Hat and Tun London Review
Hidden down a side street just off the busy Clerkenwell Road, is a small, hunter’s style pub complete with stuffed animals, oil paintings, wooden floors and an open fire burning quietly at the far end. There’s such a cosy, country feel to The Hat and Tun, it’s easy to forget you’re in east central London.
My friend and I visited on a week day lunch time to sample the food served between 12pm – 3pm. The place was busy, but not uncomfortably full, with a mix of work groups, shoppers and couples. Don’t be caught out by the unusual opening hours, the pub is closed at weekends. Although for a minimum spend you can have sole use of The Hat and Tun for up to 100 people – great for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries or work do's.
We were met with a welcoming smile from the bar staff, who remained attentive throughout by topping up our glasses, and shown to a table next to the window. We supped on a well-recommended, full-bodied Italian red wine while we perused the menu of non-pretentious, homely pub grub, including pint o’prawns/potted shrimps, homemade pies, soup, ploughman’s/huntsman’s lunch and doorstep sandwiches, reasonably priced between £4 and £10. There’s also a selection of bar snacks available, from pickled eggs to sausage rolls, if you’re only popping in for a quick one. Drinks wise, they offer a vast list of draught ales, spirits, reds/whites and champagnes; and for the designated driver, an ample choice of soft drinks, freshly brewed coffees, teas and hot chocolate.
To start I ordered the organic smoked salmon and my more adventurous friend went for the rabbit rillette. In no time at all, our dishes arrived and I was pleased to see the salmon, sprinkled with chopped chives and served with fresh brown bread and a generous chunk of lemon – really fresh and delicious. My friend’s rillette was equally as good; it had the look of a terrine and a meaty, ham-like texture – a good combination that went well with the homemade mini gherkin salsa, served on the side.
For main, my friend and I opted for one of The Hat and Tun’s homemade pies and mash, beef and onion and steak and Guinness respectively. Served as individual lovely looking pies, with a perfect amount of creamy mash and a sea of better-than-gravy, ale juis, they were warming and delicious. The tender, moist meat and buttery, crisp pastry was of excellent standard, and something you’d expect Ramsay to be serving up, rather than a little pub just off the beaten track.
Although full after finishing every morsel, the desserts sounded too good to miss; I went for the cheesecake garnished with plump raspberries and cocoa powder, and my friend had the Christmas pudding and brandy butter. With our taste buds satisfied and our stomachs firmly full, we could have quite happily settled next to the fire for a lengthy game of scrabble. In fact, we were so country-fied by our stay that, when we did eventually leave The Hat and Tun, a couple of espressos later, it was quite a shock to be met by the busy city.
Gabrielle Sander (18 01 2009)
Hat and Tun London Description
Once a rough diamond, now a sparkling gem, The Hat & Tun pub is reborn at the heart of London’s jewellery quarter in Hatton Garden, EC1. The latest addition to Tom and Ed Martin’s family of restaurants and pubs, The Hat & Tun, (formerly known as Deux Beers), now proudly sports its original 19th century name, a play on its location and an historic ale cask. Having overseen a loving renovation of this Victorian public house, the brothers have not only reinstated the pub’s punning moniker but also its traditional charm. A perfect place for a glass of wine and a pie at lunchtime or a pint and home-pickled egg on the way home from work, The Hat & Tun is an elegant London local. Based around the very best seasonal British produce from select producers, classic starters on the lunchtime menu include ‘The Londoner’ sausage roll, produced to the pub’s very own exclusive recipe; potted shrimps and toast; and premium Scotch egg with HP Sauce. Irresistible to any meat-lover, a fresh joint of hot salt beef sits atop the bar, ready to be carved in thick slices for a rye bread sandwich with pickled gherkin and coleslaw. The list of reassuring mains also features a variety of pies with mash and liquor; triple pork sausages with mash and caramelised onion gravy; and a classic ploughman’s with a hunk of Montgomery cheddar or Somerset brie and pickled onions, chutney, piccalilli, crusty bread and apple. Rounding off your meal, firm favourites chocolate tart and apple pie are both simply comfort on a plate. Those less sweet of tooth will relish the delightful selection on the British cheese board, served with oatcakes, quince paste and complemented by a glass of ruby port. Being a proper pub, The Hat & Tun's cellars are stocked with some of the finest brews from Britain, Ireland and beyond. The choice of well-kept cask ales, beers, ciders and lagers on offer includes London Pride, Adnam’s Broadside, Weston's Old Rosie cloudy scrumpy premium cider and Löwenbräu, which will be joined by specially selected guest beers. One break from old-school pub practices is the wine list. Far from offering generic red and limp white, The Hat & Tun boasts a wide range of champagnes and wines from the new and old world. Whites include Wairau River Wines sauvignon blanc, Marlborough, 2007; and Domaine de Pennautier viognier, Lorgeril, 2006; whilst lovers of a drop of red will enjoy the likes of Bodegas Vina Vilano tempranillo, Ribero del Duero, 2006; and Backsberg Estate Cellars pinotage, Paarl, 2005. The design of The Hat & Tun transports you back to the pub’s previous glory days. A blaze roars in the recently rediscovered Victorian cast-iron fireplace, beside which you can sit in the studded red leather hall porter’s chair. Other features include chandeliers glittering overhead; wood-panelled walls; giant, gilt-framed mirrors; drop-leaf hardwood tables; Tom Dixon’s timeless Beat pendant lamps over the sympathetically restored timber bar; and classic anaglypta wallpaper. Reflecting Tom and Ed’s passion for sport, drinkers can enjoy the time-honoured bar room pastime of darts and the pub is dotted with antique specimens of stuffed wild boar, pheasant, badger and fox, all trophies of long-forgotten hunts.
Customer Reviews for Hat and Tun
The following customer reviews are not endorsed by Fluid London and are simply those of users who wish to publish their independent experiences of Hat and Tun.
“A tiny place with lots to offer on the food, drink and comfort front. I love the open fire, old style decor and general feel of the place. Good food, served with a convincing smile.”
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mary, NW1 (7 months 9 days ago)
“Amazing atmosphere, bit expensive, but worth to go to.”
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paul, london (2 years 5 months 5 days ago)
“Nice place. Friendly, can sometimes get abit packed.
They shoot porn films upstairs!”
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John, [ Unknown ] (6 years 2 months 22 days ago)
“An excellent find in the area, tucked away from the normal crowds, but close enough to turnmills etc... The cocktails and shooters can not be given enough credit - a choice of 100 so you can never get bored. Although pretty small, it keeps a great cosy feel, with some medusa style lighting (you'll see what I mean) and candles. An easy place to spend a whole evening and not realise it!”
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Polo_o, London (6 years 8 months 21 days ago)
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Additional Information
- Cocktails
- Food
- Non-Smoking Area
- Cuisine Type: Gastro
- Average Price: £40.00
- (Unknown)
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