The Shakespeare Inn Shardlow in South Derbyshire

Ordered the chicken madras curry, tasted like tomato and onion no curry taste what so ever could have fed it to my 2yr old. Rice was a cloggy lump needed rinsing to remove the starch. Nann bread was smaller than the top of a small cob pitta bread 5 times bigger and to top that burnt black on one side. No one asked if the meal was ok. Too say was pissed off would be a under statement. Wouldn't recommend the food to anyone

Big thank you to Diane and her wonderful staff for catering our wedding, food was amazing, beautiful room. Family and friends all agree highly recommend

lovely old fashioned pub , food was delicious cooked well , pork was lovely & soft &delicious drink were a reasonable price .

Met friends at The Shakespeare Inn for sunday lunch. Firstly enjoyed sitting outside in the sun in their large beer garden. Then went inside to eat. Enjoyed an excellent roast dinner...went for the beef and pork combo....served with vegetables, stufffing, yorkshire puddings and plenty of gravy. Everything cooked really well. The staff were friendly and helpful. Excellent food, great price and a good selection ales. What more could you want...... Definitely recommend and would go back again.

A visit is now a joyless, miserable occasion. A sad change, as it was a welcoming place. During COVID with outside service, the landlady used to be engaging and conversational with customers. It's the same licensees but a personality change means barely disguised resentment towards someone ordering a drink or meal.

Popped in for Sunday Lunch they had ran out so main menu chicken in cider and steak pie my chicken was boiled dry and as hard as the table i refused to eat my lady had the beef pie there was no taste looked like cat food was really looking forward to this HiHo will not be back sorry Simon & Samantha

Met some friends at Shakespeare Inn and we hadn’t been before. The food was delicious, I had fish, (Haddock it was absolutely amazing) home made chips, mushy peas and salad. The landlady was so friendly and accommodating. We will definitely be going there again.

Just popped in for a drink, really efficient bar staff. The Bass was really good as is the Pedigree. Subtleties of serving the beer in branded glasses is a great touch

Excellent service staff and locals were very helpful and friendly 😀 the drinks 🥂🍺🍺were great 👍and reasonably priced , we will definitely be going back 10/10

Staff pleasant but meal not good could hardly see meat and it was all dried up not nice at all cauliflower cheese was all mush really disappointed won’t be going again

Visited Shardlow yesterday, and most of the pubs were busy outside including this one. Decided to sit inside next to window, and it was relatively quiet and relaxing! As it was busy, we did have to wait for service but found the staff (mainly young), to be polite and courteous. Would definitely return again!

Went to the Shakespeare Sunday afternoon. After 15 minutes of not being served I requested drinks to be told they had orders to fulfill before they got to me. Nobody came back. I asked a man I guessed is the landlord and he told me someone would be over. Didnt happen. The landlady came out and was incredibly rude to my sons friends. We left without getting a drink. The place is woefully understaffed and the landlady us rude. Won't be returning.

Visited the Shakespeare on a few occasions since the new managers have taken over the pub to see what it's like. However on my visits I've found the pub to have gone down hill with a rude land lady who only seems to chat to a select people that she knows. Ignorant bar staff who seem to follow her every command of only talk & serve regulars first & ignore people who aren't regular. Visited on a few occasions to find the attitude has changed not only with the bar staff, but with regulars who have made this once nice enjoyable pub very Clichy' & off putting. Believe Me ! If the land lady doesn't like you' You'll know about it. Santo

Visited this pub restaurant for Sunday lunch after a recommendation and found it to be very good. They have a nice restaurant and a nice bar area were you can sit. They also have an outside area.There was choice of roast beef, roast pork or chicken breast with freshly cooked vegetables. There was also a starter and sweet available at a small extra cost. There was also their main menu available with a good assortment of dishes. The Sunday lunch started at £8.95 which was good value. They serve a good selection of drinks at the going price for the area. We found the bar staff and kitchen staff to be friendly and obliging. There is also a large car park with plenty of spaces. I fully recommend the Shakespeare Inn and we will definitely be returning.

