Shakespeare Tavern

I love the Shakespeare Tavern. It feels like community theater (and I mean that in the best possible way!) in the heart of Midtown Atlanta.
First, logistics –park in the hospital parking deck across the street on Peachtree and show your ticket stub when you leave to save a dollar on parking. Arrive when the doors open for your show, as seating is first come, first served, and you’ll want to get a good spot. Once you’ve selected a table (with the help of a volunteer usher), head to the back of the theatre to make your dining selections and pay cafeteria style.
The food and drink may not blow you away, but there are several options that are very, very good. The rainy day tomato soup is a large sized bowl, and comes accompanied by a generous hunk of zucchini bread. This creamy soup is enough on its own for a light meal, which also makes this a pretty cheap spot to come for dinner. The beer and cider selection is actually quite good, with lots of interesting fruity options.
When it comes to the shows, expect minimal set and prop design, but maximum effort and talent from the actors. There is also something about being and sitting so close to the performers that adds an extra element to the show. You really feel the drama and the emotions of the performers.
I also have to give props to Shakespeare Tavern for making Shakespeare accessible. You may *think* you don’t like Shakespeare, but I challenge you to come to a performance of «The Complete Works of William Shakespeare — Abridged» and not laugh like crazy. Plus, with the sheer volume and variety of Shakespearean works staged here throughout the year, you’re bound to find something you like, even if you thought you were scarred from too many high school performances of «Hamlet.»
In short, if you haven’t been, go!

LOVE the atmosphere, the food, and the performances. It’s awesome to fine a group of people who have a love of the classics and an interest in preserving them. I park at the hospital right across the street for free. Get their early if you want a good spot in your section!

I come for the plays. I aways enjoy the productions.
The food, however is lacking. My favorite is the apple crisp dessert.

You will love this experience. The food rocks, the people are nice. The performances are absolutely first class. This place is a real Atlanta treasure. Kids over 14 – 15 will enjoy the fun youngers may have trouble keeping up. Get tix and go!

We had a great time seeing the Tempest at Shakespeare Tavern, and are excited to visit again soon!
They perform many different plays throughout the year, including Shakespeare’s comedies, tragedies, and the Christmas Carol in December. The actors were great and their wonderful acting made the material as approachable as possible. Even though the Tempest is a tragedy, there were still laugh out loud funny moments, and they even mixed in some modern twists which were hilarious.
Parking was easy since you can park in the Emory lot across the street. (about $ 5, can pay with credit card)
You need to arrive at least an hour before showtime to get the best seats as each section is filled on a first come basis, but really there isn’t a bad seat in the house since it’s not a very big theatre. We sat in the box seats off to the side. I liked our view except the balcony above blocked my view of some stuff above the stage. I’d probably rather sit in the box seats in the back, the floor seats, and actually the balcony seats looked good if you don’t mind hunching over to eat (the tables are lower)
We decided to eat food there and don’t regret it. The food is just ok, but it certainly wasn’t bad. And since we had to get there an hour early, we got to spend that hour eating and drinking at our table. The food menu is a variety of British-​themed menu items, served cafeteria style in the back. They also have a variety of bottled and draft beer, as well as a few wine selections. At intermission, we got dessert and I thought the pecan pie with bourbon whipped cream was excellent and the apple crisp was pretty good too.
Recommend checking this place out if you are a Shakespeare fan, theater fan, or just want to try something a little different.

Love the Shakespeare Tavern. Such a fun experience. I’ve been there multiple times. This last time we paid a bit extra and got the prince/​princess table (get a table cloth, «goblets», and a flowers on the table we got to take home). The food was good and the show was good. The theater is intimate and fun. It’s a must do in Atlanta.
(great parking just across the street, I had to pay $ 5 this time, but other times it’s been free).

The Crucible was mesmerizing and heartbreaking, and Matt Nitchie’s conviction in his delivery of John Proctor was brilliant.
The staff (volunteers) were all really helpful.
They offer food & drink at reasonable prices, so get there in time to jump in line & get everything you need before the show starts.

Awesome experience and decent food. What I was most impressed with was the passion of all the stage actors and team members. Great performance, Definitely would come again.

It’s so wonderful how we have a legitimate tavern to enjoy Shakespeare’s works in Atlanta. Though there are various types of fine arts, I truly appreciate a classical theater such as this. I was luckily enough to be able to enjoy one of my favorite plays, «Merchant of Venice». The entire cast was superb! However, I personally think Doug Kaye, who was casted as Shylock, left the best impression. Wow! What a performance! If ever there was a perfect image of Shylock, Doug Kaye certainly did the character justice ;) After the many years of a college course on Shakespeare, it culminated to me watching Doug Kaye perform as Shylock to make that course more priceless.

