The Hatchet Inn - JW Bassett Pub — Restaurant in Bristol

The Hatchet Inn is one of my favourite pubs in Bristol but unfortunately I had a horrible experience here when I visited with my bicycle (14 Sep 2023).

After catching a film in town with some friends, we decided to go for a pint afterwards. We picked a pub with an accessible garden outside because I had collected my bike from work after the film before the office closed. The bike is worth a significant amount of money and so we decided to sit on a table next to the fence that surrounds the front of the pub. I lifted my bike and placed it on the inside of the fence next to our table, rather than placing it on the outside of the fence which is by a street where an opportunist could very easily steal it. I wasn’t comfortable leaving my bike on the public racks to the side of the pub.

As soon as I walked into the pub, I was confronted by a brutish member of staff who told me I couldn't leave my bike there and to remove it. He spouted some half-hearted nonsense on how I couldn't leave it there because it wouldn't be covered by the pub's insurance. I wouldn't expect it to be covered by any pub’s insurance - the bike is my responsibility and not the pub’s, after all. The belligerent staff member would not listen and coldly refused me service.

I am a very keen cyclist in my spare time and in all my eleven years of riding around the UK, this is the first time I have never experienced such short-sightedness at a pub. The Hatchet Inn is a great pub if you're travelling on foot but this experience left me feeling humiliated, as if my decision to travel by bike was wrong. I'd recommend heading to Small Bar on King St, Left Handed Giant on Finzels Reach, Junction on Wapping Wharf or Wiper and True at Old Market, who are all very accommodating if you have a bike in tow.

This experience has soured my opinion of the pub and has put me off...

It's difficult to rate this pub because I am sort of confused about it, so I shall list the good points first. This is a very old and characteristic pub in Bristol, I daresay it is definitely in the top 5 in town. The music tends to be hard rock / heavy metal, which most patrons love. The beer garden is large enough for a pub the city centre, I have had hundreds of great gatherings with friends there. The beer/cider selection is also top notch, and prices are reasonable. The staff is usually friendly and efficient, they are very good at handling very busy nights and you usually get a smile as well. Now, what I am confused about... On some nights (even in the weekend), the bouncers don't let people in and/or make them queue outside forever, even though it's not that crowded inside, or they close half of the pub at midnight. I have been denied ordering food for a table upstairs with many different excuses (never the same one), e.g. "We don't take food upstairs when the pub is full" (it was almost empty), or "If we let people take food upstairs, they will smear the pool tables with it". The tables upstairs have food menus though, so it's annoying when you sit down with your friends and then you find out that everyone has to move or you'll get no food. I know of people that stopped going there because these uncertainties are frustrating. This is a real shame because it really is a great pub and I think it could do...

Bristol's oldest boozer, so it claims - it shows in places for better or worse.

The good? Well there's never a massive wait at the bar, and for food even the worst wait times seem to be shorter than expected. Speaking of it's generally pretty bloody tasty and priced reasonably. Around £10 for a steak and chips as I recall. Sport regularly shown on the TV, including the rugby - which has historically taken precedent over the footy on a Friday/Saturday if it's the premiership.

The bad? Food portions are a little on the small side for me, but I'm a pretty big bloke. The worst is that it's all piled up as if to impress Gordon Ramsay and the masterchefs - which creates a fun little game of deconstructing the pile and fitting it on the same plate so you can actually cut your steak without mushing your chips.

Pool tables are £2 a go which is pricey in my experience, especially considering the tables are exposed to the public and as such, not perfectly level and square.

All in all a lovely pub that I frequent regularly with friends, a few things could be improved, but frankly it's nothing...