I visited here with my family after hearing it has new chefs. I wasn't disappointed. I had breaded baked camembert with chutney for starter, roast beef with all the trimmings (all homemade, even Yorkshire puds! No aunt Bessies in sight) then for pudding I had homemade chocolate brownie with ice cream. Absolutely fantastic food! Atmosphere was great, not an empty seat in sight. We have already booked again for a business meal in a few weeks. Cannot wait to return. You will not be disappointed. Thanks again 2 and a half chefs!

Absolutely brilliant Sunday roast .. service was excellent and staff lovely .. will definitely be back xx

I visit the shakesphere on a regular basis with all my friends gerrard Ferdinand keogh who loves a good drink , we get legless but don't drive Wayne rooney

We have not been for a few years so it was a pleasant experience to find it is still going strong and much better than before, tastefully redecorated, seats reupholstered, and spotless toilets. The bar staff was very efficient and friendly, the food menus was varied with plenty of choice and a specials board, reasonably priced and very well cooked and presented. For a Saturday evening it was nice to see the place busy, even if some of the clientele were using it as a pre-drinks venue before trotting off to eat elsewhere, why don’t they stay and enjoy the excellent food?

We booked the back room for a wake after a family funeral as we have done in the past. The buffet was excellent and very reasonable for the amount that was there. The staff were friendly and very helpful , couldn't fault it at a difficult time

Had a lovely lunch here today. Very reasonable - amazed that it wasn't a full restaurant especially as the quality and the price are attractive enough for us to return again. Karen our server was lovely - very friendly and nothing was too much trouble. See toy again soon.

Fantastic place for small parties and weddings lovely outside area and parking Lovely food and beautiful place

My husband and I had dinner at the Shakespeare in September and enjoyed the cosy feel to the dining room. We tried the mucky chips (Jalapeños, chilli and cheese) which was very good as was the roast dinner. Reasonable prices and the staff were friendly and efficient. Easy parking onsite.

Had a lovely Sunday lunch this week. Lamb was succulent and the duck and wild mushroom pudding was proper comfort food. We ate in the bar where the heat from the open fire in the other room kept us warm. Great real ales and rugby on the telly- a perfect Sunday afternoon.

Ok food but service was very slow, Restruant run by kids more interested in playing games on there phones, the Restraunt was cold we had to sit down in our coats, also given the wrong bill, do not recommend and will not return.

The food is good but compared with the New Inn Shardlow this place is very quiet at weekends. A shame because the premises are good

Popped in for tea. Staff are lovely. Food was very tasty. We had the cottage pie - I always judge a meal by how good the gravy is as this did not disappoint. Nom nom nom. Will return.

We had an early evening visit prior to a motorcycle meeting. Lovely food and pleasant staff. Lovely outdoor areas and a big car park. Recommended

We visit the shake spear inn most Sundays,staff are very friendly food is nice could do with a title more option for vegetarian. As I always end up with just veg or nut roast. The place is clean and well presented.

when we walked in it was empty, and it was only 1.oclock. we said what we wanted and to be told there was no pork. we had to wait over 40mins, when it did come the meat was fine the stuffing was beautifull but the veg was not very good and not much of it.also not very warm. the waitress was lovely but little things let it down. also a lot of flies.

Didn't look very inspiring from the road - three tables with umbrellas looking out over the car park one side, and the main road the other.

We had a 60th birthday party in the restaurant on Saturday night. We couldn't of wished for a better venue, the pub has recently been refurbished and looked lovely.

Popped in yesterday for some lunch.... very nice it was too. Thoroughly enjoyed it.. thank you again. The dog and duck over the road need to raise their game

Went for a meal last weekend my husband had gammon chip and egg and I had chicken in Stilton sauce and salad and chips my husband was ok but my meal was not very nice the Stilton sauce was horrible I think was a packet mix I will not be going again it’s a shame the pub is really nice and staff were nice .