One of the lesser known experiences available in Atlanta GA, but one of the best I have ever had. Great food and a great theater!

To find a theatre in the heart of Atlanta that exists to celebrate William Shakespeare is really a treasure. This is not just a theatre that does a Shakespeare play every once in a while… No, the Shakespeare Tavern celebrates the man and his work in everything from the chosen performances to the architecture, signage and the food. You kind of get the feel like you are being transported back in time upon entering the main dining room.
VENUE:
The theatre itself is large enough to hold a decent amount of people, but small enough so that there aren’t really any «terrible» seats in the house. There are columns that get in the way downstairs, and I’m sure not everything is as clear and poignant form the balcony seats, but overall, most people are getting a good show!
The themed architecture of the Tavern, both inside and out, is enticing without being too hokey, and as mentioned before, it does wonders to set the tone of the performance.
However, the main dining room (also the theatre) is not well designed for circulation. The food and drink is cafeteria style, so a big line forms on either side of the room and works it’s way back through the kitchen, then both lines converge in and out down the center aisle. Our seats were on the stage-​left side of the room, and we quickly had no room to even sit as the crowd lined up for food. Also, there are no restrooms located within the main dining room, and only one exit, so everybody and their momma knows when you get up to go because you walk all the way around/​accross and out where the actors are coming/​going from.
PARKING:
well, there is none. Not really, anyway. We parked in the Emory parking garage across the street fora bout $ 5. I recommend that to other alternatives.
THE PERFORMANCE:
We went to see «Shakespeare: Abridged», which is basically all of The Bard’s plays abbreviated and crammed into a two-​hour show. Having seen it before, I know how disappointing it can be to a Shakespare fan (they go over Romeo and Juliet for like 20 minutes and then fly past all the others… ugh), but what a riot the trio of actors were! Clearly a profession group of gentleman, these three put on a good show. It was silly and sometimes «went too far», but good.
FOOD:
As mentioned before, the food is cafeteria style, so you stand in line, order what you want and then get handed a tray. Although I didn’t love this method of food delivery, it was fairly quick and I could take a peek at what the food looked like before ordering.
The food was really quite good– I had the TOMATO SOUP (a huge steaming bowl) with ZUCCHINI BREAD. The Soup was delicious and hearty (almost too creamy for me), but the zucchini bread was a bit sour. It had a wonderful, dense texture, but I didn’t like it much.
Their CHEESECAKE CHOCOLATE CHIP BROWNIES were huge, but a little dry and lacking a lot of the cheesecake that the name promises.
DRINKS were not too expensive. Order wine by the bottle (carafe) or by the glass, and beer by the bottle. The bottles are HUGE and good quality. Worth it.

I really think that this is a hidden gem in the sphere of Atlanta performing arts, one of those everyone knows but no one remember joints, however if you have any free night and feel like a play at a very reasonable cost, then you really cannot go wrong with Shakespeare Tavern. I saw a performance of the Complete works of Shakespeare (Abridged), in addition to three other shows in the past and I have really enjoyed every single one! Think community theatre, with food and Shakespeare!
The Tavern is located near Gladys Knights restaurant and has street parking and a lot across the street. The top level is offices and a small museum I believe and the tavern is downstairs in the back of the building! The tickets are purchased online and picked up via will call. Now the options are floor, box, and balcony. All options are great and depending on what your budget is, make your choice. The seating isn’t assigned, its first come first served within the section, meaning if you buy box seats you’re going to be in the box, but the location within the box is determined by what time you arrive. The doors open at 6:30 and you must be in your seats by 7:25 or so, we arrived around 7:00 got a drink and were seated about 5 minutes before the show started.
The food is nothing to write home about, however it’s not over priced and they have menu of salads, soups, sandwiches and dessert. The tavern, true to its name, has two bars. One in the lobby which is a full bar and then one in the food line which is beer and wine! The beer selection is good, you can grab a 24 ale from London for about 7 bucks!
The troupe of actors has always been phenomenal! Last night three men were the entire cast and they knocked it out of the ball park! The intimacy of the Theatre allows them to interact with the audience and really convey performance. However, last night they were doing this show and a little girl, who was awesomely well behaved, made a joke and threw one of the actors off momentarily as he tried no to laugh. Before anyone gets mad, she really was behaved that wasn’t sarcasm! All in all this is one of my favorite spots to see a show and the girl and I are already figuring out which show we would like to see next! Great job and I highly recommend the Tavern!

