As
the longest serving ale house in Bristol and with food served daily,
until ten o'clock, The Shakespeare Tavern, (which derives its name
from the Theatre Royal in nearby King Street) is seemingly an ideal
spot to satisfy a sporadic need for some good, old fashioned
pub-grub. And, feeling a little fragile after the alcohol-fuelled
antics of the 'night before', the Best Foodie Friend (BFF) and I
agreed to rendezvous at this very establishment with the intention of
finding uncomplicated comfort-food that would hit the hangover
without breaking the bank...
Date
and Time: Sunday 22nd April 2012, 16:30
Name
of Establishment: The Shakespeare Tavern*
Location:
68 Prince Street, Bristol
Reason
for Visit: To counteract the dreaded après-drinking afternoon
slump!
A
'Greene King' pub of traditional calibre; this former Georgian
mansion (dating back to 1725) boasts a cosy interior which can veer
towards a warm, welcoming retreat in the colder Months (complete with
log fire) and a light, airy kick-back (with the facility for a little
alfresco action), when the weather picks up. Original features add a
rather charming quality to the décor with smart oak panelling
throughout, striking bay windows and a rounded mahogany staircase
which ascends to the kitchen above. Yet despite its historical appeal
and, in fact, a rather thorough menu of hearty-sounding culinary
classics, a catalogue of errors balances its more positive
attributes. Yes, despite the reassuringly long wait before our mains
materialised, (which for me – perhaps a little naively so - always
indicates freshly-cooked fare as opposed to the use of a microwave)
as well as their ample presentation and the smiley service that
ensued, both dishes - a fish finger sandwich made with multi-grain
bread for me (£3.45) and the sausage 'n mash for the BFF (£5.45) -
were a little lack lustre to say the least.
I’ll
begin with a strength and the fish finger content itself which, I'm
pleased to report, was well-proportioned and tasty; constituting
generous chunks of white flaked fish within a light batter which was
melt-in-the-mouth in terms of its disposition. However, with soggy
supermarket-style sliced bread which, to my taste, had been
over-buttered as well as a limp salad and a side-order of skin-on
fries (£1.95) which seemed to take the concept of crispy to a new
level (which bordered on incineration), it was all a little
disappointing. The BFF was also suitably unimpressed commenting that
the Gloucestershire Old Spot sausages which had been doused with a
redcurrant and Rioja jus, were decidedly average in terms of their
quality and the mash a little bland. She mentioned that the
deep-fried onion rings were crunchy and flavoursome but not
outstandingly so. Thus, although neither dish contained anything
inedible enough to warrant sending it back, neither proved
particularly enjoyable - an outcome which reminded me of something a
colleague once said whereby, ‘if you’re going to die a calorific
death, you’d want to at least go out with a bang…!’
 |
When
it comes to drinks to accompany one’s meal, The Shakespeare offers
five cask ales, three draught ciders, four draught lagers and over
fifteen different types of wine – phew! Yet despite this abundant
array of tempting tipples which incidentally, appear
reasonably-priced and appropriately maintained, the BFF and I
confined ourselves to the lighter line-up; sipping at sodas given the
primary motive for our visit!
Consequently,
you know when you're feeling rather worse for wear and really craving
the satisfaction of well-portioned, home cooked and wholesome cuisine
– a hunger left hanging with the mediocre meal that is put before
you? Well, that was well and truly the case on this occasion – the
dishes we has opted for, although passable in terms of their
execution, not quite not hitting the spot; appearing rather more
substantial than they were upon consumption. As a country-wide chain
with a website claiming to facilitate the location of your local
'Proper Pub', I would question whether The Shakespeare Tavern (and
maybe even its counterparts) needs to up its game somewhat to bring
it in line with the establishments arguably more deserving of the
‘Proper Pub’ badge – yes, it’s friendly, offers
value-for-money and inhabits a number of deals intended to save its
clientèle a bob or two, (it is also perfectly placed to serve
Bristol’s drinking culture) but when it comes to the food itself,
it just isn’t up to par – sort it out guys because Shakespeare
may have once written, ‘drink down all unkindness' – as scrolled
above the bar - but he also stated that ‘When workmen strive to do
better than well, they do confound their skill in
covetousness'....enough said!
And
now for the second opinion...
The
BFF gave The Shakespeare Tavern a rating of 5/10 and in three words,
described the dish she had chosen as 'mediocre and stodgy'.
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