nice old fashioned ale house & nice real ale.

What a lovely quirky little pub. We were the only people in when we first went in but that made it a nice atmosphere. They said it was haunted but we didn't see anything. Nice little find if you want to have a quiet one x

I have known the Shakespeare since 1995 when I used to go there after work. I worked in Age Concern in the ond bus station. I saved them £35,5000

Grimy, dusty, unclean but at least the locals make up for an otherwise forgettable experience. Standard beer and wine offerings, I'd swerve this place and go elsewhere, even if you need a toilet. Seriously.

Great pub with great choice of beers no food though

Didn't eat here. Lovely old fashioned pub.

Looking very shabby. Shocking pool table. The cure ball was a red with 'W' on it. And the black a red that was scribbled on. Massive slant.

Great little pub. Great atmosphere and history in the heart of the ancient city.

Great little pub in Durham. Nice for a pint and catching up.

I was there 3 weeks ago with a group. The l blond ady who served me was not very nice and quiet miserable when she served me and for no apparent reason.

Desconozco si dan algo de picoteo en el pub pero con la variedad de cervezas que hay no hace ni falta comer nada La chica que nos atendió fue muy amable y te explicaba la procedencia de cada elixir Fue una experiencia fantástica Dicen de ahí y por su larga historia de mil años (y no exagero) que en el silencio de la noche se oyen psicofonias extrañas Tenéis que probarlo

Good old pub,on the way to the market from college end.Really friendly.

Great little pub in Durham. Lovely friendly staff and a great place to chill with a few beers.

Great Real Ale pub in the centre of town, on the way up to the Cathedral

traditional pub i. the middle of Durham lots of charicter

Nice quiet pub. Good beer. Good chat with a retired vicar! What more could you want on a Friday night out?

A proper pub with a good choice of real ale.

Lovely little cosy pub in the centre of Durham. Staff friendly and beers good.

Good beer & reasonable wine selection, rapid service even when busy.

Quaint and cosy little pub that's good for a beer.

Great little bar great service good selection of beers 🍻 and it's Haunted 👻 👽 😀

Cozy quiet place with no music, only wish that more than one cask ale was available during my visit following the Durham ale trail.

Proper old fashioned pub in the heart of Durham, serves a great selection of beers, always a few handpulls on offer, good selection of wines as well.

Loved it, small place perfect to rehydrate 😁

Enjoyed a lovely drink here to round off our evening - a cosy little pub!

Used to go to this pub way back in the 1980s. Still a great place for a drink .

A quaint old pub just popped in for a drink

Nice little pub cozy and tight if you’re after a couple pints and a chat with the other patrons this could be a decent option when in Durham

Friendly staff , nice & relaxed

Very small place. I did not feel anything special about it. No strange energies hanging around at the time of my visit.

Lovely old pub. Dog friendly. Larger room at the back up a few stairs. Friendly barman.

Not particularly welcoming, London pride poorly kept Probably off day on a busy Bank Holiday weekend

Brilliant service very friendly staff

Great, traditional pub. My favourite in Durham.

My 1st visit to this pub they had four hand pulls an a great selection of beers cider an larger. It was very busy but we found a place to stand an drink. It's a small pub but don't be put off. Make it a good pub to go to

OMG such a cute little pub, we have one called this in Liverpool, so had to go in. Bartender was such a nice guy

Extremely oppressive noise in bar but good ales

Had a great night recently very friendly and welcoming

Very small pub, big atmosphere.

Oldest Pub in Durham! Small, but nice atmosphere nonetheless!

Bit gloomy and sparce in the back room Nice pint though.

Lovely little pub, please try it if only for a quick one or two drinks

The Shakespeare a proper pub selling a wide range of beers and lagers. Cozy and welcoming with good attentive service. Highly recommend 👌

A lovely traditional pub which is unchanged since my time here at university in the late 80s! Lovely and cosy, good choice of drinks, friendly bar staff and a great place for a quiet drink in the centre of Durham.

Great old pub in the centre of Durham city. Have been going for years. It has been redone some years ago. Spooky now but was more spooky before the refurb. I still go as often as I can. If you visit Durham city this must be on your list to visit.

