please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Hard to fault trad boozer that even when packed to the gunnels on a Saturday night was still a pleasurable experience. Would have liked to have tried the food but we were just a bit too late. The regulars were a friendly lot and despite the crush we were served almost immediately. As for the beer, well it's all been said before. Seems to be acquiring legendary status, I can see why. Excellent. 9/10.
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An excellent traditional little pub in what is an industrial wasteland (apart from the nearby Kelham Island Tavern). Twelve handpumps and meals at under a fiver make this place hard to beat.
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Superb in every way - especially after the disaster of Kelham Island just minutes before...
Food was well priced, tasted good with the service taking all of 5 minutes. Beer selection excellent, real fire, cheeful staff (Not just one sulky bloke as per Kelham Island).
Atmosphere superb, plenty of space upstairs when the bar got crowded.
Defo go here again when in Sheffield.
10/10
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it's all been said before. Truly excellent. Terrific beer, pork pies & ever changing clientele through the evening
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A little bit special. I was lucky enough to visit on Bonfire Night when there was a full on party going on outside, with a band playing and barely an empty stool in the house. Everyone was having fun and it was a pleasure to share their company for an hour or so. A real community asset.
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Another visit with some friends who were just as impressed as I have always been. I did try the pork pies this time and they do indeed take some beating! This has to be one of the best pubs around.
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cracking beer, good staff ,good prices.
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One of my favourites and one that we always visit when in town for football. Great beer from the nearby Kelham Island Brewery; hearty pub grub and a super cosy atmosphere where good banter is the order of the day! It is also great as part of a little pub crawl in the Shalesmoor/Kelham Island area (try The Kelham Island Tavern and The Wellington and note the fine architecture at The Ship).
The Fat Cat is high on my "best pubs" list.
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Visited the Fat Cat about a week ago for a leaving do... although it was a damp Wednesday the pub was busy. The ales were superb and they kindly provided us with some hot food, chilli and veggie curry with rice and bhaji's.... overall the pub was great, the staff were superb.... and finally..... I purchased a small pork pie for on the way home.... crikey !! that was the best pie I have ever had... you must try them...
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Terrific old Victorian pub largely unchanged. Wide range of cask ales in superb condition. Can't wait for another excuse to revisit.
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This wonderful real ale pub is very hard to beat.
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after doing the valley crawl, most of us thought Fat Cat was the best. I'm giving it a 9!!
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A wonderful traditional old pub with a excellent beers at sensible prices - the "Idle Guy" was superb. Very friendly atmosphere enhanced by a real fire. What more could you want except to have it on your own doorstep.
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What, another great pub so close to the Kelham Island Tavern? Difficult to believe but it's true. A crowd of us visited at lunchtime and were pretty impressed. The beer is cheap as is the food and the place is friendly. The Pale Rider was on top form and I shall definitely visit again.
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Another "must visit" pub in Sheffield. Always briilliant and no different this time. Excellent Kelham Island Best Bitter at �2.00 a pint (�1.30 on Monday evenings) followed by Pale Rider. Food available though we didn't eat on this occassion. Great atmosphere even when busy in the main bar. Always highly recommmended.
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Excellent friendly pub with pocket friendly beers. On Friday nights there were queues to get in, but it was much quieter but still busy on Sunday lunchtime.
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Monday night Kelham best �1.30, usual price �1.99. Also curry night and a free quiz. As you might guess it was busy. Rightly so.
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Decent pub round the corner from the Kelham Island Tavern so 2 good pubs in one place. Good basic pub grub in the evenings too and on my visit last night an excellent selection of Timothy Taylor beers including their Dark Mild.
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Ok to call in and a good choice of ales.
alexw - 27 Aug 2011 13:49 |
Plenty of ale choice both from the kelham island brewery and guests. Wasnt totally sure myself - ales were good just didnt settle with the place.
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Popped in for a few yesterday during their 30th anniversary beer festival. Plenty of choice. All the beers were in good condition. Staff pleasant. Beer garden was nice. Bar is smallish but side room is handy for extra space. Only fault was the gents toilets smelled really bad. Other than that a great place for sampling some proper ale. Will be back!
