Abbot's Kitchen at St Albans Cathedral in St Albans

Been here a few times and it is a very nice setting - though a bit hit and miss in terms of how busy it is, so perhaps have a backup plan in mind if you are unlucky and it is one of their busy times. A good selection of fresh cakes and hot food. Coffee is generous in quantity but I would echo some of the other reviewers in suggesting it could be stronger - however I accept this is a matter of personal taste so perhaps more a comment about me than this venue :) Staff are very diligent, efficient, pleasant and polite. As a footnote: I don't know whether the cafe is responsible for the toilets - apologies to them if they are not - but the facilites have been woeful on our last two visits. Their condition is the fault of those using them but whoever is responsible for them needs to evaluate their use and adjust their cleaning schedules to accomodate!!!!!!! My review score is for the cafe (minus the toilets).

They served me the most delicious honeycomb tiffin earlier which I had never had anywhere before and wish more places did, besides a lovely pot of tea. Very kind and caring staff and great service.

Went to the Abbot’s Kitchen for lunch. I had the sausage roll with salad. It was the best I have had. The salad was beautifully prepared and touched off with coleslaw. The sausage roll was enormous! The Kitchen is quite busy at lunchtime, but then it’s popular. A fine ending to a visit to the Abbey

Just read another review about weak coffee at The Abbot’s Kitchen and felt I’d leave a review to agree. Unfortunately we don’t come here very often because the latte is just not that enjoyable. It seems like they use half the coffee necessary so it tastes very weak and milky. Would be great if they addressed this because the setting is nice and we would definitely visit more often if the quality/strength of the coffee improved. On a positive note they reinstated cash after going ‘cashless’ (presumably after enough people complained) so that’s a step in the right direction.

This café is located inside St Albans Cathedral and occupies a pleasant space close to the entrance. We had two flat white coffees which were quite good quality, but a bit expensive at £7.70 for two. It made a good start to our visit to the cathedral.

Nice venue, but their cappuccino is like a mildly flavoured hot milk with a serious lack of coffee! Maybe need barista training or calibrate the coffee grinder/ dispenser!

Myself and my colleagues had travelled some distance and headed for this cafe as we wanted to view the Cathedral. The cafe is well presented and provides a pleasant atmosphere. Being a Saturday, it was particularly busy, which is totally understandable. I queued up and decided that I would try their soup of the day and a piece of quiche. The cafe states on their website that is open until 4pm, with no caveat given on restrictions for hot food. It was about 2.20 pm when I asked, only to be told that these items are not served at this time and only cakes and croissants. .

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!. “Woeful” doesn’t get near it. Booked afternoon tea for our anniversary. What on earth is going on. The fare that was served does not even come into the “satisfactory” category. 12 pieces of cut-up sausage roll (poor quality sausage with added gristle); 20, yes 20 finger sandwiches in 3 different fillings, nice and fresh but 20?!!!. 12 finger slices of tray baked cake, two types, ginger and lemon drizzle; two scones (with small pots of both jam and bog- standard cartons of cream). Scones well past sell-by date. Don’t even think about it. Certainly not a typical English afternoon tea. Just doesn’t bear comparison with those we have had recently.

We were won over by the yummy smells as we walked around the foyer and giftshop. Both of us chose the jacket potatoes, myself having the baked bean one. They came with a nice side salad with coleslaw. Piping hot and quick service. An almond and dark cherry slice and choc tray bake for afters. Washed down by pots of tea (loose leaf in a stylish glass pot). Not a bad price at £13.65 approx each

As usual the cafe was busy, so we just hung around until a table became free, just had soup and bread and coffees, the soup was leek and potato and was hot and tasty, its very convenient if you are visiting the Abbey

I wanted to taste the Alban buns, the original recipe was devised by monks who lived in St Albans. Also had a cup of tea. The customer service was a little slow. However the tea and buns were worth waiting for. The tea is loose leaf and served in individual glass teapots. The buns were delicious. Two teas and 2 buns cost approx £10. I noticed the price of KitKats was a little expensive 4 fingers for £2.10- £2.50. This is a dog friendly cafe, and the manager found a couple of treats to give to our dog.

Stopped for coffee and cake and a look at the cathedral. Good service, nice staff and decent coffee. Good leaf tea too and cake was excellent.

