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Picture of The Hatfield Tap
Image posted by Bucking Fastard
Submitted on Tuesday, 9th November 2010
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The Hatfield Tap, Hatfield

91 Bishops Rise
Hatfield
AL10 9BZ
Phone: 01707264727
Correct details

Served areas

Reviews of The Hatfield Tap (Average Rating: 7 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Steve of N21 left this review about The Harrier

After a day of bringing back memories of my student drinking years, some pleasant in the Rats Castle in St Albans and some not so pleasant in the White Hart in Hatfield Town centre I decided to try and exorcise some further demons by a visit to what is now called The Hatfield Tap.
Back in my student days of the late 70’s at what was then known as Hatfield Polytechnic this pub was called The Hilltop, after the then notorious sprawling council estate where it is situated and, although technically the closest pub to the student halls of residences, it was a pubs you never went into as a student. Back then it was the social club for the notorious Hilltop thugs whose main pastime was beating up students, especially if they didn’t look 100% Anglo Saxon. I only went in once with a fellow student called Dinesh, and let’s just say it didn’t end well.
Well that was the late 70’s for you and thankfully the world has changed, the Hilltop Estate has change and this pub has changed beyond all recognition since those days.
Nice to see from Steve’s review below that even by the time it was the Harrier, he considered that it was now safe enough for students to even consider working there, but last year it underwent another extensive renovation by McMullens which, according to WhatPub “McMullens latest rebrand, naming it The Hatfield Tap is clearly aimed at attracting more students from the nearby University of Hertfordshire” proving that the world has gone full circle.
Well Whatpub isn’t wrong, this is a very smart modern pub refurb by McMullens and done by their sensible pub design team and not the design team who were trained by following ‘footballers wives’ around Ikea, who blighted some of their make overs ten years ago.
Several distinct comfortable areas with some retaining a sports pub feel. There’s screens for the sport plus pool and shuffleboard tables and dart board available in sections. But there’s plenty of other areas that have more of a lounge bar feel. As well as McMullens modern craft range three of their ales were available in the shape of McMullens IPA, Country and AK and the latter was in fine form. A decent reasonable pub grub menu with plenty of burger options and deep fried stuff to attract the nearby students.
If you had asked me in my student days how the then Hilltop pub could be improved, the only idea I would have had would have been to have blown the bloody place up and levelled it. Therefore congratulations to Mcmullens for finding an alternative approach
The back history of this pub is also quite interesting. It was originally built in 1959 as a cooperation between Guinness and Mcmullens. Hatfield Development Corporation at the time we’re building what they laughingly called Hatfield Newtown and after putting in all the social housing did the usual trick of running out of money for any facilities to support the large expanding population being dragged into this area. The site the pub sits on was originally earmarked for a social club and community centre which were never built due to lack of money. As Guinness were still in their post war mode of facilitating new builds they approached the corporation for permission to parter with a local brewery to build a new pub and community resource. And this unmistakable 1960’s estate pub was the result and when it first opened it had three separate bars and off-sales.

On 26th October 2023 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2094 recommendations about 1985 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve C left this review about The Harrier

Unlike many large estate feel pubs with a couple of pool tables, a dartboard and plenty of plasma screens for the showing of Sky Sports this place doesn't come with the thick barman, rude manager and incredulous stories of the great night that you missed earlier in the week because the venue is intrinsically crap. Thankfully the barmaid was very friendly and the governor was the most hospitable that I have found in Hatfield.

There is a standard draught selection, of which I had a nice pint of Guinness, and although one hand pump is unused there are a couple dispensing AK, but I'm not a fan at the best of times.

I'd drink here if I lived locally and if I were a student at the uni I'd probably work here.

On 12th September 2009 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5179 recommendations about 5148 pubs]

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Pub location see interactive map of local area
Map location corrected by Steve C
Hatfield (Herts), 1.75 miles, 33 min walk (show)
Welham Green, 1.77 miles, 34 min walk (show)
Brookmans Park, 2.62 miles, 50 min walk (show)
Latest updates View all updates for The Hatfield Tap, Hatfield
26th Oct 2023, 13:32
Web Link submitted by paulof horsham approved
 
26th Oct 2023, 13:32
Web Link submitted by aleand hearty approved

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 26 October 2023 by paulof horsham
  • Beer Garden : Yes last updated 26 October 2023 by paulof horsham
  • Car Park : Yes last updated 26 October 2023 by paulof horsham
  • Darts : Yes last updated 12 September 2009 by hondo .
  • Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 26 October 2023 by paulof horsham
  • Karaoke : Yes last updated 03 April 2015 by Dave McNally
  • Live Music : Yes last updated 26 October 2023 by paulof horsham
  • Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 12 September 2009 by hondo .
  • Micropub : No last updated 26 October 2023 by paulof horsham
  • Pool Table : Yes last updated 12 September 2009 by hondo .
  • Quiz Night : Yes last updated 26 October 2023 by paulof horsham
  • Real Ale : No last updated 12 September 2009 by Moby Duck
  • WiFi : Yes last updated 26 October 2023 by paulof horsham
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