Fat Cat in Sheffield

We went to Kelham island for a wander around and encountered the fat cat pubs celebrating 43 years of existence. We had a great afternoon and evening with live music, great beers and great food the pie and chips were outstanding thanks.

What's happened to this place? This used to be one of the best real ale pubs in the country. Fantastic bar staff, great beers and snacks and one of the first non smoking rooms. Unfortunately on this visit staff were poor, didn't know anything about their beers and didn't engage at any level. A family group had taken over the original non smoking room and were vaping constantly in there. Staff were not concerned and were not interested in tackling the vaping. Only saviour was the pork pies which were as good as ever.

Very small with a selection of real ales. The bar staff were helpful but most of the ales were too strong for my liking as I prefer to keep it session. The best beers were from out of town and I was hoping for something more local. Worth a visit particularly if you like the 5% and over beers.

Really traditional local pub in Sheffield which is a city over subscribed with the ubiquitous names. Looked full of locals- we were recommended to try it by a local and were not disappointed. Spirits served in slightly larger Irish measures and there was also a comprehensive range of ages including the Dog and Partridge lager.

Una delle poche volte che abbiamo mangiato benino. Questo pub, in un posto abbastanza decentrato, è stato un ripiego perchè il ristorante al quale eravamo diretti era chiuso. Questo era il più vicino e, quindi, siamo entrati, sia pure con qualche perplessità. Confesso, invece, che le perplessità iniziali non sono state confermate. Abbiamo mangiato dei buoni hamburger ed abbiamo bevuto dell'ottima birra. Ciliegina sulla torta: prezzi ragionevolissimi. Lo consiglo

I use to love this pub but it's trying too hard to cater for the Peddlers crowd. Music blasting out and seating in the street. No longer a traditional pub where you can sit and chat. Moving with the times doesn't suit this place at all.

The Fat Cat is a truly old fashioned workers’ pub at the heart of one of Sheffield’s old industrial areas, Kelham Island and is ideally placed close to Kelham Island Museum making it a good lunch stop. The staff are welcoming, friendly and helpful. The downstairs bar areas are quite small but on the day our group of fourteen, large family and some American friends, called in the staff were happy to open up a large room on the first floor for us. Unfortunately we were unable to get the pushchair up the narrow stairs due to a sharp bend at the top so, as it was a nice day, we chose to sit in the surprisingly spacious beer garden. The pub has a nice range of real ales; I am not a fan of ales or lagers but even I have found one I like, the Kelham Island Pale Ale, which used to be brewed locally but is now brewed in Bakewell; plus all the usual offerings. The food menu is made up of traditional pub fare which is reasonably priced; as in won’t wipe out your bank account; and excellent value for money. Our compliments must go to the chef as all the meals on our large food order were prepared and served in good time so we were all eating together. Myself and one of our friends had the northern staple of steak pie; prepared freshly each morning; which was full of chunks of real steak topped with shortcrust pastry and accompanied by roast wedges and mushy peas. My daughter enjoyed the sausages and Yorkshire puddings whilst other members of our party enjoyed the lighter options such as the cheeseburger and piri-piri chicken wraps. We would all certainly recommend The Fat Cat to anyone visiting the area.

Nice beer garden area and seating to front outside. The music was a little loud, even outside which made conversation difficult (it was early afternoon). A few cask ales available.

Well went in for Sunday lunch £695 though fantastic till it came out cold chicken looked like it had been cut with scissors roast potatoes well looked like the queens mothers teeth . I’m no fussy but not that nice nice beer tho oh and the Yorkshire pudding was well tiny need to up your game I will pay moor if you get it right come on you can do it one more chance then it’s bye bye fat cat

Fantastic freshly prepared steak pie, roasted pots and mushy peas. As good as it gets for pub food. Highly recommended.