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This was my favourite pub on our crawl of Sheffield yesterday. The interior is full of character. Although the main bar area is a little small. We opted for the walled garden at the rear, which soon emtpied as it started to rain. But some of the seating is covered. So we simply moved undercover as everybody else moved indoors. Beer choice was Mr Grundy's Over the Top, Brass Monkey Tamarin Mild, Salamander Dark Crystal, Hornbeam Citrus Temptation, Kelham Island Pale Rider & Kelham Best, Wychwood Gingerbread, Irwell Works Steam Plate, Boggart Blue Moon Rising & Taylor Landlord. A cider and perry were also on - Burnards Oaky Dokey & Saxon Amarena Cherry Perry. Certainly a pub I will return to, the next time I am in Sheffield.
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Gus, you must have picked a bad day. Found pub friendly and welcoming. Beers constantly changing, all of great quality.
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First visit after friends recommendation but must have picked a bad day. Cannot fault the quality and range of beers or the pub character but the barman could at least smile as he serves and the hot food was mediocre at best. Will not be in a rush to return as there are better pubs in Sheffield.
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Great atmosphere, good buzz in the front room but a nice beer garden if you want some tranquillity.
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Couldn`t fault this place,what a proper pub should be. Decent ale,character, quirky, good conversation. Loved it!!
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Fantastic pub and my favorite in Sheffield. Really can't fault it. Beer is very fresh and they offer a good selection from Kelham Island Brwery (Next door) plus a few guest beers and an array of german and belgian bottles. Also very cheap! A pint of their best bitter cost around �2...
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I re-iterate the positive comments below, there's another bar where some people were eating when we arrived. The beer is of course excellent, a characterful, ramshackle pub with lots of breweriana on the walls. There's a small beer garden that can be a pleasant sun trap, look out for all the cats, not real ones, but little sculptures or paintings peering at you as you sup your beer!
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I thought this was a 'cramped' pub but my second visit 2 days later I noticed another bar on the otherside - also has a small but good beer garden out back. 7 ales on including the brewery's Pale Rider, Best Bitter & a strange beer called 'Ale-Ian' or something like that - apparently it's a blend of their common beers. The Best Bitter was �1.95/pint. Lots plaques of bygone awards & local history. Good pork pies at �1.30 a throw.
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A must when in Sheffield, busy with a tiny bar and great food at reasonable prices and served quickly. If you can't get to the main bar, beers are chalked up next to the serving hatch.
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A "must visit" when in Sheffield. Super little bar which is always lively and friendly. Good beers (Kelham Island always on of course but guest ales usually available as well). Some nice old breweria. We have had very good food here before but didn't eat this time round. Just a short walk from Shalesmoor tram stop - past some of Sheffield's old industrial sites and some new flats. Then,of course, it's just round the corner to The Kelham Island Tavern - we were spoilt for choice !!
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If you are visiting The Kelham Island Tavern then without doubt you are going to visit The Fat Cat. Out of the 2 of them this is the one I preferred. This pub is the brewery tap for The Kelham Island Brewery next door & as such a pint of Pale Rider or Easy Rider is essential. Inside its traditional & unspoilt. The bar is ridiculously tiny so luckily you can get served from a hatch in the corridor. The main lounge is cosy with an open fire & plenty of memorabilia on the walls. We had sandwiches on our visit which were excellent value. All the staff were friendly & nothing seemed too much trouble. On top of that look out for the pub cat, a friendly tortie called Steffi, who by the way isn't a fat cat :-)
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More of a pub than the place round the corner. Tried another Derby brew which was good and one of the pork pies which were reet nice. Has a seperate public bar and snug seating areas to the left as you go in. Busy and bustling on this visit (and more varied conversation than just beer and breweries).
anonymous - 30 Jan 2011 13:13 |
White truffles, eh. I tried some white chocolate once. I look forward to hearing if these bourgeoise interlopers reappear. You sound like the last true working class hero. Lets hope they don't turn up at the winter ales festival in Manchester.
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Having visited several times a year for the best part of 20 years, the last on New Year's Day, I can vouch for the beer selection, quality and general top-grade pubbyness still being at the level of my first (and every) visit. On the whole the Fat Cat has been patronised over the years by real beer drinkers; this time I was surprised to find the place populated by middle aged, middle class couples discussing the foie gras and white truffle-filled menus they had enjoyed over the festive period. Looking forward to my next visit, to discover whether this was a one-off due to the bank holiday or if the incursion of well-heeled incomers is a regular occurrence.
