The Hartley

Main Course: Not bad. Ordered a burger, served on a posh plate, with seven (yes, seven) chips and a decent sized bed of rocket. The chips were enormous, though, so it looked like a reasonable portion. Also ordered an extra plate of 'vegetables', which was basically a plate of runner beans and a sprig of Asparagus (might have expected a little more variety). It was, however, quite edible, and filling.

Pudding: Sticky toffee pudding: quite small, served worryingly quickly, with a small portion of ice-cream. Not too bad.

Service: Friendly staff. Was a bit annoyed to see the 'non compulsory' 12.5% service charge automatically added to the bill (this is a real pet hate of mine).

Building: Toilets were a little clean. Paid no attention to the two small fruit flies that were buzzing around a little bit. Good atmosphere - busy, music not too loud for a Thursday evening.

General: Worth a visit, but I don't think I'll be going back.
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Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Thursday, April 24, 2008

I recently went for a group meal which was served in a grotty upstairs room. The food take ages to come, was cold and would have been of better quality (and considerably cheaper) if served by a Weatherspoons.

The sink in the bathroom next to the kitchen was filfthy and the paintwork leading to the room was covered with dirty handprints. I don't know if this is the bathroom used by the kitchen and waiting staff.
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Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 1
Tuesday, March 25, 2008

I went to the Hartley on Saturday night with 3 friends, it was fairly quiet in there, I think it's probably a bit more buzzy during the week with the after work crowd. The food was good - pretty standard gastropub fare really though. Service was excellent in there and staff very friendly. Look out for the service charge though, we had quite a bit to drink and it really added up.
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Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Monday, November 20, 2006

I've been recently to The Hartley and don't recognise any of the negative comments below. We had an amazing roast lamb with red wine & cranberry jus, roast pots with rosemary that were light and fluffy inside, crisp and roasted outside and the most delcicious steamed veg. Banoffee pie creme brulee finished the meal which was complemented by a very agreeable Rioja. Staff were excellent and the value for money was spot on. The manager, David, is a star, he's very switched on and wants to help. A great place. Just go and try it!
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Paul Weirdoshki
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Monday, May 22, 2006

I went here for Sunday lunch last weekend. The menu was varied and the portions generous, and the beer wasn't too bad either. Also, given that there are very few other places to go out in the area, The Hartley really does stand out. The only thing is... gastropub or not, this is still a pub - with all that entails in terms of atmosphere and standards of service... and they charge restaurant prices. Fortunately they accept credit cards, as the amount of cash I withdrew beforehand was nowhere near enough to cover the bill.
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Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Thursday, May 04, 2006

I have to admit that when I first went to this gastropub about 2 years ago I was seriously impressed, however, on recent visits I'm afraid to report the love affair is most definitely over. The service ranges from indifferent to downright terrible. On one occasional I waited for over 20 minutes before the waitress came to take more order. Furthermore, the food at The Hartley which was once on a par with 'The Gun' or 'The Anchor and Hope' now seems to have just become a mediocre fare prepared in a fairly slapdash manner. The chicken I had last time was edible but cold and tasteless whilst my girlfriend's burger was oily and soggy. I really wish they would sort themselves out as it is a real shame to see something which once held out so much promise go down the drain. Get the old chef back!
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John
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 6
Monday, December 05, 2005

This had been a favourite of ours for a year or more, but we went a week ago on Monday and it was an utter disaster. We previously loved the place, it's commitment to excellent quality ingredients, interesting combinations of food, and beautiful cooking.

Things have gone seriously downhill.

First of all, they served us sliced white bread. Not even Hovis, but the nastiest cheapest white bread imaginable. Now I understand it was Monday, and sometimes deliveries don't come on time, but please. Borough Market is 15 mins away, they could have bought bread there. Frankly a good chef will bake his own if he has run out. But there appears to be nothing approaching a good chef left at the Hartley.

The starter of chicken & foie gras terrine was insipid, unimaginative and tasteless. The pork for main course was overcooked to the point of cremation. I'm surprised it didn't come with a tombstone. The burger was also, cooked within an inch of it's life - and smaller than ever before. The chips somehow managed to be both soggy and burnt - a remarkable feat of ineptitude. It was also served on (again) cheap white bun bread - even McDonalds has better burger buns than this. And they don't charge upwards of £8.

We escaped after this. But not without being thrown the dessert menu by the waitress- which was lacking in imagination, panache and anything approaching an interesting dessert.

The chef has changed, and the new one seems to like an understanding of fresh ingredients, any sort of sensitivity of hand in terms of adding spices, and an utter inability to cook things until they were done.

Never ever going again. We've struck it off our regular's list and are now looking for somewhere new to go.
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Maria
Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Always a pleasure to eat and drink at The Hartley. Good menu, reasonable prices and with the ever amicable owner on hand, it's well worth the visit and brings a much needed lease of life to this area. The draft beers maybe a bit limited (Staropromen is the only decent beer), and they should drop the 'wacky' blackboard thing, but all in all it gets the thumbs up. Tip: if eating, buy your drinks at the bar, the table service adds a sneeky service charge to the bill. Service charges are for restaurants in my books!
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Keith
Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Having been away for a few months I was rather apprehensive about returning to the Hartley having read the recent negative reviews.

Although they would definitely benefit from an extra member of staff or two, the waiting staff were helpful and friendly, didn't forget anything and generally made the whole evening a pleast experience.

The food was good and reasonably priced for the gastro-pubs in the area. All in all a good experience and I will definitely go back.
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sarahb - View all reviews by this user
Wednesday, August 24, 2005

I love the laid back atmosphere and always enjoy the food although service can be hit and miss especially when it is busy you can be in for a wait. I also find it slightly pricey for what it is.
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Wednesday, August 17, 2005