Lovely surroundings. A very limited menu. The food is fresh. You have to queue at the counter but it is so slow. Despite only five people in front of us it took nearly 25 minutes to get to the front of the line. They need someone dedicated to drinks at busy times and another dealing with the food. Otherwise they all drift off to the coffee machines leaving people standing.

Have been here in the past. Today customer service was quite poor in comparison and lunch more expensive for less food. Jacket potatoes were OK. Asked for some tap water and got snapped at. My elderly mum was a little shocked.

This is the 3rd time afternoon tea at abbots Kitchen , the staff are always very helpful and greet you with a smile . the tea is lovely and offer a gluten free tea for my friend . very reasonably priced , go regularly for coffee and cake .

Quick lunch of pea and mint soup and good chunk of bread, filled a gap, soup was very good, was very busy we were lucky to get a table

had coffee a day fruit scone today, when eating the scone it tasted stale, I think they had been either frozen or put in the fridge overnight! when I told the assistant she went to her manager who completely ignored me abd just gave me back the money. absolutely no apology!!!!! will not be going back such a shame.

I visited Easter Sunday to find a group of young helpful girls doing their very best to serve us, which is unusual to find these days. we both had carrot and coriander soup which was delicious and warm, plus a tea and a coffee and two carrot cakes which was equally good. The restaurant was clean and tidy. I would recommend this place for lunch.

This coffee shop is a useful stopover for visitors to the Cathedral. As it is worth spending quite some time at the Cathedral, a meal of snack becomes important. The choice of hot food is limited. On our visit there was only soup or jacket of potato plus a sausage roll on the menu, and coming towards the end of the lunch time, the potato was no longer available. But the staff were pleasant and the area was clean. And the prices were quite reasonable.

Food and drink prices are average, staff friendly and helpful. The only point to mention is that the two staff serving were constantly touching and adjusting their masks and then touching the cutlery, plates, cups equipment etc. The female's mask kept falling down and she'd put it back and then remove it to talk to other staff members. Why not just adjust the fit of the mask so it did not fall down? It was a disposable mask but looked grubby, as if it had been used multiple times. But I would recommend a visit as the staff were nice. The hot food looked good but we had their sandwiches, which were the normal bland pre packaged fayre but ok. We will definitely go for the hot food next time.

visited today. But was rather annoyed that my £20 note was not acceptable ie it is not one of the new ones..............but still in use and being accepted elsewhere. The Bank of England has not mentioned (as far as I know) that they are withdrawing them from use - they were but due to Covid the date to withdraw them has been extended. Luckily my partner was able to help out with one of the new £20 note. meal and tea and service no problem.

My Mum loves this place and I just can’t work out why. Back in the day it was run by a bunch of jolly volunteers selling hand made cakes for the church and vats of tea. It was lovely. It did exactly what it said on the door. Now, you get glared at by that livid man behind the counter, ( a bit like a pirate ready to attack some boat) and his bored staff. The head chap, I can only assume, is lovely, mind. Very helpful, polite and gets stuck in if they’re understaffed. I smiled at the younger member of staff and explained I was waiting for my partner before I would order. There was no return smile, and it just got awkward. Brownie tasted like dust, but my son enjoyed his smoothie. No coconut milk available, so I had an americano which tasted nice, hence the 2 stars. Also very clean and tidy. It’s just so uninviting. The boss needs to bin them off and start again.

If you like loud pop music blaring away, and the young servers not wearing their masks properly, then this is the place to go.

I completed my recent visit to St Albans Cathedral with some refreshments in the Abbot’s Kitchen – due to how quite the Cathedral was (hardly any tourists or pilgrims present) I was surprised by the great selection of cakes available. It was good to see the Alban Bun in the cake selection (normally just available during lent) – the Alban Bun is believed to be the original “Hot-Cross Bun”; however I prefer the modern version so had a different cake. Coffee and cake were OK.

We don't come here often: it's a gloomy place, a little like a dungeon, where there is no real sense of a welcome. At 3.45 today Saturday - that is teatime - there was very little or no choice of cake, one scone and three slices of fruit cake. That's just poor planning, surely. The fruit cake had a good taste but was as dry as a bath sponge, simply because it was left out uncovered.