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Always enjoyed my previous visits. However, this was a brief visit due to the laconic attitude of the bloke serving. We were made to feel as if we were inconveniencing him. Will give the cat a miss next time i'm in Sheffield.
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Really great pub. The ales were fantastic, with really knowledgeable and friendly staff. Eclectic decorations. I have only been once and it was really, really quiet, mid-week, so would have to go again to be able to properly sample it, I reckon, but would highly recommend it.
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Another classic pub we visited before the footy last month...a swift visit,but sampled an excellent pint of Um bongo (not the orange) rocket fuel with a cracking taste. The other lads had some of the Kelham Island stuff and it was excellent.no complaints,good company,friendly bar staff too. Again i wish we couldve stayed at got hammered but footy comes 1st. Looking forward to going again in the future as the choice of ales was outstanding. Recommended on a pub crawl in that area.
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What on earth is the bloke before me talking about this was the first real ale pub in Sheffield is world renown for it,s beers and always has at least 8 beers on if not more " Seen better day,s "MY ARSE!!!
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Sadly the exact opposite of the Kelham Island Tavern round the corner. Scruffy, dirty interior, lacklustre atmosphere and a bloody cat that never goes away. Tried a few of the KI brews, not very tasty or particularly well kept either, i'm afraid. A pub that has probably seen better days!!
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I would guess that almost every customer at the Fat Cat also drinks at the Kelham Island Tavern, around the corner in Sheffield's industrial Kelham Island area. Why? because they're remarkably similar pubs, both being CAMRA favourites with a wide range of well-priced, high quality real ale in a pleasant, trouble-free environment in an area where finding one such pub would be regarded as fortunate. The key difference between the two is that the Fat Cat is the tap of the Kelham Island Brewery, so can be relied upon to stock at leat three beers from there (Easy/Pale Riders and seasonals), in addition to the range that the owners find from around the country. However, just like the KIT, I have never had a bad pint here and will be surprised if I ever do.
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A lovely, homely pub with a great selection of well-kept ales, busy even on a week-day evening when I popped in last month.
I'll have to think of an excuse to visit Sheffield again, in order to drink here.
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I last came here 10 years ago. Still one of the best pubs in the UK.
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Fantastic pub, great range of beer and the best pork pies on the planet!
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Visited on Friday to sample the advertised Devon brewery beers and what a grand afternoon in good company and meeting others doing the trail too. Friendly staff and a super pie dinner at reasonable cost to help the ale down. Enjoyed 2 beers from Gidleys, 2 from Gargoyles, 3 from Exeter, a 6.9% beer from Beer Engine, and 1 from Exe Valley. If the beer was not on the bar, there was no problem bringing the half pints from the cellar. Well done.
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Something of a trailblazer in pubs, providing smoke-free drinking before it became mandatory, fantastic range of beers and fine food since at least the late-1980s. Nowadays there are several other equally fine places to drink in Sheffield but the Fat Cat holds its own. More well-upholstered than it used to be but vibrant and always with something worthwhile drinking
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Second pub on the beer tickers pre Xmas fest and again not disappointed by the excellent beers available and the atmosphere too. Managed to get hold of the DVD made about beer tickers here. Beers we had were Idle Idle Santa, Clarks Buggar Off, Five Towns Niamh's Nemesis and Ramsbury Rum Truffle.
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Lovely place. Goes hand in hand with the Kelham Island Tavern Around the corner. Sitting next to a roaring coal fire drinking some of the best beer I've ever had - it doesn't get much better than this! Reminds me of the Alexandra Hotel in Derby in many ways.
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Enough has been writtean about this legendary pub already, suffice to say it's worth the short walk from town to sample it and its neighbours. Saltaire Blackcurrant Cascade, a light hoppy beer, was my beer of the day and the Sunday lunches are a bargain at �4.95. One of the country's best pubs, a must.
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Wonderful place. Very good variety of ales. Beer was well priced and in excellent condition. The lunch i had was good value also. Definitely worth a visit.
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This was pub number 3 on our crawl on Thursday and as usual it did not fail us. For those who did not try the food here it is brill, especially the steak pie, and I was thinking I should have eaten here. That is the trouble with the Sheffield crawl, you could eat in them all! We were tempted to 4 beers here, Kelham Island 70's disco, Thornbridge Rakau, Nelson Jammin Jack, and Cottage Triumph Stag. Some of the beers around were in honour of Brian Moore, megga ticker, who celebrated his 70th birthday in the Harlequin on Wednesday.
