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The Mad Hatter, SE1
SE1
SE1 9NY
Pub Type
Fuller'sReviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Mad Hatter
Dating back little more than 20 years, this is a Fuller’s hotel-cum-pub which wasn’t on my list, but because it initially looked authentic, I thought it must be an omission so ventured in.
The Victorian-style interior essentially looks like a posh ‘spoons, with lots of modern dark wood with mirrored and etched partitions to booth-style seating, conventional tables and chairs, carpeted with a tiled bar apron. On high, there’s an impressive dentilled coffered ceiling, lighting coming from Victorian-style brass and glass lamps and a bit bright. Décor amounted to shiny steel vases containing large sprays of cut flowers and what few customers were in attendance were studenty – again – and a bit rowdy, certainly drowning out the barely audible piped music. The overall impression is that this is a hotel bar, but then of course that’s exactly what it is.
A predictable ale line-up amounted to Pride, HSB, ESB and Hophead at an astonishing £2.00 a half and good, served by a very friendly barmaid.
This isn’t a bad place as such, but I’m more of a pub traditionalist and given that there’s no shortage of interesting pubs in SE1, I can’t see a reason for returning.
On 8th October 2022
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Mad Hatter
A fairly smart Fuller's pub with traditional-style fittings, although clearly not original, including some nice glasswork. Ales on were London Pride, ESB, Hophead and Seafarers. Gradually becoming surrounded by large new developments.
On 29th April 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Mad Hatter
Fuller’s pub with accommodation. Quite a quirky shaped interior with some booth seating.
On 26th October 2019
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Mad Hatter
The Mad Hatter is a large Fuller’s run pub with traditional décor that includes snugs and plenty of mirrors. During my recent weekday visit there was some background music playing and I didn’t spot any televisions for airing such things as football. Standard and premium keg is available from the bar that also supports the full Fullers cask ale range. Food is available all day and the doors open at 07:00 during the week and 08:00 at the weekend for the breakfast crowd. I found the service to be polite and as a fan of Fullers I would have no problem returning.
On 1st February 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5238 recommendations about 5206 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Mad Hatter
This is a Fuller's pub with the full range of core beers on - ESB, London Pride, Oliver's Island, Seafarers, with what must be a guest ale of Adnam's Ghost Ship. But the real surprise was seeing Vintage Ale on handpump, which in the past I've only seen available in bottles. Having passed up the opportunity of sampling St Austell's 7.2% Big Job hop bomb on the only occasion on which I saw it on handpump, I wasn't going to make the same mistake again. These sort of opportunities are meant to be seized when they arise. I normally regard £4.50 a pint as a bit over the top, but that price for this 8.5% monster seems good value. Being a Fuller's pub they obviously do food, but I didn't look at a menu.
The pub itself is Fuller's faux antique with modern replica Victorian glass and woodwork. But it's comfortable enough, being carpeted and furnished with banquettes and normal tables and chairs, plus a few booths along the wall on the right. There are TVs of course, but one unusual piece of decor was the variety of hats in glass cases on the wall by the booths..
It does have a bit of the hotel lounge look about it, but I suppose that's fair enough as it is also a hotel. This is a pub that I've visited many times in the past, although not in the past ten years, and it's not changed in any appreciable way that I can see. There's nothing wrong with a bit of stability. I would certainly visit again given the opportunity, especially if I thought there might be a chance of getting my hands on some draught Vintage Ale again.
On 2nd October 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Mad Hatter
A fairly large (internally) Fullers Ale and Pie establishment which has been well described by previous reviewers. For my early evening weekday visit it was strangely very quiet, especially when compared to those pubs by the river which were absolutely rammed as it was a fine evening. I can only imagine that the fact that there is a lot of building work going on around this pub at the moment with parts of it under scaffolding, and the fact that it has no garden space that I could see had something to do with it.
London Pride, ESB, Oliver's Island and Seafarers were the four available brews around the pumps and my pint of Oliver’s Island was pleasant enough as was the generous portion of pork scratchings served in a metal tub..
Also no problems to get served here unlike the next pub, the nearby Founders Arms by the waterside where it took me 15 minutes to get a beer and if I hadn’t been meeting others I would have cut my losses an turned tail and headed back here.
On 22nd August 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Mad Hatter
This is a large well appointed Fullers Ale and Pie establishment which also serves as a hotel. Carpeted but with a chequerboard tiled area around the bar, the main room features comfortable red bench seating opposite the bar and with a series of booths along a side wall, overlooked by a line of hats displayed in glass cases, the pub was once a hat factory. To the rear of the bar are a few sofas and pouffes with a TV over and a shelf of board games. Lots of mirrors and contemporary etched glass, flowers on the tables. Another room extends back to the rear right, this looks like a dining area and can be reserved, there were just a couple of blokes in here who seemed to be having a business meeting to which I was clearly not invited having regard to the stares I got on popping my head in for a look. The ceiling is worthy of a mention, elaborate cornices and a frieze which extends around and over the bar area.
Several handpumps but the beers repeat, Pride, ESB, Oliver's Island, Seafarers and with Front Row "coming soon". Food served obviously with the pie selection being the primary choice.
I liked it here, Fullers do good interiors as a rule and I'm always a bit of a sucker for an ESB.
On 22nd March 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Mad Hatter
The upper storeys house one of Fuller's hotels, but apart from the reception area the ground floor operates as an almost autonomous pub. Traditional-style furniture and decor around the 'U' shaped bar, with a line of booths running along one wall, and an extended seating area beyond. Nothing like the range of beer that the number of handpumps (nine) might suggest, but I found Pride, Oliver's Island, ESB and the seasonal Firecracker (£4.15) available on my latest visit). Overall, worth consideration if the riverfront pubs are too crowded.
On 16th January 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Mad Hatter
One of 6 Fullers Hotels in London, the Mad Hatter has a bit of a formulaic feel to it that would be obvious to anyone who has visited some of the other cards in the pack (the Sanctuary (Westminster) and the Chamberlain Hotel (Minories) being good examples.
The carpeted interior is bigger and more rambling than it first appears with low ceilings, a long U shaped bar and the feel of refurbishment. A series of small booths offer some intimacy down one side above which is a collection of hats. The floor around the bar has some chessboard tiling and there are a couple of more loungey sofa sections. The rear section was roped off for a private function during my visit but seemed to be much the same as the rest of the pub.
Despite there being 13 hand pumps, just 4 Fullers standard Fullers related ales were available (Pride, ESB, Discovery and Chiswick). I didn’t get the beers in here so I can’t comment on the prices but from experience, central London Fullers pubs aren’t particularly cheap.
The pub is fine for what it is but lacks any real charm and you get the impression people only go there out of convenience than any real affection for the place. That said, I have no real problems in popping in if I am passing although the river route between Waterloo and London Bridge generally takes preference.
On 19th May 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
I L left this review about The Mad Hatter
One of the smaller Fullers ale and pie pubs but it does have a rather large extra room out the back. however, the main front area does give it a real of a pleasant traditional type Victorian pub in a recently heavily redeveloped area.
a good range of Fullers ales on and in good condition.
On 30th November 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 287 recommendations about 284 pubs]