Visited Saturday afternoon after a lovely afternoon where my artist daughter took inspiration for her final piece at uni. Lovely kind lady so welcoming on reception. But abbots kitchen make staff ruined a nice visit. I Wanted a cup of tea and their hot cross buns. Asked if I ordered tea could I add my own milk. I like strong tea. Told no because of covid. Asked could you put a little milk in a separate cup. Told point blank no. He put tea bag in hot water then immediately added the milk therefore cooling the water making the tea bag unable to brew. When I went back a few minutes later as the the watery milky tea wasn’t brewing, I asked for an extra tea bag and he wanted to charge me a £1. Could have had the perfect tea if they just had a tiny cup for milk if asked for. Will not go back. Terrible attitude towards customers.

You may have to wait a little while in the queue because there is only one service point but it's worth the wait. Very good cake and coffee, and spotlessly clean.

We love the Cathedral Cafe, great service, fantastic atmosphere, brilliant hard working team! Thank you

Fantastic food, great cup of tea! Would recommend to anyone who fancies a piece of cake and a great cuppa!

We called with family to have a cup of tea in the Abbot's Kitchen and were directed at the entrance to the Cathedral to 'follow the arrows on the floor' - which bypassed the kitchen: did we need to follow the arrows and find the entrance round the corner? No, we were informed by a rather flummoxed lady, just go over there to the kitchen (marked EXIT). Three doors, none of which was really wide enough to negotiate a child's pushchair. Self-service or table service? There were no notices. Arrows on the floor suggested we should queue alongside the counter but no, we were informed, one should queue at 90 degrees to the counter (again no signs to that effect). And expensive: £8.65 for three teas and a Cola. To find our way out we were asked by flummoxed lady to exit through the entrance (and not follow the arrows to the exit). What an extraordinary muddle.

My opening heading sums this place up for me,our tea's were luke warm,& if you left the tea bag in for a week it would still be unsuitable.We did buy an item to eat,and that was alright.Summing up,a total rip off at their prices,would not ever return.

Stopped here for a coffee and a pastry. We wasn't disappointed, coffee was great, my cheese scone was amazing and Claire loved her Portuguese tart. Service was excellent too. Thank you for a great morning experience. Perry & Claire x

All food seemed home made and a good variety. I had beef casserole with dumplings and my wife and friend both had toasted sandwiches with salad. Before we left we went back for coffee and scones. Also bought some Alban buns to try at home.

Visited the cathedral today, and ended up deciding to go for a coffee in the Abbots kitchen. Coffee was great. We were served by a young man, who made me a lovely cappuccino. I was very happy with the service I received. The atmosphere between the staff was great too. Always smiling. Cakes also looked amazing. Great place to grab a drink.

Best cafe in St Albans! Lovely food, lovely service, manager very happy, chatty and efficient. Great location.

The cafe is now fantastic! Lovely food, smiling staff, it is well worth a visit if you are in St Albans. Lots of cakes, great coffee!!

What a great restaurant! Went this Sunday, lovely coffee, lots of cakes to choose from, great atmosphere! Highly recommended!

Visited the cafe today, two cappuccino and a scone with jam and cream. Cappuccino rather weak, the scone was hard and crumbly. Poor quality for the price.

Lovely new visitor’s centre - the Cathedral is always wonderful. Coffee, tea and cake with friends in Abbot’s Kitchen on Monday afternoon. Shame the muffins were not fresh, very dry but still cost full price of £2.95 each. Bit disappointing. 4 hot drinks and 3 muffins cost £17.45. ☹️

A group of us visited the Cathedral and whilst there ate in the Abbots Kitchen. Nothing was too much trouble and we had delicious hot food served in a friendly efficient manner. Jane

Alovely place near to entrance, bookshop and toilets. Easy access into the Cathedral.The quality of the food and the whole atmosphere was delightful