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Much preferred this to the KIT. Gutted I never got to try the food or sit in the beer garden. Some excellent beer choice though, ill be back
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Beer was good and cheap. Although didn't attempt the 10.7% on offer at �2 for third of a pint. I felt like I was in a time warp, a real old pub feel , great pictures of bygone Sheffield scenes. I'll join in the KIT v FC debate. I'd happily claim this pub as my local but the KIT is more inviting . With a 8/10 pub just round the corner from a 9/10, what a problem to have. Shame I live 3 hours away.
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This to me is far better than the Kelham round the corner this has more character and a really nice warm feeling to this pub the people drinking in there arnt tourists and i found the beer selection slightly better as well
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Another fantastic Sheffield watering hole. I am struggling to think of anywhere elese that has 2 oustanding pubs in such close proximity to one another (here and the KIT). The beer garden is very pleasant in the sunshine and the pub has a fantastic selction of ales all very keenly priced. Did not try the food but it looked good as it came past. Will be making another visit in the near future.
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A two-roomed old-school watering hole, which is a lot more spit and sawdust than the Kelham whilst offering a similar range of excellent quality ales, cider and perry at similarly competitive prices (12 ales counted on my visit).
The main serving area is a classic public bar affair, quite spartan with little tables and stools, narrow and a bit tight space-wise. The slightly superior decoration of the lounge is nice and light but gives off a feeling of faded grandeur that didn�t resonate with me, though the open fire was welcome. Both rooms have a scattering of old sepia-tinged photos of random faces (who??) and old brewery mirrors. There�s some nice tiling on the floor by the front door. Some nice-sounding (and good-looking!) good-value pub meals were available, shame I didn�t have the time to sample as I overran at the KIT. The Kelham Island Brewery is situated next door, so a number of their beers can be sampled here including the infamous Pale Rider. The bogs smelt of piss, which was a bit off-putting � give them a good scrub, please! The client�le here seemed more 'tickerish' than the KIT.
I couldn�t quite dig the place like I could the KIT but it�s still a great visit nonetheless. The idea of a �KIT-Cat� crawl mentioned below is eminently sensible�
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Frankly fantastic. Best food in Sheffield, and the only pub custard that I like. Discovered the very nice beer garden on this visit.
Beer was wide ranging as always, but really just not the greatest - merely an 8/10 or so.
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I hate to be a dissenting voice, but when I visited the pub on May 13, I found it to be a depressing place with good beer in only passable condition. The bar staff seemed more interested in flirting with each other than in serving the customers. The regulars (?) seemed isolated in their small groups and the place had the air of a morgue. I had just been soaked in the Sheffield monsoons, so I considered that it might be me. However, after departing the Cat, I found the Kelham Island Tavern around the corner to fully live up to its excellent reputation, so somehow I doubt it. I just hope that my experience was an evening's aberration and the reviews of others hold true.
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My partner and I decided on a bit of a crawl round Sheffield and this was the first on the list. The beer choice was astounding and those which we drank were first class. The pub itself has immense character as do the local patrons. I couldn't rate this pub high enough and unfortunately it spoilt those that followed. My recommendation, don't bother with a crawl, just stay put once you're here.
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Comfortable pub - you could bed down and stay all day if there weren't other great pubs in the area. Beer was in good shape.
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Round the corner from the Kelham Island Tavern, on which I have just posted , is the Fat Cat, Sheffield's original real ale mecca and yet another pub on Sheffield's "Valley of Beer " crawl.
Interesting phots and pictures of the pub during the recent flood are displayed on a wall in the pub lobby, together with details of the pub's history.
Interstingly the pub was a William Stones' pub until 1981 - note the Cannon Ales mosiac just inside the door.
On the wall outside the pub is a painted horizontal line showing the height that the flood waters reached in June 2007, and also in 1864 ( when the flood level was at least twice as high !).
The bar has 2 rooms off the small central lobby. The smaller room where the bar counter is located is on the right and boasts an impressive bank of handpumps. The larger room on the right is decorated in traditional style and is served via a hatch in the lobby.
Both the Kelham Island Best and Pale Rider ( at � 1.89p and � 2.15p respectively ) were on fine form. Other beers ( well those that I can remember !) were Simpson & Simpson IPA, Banks and Taylor Stout, Brewers Choice Rummy and the ubiquitous TT Landlord.
