The Shakespeare in The William Hotel, NYC
The Shakespeare in The William Hotel, NYC
Located at the bottom of the luxurious William Hotel, few steps from Grand Central, The Shakespeare is an unpretentious English tavern that serves classic pub food. With a dining room separated from the bar, this dark but homey place only suffers from a shortage of staff that requires patrons to be patient and enjoy drinks as they wait for their food. With the cold weather, I was glad that they offered hot drinks ($16) like mulled wine, Bailey’s coffee, although I would pass on this one, surprisingly lacking any flavor, even of coffee, unless you like a very light one, and the mysterious buttered rum that they ran out each time I went. Off the menu, you can get a hot toddy or, like I did, an Irish whisky that I enjoyed. Of course, they also have beer and my choice was a Guinness ($10).
The Shakespeare in The William Hotel, NYC
Bailey’s coffee at The Shakespeare in The William Hotel, NYC
Irish whisky at The Shakespeare in The William Hotel, NYC
Guiness beer at The Shakespeare in The William Hotel, NYC
Know that they have a happy hour, and we got their house made ricotta ($10), that was good and creamy. But my favorite appetizer is a classic English dish: scotch egg ($16) that is a boiled egg wrapped around a sausage and bread crumbs, that is then deep fried. Served with a tartar sauce, I loved the crunch of the outside that uncovered the meaty coat, before dipping into the soft egg and runny yolk that gives a gooey texture. Another classic I loved was their bangers and mash ($27) that are sausages served with mashed potatoes. Theirs is served with an onion gravy that elevated a bit what could have been a boring dish, giving a nice sweetness to it. The best part was the bangers sausages that were nicely charred, giving a bit of a crunch at each bite. A must have. Another classic? The fish and chips ($29) that is battered cod deep fried just enough to get a perfectly cooked and flaky fish, covered with a deliciously crispy layer and served with fries that, although not crispy, were pretty good.
Ricotta at The Shakespeare in The William Hotel, NYC
Scotch egg at The Shakespeare in The William Hotel, NYC
Fish and Chips at The Shakespeare in The William Hotel, NYC
Bangers and mash at The Shakespeare in The William Hotel, NYC
If you are vegetarian, they do have options like the veggie burger ($22), with a pretty good house made patty, or the British grilled cheese ($14), made with English cheddar, stilton, dijon mustard on a country sourdough toast. The grilled cheese was good, but needed more cheese!
Veggie burger at The Shakespeare in The William Hotel, NYC
British grilled cheese at The Shakespeare in The William Hotel, NYC
Of course, we had to try their desserts, especially the Sticky Toffee pudding ($12) and the chocolate pudding ($12), that are not house made, but still a great way to end a meal.
Chocolate pudding at The Shakespeare in The William Hotel, NYC
Sticky toffee pudding at The Shakespeare in The William Hotel, NYC
Overall, we had nice meals there, in a relaxed atmosphere. This gastropub has a nice menu, with some dishes that are definitely a must try (scotch egg, fish and chips and bangers & mash for sure).
Enjoy (I did)!
The Shakespeare - 24 E 39th St, New York, NY 10016