We occasionally take a walk through Verulamium Park in St Albans and on this occasion were surprised - and pleased! - to see that the marquee in which the Abbott's Kitchen has been sited for a few years had eventually disappeared. That could only mean that the Kitchen had returned to its rightful place in the Abbey. At last!There are now several doors between the reception area and the cafe and we entered through the one closest to the cafe counter. The doors really do look splendid from the reception area. Coffees were ordered at the new counter and we duly found a table at the side.The coffee here was never remarkable and it hasn't improved sad to say. As others have noted, the staff do find it difficult to smile. C'mon all, after all if you don't like doing hospitality then perhaps it's time to look for another job! What spoilt the occasion for me, in what I had hoped would be a nice occasion at the refurbished cafe, was the fact that the aforementioned doors open up into a space between the tables at the side of the cafe so a few boorish people who can't be bothered to use a proper exit will struggle through in between tables to fight their way out. I don't expect that these doors will be closed to prevent this but IMHO it would have been much more pleasant had these doors had windows in them so that light could shine between the reception and the cafe while the doors remained closed. A major faux pas I feel. I have always enjoyed tea/coffee in the Abbott's Kitchen but if I have to sit next to these new doors I feel a slanging match coming on if anyone tries to barge past me whilst I am sitting having a quiet cup of tea/coffee.You have been warned! Use the proper exits!

With the development of the new cathedral welcome centre, the Abbot’s Kitchen has been remodelled. The kitchen in now part of the café (the old kitchen area forms part of the new welcome centre), so the seating area has been reduced. As several doors not link the café with the welcome centre the café does feel more part of the cathedral. Gone are the art displays that I have often visited just to see. Hots drinks were average and so was the selection of snacks.

What terrible food, easily the worst place in St Albans to eat. The cathedral should be ashamed.

The service was very poor. At 12.10 still no lunch menus ready - apparently the manager was still printing them???!!. When it did arrive a very limited menu. Poor choice. The salad was just green leaves, raw pesto potatoes, oily carrot salad. All salads swimming in oily dressing. Jacket potato was tiny and not hot, shepherds pie was basically potato and gravy with a tiny bit of mince and a few peas.

Considering how long the renovation work has taken and that St Albans is a tourist attraction, I would have expected my visit to the newly renovated cafe to have been a pleasure. Sadly it was not! Arriving at 1.45pm we were told we should order quickly as they were almost out of hot food and would stop serving at 2.00pm. The menu was extremely limited. The food itself, when it arrived, was ‘warm’, bland and unappetising. The bread accompanying the soup was very poor quality; the jacket potato fillings cheese, beans and tuna offered little choice. Salad was just lettuce. The staff were stressed although I couldn’t see why considering the little choice they provided. Some staff were rude. In future, I will go to the museum cafe. Much nicer!!!

A real pleasure to use the facilities here on a recent visit to the cathedral. The new facilities are light, airy and spacious, the food offering good and I'm sure will develop as the staff settle into their new environment. Great value, great tastes

I was sorry to purchase rather stale sandwiches here recently. The replacement pack, made the day before, was equally stale. The matter was most graciously sorted by staff but still ..... .

This cafe has only recently opened and was almost full when we arrived. It serves the usual range of food-soup,light meals with salad and some sandwiches.

The Abbot's Kitchen has been remodeled as part of and adjacent to the splendid brand new additional building work that includes a new visitor and entrance / display hall. The menu remains limited but nonetheless there are ample choices from coffee/tea and cake through to reasonably full meals. Prices are average for local informal eateries. The Abbot's Kitchen is a self service, relaxed [although when crowded can be noisy] environment and is open to all, not just to those who are visiting the Cathedral. But to visit the Abbot's Kitchen without visiting the Cathedral would be a mistake.

Friendly staff, we tried the St Alban's bun on Good Friday. Would love to visit again. Would be good to have a childfree zone.