We popped in for Sunday lunch after being reccomend it as we were visitingSheffield. I had the Sunday Lunch with beef & my wife had cider & mushroom pie. Both were really good food well cooked & amazing value (both cost less than my usual charges for just Sunday lunch) These were washed down with a few beers can see why it's reccomend by CAMRA. Great choice & very well kept. Only down side, it's about 180 miles from home

The Fat Cat has a long and distinguished history as a cask ale pub. And it is indeed THE best cask ale pub in Sheffield! Great staff, great selection of beers, great atmosphere, and a nice beer garden to the rear. It doesn't look like much from outside (or indeed inside), but the atmosphere is just infectious and invites communication among the punters. Of course, pub food and snacks are available, too. Carry on the good work! If you're doing a pub crawl in the Kelham Island area - and you should - don't miss out on this great establishment!

Met an old mate in Sheffield for a few beers and he took me here. Popped in on a Tuesday night and had a fantastic pie, mushy peas and roast potatoes along with a few lovely pale ales. Great traditional pub!

Don’t be put off by the exterior of this traditional boozer. We came on a Friday night and it was busy - they even have bouncers on the door. It retains a lot of retro character with two separate bars plus a big garden (yard) and further bar area.

Great Pub. This is one if the 'must do' pubs when in Sheffield. A great selection of beers available as well as traditional pub grub. Real fire too.

The Fat Cat used to be a wonderful local public house with its own brewery. Unfortunately, over the years, it has gone downhill due to the brewery closing and the lack of daily management. It used to have a really good food menu especially for vegans, vegetarians and people with gluten intolerance but now the food is not great. The beer garden and choice of beer is very good but, these days, you need more than just sitting drinking. I have been going there for 16 years and it is a great shame.

Visited the Fat Cat at 12:15pm on Thurs 9th June. We had an hour to have a quick birthday lunch and a pint. Ordered two burgers with blue cheese that came with a side of roasted potato wedges. The waitress brought out the food within 10 minutes, left it on the table then rushed off without asking us if we needed anything like ketchup etc. The burgers were barely warm and as hard as rock on the outside (so much so I hurt my tooth - I couldn't even cut the burger with a knife!) and there were parts that were a dubious orange colour with a weird consistency, like very hard biscuit or rock solid honeycomb. In the middle they were pink and raw. I can only guess they had been frozen for an age and then badly cooked, stored in a fridge and quickly reheated for us. Also the 'blue cheese' was mainly cheese rind! It was hands down the worst food I've ever been served. The waitress did not come over once - even after we had pushed our plates aside - to ask us about our food or if we require anything else. I suspect she realised there was a problem with the food (see photos). We did not want to make a scene on my birthday, and we needed to eat something quickly before going back to work. So, we both had a few of the wedges in the bread bun and left. I’m only pointing this out to warn other customers, and so the pub can make necessary changes to their standard of food and service.

Had a Sunday out down kellham Island eventually getting in fat cat where 3 had sunday lunch 1 had piri piri chicken wrap food was amazing great value highly recommend. Also bar staff very friendly and had fun with them we will be going again get down won't be disappointed

Great beer, locals, everyone enjoying themselves, range of ales, and easy to chill and relax. Would have liked to have stayed longer

Well established real ale icon with an emphasis on Kelham Island beer, sheltered yard at the rear, satisfactory range of pies, wedges etc to accompany if required. Ales well kept and constant stream of beer trail groups passing through.

This was my first visit in 30 years. Good food, great value, the same carpet. The service was simple and just as it should be. This is genuinely a great place.

What a wonderful, proper boozer. Good beer and food available but not tried. Great setting and very friendly staff. This is my favourite type of drinking experience.

We have visited here before and had their lunch time food, substantial pub grub, this time was for drinks only, of which there is a good selection of beers and knowledgeable staff serving them. A friendly pub where conversation is the norm, a Victorian multi...

Sat out in the beer garden - enjoyed the cask ales from the nearby Kelham Island Brewery. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Excellent pub snacks too. The building is also worth the visit - Victorian industrial vibe.

We were in Sheffield to drop our daughter at uni, this “restaurant” came up on trip advisor and had a decent score so thought we’d pop in for Sunday lunch! Big mistake, food was terrible! We all left it. The glasses were dirty and smelled...

My twin brother Stephen and I were visiting some pubs in this neck of the woods when we decided to drop into The Fat Cat Pub,what a great find. Housed in a beautiful Victorian building, the interior of this multi roomed pub is superb, pubby...

another gem visited near to the kelham museum, friendly back street pub . lively sunday afternoon crowd with good service and varied choice of real ales well presented.