Kelham Island Brewery is next door.
Another must visit pub, undoubtedly
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After an intersting visit to the Kelham Island industrial museum, popped stright in at opening time for a pint of Pride of Sheffield from their own Kelham Island Brewery housed in an adjacent building. I thought that the atmosphere was a little cold at first, but I think that this was largely down to the staff still getting things ready for the day. However, as more customers came in, the conversation livened up and with so many decent beers to try, and at such reasonable prices, I could have stayed all day...
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Brilliant unspoilt pub with sensible prices. A good excuse for a crawl if you ever needed one.
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ps. TT Landlord wasn't on Mon, but I think was listed at �1.89, to give you an idea of prices...
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I�ve been to FatCats in Ipswich & Colchester but this, allegedly, is the original & not part of the group owning the others (clearly held to be plagiarists in these parts). The beers on offer on Mon were predominantly dark & strong following a weekend winter ale festival, on handpump; Saltaire Winter Ale, Dunham Massey Winter Warmer, Kelham Island Pale Rider & Best Bitter, Derby Brewery Dark Princess, Spire Draymans Delight, Ascot Winter Reserve, Brew Dog Rip Tide (8%), Wensleydale Hardraw Force, Darkstar Victorian Ruby Mild. Nice traditional little bar, welcoming real fire, banquette seating, small tables & stools, serving hatch opposite to corridor, other side of which is a slightly larger, similarly furnished room. Both have some old photos & breweriana mirrors, the latter also displays a signed cartoon by Mike Atkinson (author of the �Fat Cat� series). There is an upstairs room for functions or overspill, but flyers in bar announced its use as a bistro one w-end a month (trial venture for chef not connected with pub, �35 for 3 courses matched with beers). Sounds expensive compared to daily lunches such as steak, mushroom&tarragon pies, mexican chicken & rice or Kelham cheese & onion, all �4.40. Pub is very close to Kelham Island Brewery (which is not related to nearby �K.I.T.�) also the Industrial Museum apparently housing largest working steam engine, the River Don Engine.
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Another splendid pint here on 23rd January. Enjoyed locally-brewed Kelham Island Best amongst others, whilst a delicious plate of paprika chicken, rice and salad was consumed. No distracting music or tv on during my session. Continuing to be an excellent pub.
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Brilliant pub in a city with a lot of good ones. Ever changing guest ales plus of course several from Kelham Island, all well kept. Had a major flood a little while ago but you wouldn't notice anymore. Very friendly, but then again you have to be as it's tiny. At busy times if you want to get your handkerchief out of you pocket you have to apologise to 3 people for making them move. It's great.
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Love this pub. Love the beer here and the selection of beers. I would say better than the Norwich Fat Cat that I have been to a few times. Always aim to visit when in Sheffield as it is on the good pub crawl. First rate. Food is great too.
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Brilliant Stuff, Great Great Well Kept Ales, Great food,9/10
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Not as large or as user friendly as its sister pub in Norwich but the Sheffield version probably has more of its original pub atmosphere and traditional layout. The main bar is to the right of the mosaic floor lobby and the first thing that strikes you is the size of the bar itself. In a space little more than the size of a couple of phone boxes, 12 hand pumps are cramped together with a further rank of pumps at the back. The selection and quality of the beers is well documented and I can only endorse previous positive comments and recommend that an entire evening is put aside to explore the various offerings. The carpeted main bar is quite plain with a tiled fireplace upon which a blackboard will steer you through the availability and special offers. Old pictures and brewery mirrors adorn the walls but do not intrude. The ambience is relaxed with no obvious music or TVs to distract conversation. There is a separate lounge bar with an open fire, a further collection of brewery mirrors and upholstered seating. A corridor runs between this and the bar with its own small service area, a history of the pub, a mass of well deserved certificates and the story of Workhouse Mary, the pubs resident ghost. At the rear is a small but pleasant enough beer garden with bench seats and the grim surroundings for the most part hidden behind a high fence. Whilst I personally prefer the Norwich outlet, the Sheffield Fat Cat is a top notch pub worthy of the effort to find in the back streets and with the Kelham Island Tavern 100 yards away, this must be one of the beer hot spots of Britain.
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Fantastic range of beers. Layout a bit more quirky than the nearby Fat Cat. Worth going to if in Sheffield. Short walk from Shalesmoor tram.