4 of us Popped in here for the first time last night, beautiful place was the first impression, very nicely presented, warm and friendly atmosphere. Food ordered, I went for the mixed grill, the better half chose the Shakespeare chicken..terrible, the mixed grill was pants, tiny portions of meat, steak was like a pancake, chips were frozen variety and well undercooked all of it was Luke warm, same story with the chicken, small portion, smothered in barbecue sauce (far too much) bacon was well undercooked even after ordering it "burnt", won't bang on about our friends meals but they were less than impressed.

Visited with a group of friends for lunch I ordered chicken and Stilton sauce and chips with veg. We had to wait along time for the 6 meals. Chicken not recommended as over cooked and dry as a bone and sauce sickly and I tasted it all night ! A friend had fish and chips and is usually happy when he picks this elsewhere but found it undercooked with soggy batter. We won't return for food but atmosphere in pub good on route elsewhere.

My partner and I stayed in Shardlow for one night before the bike show in Donington. We had a drink and dinner at this place and we both really enjoyed it, the food was brilliant and huge portions. We sat in the massive garden to...

This was a run down place when we last visited several years ago. It is much improved. We called for drinks only and there were plenty of people enjoying themselves. The real ale was good and the staff friendly.

Absolutamente de primera clase, la comida y el servicio eran excelentes, gracias al chef y todo el personal de servicio. Por la tarde noche fuimos sin dificultad, así que gracias a Phil y Caroline y todo el personal por un día maravilloso.

Primera vez en la nueva dirección ya Shakey Phil y Caroline se hizo cargo. Qué sorpresa tan agradable de ver habitaciones no sólo recientemente decorado con muebles nuevos de suaves pero aseos totalmente reformado. La cena era excelente y el oro Littleover estaba bien cuidado....

Preguntamos si podíamos pasar la noche en nuestro camping. No hay problema. Disfrutamos de algunas de sus verdadera selección ale. Tenía el hígado, cebolla, puré de patatas y verduras. Mi esposa el pollo con tocino. Caliente y bien presentada. Aparcamiento era tranquilo por la noche

Llamamos la otra noche para ver el fútbol que fue arruinado por la música de fondo se tocan, el comentario de fútbol difícilmente podría ser oído. No sabemos a quien escoge a un pub por su música de fondo. Si estás mostrando en vivo gente...

Debido a un cambio de dirección al interior ha sido decorado con buen gusto con las vigas de negro y gris claro ahora las paredes pintadas, y lo que es más importante que los asientos han sido recuperadas y el relleno se incrementaron. La tendencia a sustituir la moqueta con laminado es buena, pero hace que sea más ruidoso. Bass, y el adecuado trabajo de pedigrí con suave Theakstons proyecto de grifo, pero aún así sólo Strongbow sidra de barril. Servicio de bar un poco sedada.

Called one night for a bite. From the outside it doesn't look too appealing and to be honest it could do with a brighten up inside. We both said the Landlord did come across a bit miserable, however we all have off days. They served a wide range of cask ales and wines. The menu was varied. we ate in the snug as the restaurant had a big party in. The food was delicious. My partner had chicken & stilton and I had the steak and ale pie. Big portions and very very tasty. A couple of drinks and we were too full for anything else. The only let down was the large party which then arrived in the snug and were pretty loud. Worth 5 stars if the place was done up.

Stopped here for Sunday lunch. Food was well cooked and very tasty. The staff were friendly and attentative.

Stopped in on the way home after visiting the other week for a bite to eat, we were impressed by the choice on our previous visit and needing to refuel we called in again. Both had sausage and mash, really good quality tasty food at a very reasonable price, staff very friendly. We will no doubt return.

