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Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 16th November 2025) with aleandhearty
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Clive Thompson
Submitted on Wednesday, 14th November 2018
With picture contributions to 266 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (7 more images)
Detail Pages
The Hop Tap, Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead
HP1 1EP
Served areas
Reviews of The Hop Tap (Average Rating: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Komakino . left this review about Monks Inn
Micropub on a market square in the centre of Hemel now The Hop Tap. A little too bright and clinical inside, but clean and presentable nonetheless. Bar remains on the right-hand side of the single room, with seating opposite, and in the window to the right of the bar. Three local ales on cask – a one-off Black Sabbath-themed stout called Into The Void by Vale, Tring Lunardi's Pale, New River Five-Inch Drop, along with the slightly further afield Wantsum Dynamo, plus a real cider in the former of Healey's Flattler (a flat version of Cornish Rattler). The Vale and Tring brews were in great nick (the stout £5.25 a pint, and the Vale £2.70 for a half). Just around the corner from the nearby Spoons, so a two-pub sojourn of contrasting fortunes, but decent beer quality, can be had in this predominantly concrete jungle.
On 6th November 2025
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1084 recommendations about 1084 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Monks Inn
A former bookmakers that is now a micropub in the town centre, with convenient pay and display nearby, just over a small river.
The single room has the bar on the right-hand side with plenty of seating to be had.
5 real ales were being dispensed on our visit, 2 by gravity and 3 by handpull. The choice was Leighton Buzzard Black Buzzard, Tring Death Or Glory, Wantsum Well Drawn Providence, Twitchell Gloriously Golden Ale & Eyam All Fall Down. In addition, there were 7 real ciders - Lilley's Lemon & Ginger Cider, Somerset Scrumpy Medium, Red Rabbit & Bee Sting Perry, Sandford Orchards Devon Scrumpy & The General and one I hadn't seen before - Bearded Brew Co. Suicyder. The latter was 7.3% and unbelievably sweet.
The pub seems to have a fairly loyal following. A CAMRA discount is offered. But we happened to visit on a Tuesday when all real ales are £3.50 a pint. Ciders may also be included in the offer, but sadly I was driving and had to make do with a half.
Just about the best new pub of the day, in my opinion, during a day's crawling of Hertfordshire.
On 12th January 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3287 recommendations about 3285 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Monks Inn
A top class micropub that was so friendly and welcoming from the bar staff and fellow drinkers, so as you can imagine a difficult one to leave. There was a choice of 5 beers on handpump and 5 served from gravity, along with a choice of five ciders. We went for the Chiltern Pale Ale on handpump, served from the back of the bar, the prices were also very reasonable.
On 4th November 2019
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3716 recommendations about 3716 pubs]
View more reviews of The Hop Tap (5)
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- Official site of Monks Inn - www.thehoptap.com
- Facebook page of The Hop Tap - www.facebook.com
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Hop Tap - whatpub.com
Apsley, 1.82 miles, 35 min walk (show)
Kings Langley, 4.29 miles, 1 hr 22 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 14 November 2018 by Clive Thompson
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 14 November 2018 by Clive Thompson
- Beer Festivals : Yes last updated 14 November 2018 by Clive Thompson
- Beer Garden : No last updated 14 November 2018 by Clive Thompson
- CAMRA Discount : Yes - 50p per pint - last updated 22 February 2019 by ROB Camra
- Car Park : No last updated 14 November 2018 by Clive Thompson
- Child Friendly : Yes - Until early evening - last updated 14 November 2018 by Clive Thompson
- Darts : No last updated 14 November 2018 by Clive Thompson
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 14 November 2018 by Clive Thompson
- Function Room : No last updated 14 November 2018 by Clive Thompson
- Hot Food : No - Cold bar snacks available - last updated 14 November 2018 by Clive Thompson
- Jukebox : No last updated 14 November 2018 by Clive Thompson
- Karaoke : No last updated 14 November 2018 by Clive Thompson
- Live Music : No last updated 14 November 2018 by Clive Thompson
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 14 November 2018 by Clive Thompson
- Micropub : Yes last updated 14 November 2018 by Clive Thompson
- Pinball : No last updated 14 November 2018 by Clive Thompson
- Pool Table : No last updated 14 November 2018 by Clive Thompson
- Quiz Night : No last updated 14 November 2018 by Clive Thompson
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 14 November 2018 by Clive Thompson
- Real Cider : Yes last updated 14 November 2018 by Clive Thompson
- WiFi : Yes - Ask for password - last updated 14 November 2018 by Clive Thompson