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Kelham Island tap, which is good enough in itself, but loads more obscure guests. Tiny little bar fully filled with handpumps, but ample seating area expands around the corner. New breweries and beers for seasoned drinkers in our crew. 5 new beer mats for me. Large boxes of nuts on the bar, cheese for sale.
Given its greatness and the reviews up here, I've no idea why the average rating isn't higher. Be happy to session here, unfortunately I didn't have the time.
As mentioned by nearly everyone, should be combined with Kelham Island Tavern for the "Kit-Cat" combo.
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Pub with considerable charm and character. Two small rooms with a passage to the side yard beer garden with plenty of red brick and greenery - a bit narrow, but OK. About 10 casks, including Kelham Island's own. A very decent place - relaxed, friendly, bohemian and quirky. There are cat images everywhere.
I liked it here. The area is very run down - a broken industrial wasteland - but the pub has a sense of solidness and history about it that is quite appealing.
There is not a lot to differentiate between this place and the KIT around the corner. Some people will like them equally, and some will like one over the other. My preference was for this one, but it's not that huge a preference, and that could change on a visit on a different day.
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Very difficult to say which is the best pub in Sheffield. The Fat Cat, The Kelham Island Tavern, and The Wellington are all so close to one another you have to visit all three.
The food here is great. Simple home-cooked style pub food for around a fiver. Excellent pies. They've started selling cheese flavoured with Kelham Island bitter and Pale Rider.
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Great pub - cheap as chips and loads to choose from, and I've heard great things about the food as well.
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one of my all time faves at shalemoor..best cider ive tasted in ages and lovely desserts and sandwiches..the beer is well kept and the tram ride is a must to this area..its good wen youve got a plethora of other real ale pubs in the vicinty of this pub to get large groups out here..sheffields one of the great citys for real ale..this pub serves as a flagship with the rest of the good fleet of pubs in this marvellous city
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One of several excellent pubs in this part of town. Good value and a great choice of beers.
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Pilgrimage to this pub began my Sheffield crawl of 23/02/08. Survived last summer's flooding in which the waters rose to half the height of the 1864 Sheffield Floods, as illustrated by lines and measurements painted on the outside of the pub.
Wonderful Kelham Island beers amongst vast range on offer. Food was excellent value for money - delicious steak pie, roast potatoes and minted peas for under a fiver! Saw the upstairs room for first time, and can report that it's homely and comfortable with walls and ceiling adorned with beer-related posters.
Pub heaving on Saturday night, with seating at a premium when I returned to the ground floor drinking area, but eventually found a seat - and friendly conversation.
Do visit!
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Called in as usual when visiting Sheffield, and enjoyed a Kelham Island and Tigertops beer. The lady behind the bar has always been friendly when I have called, and she chatted about the wheat beer from Tigertops, so knows her beers.
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Excellent range of ales, and there actually was a "Fat Cat" asleep on the stool next to where I was sitting.
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I've read such a lot over the years about this pub. It was a must on last weeks pub crawl before the football. As has already been pointed out only about 5 minutes walk from the Shalesmore tram stop. Get the 'day rider' ticket on the tram if you are planning to move around a bit during the day priced at �2.70.
It was the first pub we visited and we arrived just before Midday. I think this was a wise move as it was not long after we sat down that the pub started filling. Every chair and table was soon taken as most people were having food. The food did look tempting but we had used a greasy spoon in London for breakfast and were not yet hungry.
12 Hand pumps were available with a good selection on offer. Two Kelham Island ales were on for this visit. Pale Rider and Best.
The pub is conveniently located near to the Kelham Island Tavern and The Wellington all within a few minutes walk.
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Visited yesterday after the Kelham Island Tavern.
Can't really add too much, a great range of beer and an interesting layout to the place. I had beers from the Hornbeam, Beartown and Derby breweries.
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I am astounded! Went in there a few weeks ago after hearing so much about the place, and felt the need to look it up. I have read all the posts on the site and I am obviously missing the point :-(
The beer, without question, is excellent but the woman behind the Bar. What an ignorant, rude woman she is. When she could drag herself away from somewhere not behind the bar, to then answer the phone, she served with a face that would put the sweetest pint of Gold sour!
Goodness knows what's the matter with her, hope it's because Dave Wickett has told her to bugger off.
No food at the moment, cos they are refitting the kitchen it seems.