After shortly arriving in St.Albans we decided to visit the cathedral as our 1st port of call and thought it was a great idea start at the cafe. After circumnavigation of the building from the high street we arrived at the temporary structure of the marquee. We decided on coffee and trying a St.Albans bun, there was a lady ordering hot food in front of myself and no one behind me, I tell my husband to sit as he's disabled and can't stand up for long. So figuring that I only wanted coffee and cake I made my way to the till try order my drinks but where I met by a chap(volunteer) which I will reference as bus boy no.1 stood in the area loitering. I politely ask for the drinks and he sends me back to the hot food area where I see sous chef checking temperatures of the food only. The chef in the kitchen seems to be only one "on the ball". More minutes pass before the lady in front of me gets her food and pays. Bus boy no.1 takes her tray and he drops the cutlery but my husband told me later he simply put the cutlery back on the tray and walked out where she was sat. Meanwhile I have made my order and the lady I observe is doing the hot drinks, the register and orders for the hot food. I've ordered the bun but she then forgets my drinks order, my husband needing water for meds give me 2 bottles of water for our table which I place on my tray. Bun coffee and water on the tray I'm ready to pay but then she realises that she'd forget to charge me for the bun looks confused and goes off to speak to the chef. By this point there is a queue out of the marquee and 2 lady customers behind me are getting frustrated. She cancels my transaction and starts again on the till. Once paid I wonder if No.1 who was telling people where they can sit down and taking their trays looks at me and doesn't bat a eyelid on my obviously full tray and I walk slowly where my husband is sat bewildered by the whole thing....(it took 20 minutes to complete my transaction) Bus boy no.1 continues to loiter & pace our area but there were no tables to clean/tidy as few had gone outside as it's a nice day and heat from the hot food area warmed up the marquee near the counters. Sous chef then comes out of the serving area to give food orders but he clearly doesn't have a clue... Til lady also tries to give out food leaving no one to serve customers. Bus boy no.2 arrives & drags a few tables together with no.1 to make a big table - a lady goes to sit down but is stopped by no.1 and she said that she had made the reservation... food orders are trickling out to seating area & the large table is nearly full... Bus boy no.1 tries to spray the table next to a ladies soup but is stopped by no.2 and he shakes his head walking back to wiping area. Soup lady is told by no.1 that they have "laid the table for 8" but there is only 7, he repeats we've laid it for 8 but they'd only put a few chairs and the table together. Upon our exit there was a lady who had ordered a jacket potato at the till but it's taking so long it's come out of the kitchen before the lady has paid for her meal or got a drink . Sous chef confused then gives the jacket potato to no.1 by this point the till lady has ordered it again & bus boy no.1 places it on the ladies tray. Queue is still out of the entrance & I remark to a lady "you might be some time..."

Like other reviewers, we always like to support the Cathedral, so stopped here for a coffee today on our way into town. Wish we hadn’t! We have happy memories of the old Cloisters refectory but this was our first and last visit to the Abbots Kitchen. Ordered a cappuccino and an Americano with a small milk. Expected the Americano to be served with a small jug of milk on the side, but the (miserable) female staff member serving me added the milk out of sight so quantity unknown. The next person in the queue being served by male staff was given the opportunity to add her own milk. It was probably the worst Americano I have had for a long time, very bitter aftertaste. My husband had the cappucino in standard size mug, but was max. 25% liquid and 75% froth. When he took it back to the same female, she informed him that was proper cappucino and when he said he expected the reverse proportions, she informed him that that would have been a flat white! She did exchange it (after a prompt by the male staff), she made another explaining that this was a double shot cappucino. Very disappointing manner of staff, and puts the Cathedral in a bad light. Will be going back to coffee shops in town in the future.

Whenever I travel to one of our wonderful cathedrals, i like to try to support the building by eating there; regrettably, I wish I had made a different choice this time. The facility is temporarily housed in a marquee in the cathedral grounds, but that's not why I have scored it so low.

A group of older people, visiting the Abbey of St Alban, had a very good light lunch in this licenced cafe.

Totally dissatisfied. Every time I come here (I keep trying to come to support the abbey) I am greeted by grumpy unfriendly staff and a general low moral. Cheer up staff!

They had run out of practically everything and then got the order very wrong when we asked for sandwiches. Hoping for something better when the building works are completed.

I am a local and often visit the Abbot's kitchen with one of my daughters. We went a couple of months ago and it was lovely. I am not sure if they have put the prices up and reduced the portions but we were very disappointed today, a meagre portion of uninspiring soup and roll and a sausage roll with tiny portion of salad was quite frankly not value for money. The coffees took a while to be made so our food was getting cold on the plates. The staff seemed indifferent to the customers. It is a shame as I like to support the Abbey but there is plenty of other venues in St Albans to try. I do hope things improve because it is a lovely setting.

We were a group of 6 singing in the choir today, and we like to support cathedrals by visiting their refectories. We were encouraged by the reviews and the price for the Sunday roast was good.

Cafe currently in a Marquee which was very hot despite numerous fans. Ordered lunch but our server appeared confused. Order did not go through to Kitchen so had longer wait for food. My Chefs Special ham wrap and salad was delicious. Ham was thick cut and tasty. Salad very fresh. Enjoyed an Elderfower juice which could have been cooler. Reasonable prices and good food. Would recommend.