The Fat Cat on Alma street is a excellent mid-19th century pub that started the real ale revolution in the Kelham Island area in 1981 when this excellent pub re-opened. Housed in a superb building and originally called the Kelham tavern then in 1856 changed...

Came across this place on a walk around Kelham Island. It has a great beer garden through the pub, lots of seating, heating outside as well. It was quite busy so you are not guarenteed a table. Quite lively in a friendly way. I would...

We’ve just come for bottomless brunch and … compared to the other popular places FAT CAT is the place .. we had Adele and Amy bring tentative from start to finish .. great girls so welcoming and the food … AMAAAAAZING!! Brill xxx

Great little pub with a good selection of ales hence the 5 stars and no problems on previous visits. We sat outside on a lovely day. A couple went from their table in the sun so we went to sit at that table as our...

I tried to go to The Fat Cat yesterday evening with my friend and my dog as I know they are dog friendly. Upon arrival there was a dog outside with its owner talking to the security out the front. My dog absolutely loves other...

Had lunch here on Friday lunchtime. Sat outside which was nice. Service a little slow but staff were friendly. Food was good, better than I expected. Had a visitor from USA with us and he enjoyed it !

Absolutely cracking. Safe but relaxed covid restrictions, we chose to sit outside but there is a pretty attractive outdoor seating area too. Brilliant beer and food selection, got to try a grand new beer recommended to me after the Budvar had run dry. Pub grub...

Amazing service! Very friendly! Great food! Dog friendly! We had amazing service on our visit for lunch. We took the dogs and they loved it too. Food was amazing! Recommend the wedges ❤️

Had drinks in here on Saturday with friends, very professional and knowledgable staff offering table service. We were made to feel really comfortable and enjoyed our drinks there!

Obnoxious doorman, ruined real ale pub feel. The doorman was walking around looking for drama in an otherwise calm environment.

¡Lo único más frío que el clima fue el servicio! Tuvimos un buen comienzo para nuestra tarde, la joven que nos atendió por primera vez estuvo feliz de ayudar y fue paciente. Nuestro siguiente mesero fue muy descortés y nos dijo que "cambiamos" y "tenemos a alguien más para servir". Malo pintas no me importa, mal servicio definitivamente lo hago!

Great pub lovely staff and doormen. They were happy to order us a taxi into Sheffield bank holiday Sunday. Highly recommend

Nos topamos con este pub mientras esperábamos nuestra mesa en el cercano (y excelente) Domo. . . . y bueno, ¡guau! Personal realmente amable, gran selección de algunas cervezas finas, un jardín para niños al lado y una atmósfera general de calidez. Más tarde descubrí que el pub ha ganado varios premios y claramente se merece cada uno de ellos.

Obnoxious doorman, ruined real ale pub feel. Bead ponytail roid head strutting around looking for drama in an otherwise calm environment.

Okay. Not much by way of dark beers. Carpet in desperate need of replacement. No music. No atmosphere. Shame.

Mis amigos y yo almorzamos aquí el otro día. Tuve un pastel y fue perfecto, pastelería encantadora y sabroso relleno. Uno de mis amigos es muy quisquilloso con lo que come y le hicieron algo fuera del menú sin complicaciones. Era mi primera vez en el pub y tuve la impresión de que el propietario fue muy agradable cuando se detuvo para hablar con nosotros.

great selection of beers - well kept and not pricey. We didn't eat but plenty of people did so they're doing something right.

Odd thing happened at Fat Cat tonight, I’ve been there loads of times, it’s an ok pub, got its issues with smelly toilets and a small bar area but it’s sort of iconic so we like it.Tonight as we approached it we walked in via the beer garden not the front door. No particular reason for this it was simply closer.As we approached the bar we were herded outside by the bouncer, and we followed him, in my mind was the thought he wasn’t happy about us not going via front door, he took us outside then barred us from coming in. He stated we were too wobbly! His words, we were not drunk at all. This was early is in the night around 7. There was no point arguing with the guy, he was unpleasant and aggressive and we were simply 3 50 year old out for a drink, so we walked round to the Ship Inn.We obviously told he we were not drunk but ultimately what point is there arguing with an idiot.It’s a shame, clearly didn’t spoil our night but the pub wasn’t full and later when we drove passed it on way home was still empty.We presumed it was because of our beer garden entry he became irritated with us but whatever it was he was wrong and needs to get a better understanding of what he is there to do.

