Clerkenwell · Islington
Shakespeare's Head
A small 1960 theatre pub tucked in behind Sadler's Wells
- Address1 Arlington Way, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 1XA
- OwnershipIndependent pub
About Shakespeare's Head
A Courage-built pub of 1960 behind Sadler's Wells, still one U-shaped room of original fittings, and a two-star entry on CAMRA's national inventory of historic pub interiors.
A pub has stood on this corner of Arlington Way since at least the 1850s, but the present building went up in 1960, built by the Courage brewery. Its single U-shaped room keeps the original black-painted brick counter, glass-shelved bar back and plywood panelling, and the fixed seating looks original too; the only big change was the removal of the wall between the public bar and the lounge in the late 1980s. CAMRA gives the interior two stars, meaning very special national historic interest. Theatregoers from Sadler's Wells share it with long-standing locals, and signed photos of performers hang alongside pictures of the regulars. According to CAMRA's listing it is run by Shakey Ltd, with the leasehold held by Sadler's Wells.
On tap
Cask ale: Greene King Abbot and IPA plus one changing beer, according to CAMRA.
Food
Food is served from 11:30am to 7:30pm, Monday to Saturday.
More pubs in Clerkenwell
- The EagleWhere the modern gastropub was born
- The Slaughtered LambThree moods in one building: bright bar, cocktail lounge and a basement with live gigs
- The Crown TavernWhere, local tradition holds, Lenin and Stalin first met