No pub is an island. Unless it's the Shakespeare Pub in Sheffield. Then it's almost literally an island, with not a lot of other buildings around it. Yeah, it's a little scary from the outside.

However, the true charm of Shakespears (they seem to use either name interchangably) is on the inside. They proudly sell Real Ale and craft beer side-by-side -- a rarity in England, where fans of the former tend to poo-poo on the later. (Note: Those people are very, very wrong.) And for additional variety, they keep a huge selection of bottles of great stuff from all over the world.

Like many English pubs, several rooms and floors makeup Shakesepars, so you can probably find a nice quiet spot away from the crowd. We had a lovely time here, meeting a group of locals who proudly toured us around their city afterwards. Put it on your list!