The White Hart, Hatfield

Steve of N21 left this review about The White Hart

After bringing back pleasant memories in the Rats Castle in St Albans I found myself walking close to this one when I had returned to Hatfield and thought I would look it up too , however in this case to try and exorcise some bad ones.
As a student in the late 70’s at what was then known as Hatfield Polytechnic this was one of the town centre pubs you did not go into as a student. I did once and was chased out by a thug with a pool cue, and my everlasting memory of this pub is walking past it on the way back to the halls of residence to witness a fight breaking out and through the then frosted windows watching some poor sod get a cue stick across his bonce before being ejected through the said plate glass window.
Well that was the 70’s for you and although the outside has been tarted up, it is difficult to disguise the fact that it is a ghastly 1960’s concrete box that more resembles an estate pub than a town centre inn.
Fortunately, when you pluck up the courage to enter it has been totally changed internally. It apparently underwent a major make over in early 2022 and is now very much a modern sports and lounge bar.it also reverted back to its original name of The White Hart, which it had been in my student years.
The original two room set up remains with a main bar area branded as The Sports Bar, whilst the second function room acts as The Lounge Bar, and can be booked for private events. The Sports bar is all very modern with a very shiny, very brightly lit bar area and wooden floored bar with multiple TV screens, two pool tables, one at each end and a darts area with a couple of boards. I guess a pleasant space for watching the footy, but as there is only a very pedestrian draft section here ( no ales and nothing remotely crafty) I personally won’t be bothering it again.
However, that was one set of demons exorcised and being on a roll I took the decision to look up The Hilltop pub, or the Hatfield Tap as it is now known.

On 25^th October 2023 - rating: 5
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