Will definitely go back, but will ring ahead to makes sure she's not there beforehand ..........
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Enjoyed 3 excellent ales and lunch on Saturday when we called at this friendly pub. Always visit when in Sheffield.
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I always make a point of visiting here when in Sheffield. About a 5 minute walk from Shalesmore tram stop and closely situated near the Cask and Cutler and Kelham Island tavern. Don't be put off by the seemingly dodgy location (a backstreet behind empty factories and crumbling buildings). The area is being regenerated, so hopefully this won't be an issue in future. Good value home cooked food, with vegetarian and vegan options. You'll also find a bottle of the wonderful Henderson's Relish on the condiments table! Friendly staff, and a friendly pub cat. The beer garden/yard is also well kept. There is usually two to four Kelham Island ales on including Pale Rider, Easy Rider, or Kelham Island Bitter; and around six guest ales on.
Slake - 10 Sep 2007 19:25 |
Another great Sheffield institution, plenty of beers, though some I had were off colour. Good food too at good prices. Loved it.
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Absolutely brilliant (still) on my first visit for a few years yesterday. Pale Rider, Sunday Lunch and pud, and a wonderful pub character (never noticed the brewerania really before). How does anyone score it less than 10 ?
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Called in yesterday for after the flood beer fest,and everything back to normal,only difference is new carpets.Beer as good as ever,and great home made food for under a fiver what more could you want.Well worth walking over hot coals or flooded rivers to visit.
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top notch pub....premier league without any doubt.
as I remote and irregular visitor I was deeply stressed when I heard about the recent floods. It's great to hear of the speedy recovery.
Go to it Fat Cat!
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Called in 5.7.07 after the Don Floods, and found 4 real ales being served over the bar from casks. They have done a magnificent clear up and although the cellar was not done yet ( a fish was rescued and returned to the river I believe!), they had managed to get real ale on. Heard they have now got ale back on the pumps. First class pub.
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Always on my list of MUSTS in Sheffield Never been disappointed.
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The best pub in Sheffield by a country mile. Don't be put off by mammoth walk through a grotty area of the city, once you get there it's seriously well worth the effort!
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Still the best pub, by a country mile. A true Sheffield gem.
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Called in a couple of times while in Sheffield recently, and found a good variety of excellent beers.
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I was in Sheffield to visit the snooker and looked out for some real ale pubs as well. The Fat Cat was in my guide and went for it. I did not feel safe walking towards it, quite a derelict area. I wondered how a decent pub could be here. As i went in it was quite pleasant, filled up with ale enthusiasts. Walking into the garden i was surprised there was a jazz festival going on as well. Brilliant atmosphere and a very nice selection of ales for reasonable prices! (Paul from Amsterdam). Lovely place!
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Excellent beer, excellent food, excellent pub
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An outstanding pub. In a really quite grotty area of Sheffield, but nonetheless facing stiff competition from other first-class pubs nearby. Perhaps it's just as well they are not in a smart part of town, otherwise too mnay people might get to know about them.
Its' national fame is well-deserved, however, with a superb range of draught and bottled beers. We didn't have enough time to sample the food, but the range looked very good and well-priced.
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Just the greatest pub ever. I wa truly happy to find this place. It has a kind of magic atmosphere and truly the best pint of ale (pale rider) I have ever had the pleasure to be served with. Amazing.
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Manages to be the stand-out in an area of very good pubs.
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Doubtlessly a very good pub, like several in the area it has a fine range of beers on handpump, including at least 1 and usually more from the Kelham Island brewery in its back yard, as well as bottled beers. The food, biased towards vegetarianism which is great for me is tasty and cheap which certainly adds to the pubs charm. It is often a little cramped, as its reputation pulls in the punters despite its slightly out of town location in what is not the nicest part of Sheffield but you can usually get a seat. The brewery also does tours for groups, our group of about 12 people was given a barrel to finish off for the cost of a fiver each, so you can't beat that for value!
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The best pub I have ever been to and there are a few of them. Highly recommend it to anyone. Only downside when I was in there were a bunch of hooray henrys in on an xmas doo drinking port and smashing glasses all over the place.....
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Bloody good, lots of veggie food, lots of real ale, a quiet room where me and the girl chilled out with the battered copies of the 'Pan Book of Horror' numbers 7 and 11.