We are local to this pub and decided to give it a try for the first time and had their Sunday lunch. The beef was very tough and not very nice at all so I had to leave it all although I ate the potatoes and vegetables which wasn't too bad although the cauliflower was a bit mushy as I prefer my vegetables with a bit of a crunch to them but I just put that down to individual taste. The gravy was very spicy or it may have been an onion gravy but in any case they should have put on the menu if it had onion in it as like myself some people don't like onion and I wouldn't have had the gravy if I had known. But my main gripe is with the landlord at this establishment who had no customer services skills whatsoever! The lady who collected the meals at the end asked us if everything was okay and I told her my meat was left by me because it was too tough and didn't taste very nice. She said sorry and did apparently tell the landlord but he chose not to come and talk to me about it which was the wrong attitude to have to begin with. I then spoke to the barman who, I would like to add, was a lot nicer than the landlord. The landlord then came to see me and when I told him about the meat his answer was 'well no one else has complained'!! That has no relevance whatsoever as some people simply do not want to complain but that doesn't mean to say they have enjoyed their food. Plus I was not happy with my food and that is what he should have been concerned about. His attitude was applling and he begrudgingly gave me a small discount off the bill. He didn't seem to realise I was well within my rights to not pay at all for my food if I was not satisfied but I kindly accepted his offer of a reduction. I noticed they had a certificate of excellence on their wall in the bar from Trip Advisor in 2015 but this must have been with a previous landlord! There are quite a few other good eating places in Shardlow so I wouldn't bother visiting this one if you have a choice.

I have Never visited this pub and thought it was worth a go, After waiting 40 minutes for lunch,we were served frozen style shop bought burnt Yorkshire puddings and a measly bit of fatty beef.overall a poor effort.Needless to say we won't be returning in a hurry.

Made welcome by the landlord, food was good and reasonably priced.Recomend to any motorhome owners for overnight stop as close to M1 motorway

The meal was fantastic and the chips were so yummy, not frozen rubbish. We will definitely be using this establishment again.

A great pub with restaurant dining and bar dining. Excellent menu with good food and beer range. Sunday lunch served late for those who have a busy day.

We found this lovely traditional pub that served excellent beers and excellent value for money food. Plea toy of space including a resteurant and large outdoor area.

Great place with nice and friendly service. The kitchen was closed when we arrived but the gentleman behind the bar saw how desperate we were to get some dinner. He offered to sprt out the food for us as the chef was still in the kitchen. The food was great. I would only recommend the place to anyone.

Called for a meal without booking on a damp Saturday night. We chose a bottle of jack rabbit and was asked if we would like to have our Meal in the restaurant. It was very quiet. We chose our meal from a no nonsense menue. It was served by a very polite young lady. It was cooked to perfection. The bill was very fair. If your looking for good food and cask ales at a fair price this is your place. We will definitely be calling again

Mucky chips(chilli,cheese & jalapenoes) other half had steak ...great value again , decent pint as well..

This used to be a great place to go for good food in a nice restaurant attached to a pub. Not any more! The first impression from the menu was of a slightly amateurish approach at the lower end of the market. We were a big party with 7 children. Several dishes were "off". The children's menu was for under 5s, all of ours, ages 6 to 13 had adult meals. Standard pub food only nowadays and nothing special with a limited choice. Some standard pub chains have better food and choices. No wine list that we could look at just a verbal mention of three different types white, red, and rose at £12.45 a bottle. It wasn't even good wine! Sorry, nothing to recommend it over other local eateries in Shardlow.

The food was average, I wouldn't rush back in a hurry. Staff however very friendly. Fairly good value for money but nothing special.

Unspoilt pub, serving consistently good beer, and food in good pub grub tradition with plenty of specials as well. All to the best quality, and consistently the best in the village.

Awful! i have been loads of times before and loved the food but went today for my birthday and had cold lamb shank, my pudding was not only cold but frozen in the middle, had a defrosted pudding but custard only warm......i will never go back!!!