Audience (this doesn’t reflect the business themself but I need a place to vent): by god, you guys were the worst! We had balcony seats, the top 2 rows were a full of kids, probably high school or college fielding trip. They were fucking annoying. They whispered (newsflash, in a small ass place where the show isn’t on speaker, your «whispers» still loud as hell) the whole time. I gave them a few glares during the show and even asked them to quiet down during intermission, but nothing works. KIDS! LISTEN, be courtesous! Show your damn manner.
Show/​performance: 4* just don’t expect it to be top grade broadway show. It’s still pretty entertaining. We watched As You Like It. They could’ve used more lighting and sound effects (i.e. shadow of trees or such when they’re in the forest with birds chirps or something like that). The fight was cheesy, but cute. This Orlando was cheesier and more useless than I remember but he was a decent actor and ver cheesy looking actor lol. We enjoyed the show-​show overall. The melocony duke was the funniest. Loved him.
Staff: 4* for niceness and friendly, 2* for effectiveness and usefulness. The line was freaking long and slow because the ladies at the entry way. They were nice as hell but they wouldn’t stop talking to everyone and holding up the line. The entry way was also a problem. Balcony folks go through the same way and had to walk toward the kitchen line to go upstair. People were confused because the kitchen lines were already hella long. Staff thought a party in front of us went the wrong way and chased after them. It was just very ineffecient and hectic.
Food: 2*. It’s cafeteria food. It smelled so bad combining with the musky, closed, small area. There were silverware clashing, ice shuffling, and all sorts of noises throughout the show. It was very annoying and distracting. They should either 1) open the kitchen way advance to people could finish eating before the show. The balcony had a very awkward set up when they had to eat. They had to put on their laps or this really low and uncomfortable bar in front of them. OR 2) don’t serve food at all! The smells and the noises were really annoying.
OVERALL, it’s a cute little playhouse. I like to support and probably will whenever I can because their show was pretty entertain. They just need to get some logistical things straight, which I highly doubt will happen because I went there several years ago and it was exactly the same as three weeks ago. Oh and the seats, they were 1) uncomfortable, 2) unmatching, some where highter than the railing on the balcony and 3) they squeak, we hard plenty squeaky every time some moved on the chair…

I came here once while I was on vacation with my dad and step mom. The food is really nice and classic. The portions are HUGE, so don’t order too much, because I accidentally did. I ate almost all of it anyway. I ordered the tomato soup and something involving squash, I can’t quite remember. The shows are fantastic. We saw The Tempest. It was my first time seeing a Shakespeare play, and a perfect place for it might I add. If you’re ever in Atlanta, and you’re into theater, stop by this gem!

My husband took me on a date to watch ‘As You Like It’ and it was such a beautiful evening. The play was so good and the performance by each and every actor was impeccable. Although we reached half an hour before the play could start, we were able to get seats only in the balcony. So if you want to get a good view of the play, reach there early. My only complaints would be — the seats were not comfortable at all. There could be better seating, given that the play was for two hours. Also, there could be more vegetarian options in the menu. I had only a hot chocolate to drink and I wished there were more food options. Otherwise it’s a great place to come with family and friends.

I enjoy this place. I’ve had the occasion to come here several times now, for different kinds of experiences. I’ve seen shows here, but I also once saw some sort of circus-​like performance, with jugglers and aerobatics and those elegant dancers that use long strips of cloth. I’ve been in the balcony, as well as a booth, and even at one of the middle tables.
I think this place does a lot with the space it’s given. When you enter from the street, you go down a flight of steps where you get your tickets (there’s also a machine for wheelchairs), and there’s a foyer where they sell Shakespeare memorabilia. Upon entering the doors, there is a staircase for the upper level, or you can grab a chair in the lower level. The kitchen is set a little further back, and from my understanding everything is pre-​cooked then cut up when you order. In this way, you order your food and get it all within about 2 – 5 minutes.
They go with an Old England menu, which I think is charming. I was starving, so I opted for the Shepard’s Pie. It comes with a HUGE salad which takes up about ²⁄₃ of the plate, and a cut of Shepard’s pie, which was pretty good. The potatoes were a little undercooked, but the pie was filling and satisfied me enough. You wouldn’t come here for the food, but what food they provide is acceptable. We went for seats in the balcony, which are a bit cramped together. It’s difficult to balance a plate and drink up there, so I’d suggest finding a table downstairs, if you can. After intermission, there was an empty table downstairs so we changed seats to sit there.
The acting was very good, and they utilized their space well. There’s also a balcony they have, where a group of musicians were set up at the beginning, and through certain parts of the play. They didn’t use mics, so at times, especially when their backs were turned to the audience, there was difficulty in hearing what was said.
PROS:
Wonderful acting and costumes that were true to the time period.
A lot of different seating arrangements.
They offer Old England-​inspired food.
A lot of younger people were here.
They have a bar.
I love that some of the actors wait out in the lobby after you’re done.
CONS:
Go to the end of the street and look left and you see what amounts to, probably, hundreds of homeless people. It’s sort of disgusting and VERY sketchy.
You have to pay for parking, but at least parking at the hospital isn’t too sketchy.
THE VERDICT:
This seems like a good place to go on a date with someone, that’s a bit different from what you’d normally do. The food is passable, and the acting is really very good. There are better places to sit than others, but if you get there early enough you can usually find a good seat. It’s live theater, and I always find live theater a nice «treat myself» sort of endeavor. A bit more expensive than the usual entertainment, but it’s worth it to see people who work hard at what they do. Acting in a live production is 1000 times harder than the acting you see on TV, and I really respect people who can follow their theater passion and act, even if the pay isn’t the best for most people. Passion is the one thing actors don’t lack.
PARKING:
I usually go across the street and park at the hospital. It’s between $ 5 – 6, but much less sketchy than other areas where you could park.

