A dilapidated affair from first glance, the Shakespeares Head on Chatham Place just goes to show that you really shouldn't judge a pub by its paint job.

The Venue
Although the Shakespeares Head looks like it's on its last legs from the outside, the reality is very different. With its dirty turquoise-painted exterior and the fact that it's perched on the side of the hill that leads from Seven Dials to London Road, The Shakespeares Head struggles to inspire first time visitors, and it's probably not helped by the unappealing dozen or so benches plonked out the front.

Venture inside however, and it has a friendly laid-back feel in the bar and the room leads to an intimate beer garden at the rear. The pub is also famed for its food so you're more likely to be digging into a giant plate of food than commenting on the lack of interior design.

The People
Rather surprisingly, the Shakespeares Head attracts quite a young crowd and the music is pretty alternative-indie-based - there's no Knees Up Mother Brown belting out through the speakers at this pub unless it happens to be in an ironic way.

The Food and Drink
From the hand pumps you can get Leffe, Ferret, Badgers and Hofbrau lager from the famous Hofbrauhaus Bier Keller in Munich. But make sure you leave room for the grub. The sausages for their sausage and mash dishes are from a top-class local butcher and a plate of premium Scottish topside beef will set you back just £8. The pub also claims to be the first place in Brighton to do lots of different types of sausages with different types of mash and gravy — a trend that seems to be spreading across the city. People have also been known to travel from far and wide to eat their famous (and famously cheap) roast dinners on a Sunday.

The Last Word
Although in desperate need of a freshen up, The Shakespeares Head has rightfully gained its reputation among Brighton's bar conoscenti as a great place for food.