We are residents of Shardlow, but it has been several years since we dined at the Shakespeare. It is now under new Management, so we thought we would give it go and had our lunch there.What a very good decision that turned out to be, I had a fantastic meal of Haddock, Chips and Mushy Peas which was every bit as good as I have had in Whitby, which is praise indeed.The piece of Haddock was fresh fish, not frozen and was large and chunky with big flaky pieces, just how I like it.My wife had home made Cottage Pie and fresh vegetables, which she loved.Add a very nice pint of Pedigree and friendly staff and you have a very pleasant experience. Will definitely be calling in again.

We visited on Tuesday night too celebrate a family birthday and we couldn't fault the service food or any aspect of our visit. 10 out of 10 for the 2nd time in a matter of months

Had Sunday lunch in the lounge , starter was very nice but the Sunday roast was not great.It was not busy and an old couple sitting next to us who were obviously locals said that was the last time they would eat there.

Was excited to visit when taken over. It was very quiet but it was a Tuesady evening. Food was very disappointing.

It was our first caravan trip of the year to Shardlow and another pub landlord recommended this place as having decent food. He was right about that, the foods very good, but the service is a little slow.

We came for a family meal and we're all really happy with the meal and service. The place still has the old pub vibe and a nice size room away from the bar to have your meal.

This restaurant was recommended by friends. So we went without booking and was given a table, it was obvious that there was a party of approx 20 people but the waitress showed us to a table took our orders for drinks then bought us a menu. 10 minutes later she came to take our order after which she told us there would be a wait, which was fine by us. 50 minutes later our dinner came which was hot in parrts and cold in other parts. We told the waitress who took it back to the kitchen the meal was returned as we had sent it back but was presented to the wrong people. In other words it had been warmed up again my dinner given to my husband and his to me. The staff came back said that she had spoken to the manager and he taken on that there had been a problem and offered us the meal for £5 each. I said no and asked to speak to the manager. the manager appeared I asked him to sit next to me as i did not want our conversation to be passed around, the manager said he would have to be quick as he was busy in the bar ( he also smelt strongly of cigarettes). I told him that it was out of order to offer reheated meals and present them back to the wrong people he said if we had not had the same meals it would not have been a problem and that he had offered us our meals for £5 as he get "free loaders" trying it on.......but if i didn;t want to pay the £5 that was fine just pay for our drinks and i hope that it hadn't put us off and we would come back again...... We paid for our drinks but we won't be back as reheating and returning the same food is not on

Called in here for Drinks. Very friendly atmosphere but not intrusive. Good old fashioned character.

Made a late table reservation having been informed that my children wished to take me out for a birthday meal, but I had to decide where to go on a busy Saturday night. Looking for a change I fired up Trip Advisor and soon discovered the Shakespeare, which carried mainly good reviews, so thought I would try to reserve a table for that night. Lovely greeting on the phone and promptly booked a table for 6 in the restaurant. Arrived a little earlier than planned but we were shown to our table immediately with a promise that our host would return shortly to take our drinks order, which she did. Food was duly ordered from a short but inviting menu, which was followed by a visit from the proprietor who apologised that we may have a delay in receiving our order as one of their chefs had not arrived for work. In spite of that our food arrived within 20 minutes, plentiful and piping hot. I can wholly recommend the Fish, Chips & Mushy Peas as others have already done. We all enjoyed our evening and would have scored this with 5 stars had the straws requested for the children's drinks been fulfilled and the sauces with the children's desserts been correct. Overall a very pleasant place to eat with good service and freshly cooked food.