Fat Cat always has really friendly staff and a good choice of drinks from the bar. Their general knowledge quiz is free and fun.

Often walked past and this time took the opportunity to stop for a pint! Very old fashioned pub which is really refreshing given all the same old same old plastic fantastic pubs about these days. Beer was good, cider excellent and atmosphere relaxing.

I must say this is the worse sunday lunch I have ever eaten everything was frozen and would never eat there again but the beer was good. When my wife said this to the bar staff he could not be interested at all in our complaints about the meal and did not even apologise so rude

Worst sunday lunch we have ever had...everything was tasteless....soggy...cold... deffinately wont be returning....

This pub is like a museum ... Totally traditional old fashioned pub. Do not expect posh or fancy... It's like stepping back in time. Don't change a thing Fat Cat!

Entró aquí por una pinta mientras visitaba Sheffield. Era un lunes por la noche y el lugar era encantador y acogedor. Gran servicio y fue noche de concurso y curry a un precio barato. Leí un paseo y leí todo sobre la historia del pub y la zona.Una excelente pinta de Guinness y mi amigo tomaron una gran cerveza.Un boozer adecuado que merece respeto y preservación.

Evening visits, food and regular staff are great. Watch it during the day when part time (hopefully) staff are working like todayAttention zeroCustomer interaction zeroPersonality zeroHumour minus 10Playing on phone perfectClearing bar zeroCome on Fat Cat! You know better than that

Had a pint here on Sunday,probably the best pint of Pale Rider I've ever had.Didn't eat here but food looked very good & very good prices.Will be calling back

Range of beers served midst a pub oozing with character. Seating in back yard right by the small brewery

On a recent visit to Sheffield we went to the Fat Cat a number of times. They had an excellent choice of real ales which they kept changing and the barman was very knowledgeable about the beers. We ate there a couple of times - the food is basic but is really good. They have a small beer garden at the back which is lovely on a hot day.

Another great visit to my all time favourite pub. Usual well kept, great beer selection. Enjoyed steak pie too. Great ambience, great value, awesome

My uncle brought me here to try the beer. He had told me stories about this pub being one of the best so I had to check it out. The pub itself was nice and I thoroughly enjoyed the pint of Pale Rider. If you’re around the area, be sure to check it out.

Great real ale pub. Lots of choice of beers. Quaint outside courtyard garden and friendly staff. A hidden gem.

This traditional style pub was a fabulous find. The food was excellent with 3 vegan choices and proper puddings. We had the apple crumble with custard, but could have had it with cream or ice cream and all choices were vegan. It was competitively priced, the service was good and the staff were friendly. I will definitely be back

I was slightly concerned about trying to visit this Kelham Island institution on a Friday evening but as it happened, although it was busy we managed to initially get seated in the bar room and then when this started getting uncomfortably busy managed to move to the room across the corridor which I felt was a more comfortable room to sit in.

Super pub, grea, alert bar staff, great beer and budget prices. Local Kelham Brewery Pale Ale was excellent. Had live band on in a packed beer garden.

A good pint, in a historic pub, with the K I brewery next door. Do read it history in the hall way by the stairs and sit in the courtyard area ... in the sun

Good old fashion pub with good friendly service and well kept beers. Good choice of real ales in a traditional setting.

Seedy, friendly, excellent beer, mix of customers, industrial chic. Outstanding industrial museum next door. A must for anyone looking for a pint in Sheffield. Pale Rider is brewed next door, and a favourite I am always pleased to see further afield.

