The Shakespeare

Superb little gem with amazing food. Try the sticky date pudding. (Though you might have to order another $2 scoop of ice cream as it doesn’t last the whole dessert - they sure won’t give it to you for free!). Cute little patio at the back that makes you feel like you’re on a rooftop but you’re actually just 1 floor above street level.

I remember when this space was the ground floor of the Williams Club. I love what they’ve done with the place.

We like this restaurant. The food is consistently very good. The ambiance is more than comfortable. Unfortunately, we experienced both service problems and kitchen problems on our last visit which is why the overall rating is Fair. We've come to expect more from the Shakespeare Upstairs (formerly The Peacock). I'm assuming these problems will not continue. The manager did apologize and sent us dessert on the house.

We were celebrating a very special win

My first visit though I will be back. Reasonable price fixed menu, two or three course. Indoor or outdoor seating plus several interesting “lounges” for cocktails and conversation. Warm and welcoming staff!

Terrific food and great atmosphere. We had amazing cocktails at the Raines Law room. Dinner was delicious, elegant and not at all fussy. We will definitely go back!

Love coming here, never disappoints! Food always spot on and the atmosphere is lovely.

Nicely decorated inside. Good service from the staff who was helpful and friendly.

Went for an impromptu business lunch. Food was very good and service as well

What a nice find in midtown. The Shakespeare is the bar and hotel restaurant for The William, a boutique, hotel on East 39th off of Fifth. Rooms are cozy and quiet in the afternoon with a very friendly and accommodating staff. Food is typically English and done well. I had the Scotch egg for starters and it came with a perfectly done yolk. Not too mushy and not hard boiled. The pan seared salmon was delicious. My partners enjoyed the huge portion of fish & chips and shepherds pie. The only comment I have on these is that the chips were not quite as crisp as they should be. The shepherds pie was a nice mix of ground meat and veggies with a good potato crust. The sticky toffee pudding for dessert was acceptable as I 've had better. The wine list is good with plenty moderately prices glasses and bottles. The bar participates in the "Cask Marque" membership meaning they serve cask conditioned ales. However, unfortunately, they had none available on my visit. Draft "Old Speckled Hen" was a good substitute however. If you're looking for a quiet spot in mid town away from the crowds and noise in many other places please go, just not all at once! We'd like to keep this little secret to ourselves for awhile.

Great ambiance! Quality of food is average. Very cool interiors.

A nice room, a delicious meal, attentive service...at the peak dinner hour it was loud, but we had arrived earlier and it was peaceful for a while. The food was delicious!

What a great find for a gastropub experience. Refined food, great ambiance and friendly service. Good set lunch menu as well. Highly recommend it!

Spectacular service in gorgeous setting! The Shakespeare is one of my favorite place. Great to take VIP guest! Big Thank you! to Raymie Moynagh!
Esther Mancini

Surprising, nice atmosphere. Staff were great. Reminded me of a Notting Hill private club from 20 years ago. Definitely adding too the Rolodex for repeat cisits

Great ambience evoking an English pub. Delicious food - the foie gras pate was amazing. Salads are good, but small for the price. Similarly wine pourings could be considered a little un-generous. Service was very pleasant but perhaps a little inattentive given we were upstairs. But overall very good, I will keep going back and happy to highly recommend. Thank you!

Great ambience with good food, well appointed drinks and good atmosphere for friendly conversation.

Awesome restaurant. I recommend you all go

Excellent for 3 Lions and pints of Fuller's - great staff

It was to see the England V Croatia game !! But after the game Raymey ( who looked after us during the game) took us on a great tour of the rest of the place & we were very impressed !!!
Looking forward coming again !! Thank you.

Watched footie (soccer) .... World Cup excellent atmosphere

A gem of a spot with outdoor dining in the middle of busy midtown. Very undiscovered, beautiful oasis with very good food and terrific atmosphere. Can't wait to go back. Only bad part of writing this review is my fear to let this secret out.

I
Nice local bite

It was fun to eat at The Shakespeare. The food wasn't amazing, and it was pretty expensive, but overall we had a good experience.

Ate on the patio outside, hence it being quiet. Good food but a bit overpriced for what you get, even for NYC standards.
Would come back again for appetizers and drinks, not a full meal.
I had the gourmet grilled cheese which was ok but could have used more flavoring.

Love their burgers, definitely among the top 10 in NYC. Bonus points for having gluten free hamburger rolls as well as a vegan menu to accommodate a variety of diets.

I love the Shakespeare. It was a recommendation from a friend, and we sat outside in September - it was like we weren't even in the city. This past time, we sat inside in a cozy room, and the food was delicious. The sticky toffee pudding was so incredible I'm still daydreaming about it. An all around amazing place!

Love the new upstairs menu! Great experience, per usual!

Fisherman's pie is lacking fish, while atmosphere is great for people watching. Good selection of ales and comfortable seating.

I met a friend for dinner and while waiting, had a drink at the bar. It was pretty noisy but everyone was having a good time. Dinner upstairs was very nice and quiet. Our waitress was great and the food was delicious.

Found this restaurant on trip advisor and decided to give it a try as it was within a few blocks where we were staying. Nice cheese board. My wife had salmon which was nicely cooked and had a tasty sauce. I had their burger and fries. A step above pub food. The wine was a basic pinot but pleasant. Nice ambiance as it felt very comfortable . Service was attentive and friendly. Will return again when back in nyc

Really nice and big place to have either diner appetizer, dinner or great cocktails! The staff is nice and nd efficient.

We sat on the patio and enjoyed a very good selection of farm fresh options from the price fixe for under $30!

Nice ambiance for a casual business lunch and great service!

The bland and bad food was served lukewarm. THe server was sweet and peppy.

Appetizer mushroom dish was bland tasteless. The boiled Brussels sprouts reminded me of the ones I hated as a kid, except these were really hard and tough to chew.

The portions are skimpy, which is fine because we didn’t finish half our tasteless meal.

Pork chop is the way to go. I personally call in advance to secure my portion as they sell out very quickly!

Great outdoor patio, great food and service.

We had the best experience! It was old friends reconnecting and we had a delicious meal with great wine and service. Nothing could have been better!! You should definitely check this place out - it is an amazing space and the food is out of this world!

My group had a very nice experience here. The service was warm and welcoming from the moment of arrival. We enjoyed a nice business discussion in an unhurried atmosphere with a nice ambience that is great for a variety of occasions. The food was also very good and well presented. I would definitely return. Thank you!

We had the snug by the bar and it was lovely for a work celebratory lunch.

I am so happy that in this area of midtown you can have an excellent burger in a space with NO TVs and no loud music. The chandelier in the dining room is lovely and it's fun to have a simple burger in a nice space. Thank you!!