Shakespeare, Stoke Newington

This has been my local for 12+ years now (i even worked behind the bar for a little while) and I still love it, relaxed atmosphere, interesting people (naturally), good pizza takeaway next door, BUT:
� The ale is way too fekin expensive � now over �3/pint. I've been drinking in the West End several times lately and even there not had to pay anywhere near that much.
� The real ale is too often in poor condition � I frequently have to get me pint changed because it tastes like vinegar. It's not hard, the cellar is good, just clean the pipes!
� The back garden has been wrecked by covering it in a silly tent thing, and all the tables and chairs are completely trashed and rotten, so now nobody uses it unless they have too � it used to be rammed.
� It could do with looking a bit more cared for � the relaxed ambience is great but it looks positively shabby these days. Please no corporate/trendy makeover, just a better cleaner would help for a start, plus a bit more hands-on management.
The owner of this pub has several others, and has got rich from them (see first point), so come on mate, how about a bit of reinvesting??

19 Jul 2006 14:45

The Crown Tavern, Clerkenwell

Well fortunately it seems to have changed: no rude bar staff and no potato-headed media types. In fact, the bar staff were efficient and as friendly as possible given the huge amount of people wanting drinks, and to sit in the spacious outside among the interesting mechanical/electrical sculpture thing. Good ale (unusually for Clerkenwell bars), good wine and ambitious food. All they need is a couple more bar staff at busy periods � great place to hang out on a summer's evening�

19 Jul 2006 14:20