We went on Sunday just gone it was the best food we have ever had in a pub the staff are very polite and nothing is too much trouble kids are made very welcome my granddaughter was given sweets for free by owner. Even my daughter enjoyed it and she is fussy about pub food !!! Definitely highly recommended by us. The evening meals were fab in there too we were in one eve a week before. such a romantic little hideaway restaurant.No faults at all Excellent place to go for food or a relaxing drink Will be back real soon !!!!Kerry

called in on our way back from Derby on the strength of trip advisor reviews...have to say we were not disappointed...nice ales...reasonably priced wine..food was excellent ..from mixed grill..steak, to full sunday lunch..no complaints from us..a lovely experience, will return

Not visited for a few years so we thought we would have something to eat at the same time. Nice friendly staff and a separate area/restaurant for food and yet maintaining a pub for 'locals'. Nice food and I can recommend the "Mutton Curry" and I thought it was beef which proved to be rather an embarrassment for me anyway...I was proved wrong by the chef - I had never had a Mutton Curry before. Nice to see a traditional local village pub surviving recent times, Will return.

Saturday lunch for 2 off the specials board, braised steak and homemade chips + veg and steak and ale pie with homemade chips, steak was very tender and tasty in both dishes. Very good value served by friendly staff. Always a good choice of 3-5 real ales and always well kept.

My son and I went for a meal last night for his 18th, the meal was gorgeous and the owners and staff were lovely, would definitely recommend going here for a meal.

None of your two for a fiver rubbish here. Really good Home Cooking in a spotlessly clean environment.All home made food with the chicken soup starter a meal in itself.I had half a cow wrapped in a Yorkshire pudding with devine mash and freshly cooked vegetables. The beef was so tasty and tender.My wife had goats cheese salad starter followed by lamb shank which was really tender and not a bit greasy.Sadly no room for deserts as the portions were very generous.Good atmosphere very friendly staff and a very clean non smelly pub, no cooking smells and definitely not a whiff of stale chip fat.Well be back for sure and recommending to friends.A must try and ideally situated for canal enthusiasts.

Had a fabulous evening out here. All four of us chose a different meal from the very good menu and specials board and we were all delighted with the quality of our meals. The friendly service we received along with the excellent food and attractive surroundings will mean we shall be back again very soon. A real gem of a pub.

Absolutely bloomin delicious, my partner had the pie and he was well satisfied also, infact we are going in the next few minutes for lunch may try the Beef Curry.

Myself and my wife visited the Shakespeare inn Shardlow for an evening meal and both had a curry.probably the best curry we have both ever ate and we are very well travelled.will be most definitely visting this lovely village pub again,top marks to all the staff for making our stay enjoyed

Been here a few times for lunch and sunday lunch meals in the week good value good choice no problem to serve you afew minutes before 12 sundY lunch good choice of meats nice veg home grown witch is always good

Good value and service with a smile. Comfortable surroundings friendly and welcoming staff. Portions quite large for the big appetite. Ate in lounge with alcoves decorated in bookshelves which iseffective given that Shakespeare write many a book. Will definitely eat here again.

Have just returned home from a fantastic meal here, we all had a starter, main and pudding and couldn't fault any of it.The prices are very reasonable for the large amount that you get and the service is brilliant, the staff are all very friendly and make you feel welcome.Will defiantly be returning here as we all enjoyed it so much and we want to try the Sunday dinner.

It is over 3 years since we have been to here as the service and food went downhill. Since then there has been 3 sets of landlords and I am so pleased to see that the original landlord is back. Bar areas have been decorated, still traditional but brighter. Sat outside and garden been tidied up, just needs a few new seats. Different friendly inside and out. We had our lunch of ham, egg and chips - all tasty & chunky chips! Also steak & ale pie with mushy peas & chips. Could not resist the lemon meringue pie! Food very good, friendly service. The only thing I would recommend is that the toilets need an update, but saying that they are clean. Would not hesitate to recommend & we will definitely be going back!

Me and my friend went here for lunch today, the food was beautifully homemade, it was definitely value for money as we both got plenty and the bill surprised us just how cheap it was. The pub had a nice atmosphere and the staff were very friendly. I will definitely go again.