I absolutely LOVE the Shakespeare Tavern! First off, everything feels so authentic. I love the atmosphere. The food is fantastic. A little pricey for a college student, but well worth it in my opinion. The tomato soup is delicious, and though many rave about the apple crisp I personally prefer a soda float. The vanilla bean ice cream is perfect and the soda is creamy and sweet. The actors here are absolutely brilliant. They really get into their roles and bring Shakespeare to life the way his plays were meant to be seen. Even if you’re not a literature person, they make each play easy to understand and delightfully performed. File this under «must see Atlanta»!!!

I like this place a lot. I will never complain about being able to drink good beer and enjoy art at the same time. A couple tips:
1. Search for promo codes when you’re booking tickets online. If you can’t find one, look into the preview nights. You can get a cheap ticket by seeing the show as a «preview» to opening night.
2. Make SURE to park across the street at Emory hospital. That is not the best area of Atlanta at night, and there are people who will try to rip you off or get you in a dangerous situation because they know that you’re there to see a show at Shakespeare Tavern. It’s sad, but it’s true.
3. If you’re a foodie, I might recommend getting dinner elsewhere. Their food is not terrible, but it’s not the best. It’s probably a good place to have dessert or drinks during the show.
4. In my experience the seats that cost more are not really worth the extra money. Last time we went we sat on the balcony and it was a really great vantage point.
I know this makes me sound like a huge lamo but honestly the biggest negative of going to a show is that they get out so late! Sometimes after a couple beers it’s hard to stay focused on Shakespeare at 10 o’clock at night. But that said, they always put on a wonderful show.

This was such an unexpectedly excellent experience. I love their website which assures your that despite this being Shakespeare, you will «get it».
This place is small, and although I think regardless of where you sit, you will be able to see and hear fine, you definitely want to get there as early as possible to get the best seat within your section. I actually would recommend the Box seats the most. They are raised up a bit from them main floor which is good for short people.
Although I was skeptical of the whole cafeteria style food, I think its an ingenious idea. This concept wouldn’t work if there was table service. It would ruin the show.
The food was really, really good. I loved the relatively authentic pub menu and the cornish pasty was excellent!
As for the acting, I’ve glad we saw a comedy as it was extremely entertaining and easy to follow for a Shakespeare novice. I think the play was very well cast and the actors did a great job getting us into the whole experience, even interacting/​improving with the audience on a few hilarious and unscripted moments.
I would definitely recommend this as a great date night event.

I have been coming to Shakespeare Tavern for the last 6 – 7 years and am kind of pissed that I haven’t written a review yet for the place. This is one of my favorite places to visit in Atlanta and I truly believe if you have out-​of-​town visitors, you should carve out some time to take them here.
I have been exposed to various Shakespearean plays – such as Coriolanus, the Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, the Merry Wives of Windsor, Much Ado about Nothing, A Christmas Carol, Othello, and the Comedy of Errors – thanks to frequenting this fine performing arts venue. The acting is awesome, even though some may find it too slapstick for their tastes, because it makes Shakespeare so accessible and entertaining. Besides the wonderful productions, you can get your grub on as you absorb some culture. The pub food served cafeteria-​style is actually pretty yummy and when you sum up the whole experience of filling up your belly (with dishes like black bean chili, Shepherd’s Pie, Cornish pasty, King’s Supper Sandwich) and enjoying libations (including both wines and beers, draught and bottled), this place gets the highest possible rating.
The people who serve the food and bus the tables are volunteers and are über friendly, so make sure you hook them up with a good tip. During intermission, take advantage of some of the yummy desserts, such as the Tavern staples of cheesecake chocolate chip brownie or hot apple pecan crisp with vanilla bean ice cream. Getting one of these will have you floating happily through the second half of the play, which will see you leaving around 9:30 or 10 pm – my idea of a perfect night out (since I generally don’t like to stay out too late).