The Shakespeare

Find us a better value pub in Sydney and we'll swear off VB. The Shakey is a rare find these days, not so much as an inner-city pub without plasmas and sticky carpet but as a place where you'll get change from $20 after ordering dinner and a beer. There are 26 meals under $12.50 - everything from a mound of beef ribs slathered in barbecue sauce to a chunky chicken parma or a mean steak with mushroom sauce, all with chips and salad. Beat that. Take a seat among the locals in the front bar downstairs or head upstairs to the dimly lit, boudoir-style rooms with big wooden dinner tables and comfy, velvet armchairs.