Estoy con un buen grupo de amigos todos profesionales y ninguno de nosotros borracho. Una de las chicas estaba en el inodoro que no cierra con llave y un miembro del personal la forzó a entrar, aunque mi amiga estaba medio desnuda y me dijo que tenía que lavarme las manos, que era tan grosera e insistente. Mi primera pregunta a la EHO sería por qué el personal no cuenta con instalaciones para lavarse las manos y, en segundo lugar, por qué el personal siente que puede ingresar a alguien en esa posición. Como lo desafiamos, nos dijeron que teníamos que irnos también. Así que quedan 30 de las bebidas y un sabor amargo, recomendaría este lugar, nunca

Visit the Fat Cat if you want to experience a no-frills real ale pub. It's not pristine, but proper boozers are suppose to be. Nice outdoor seating area and good pork pies.

No había visitado desde 1998 y cuando regresé este mes ¡es exactamente lo mismo! ! !

Came for my birthday, the bar staff (Holly and Emily) were great fun . Definitely one of the best pubs in Sheffield, good beers, wonderful staff and a great interior. Would thoroughly recommend if you're looking for a fun place to drink.

I researched lots of pubs for our visit to Sheffield and Fat Cat was a must visit. We were not disappointed. Excellent well kept beer. We wanted a snack. Wow the portions were amazing. Our bill for food came to £20.00 for two pies and very chunky chips. A Ploughman’s and an Olive and Feta salad which was huge. Fantastic value. There were also three puddings on the board at £2.50 each. Amazing. We are going back for the £5.95 Sunday lunch. If we lived on Kelham Island this would be our local!!

Que linda noche. . ¡NO! que lluvia de caca Yo y mi querida esposa (Dios la bendiga, no nos queda mucho tiempo para vivir) y mis hermosos hijos (¡cuente uno dos tres!) Pensamos que podíamos disfrutar de nuestros últimos meses como una familia feliz. . piensa otra vez. . ¿Dónde en la tierra estaba el área de juego? ? Quién sabe, pero entonces, ¿cómo podríamos llegar allí? Claramente, no hay espacio para navegar para empujar la silla. . . querida o querida Lager decepcionante, piezas de pretzel una delicia.

Un montón de cerveza de barril bien conservada en oferta en el gato gordo. Esto solía ser un verdadero pub de bebedores de cerveza, pero con los años ha cambiado y la clientela está mucho más mezclada ahora.

La gran variedad de cervezas y sidras se mantuvo muy bien, ¡no es sorprendente ya que tienen su propia cervecería al lado! Nos lo pasamos genial cada vez que visitamos, la comida es casera, muy buena, a un precio muy razonable y muy satisfactoria.

This is a traditional pub, not a trendy bar so don't come expecting mood lighting and music. Great beer choice and the food is just honest pub grub, reasonably priced

Great little pub with some fantastic sheffield beers.. always well kept ales and reasonable prices from the real world.. Nice to find a proper pub for a change

Although it is an old traditional pub it does feel a little grubby inside, saying that is is always very busy when i have visited, Dozens of real ale's to choose from some very strong indeed,British pub grub and you can buy Pork pies at the bar very nice too, Bar staff friendly prices mid-range.

Love the Fat Cat always call when in Sheffield. Great selection of beer, spirits, wine and cider. Pork pies are a great bar snack. And staff are always helpful and friendly. See you again soon.

Such a lovely pub with a great atmosphere! Friendly staff and lovely outside seating area. Only down side is that it’s sometimes hard to get to the bar but that shows how good it is!

Always loved this place. Big choice of booze excellent food and friendly staff. Live music at the Trainlines festival on the Friday night. Always a busy pub. Highly recommend this pub.

It’s a great pub with cheap drinks and quality food for the price. If you like poncy garnish in your drink then don’t go to a real ale pub. If you want well priced beer in a pub that’s decent in the summer and winter, then fat cat is for you.

Used this as a starting point for a works do. Good old fashioned pub. Nice beer garden and a good selection of real ales. Also (Not sure if made in house or bought in) but sold one of the best pork pies i've ever had. Worth a visit.

I work in a pub myself and understand what is and what is not good drinks quality. To be served a G&T; at a fairly high price with no ice or garnish or anything is just poor. When I asked the girl behind the bar for ice she looked at me as if she didn’t know what ice was.