We had a lovely afternoon, staff were very helpful, Table was well decorated and the service was excellent, good variety of sandwiches and large scones were very filling. Good value for money

We went in on a hot day and it was boiling hot in the marquee. How do the staff manage I wonder. Service is very slow, but the food is good so long as you get there as soon as it is put out. Otherwise it will be a bit curly around the edges. The cold drinks were a bit warm but it was a very hot day and they are operating in a marquee. Staff very pleasant. Yes I would go again.

Visited here as was a gift for Mother's Day.

Used for a group meal for choir when singing at a concert at the Cathedral. Excellent service , good lasagne and generous portions. Also used for private drinks reception. Very pleased with service.

Abbot's Kitchen at St Albans Cathedral is currently situated in a Marquee whilst the “Alban, Britain's First Saint Project” is completed – even on a cold, wet day the Marquee was quite comfortable.

We visited today after visiting the spectacular cathedral next door. Unfortunately abbots kitchen has temporarily relocated to a marquee outside whilst the building works take place. I purchased a groupon voucher for myself and my mum for an early Easter treat. Booking was simple and done through the app. We entered the marquee and had to wait in line to check in. We were seated at a very plainly set table which consisted of a paper doily. The cups and plates were beautiful and we loved the detail on them. I’ve experienced afternoon tea at abbots kitchen when it was still inside and the service and attention to detail has truly been forgotten in the marquee. It was very chilly even with the intermittent heaters on. Our tea was beautiful but we were not told nor offered a free refill. The sandwiches has clearly been made sometime in advance as they arrived a minute after we sat down and were very cold and bread dry. We did however enjoy them. Ham and tomato, tuna and cucumber, cheese, egg mayo with a small portion of crisps. We were asked what scones we wanted, plain or fruit we had one of each. These were very tasty and large but cold. Strawberry and black current jam with clotted cream accompanied them. After receiving our scones we didn’t see the waitress again. I didn’t realise that the groupon didn’t include cake so that was a little let down. It’s also a shame that our sandwiches and scones were delivered by plate and not a lovely cake stand. All the same my mum enjoyed it.

I booked afternoon tea at the Abbott's kitchen through groupon for my mother and myself. I thought we would be in the Abbey's refectory but we were in a marquee during snow.

Went here for coffee before touring the Cathedral unfortunately due to building work,cafe was closed and was in temporary tent. Don’t know how long before cafe reopens.Wouldn’t recommend it.

Had an afternoon tea there today and it was a little disappointing. The sandwiches were presented on a plate rather than on the more typical cake stand. No-one told us we could have free tea/coffee refills, and we really needed them! The cream for the scones was lumpy and almost curdling and smelt a little cheesy. The service was hokey at best.

Before attending a service at the cathedral we decided to have lunch here. The soup was very tasty and the staff were very friendly. Prices were reasonable too.

I love coming across quirky finds like this Cafe, especially when they prepare delicious, fresh, healthy & wonderfully cooked food, fab latte’s plus go the extra mile to make you/your friend plus toddler in tow, very welcome! Thank you for the lovely experience, we will indeed be returning & spreading the Perch love!

Generous portions for a lunch menu, including soup and a roll. Service adequate but the surroundings uninspiring. But at an ancient cathedral you cannot have everything

My wife and I visited Abbots Kitchen yesterday and I can honestly say, I have never experienced such poor customer service. We sat outside as we had our dog and baby with us. We ordered a mince pie and a tea cake, to which we were told that the tea cake would be brought out to us and to go and sit down. The waitress brought the tea cake out, without a knife. She dumped the food down and walked away, we asked if there was a knife, to which she replied, whilst walking away, 'if you want one go and get one'. My wife went inside and said that was quite rude to which she replied, 'I don't give a s**t' and walked away. My wife tried to speak to someone about this but she was told that the waitress had 'personal problems'. There was no apology nor manager or supervisor on duty. We asked for contact details to complain to the manager, but the details that were passed to us were incorrect. Hence, we are leaving this review. If you are not fit for work, do not attend work. She was so so rude.

