Had an early dinner there. Ordered bread board to start. Advertised with whipped garlic butter but just normal butter and no variety in bread all just sliced baguette. Had a nice crunch though and olive oil was a high quality. Main I had the bacon loins. Delicious marinade but the bacon itself was so salty it was borderline inedible. Only good sauce and very well cooked chips saved this plate. Would expect better for the price. Service was good although was never checked to see how food was

Decent experience for a few pints and a pub meal. All food for 5 of us was good and three who had the pie were pleased that there was meat in it! Why charge £1.50 for each small scoop of ice cream???? When a restaurant "takes the micky" then it loses credibility and it raises the question - "do they want repeat business?"

Absolute shambles of a meal! At times we felt like we were eating in Fawlty Towers! We booked a table at the beginning of November for three people for our annual Christmas meal after hearing great things about the pub. When we arrived, we were sat in a walkway to the toilets and outside/smoking area so every minute the door opened with a gust of freezing cold air and with people brushing past us constantly. We asked 4 different members of staff if we could move tables and were told the other available tables were for people who had booked in advance, as if we hadn’t booked 6 weeks before ourselves. Eventually we were moved to a different table by what we assumed is the manager. It took 30 minutes to order our drinks and another 15 to order our food. After 10 minutes the manager returned to our table and told us a big table had just ordered the last of the baked Brie and could we choose something else which was confusing to us as we had ordered 10 minutes before so why were they only just putting our order through?! He agreed to let us order a starter from the main menu as the other options on the Christmas menu were not suitable for my friend with an allergy. When our starters arrived my friends tortellini was raw and not fully cooked so she sent it back, 15 minutes later after we had finished our starters, she received another smaller portion of again undercooked tortellini but at this point she was so hungry she ate it. The manager then informed us he would remove the starter from the bill, which he did not. After clearing the table the waitress brought over dessert spoons, much to our confusion as we hadn’t had our mains yet, when we questioned her about it she asked had we not ordered desserts and we replied well we hadn’t had our mains yet. There was a lot of confusion at the kitchen pass area whilst the staff tried to work out what was happening. We then had to wait even longer for our main courses whilst the staff pandered to the large table, once again ignoring the other tables in the restaurant, even after we had repeatedly asked to order more drinks. Eventually we received our main courses, the turkey and stuffing were nice but the vegetables were somehow burnt and undercooked at the same time. The dessert took 30 minutes to arrive, we joked it was because we had already had them according to the staff. After we asked for the bill the deposit we had paid had not been removed, the starter we were told would be removed had not but they had removed the 3 cheapest drinks as a gesture of goodwill. All in all it was an atrocious evening and we will not be returning, the staff were more interested in the needs of a table of 12 than other paying guests and we were made to feel like we were an inconvenience all evening. All I can say is avoid this pub like the plague!

I’m writing this review about the accommodation, not the pub. Before I arrived I rang to ask about nearby parking. Just told to park on the street outside. There was no space but the signs said max 2 hours stay… so not great advice! Check in was poor. Two staff didn’t know how to deal with check in. Just told me I’ll have to wait. No apologies… just a really awkward situation where they just moved on to serve others at the bar! Eventually a manager came along. She didn’t actually engage with me… just showed one of the staff what to do. It was only when they asked for full payment (which had already been made via the booking website) that the manager had to actually speak to me. Eventually shown to the room. As we climbed the stairs there were a load of bin bags full of Xmas decorations which I was told to ignore…! Got to room. Very loud from road outside. Cold as heating not on at the time. No iron/ironing board. Very basic. Bed comfortable enough. Shower ok. For £100 a night, this feels like very poor value. I stayed the night before in a pub for £75 that felt like a 5-star hotel so it can be done. I did pop into the pub during the evening to grab a drink. I stood at the bar for a few minutes (nobody else there waiting) but nobody acknowledged or served me, so I left again and therefore can’t comment on the pub really.

Really really disappointed, been coming for years and will not be back. Went on Sunday for Sunday roast, Waited over an hour for our meal, no compensation just told “don’t worry we won’t kick you off table”😡 Ran out of kids drinks and ice cream, no offer of alternative. Staff need training in manners. One staff tried to get argumentative when we asked for custard with out apple crumble, she told me it didn’t come with it when I asked for some she said it’d be £1.50….. although on the menu it said it came with it. When I asked to speak with Joel the manager I got told he has left the business! No wonder the service is shocking. I will not be back and It’s a shame as many good restaurants in Harpenden. They will lose a lot of business without Joel. It was Christmas lights day and they didn’t even have up a tree!

We have been coming to this place for nearly two years. We found it very convenient for stopping over so we can visit family and friends in the area. We got to know the staff and Manager of this once excellent place extremely well.... However, due to this last visit we, and I'm sure many others, will not be returning..... It seems there has been a disastrous change of management. There is no atmosphere, the food is know where near as good and the once excellent service, apart from one member of staff, Rosie, has now all but gone..... Asked to meet up with the new manager to get to know him, Rosie said he would be ten minutes, after eating food and finishing, no manager appeared, and they were not busy, so wont bother in future..... What were upper management thinking?? The last straw was the room. We always book the same room, and its always been clean etc. Not this time.... To pay £130, for one night with no breakfast and poor service, a room with poor heating and no one to help, broken light fittings, windows that refused to close etc etc is simply, in this industry, suicide for the continuing success of this once great venue. So, find somewhere else to stay, as we, sadly, will have to from now on...

Such a shame. Used to be great. Arrived 2pm didn’t get any food for nearly two hours no explanation or apology. What’s happened? Has there been a change in management? Used to love the service here. The food was good and hot when we got it but it was too late by then, we ate our food and headed home, didn’t have any time left for anything else! They did take 20% off the bill when we came to pay.

Excellent location staff are very friendly polite and professional good choice of drinks very reasonably priced and plenty of places to sit inside and out, lovely garden especially on a sunny day. The rooms are lovely, very clean, large comfortable bed and lovely bathroom and plenty of clean towels. I would highly recommend this place and definitely going back. Parking: Unfortunately there is no car park so had to find alternative paid parking.

Very smart looking pub with six bedrooms. Appears to have had a major makeover a few years ago and now looks to more aligned to dining than drinking. Staff were friendly & helpful and beverages were good. Would return for dining but would probably go elsewhere if just drinking. Just my personal preference.

Nice place right in the centre of Harpenden. The room was spacious & the bathroom really big for a room. Needs a bit of TLC on the walls like touching up paint wise. Lots of noise as right next to the road but the pub was nice & you access the rooms by a separate door next to the pub as you have a fob to come & go. Nice place, only £99 , so really can’t complain.