Had a very good time here with mates from work, recommended 👌

Haunted visit. Nice bit of history. Really Really worth a pint or two.

Great selection of different ales

Lovely little pub and friendly staff

Love this bar. Great beets and always nice and warm.

We called here to kill half an hour before an event in the cathedral we had a drink and they were ok, but on leaving used the toilets which really leave a lot to be desired. They are thick mould and not even basically clean, we cannot believe they are allowed to trade with such health hazard toilets. We hope environmental health call in because this mould is really bad. We understand it is an old building but other pubs and restaurants in the area have immaculate toilets. Avoid if you can.

Good old pub with uneven toilet floors so be careful after a couple beers!

Lovely quirky pub with cracking ales

Great traditional pub good staff very friendly

Cracking little venue In the heart of Durham city 👻 too...Great staff .perfect for a drink and a chat with friends.

Not that comfortable unfortunately. The seats have been reupholstered which is nice however the new back rests have reduced the depth of the bench seats to very uncomfortable size and necessitate sitting bolt upright! (I'm a size 10 so it's not that I've got an unusually large bottom). Seating thereforevis not overly conducive for a casual drink with friends. Not a place we'd revisit.

Good real local pub, very busy the day we visited

Not a bad place beer ok bot a bit on the expensive side

Old fashioned bar full of nooks & crannies.

Really cosy friendly pub. Lot's of caricature loved it.

Hadn't realised that it was as big as it is, more space beyond the front bar. Excellent pint of kneck oil.

Great pub .. we met freinds there before dinner

Stopped off here for a pint after walking round Durham and the cathedral for hours. Great choice of beers, we decided on the Tribute which was a real treat. Could stay here for a while.

Quick drink on a Saturday afternoon after food.

Beer is well kept and served. Place has a lot of character and friendly atmosphere about it. But the toilets are in shocking state and need a complete refurb. I judge a place on the quality and cleanliness of its toilets, the gents one is shabby.

Cold beer in a quaint pub. Not too spooky these days.

The 2 ladies behind the bar allowed my 2 daughters to use the bathroom after 2 other establishments on the street refused as we weren't customers. Thank you very much.

What can you say a very old pub, with a very old men's toilet had a pint before walking up the hill

Some nice Golden Hobgoblin on draft.

Small intimate pub ... friendly & well kept.

Cosy pub , lovely pint of Timothy Taylor, great atmosphere, however the ladies and gents toilets need a makeover they were scruffy and not very clean .

Not really a place for the ladies.

Popped in over the jubilee and what a beautiful place. Very relaxing and friendly. Prices reasonable, interesting building layout and very competent staff

Great ales staff ok gents toilets terrible certainly could do with e good scrub and overall

Nice pub, good selection of beer, didn't see ghost. Locals used it.

Friendly service, one star less for the cleanness

Went in on a romantic pub crawl ...

Went in here when passing by after a visit to thecathedtal. Lovely local style pub. Good atmosphere. No idea about ghosts, didn't see any. Would go in there again when visiting the area.

Great pub with great staff and ambience. It's a small bar but has a Tardis like quality with lots of space further in. Always worth a visit and a great pub overall.

A traditional pub Friendly atmosphere.. Good selection of beers, wines and spirits...

The Shakespeare Tavern is a traditional pub in the centre of town. The bar is relatively small and simply furnished. It comes across as a local pub as opposed to a trendy tourist pub, and I see that as a major positive.I didn’t think that it was a particularly special pub, but perfectly fine for a pint and I’d be happy to use it again.

Lovely old pub , well worth a visit

Smells funny. Toilets are grim. No bitter lemon. Beer was good

Nice little quaintest pub real oldye worldie

Quaint old school pub in The heart of Durham.

Over charged because we were strangers worst pub i have been in in Durham punters beware

This is such a cute cosy pub, the staff are lovely as well

One of the oldest pubs in Durham

Great location and an enjoyable pub.

Fantastic old quaint pub has to be a must for visitors and tourists how old fashioned pubs were yester-year