The Hartley

When I read the other reviews I thought I must be in a parallel universe, but then I saw the dates. This is a new ‘team’ who were lovely, and really smiley but it really was the blind leading the blind. I had a voucher otherwise we would have walked in ten minutes. Cocktails came after nearly 30 minutes of being in a virtually empty pub, and well after our starters had arrived! They also took three people to make, none of whom seemed quite sure of what they were doing– painful. Beautiful succulent looking beef was charred to a cinder because the kitchen (We could see it all happening as the kitchen is open) could not get their timings right. Ironically we had been surprised and impressed that they had asked how we wanted itmedium rare please! There were almost more staff than customers but nobody seemed to know what they were doing and were wandering backwards and forwards between the bar and kitchen half-​finishing orders. They were really sweet, and after sending the first effort back, the final meal was eventually very good. I want this business to succeed, but unless that day the real staff were all on holiday leaving the kids in charge I fear that this new venture will not be there for long. Give it a couple of months and all of these things may have been ironed out though. Two stars for niceness and the entertainment value.

nice friendly place, now setting itself up for live music on Saturdays and sometimes Fridays. Saw a great band there a while ago, hoping for more music. Unpretentious décor, really enjoyed myself.

I ended up walking to this place with the friends that I was staying with. It’s close to the flat, so it’s their go-​to pub. After having the food, I can see why. More on that in a moment.
If this is your first pub experience, I think it would be easy to get confused about what kind of place it is. Americans in particular are not necessarily used to seeing a lot of gorgeous custom woodwork in a bar, nor do we typically expect a lot of ambiance in the dining area of a drinking establishment… unless it is some sort of upscale lounge or pub. This place is lovely and comfortable, but with just the right amount of refined detail to keep it from being quaint. The drinks are what you’d expect from any pub, but with some specialty offerings to set it apart from other places. There’s a lot more emphasis on dining here than at the other pubs I visited in London, so I am not surprised that this one also had the best wine selection.
As for the food, you can get everything from traditional pub food offerings to great salads to a very nice goat cheese platter. It was all pretty tasty, though it should be obvious by this point in the review that it wasn’t particularly memorable, either.
This seems like a really great place to go if you want some good food and regular-​volume conversation out of your pub experience.

Seeing the previous reviews and their date of posting then take my review below; the challenge for Qype is keeping reviews relevant especially when a Gastropub has changed its function for the reviews below mine have in effect become void.
About twelve of us gathered at The Hartley to meet and exchange gifts whilst supping drinks and enjoying fine food.
More of a contemporary pub with classic wooden mismatched chairs and tables with a splattering of odd armchairs, sofas, high tables and stools — the place is nice.
The beers on tap are all gassed including the Boddingtons and IPA. I don’t think the ale drinkers amongst us particularly rated the gassed ales (Boddingtons with a small head?) though there are bottled ales.
However there’s a fabulous array of premium spirits including malts for the connoisseur.
The question for us was, what’s gastro about it? Clearly the kitchen has changed owners as it is above all a Thai food kitchen. Incredibly inexpensive with generous portions.
For those not inclined to having a spicy meal on a Sunday there’s a selection of roasts and a couple of other traditional dishes.
It wasn’t particularly busy yesterday (Sunday) and by the end of the afternoon we were pretty much the only people there.
Service is very good and friendly with drinks being brought to the table when ready (i.e. Guinness).
Oh, its cash only. There’s a cashpoint with a charge inside however directly opposite there’s a bank where you can withdraw your money for free.
All in all its a nice pub with Thai food.

The Hartley is my ‘local pub’ and as such I always receive a warm and personal welcome from the well-​mannered and well trained bar staff. There are a multitude of beers on tap and the food served at this gastro pub is of a high quality. Historically it served as a pub for the Hartley Jam Factory workers, and as such it has maintained a certain décor and ambience fitting of such a history. Its a marvellous warm and friendly place to have a pint.

This is a great gastropub that is quite central at the same time.
It gets very busy on Sundays but even in the week it can be packed but at a much calmer pace. But once you taste the food it’s easy to see why. They do everything in a simple way, yet they use good ingredients and cook them well. Mix that with a great choice of wine and ales and suddenly you find yourself feeling that the world is a lovely place, and that you won’t want to leave the pub. The only way to describe the food and atmosphere there is like being given a really big hug. You feel happier for making the journey, and you can’t wait to go back and visit again.

I tried it solely because it was one of the few gasto pubs South of the Thames I could find on the web and I was meeting an old friend near there for lunch, so pure blind chance. The food is great. The kitchen is open to view and the food is obviously fresh not chilled. Probably one of the best pub meals I’ve had for years. Just 5 or 6 main courses with a couple of specials which is another sign of fresh food. Decent wine list, friendly service, very informal. Highly recommended

Any pub that has battleships is a winner in my book. Seriously, there is something incredibly satisfying about sinking pints as you sink your drinking buddies ships. The Hartley is a decent gastro-​pub which has been reviewed countless times by pub and food critics always to high standard (note the huge array of newspaper clippings adorning the window as you walk in)
Good Music, good food, lots of board games to while away a Sunday afternoon and lots of seating. Great pub!

The Hartley Bar and Dining Rooms is a gastropub on Tower Bridge Road, serving traditional food. It also has fantastic organic cider, and a really friendly atmosphere. The wait staff are quite happy, and aren’t shy with the servings.