It's right out of the way down some pretty depressing, derelict streets but, heck, it's worth the trip. Another one of those find, old fashioned boozers and I didn't find the staff rude at all, though I am a brusque Londoner so maybe I didn't notice.
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Sack the bar staff and replace them with humans and this will be the best pub in Sheffield. It would get 10/10 were it not for the rudeness.
anonymous - 6 Sep 2005 09:18 |
Spot on boozer,Its been quieter than expected when I`ve visited(although it is a little out of the way)...Had some great beer here.Remember having Anchor Porter on draught here a couple of years back (Yankee Nectar)!
Like the rather ramshackle set of beer posters on the way to the toilets....Long may this pub continue -Good Health!
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Great pub, really enjoy if anyone is in the area its a must
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Small but perfectly formed, next door to Kelham Island brewery and showcases three KI beers, other good guests, contunential bottles, Saxon draught cider, filling Sunday lunches, veggie and vegan food has high reputation.
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.............. probably the best pub in the country
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If any city is in the vanguard of proper beer drinking in this country then it is Sheffield and this pub blazed the trail. If you want to know why the 'public house' plays such a role in the English psyche, visit here. And if you want to understand the corrupting, uncivilised influence of the 'PubCos' walk out of here, hop on a tram to the city centre and take your pick of 'em. Then, compare and contrast.
anonymous - 28 Jul 2005 15:22 |
I visited on Friday 28/01/05 and would like to further congratulate this pub on its superb food as well as its top range of beers. It was good to have the time to sample some, and all tastes are catered for including vegetarians.
As well as the real ales, a comprehensive selection of European beers, both bottled and draught, is available at the Fat Cat. It is a good pub to start a crawl, or to relax with friends in the evening. I continue to recommend the pub after this visit.
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It's true The Beer is excellent
Pale Rider has won the best beer in the UK award 2004. The barman tends to cheer up when SHeff United has won. Hence previous report of him being as bit off.The food �3 a meal is home cooked & tasty.
Keith James - 20 Oct 2004 20:25 |
Wow! A pub! In England! In Sheffield, of all places! That serves Vegan Pub Food Meals! Absolutely wonderful! 17/10!
Andrew the New Watcher - 7 Oct 2004 14:49 |
Very dissapointed in the service, they seem to have a barman there that dosent think its his job to serve customers. Last night myself and a friend left without being served as the barman was absent for the first 3/4 minutes, then appeared reading the green 'un, didnt look at us , at then walked off again. We went to the Gardeners Rest at Neepsend which was infinitely more welcoming.
Jamie Shaw - 27 Sep 2004 10:43 |
If you want real ale and a fantastic traditional atmosphere this is one of the finest pubs in Sheffield
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If it's real & on the market, you can get it here! Excellent value beer & cobs.
Bram - 29 Jun 2004 16:45 |
The best pub in Sheffield - a mecca for real ale drinkers
Barry - 17 Jun 2004 10:41 |
Fantastic pub, brilliant beer and fantastic value veggie food. Where I go to drink away my sorrows before visits to the Hillsborough
Superowl - 22 Apr 2004 18:11 |
Excellent
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Has an awesome reputation for Real Ales. Definatly worth checking out if you are in Sheffield.
Mike - 22 Jan 2004 13:37 |
I've not been there for a while but have very fond (if hazy) memories of it! The country wine is just lovely and very potent! nice to go somewhere away from the city centre, although I was never quite sure how I found my way home again afterwards. 10/10 every time.
Claire - 18 Nov 2003 16:57 |
Excellent Pub and wonderful beer especially Pale Rider & Grande Pale
Pale Riderman - 16 Oct 2003 19:15 |
Well deserving of its 9/10 rating. I have visited this pub on several occasions when staying in Sheffield. It is a real classic, the array of beers here is second to none, although ale drinkers are somewhat spoilt for choice in this part of the city. Great food too, and even when main meals not available a selection of filled rolls is available at the bar. The staff are very friendly, and the pub prides itself as being "ferrociously independent", which it most certainly is. HIGHLY recommended.
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A lovely real ale oriented pub in an industrial back road close to Sheffield Town Centre. Small lounge bar is like someone's living room. Lots of beers, mainly form small northrn brewers including three from the next door Kelham Island micro brewery. Check out the Pale Rider. Food is also good and reasonably priced.
Simonf - 11 Jun 2003 11:41 |
