A Return Visit To Mad Hatter In Matlock To Try A Freakshake
Published On Sunday 16 Apr 2023 by Sticky Beak
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The Bestie Bird is a huuuuuuuuuuge fan of Alice in Wonderland and last time her and TBW had come to visit we were unable to get a table at Matlock venue, Mad Hatter, which was a bit of a gutter for her. Having arranged for her to come over again (this time alone), we were leaving nothing to chance this time, and His Nibs booked a table for us to have elevenses in this brilliantly quirky café.
We bagged a parking space nearby and wandered back into the town centre, making our way over the pedestrian crossing and up the steps to Mad Hatter. As regular ‘Hatters’ will expect, it was pretty full already in the front part of the café, but we were shown through to the back ‘Cabin’. The cabin is a rather nifty extension with its own log burner and views out over the river when the wooden panels are opened. As fate would have it, we were seated in exactly the same place as The Man Bird and I had been just after Christmas when we first visited!
The staff are all really lovely and both the young lasses that were serving us had huge grins on their faces that would rival the Cheshire Cat’s, and talking of the owd ginger fella, he was right there in front of BB on the wall – much to her delight! Quick as a flash, she took a snap of his gingerness for posterity before turning her attention to the menu; we’d got plans for dinner that evening, so we were mindful of not over-stuffing ourselves at this point in the day.
The Man Bird ordered a pint of Madri (£4.80) and us ladies opted for the brilliantly named ‘Tweedle Dee Toffee’ Freakshake (£7.50), and then Bestie and I said we’d share a portion of the ‘Feeling Fruity’ Pancake Stack (£8.95) whilst His Nibs had some ‘Dirty Fries’ (£9.95). Our lovely server made us aware that our food might not come out at the same time due to them being prepared in different kitchens – always nice to be kept in the loop - though as it happens, everything was fairly well co-ordinated, timing-wise.
Whilst we waited for our food to arrive, we occupied ourselves with catching up on all our gossip and slurping our way through the delicious confection that was the freakshakes. For a moment I felt a pang of pity for The Man and his basic pint…it was only a moment though! Before you can indulge in the thick, Toffee flavoured milkshake you have to navigate your way through the ‘Mad Hatter’ waffle and whipped cream, the scrummy doughnut/donut, and toffee sauce: nom nom nom. A Toffee Crisp confection bar, toffee sauce-slathered Popcorn and pieces of Fudge are also on the slate platter so, really, this could be classed as a meal in itself!
Everything was very tasty, including the rich milkshake itself, which was a relief; can you imagine how cheated you’d feel if you’d chomped your way through everything, and then had a bog-standard drink at the end of it? Thankfully this was an offering that Alice herself would’ve been more than happy to obey the ‘eat me’ and ‘drink me’ directions to consume.
A short while later our nibbles were being brought out, and BB and I thought our pancake stack was ample in size, but when we clocked His Nibs’ dirty fries (served 11.15am-4.45pm), our eyes popped out on stalks – they may cost £9.95, but you get plenty of bang for your buck! Skinny fries could just about be discerned from under the huge portion of rich, flavoursome Chilli, melted Cheese, crispy Onions and plentiful Jalapenos; at least each forkful was going to consist of fries and lots of accompanying elements, rather than just a dribble of chilli!
Dinky pancakes were carefully layered in an arty stack and drizzled with sweet, sticky syrup that winked with a ‘come hither’ cheekiness to BB and me. A whole raft of fresh berries (Raspberries, Strawberries and Blueberries) provided not only a beautiful visual effect, but ensured we were well on our way to ‘5-a-day’ and golden, toasted shreds of Coconut provided a splash of texture in an otherwise soft dish. Both of us soon made light work of this fairly substantial fruity stack, and we both agreed that it made a perfect elevenses/brunch offering.
As well as being child friendly, Mad Hatter also welcomes pooches and their (well behaved!) humans, and we had a couple of beautiful liver-and-white Springer Spaniels sat quietly underneath the table adjacent to us. Puppuccino’s (£2.85) and Doggy Sausages (£3) are available for your canine companions, so they won’t feel forgotten about as you tuck into your chosen yummy treats. Our total bill came to £38.70 for the three of us (excluding tip) and, given how full our bellies were, we thought this was a fair price.
To book your table, which I would say is a must, ring 07843 904007 or visit the website www.madhattermatlock.co.uk for up-to-date information. The Mad Hatter team say that walk-ins are available, but I wouldn’t chance it, unless you live in the town and don’t have to pay for parking/fuel/transport costs. Hot Wings are happily given again to this great Matlock venue and its superb staff.
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