There's a moment on Carnaby Street when you stop looking at the shop windows and look up instead. That's when you spot him: a life-size bust of Shakespeare, peering out from a first-floor window, watching the shoppers go by below.
I'd walked past Shakespeare's Head pub more times than I can count. This time, I went in with my son, a proper Shakespeare fan, for his first look at the place.
Today, DOYOUSPEAKLONDON takes you beyond the buzz of Carnaby Street and inside Shakespeare's Head, a true London classic.
Shakespeare's Head on Carnaby Street: the history behind the pub
Shakespeare's Head sits right on the corner of Carnaby Street and Great Marlborough Street, at the busiest end of Soho. It’s hard to walk past it without noticing!
The pub dates back to 1735, when it was supposedly run by Thomas and John Shakespeare, two brothers who claimed to be distant relatives of the playwright.
Whether or not that's true, the name stuck, and so did the theme.
The building you see today is actually late Victorian, built in a faux-Tudor style, but the spirit of the original 18th-century pub is very much still there!
It's now part of the Greene King family, alongside countless other historic pubs across London, like The Holly Bush in Hampstead (which I featured here).
No reservation needed, making it an easy, spontaneous stop.
Fancy a quick pint? Order at the bar downstairs. Prefer a more relaxed experience? Head upstairs (like we did), settle at a table, and a server will look after you.
What makes Shakespeare's Head pub so iconic?
The bust
First thing first: look up as you arrive and you'll spot the life-size bust of Shakespeare himself, keeping watch over the street.
It's been there since around 1910, added to the building roughly 150 years after the pub first opened.
My son noticed it before I even pointed it out, and that was the start of his fascination with the place!
The missing hand
Here's the detail that really got him talking: the bust is missing one hand.
The story goes that it was lost to a bomb during the Second World War, when the blast landed close enough to the pub to take it clean off.
I can't promise that's the full truth, pub history has a habit of growing more dramatic with every retelling, but it's the kind of detail that makes a building feel properly lived-in. And it gets people talking, of course.
The Jimi Hendrix tribute
Head upstairs and there's a small tribute to Jimi Hendrix on the stairwell, a nod to the music history packed into this corner of Soho. Hendrix himself lived nearby, in the area I’ve also written about.
Carnaby Street was at the centre of London's music and fashion scene through the 60s and 70s, and the pub has quietly watched all of it happen from its window.
The atmosphere
Downstairs is lively, loud and exactly what you'd want from a pub two minutes from Liberty London.
Upstairs is calmer, with its own bar, and it's where we ended up settling for the rest of the afternoon.
It’s the kind of place where you stay longer than expected, drawn in by the view of Carnaby Street’s energy from above.
What about the food at Shakespeare's Head?
Last, but not least. The food!
We went classic. I had a hearty duck dish, my son went for a proper fish and chips.
Both portions were perfectly sized, exactly the kind of comfort food you want after an afternoon spent walking around Soho.
No fuss, no fancy plating, just good pub food done well.
The menu is full of British classics, alongside vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options if that's what you're after.
On my last visit, the menu featured a few small plates and a chilli con carne I shared with a friend, and it left us with such a good memory!
Why Shakespeare's Head is worth the stop
Carnaby Street
Carnaby Street is one of London's most famous shopping streets, and it's easy to spend hours wandering its side streets without noticing the time pass.
Shakespeare's Head sits right at the top of it, making it the easiest reward stop after a day of browsing.
Liberty London
Liberty's iconic Tudor-style building is just a few steps away, and the contrast between the two buildings is part of the charm of this corner of Soho.
Oxford Circus
The pub is a five-minute walk from Oxford Circus station, so it's an easy stop whether you're starting your day in Soho or finishing it there.
What I really love about this corner of London is how much history is packed into such a small space, often without anyone noticing it's there.
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Everything you need to know about Shakespeare's Head, Carnaby Street:
Address: 29 Great Marlborough Street, London W1F 7HZ (corner of Carnaby Street and Foubert's Place)
Opening hours: Monday–Saturday 11am–midnight, Sunday 11am–11.30pm. Food served daily, 11am–10pm.
Website: greeneking.co.uk/pubs/greater-london/shakespeares-head
Shakespeare's Head | Carnaby Street pub | Pubs near Liberty London | Historic pubs Soho | Soho pub history | Things to do near Carnaby Street | Best pubs in Soho | Best London Pubs.