It's a few years since we went in fat cat and remembered a stunning beer garden with loads of plants and hanging baskets we also visited when there was a ban on outside we were really impressed. It's quite a journey for us but we looked forward to popping in when going to the kelham island area again. Unfortunately on our recent visit it was awkward at the bar as the lady who served us seemed so defensive when my husband asked which beer he had been served as he asked for a pale ale. He only wanted to know which one he was drinking but she came across in such a manner that he got what he asked for! The beer garden was nothing like we remembered a bit of a dump all in all won't go back again

This is simply a great real ale pub that serves good pub food A real genuine old style pub with sensible prices, knowledgable staff and friendly customers If you try anywhere in Sheffiled try here

Stopped here from a drink on a hot day. Entered a pub from a bygone time. Loved it. Good beer in a sunny spot in the garden. No gastropub in sight. Go and see....

What a lovely old traditional pub, Pale Rider a beautiful hoppy pint. Friendly staff , prices for food are out of this world. Just a fleeting day trip, we'll be back for another visit and we'll come straight here off the train, interesting industrial revolution heritage site at the back.

Think real ale...think CAMRA (campaign for real ale)! This delightful little pub was one of the first to stand up and be counted, delightful beer garden, excellent and numerous hand pulled beers, very good pub food menu.

Ive been coming to this legendary real ale pub since the early 1980'. Its one of my favourite places.

Visited this place on Friday night. It has a cosy local atmosphere. It is mostly a pub, but we ordered meals and the food was good and delicious. The waitress was very friendly and service minded.

This is one of my favourite pubs in the world. Great reasonably priced beer from the Kelham Island brewery next door. The food is incredibly cheap but it’s decent honest pub grub. I saw some criticisms of the food but you really can’t - there’s nothing to complain about £5 steak pie and £2.50 for spotted dick. It is what it is as they say. I really like it inside as well. Very cosy and generally, you can find a seat - upstairs is a good bet. Fantastic beer garden too - real oasis in the city. An all round superb pub. 5 stars aren’t enough !

Nice little old fashioned real ale pub but be prepared to stand whilst seats are being saved for regulars to come in.

Fantastic value food and drink, characterful surroundings inside and out (there is a great beer garden at the back) and always a good atmosphere with an eclectic clientele.

Go for the locally produced ales, lovely....food looked good but we just called for drinks. Lovely snug by the open fire...

I worked just up the road in the late 80’s

Pork sandwich more like a poor relation to a bacon sandwich. The smallest bread roll ever. Three of the smallest bits of dried up pork. Asked for it with no stuffing, no apple sauce came with it, or crackling. My partner had the steak pie and wedges with canned peas how boring. The waitress was so miserable, no service with a smile. Will not be returning

Not here at the Fat Cat! I’m sat in front of a coal fire, with a pint of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord and the remains of my lunch, a steak pie, and feeling very good! The tray-baked pie was full of chunks of lean meat, and served with roast potatoes, minted garden peas and lashings of gravy (£5.25). Bottles of Hendo’s are on the bar (for the uninitiated, Henderson’s Relish, Sheffield made, vegan and better than the other popular sauce that begins with W)!

The Fat Cat was a (very) regular haunt for me in the late ‘80’s and early ‘90’s. The original real ale pub in Sheffield with multiple guest beers and good basic home cooked nosh. Nothing has changed in all those years, you’ll either love it or hate it. The area surrounding the pub has most definitely changed. Gone are most of the factories in the surrounding streets, replaced by flats and restaurants. But back to the pub. There’s no doubt it is basic, a tad cramped at busy times, no music and with most of the original fittings still intact. Nobody rushes here and at busy times you may well need a little patience before you’re served. However, I describe it as having real character. I feel comfortable here.

it should be in your list of pubs, have a great environment, I really like there is no music on it .

This lovely little pub is a must visit. Visited here for live music, had such a good atmosphere. Only downside is it got quite cramped when busy but doesn’t a lot of places.

Enjoyed steak pie with good pastry and plenty of meat, plus selection of vegetables. Husband had the cottage pie. Very warming and filling on a cold day. Love the ambience in the Fat Cat, original fittings and an open fire and always enjoy a relaxing visit here.

I’ve had a drink in here quite a few times, but never eaten before. Usual wide selection of beers, and as usual an emphasis on well-hopped beers, a little pricey and served a little too cold.