A friendly pub. Great food. Had fresh fish with home made chunky chips. The garden is lovely. Definitely go back.

The last time we went to the Shakespeare the food was to say the least disappointing, this was over a year ago, now under new management ( all local people) we had Sunday lunch there yesterday my wife had the roast pork which she say was very good as were the veg but the gravy was a little tastless ( a bit picky ) I had the pie and chips again very good nice crisp chips, out guest had a chicken dish which he was very happy with, there is still some work to be done but a good start and a major improvement

Super fish and chips - proper chips too!! Dined here several times since new owners took over recently - EXCELLENT!! :))

Great atmosphere in this little pub, with lovely locals to chat with, great value beer & meals-what more could you ask for!

Fish and chips to die for, the best around and not expensive. Beer batter makes it really light and tempura-like. Mushy peas are available and all for a very reasonable price.Harry Ramsden, eat your heart out!

We moored our narrowboat nearby and decided to eat with our son and his wife before they went home. We all really enjoyed the food and service. We will be back!

The landlord of the Shakespeare is pulling his last pint on tuesday 22nd of April and would like to say a big thank you to all who wrote a review good or bad

Called at Shakespeare Inn, Shardlow, as was previously recommended by a friend, eventhough it was early, the landlord and landlady couldn't do enough for us, excellant meal, very good, value for money, friendly pub/restaurant. Definately another visit in order.

We have driven past many times and were looking for a Sunday Carvery Lunch, so thought we would give The Shakespeare a go. On the up side, nicely presented tasty Starters. Main course was tender Beef, with usual accompanyments and LOTS of nicely cooked vegs. The meaty gravy was delicious. Didnt have room for desserts (shame). Couldn't fault the meal at all. On the down side: The sign outside said Carvery Lunch, which we took to mean a help-yourself to veg etc, but it was all served by a waitress! Waiting Staff didn't know what beers were available and needed to hone their waiting skills!! No salt and pepper on the tables was odd! Saying that, we will be back soon to try the week-day lunches and hope the food is of the same tasty quality! Shakespeare,you are nearly there!!

We decided to meet here with friends having read previous reviews. It was a Saturday lunchtime and the restaurant was empty. The room felt like it needed a bit of airing as it was a bit stuffy. Sadly only one bitter on draught and the barman unable to comment on the wine, whether it was sweet or dry. We did consider locating somewhere else but we decided to give the menu a try, and glad we did. The food was well cooked, well presented and tasted really good. The fish batter was a little too firm, but the chicken and leak pie was great as was the steak and chicken. Great vegetables, not over done, and tasted so fresh. We might give then a go again.

We arranged to have our annual Christmas party at the Shakespeare Inn based on its central location for our needs. We had never eaten here before but liked the look of it and felt the price was very reasonable as we were passing the cost on to our club members, we had also read very good reviews about the place on Tripadvisor so thought we would take a chance based on this feedback. On first contact with the owners I felt confident that the pub could deliver our 3 course dinner. The menu offered to us was large and Lorraine offered table service for our drinks as their pub doesn't normally open its restaurant on a Sunday evening but for our group of 40 she said she would do this for us as the pub has a regular quiz on a Sunday evening and she did not want disruption for either them or us which we were really pleased with, we honestly thought we had found the perfect venue, at the perfect price – HOWEVER it dramatically went downhill just after our arrival ……..Even though we provided the restaurant with a pre-order a week in advance, as requested with everyone’s choice of starter, main course and dessert it wasn't until our arrival at 6.30pm (guests due to arrive at 7pm for 7.30pm sit down) that we were told they didn't have any pork as they had originally offered us the Sunday Lunch choice rather than their Christmas Menu and that pork wasn't on their Christmas menu so the chef hadn't ordered it in, as only 3 of the 40 had ordered this we said it was no problem and we would get them to re-order once they arrived. Then we were told that they would be serving the dinner at 7pm as and I quote “she needed to get the staff finished by 9pm”, we explained we had arranged for service to start at 7:30pm and we didn't realise we had to rush! We were then informed that we would have to go to the bar to fetch our own drinks which we reminded her that she had promised to add additional staff to do bar service! This fell on deaf ears and we had to go to the bar ourselves which as you can imagine did not please the locals who kept getting interrupted by our group wanting drinks, also we had booked a private room because we wanted to keep the group together as it was a team event! Next we were informed they didn't have any jam sponge as originally offered as again it had not been ordered for us!! To help the group remember what they had ordered I had printed name cards with their menu choice listed on the back so all the waitresses had to do were LOOK at the cards but instead they chose to slam their hands at the end of each table and shout to the group what they were holding. The staff could only carry two plates at a time and they served one menu item at a time to the 40 who were seated on 5 separate tables so by the time the whole group had been served the food was cold even though we had supplied the inn with a list of who was having what and also where they were sitting well in advance.The children did not have starters and were served last (even after the adults had received their main courses) even though we asked if we could have their food first this did not happen (there were 6 all on one table). Once starter was finally served and cleared away vegetables for the tables were served first before the main courses which meant the veg was stone cold by the time the last person received their food AND we did not have any main course cutlery or salt & pepper on the table we had to sit and wait again which we felt was appalling, similarly the deserts were served with no cutlery and again this incurred a wait. Overall the food was OK ONCE it reached the tables but the service was all over the place, the servers had no customer service skills whatsoever and the terrible organisation of the Inn meant for a disappointing evening all round. As organisers we felt embarrassed we had asked people to pay for a disappointing evening. At the end of the evening we looked for the owners to pass on this feedback but they were nowhere to be seen, we will never return to this venue or recommend it, they talk the talk but don’t deliver.

Went to the Shakespeare Inn on Saturday night having reserved a table for two in the restaurant. We were greeted in a friendly manner by the landlord Harry and shown to our table and the drinks order taken. The drinks promptly arrived as we perused the three course set menu priced at an amazing £13.95. After making our choice a basket of hot bread with butter arrived followed shortly by our garlic mushrooms which were piping hot and delicious. The main courses of pork and beef respectively with all the trimmings came to our table after a decent break, it was well presented and very tasty. All our drinks orders were taken at the table and served quickly with a smile. There are four choices for desert and we selected the classic spotted dick and custard and we were not disappointed. In conclusion a lovely pub with polite and friendly staff serving good tasty food at an amazing price. It is well worth a visit.

We called in this lunchtime on the off chance and found a very warm welcome from the staff.The beer set the standard as being a truly excellant pint of Marstons Pedigree and when we were introduced to the menu(s) by Harry, we chose an excellant meal of good home cooked fare.Our meals were brought to us by the chef who ensured that everthing was to our liking which was a nice touch and made us feel valued.Overall a very pleasant experience and one we shall certainly seek to repeat.

Great food and service even better than the first time we stopped will be back again soon with work friends for our Xmas party

Fantastic food fantastic price a great atmosphere more like a home from home with a good choice of real ales

It was a pleasure to experience tasty "home cooked food" and generous portions, much of the food being sourced locally. Although we ate at a quite time we were made very welcome and the pub had a traditional pub feel about it. There was not the vast choice of meals available as with the local pre-prepared food restaurants, but to me there is no substitute for genuine freshly prepared food. Service was excellent and the staff very friendly. Would certainly go again.

I had the meat lasagne, it was amazing. The atmosphere is amazing and all the staff and both of the hosts are lovely. Highly recommend the pub and the food.

Visit the pub at lunchtime during the week, we were made very welcome by the owners, nothing was too much trouble, great choice of bar meals, great traditional pub setting we have been back since and will be visiting again very soon :)

Lovely chip butty. Sometimes the simplest meals are the best! We will be back. Good beer and wine too!