Despite all the building work taking place, the wind and the dining room being in a big tent there was a feeling of tranquility. There are many places to eat in St Albans with many offering a lunch for under six pounds yet I really like this one for a light lunch. The soup, leek and potato, was as good as I hoped and expected. Lots of people were eating pie with great looking chips.

we love visiting st albans as its a nearest pretty place!this time we brought our daughter.we visited the cathedral and decided to attend the organ recital that afternoon,whilst we were waiting,we decided to stop in the cafe for some refreshments,my daughter a jacket potato and my hubby and i a scone,jam and tea.think the cafe is overpriced £7.50 for a jacket potato!1 scone,butter and jam with 1 cup of tea about £5!next time will find a place that is better value!

La comida parecía encantador una buena visualización con una gran elección y eligió mi bollo típico que parecía agradable muy decepcionados al encontrar un poco seco. Siempre busque tiendas adjunta a las iglesias como a menudo administrada por voluntarios y sirve excelente comida no estoy...

He visto algunos de los comentarios no tan bueno, pero cuando visitamos durante esta semana todo el personal era de lo más servicial y el servicio era excelente. Debido a la renovación, el café es bajo lona en el momento.

Mi amigo y yo fuimos a la cocina para discapacitados el abad, que está actualmente en una carpa mientras se están realizando obras en el lado de la catedral. Si hubiéramos sabido de antemano que hubiera evitado debido a problemas logísticos de mi amigo, pero habiendo llegamos allí nos sorprendió gratamente. El personal era de lo más servicial y respetuoso, al ver que mi amigo tenía dificultades. Ambos tuvimos la papa al horno con atún y ensalada, que era preciosa, seguido por un poco de café y tarta que walnut para morirse. El café era perfecta también. Mi amigo le gusta su té débil, por lo que pedimos que la bolsa de té no ser puesto en y fue hecho sin duda que ella encantados (quizás conseguir pidió que mucho porque a menudo tienen que explicar más de una vez lo que quiere).

El personal es servicial y grosero. Muy reacio a proporcionar cualquier tipo de información acerca de la comida y me trataron como si yo fuera un inconveniente. Esta actitud me hizo cambiar mi mente y optar por otro lugar para comprar mi almuerzo

Visitamos aquí para el té de la tarde y visita de la catedral. groupon Me había hecho un cambio de reserva por teléfono y la señorita que me atendio me dio un tiempo y fecha, y le pregunté si podía email con mi razón para el cambio de fecha, cosa que hice. Así que cuando mi madre y yo llegamos a nuestro té, no estábamos para una reserva. La señorita que me atendio que echaron en su olvido de la fecha que había pedido y dijo que no recibió el correo electrónico. A pesar de registro de reservas para darme la fecha y la hora, dijo que había olvidado después de mi llamada. En primer lugar nos ofrecieron un té helado, cuando había pagado para el té de la tarde. Un té por la tarde y luego fue preparado apresuradamente, y la mayoría de los pan rancio. Había pedido opción vegetariana en mi reserva y me sirve bocadillos de pollo y jamón. Muy decepcionado y no tienen prisa en volver. Me sentí como si nos trataron como nos había puesto de salida a pesar de ser su error con la reserva.

Debido al hecho de que el edificio está haciendo una normal de renovación, todo que ver con la cocina del abad es ahora de afuera.

El café se ha trasladado fuera en un marquis, y aún no ha acomodado a su nueva ubicación (sólo tiene estado allí menos de una semana). El menú era limitado, y consiste principalmente de sopa, patatas chaqueta con rellenos, sandwiches y pasteles. En la actualidad, la comida es bastante normalito, pero esperemos que mejore una vez que se han asentado en esta nueva ubicación.

The booking online is a nightmare. There was a mistake with our booking we booked two sets of two, but only one was on the list so a 45 minutes wait, and slight embarrassment as we took friends, on this afternoon tea deal with groupon. The food was of good quality and very fresh and tasty, the staff were quite friendly. They were very helpful and did rectify the mistake. A pleasant environment. Would still go again as there is lots to see locally.

I enjoy this place. the staff are happy to great you and surprisingly a good coffee and cake is to be enjoyed. In an enchanting area of St Albans. The food is reasonably priced but getting a table is awkward during busiest hours (lunch time). Honest fare first for purpose in an oasis of calm. Be aware that there are many restaurants in and around the abbey in the high street that will be better for families with younger children.

Fantastic food. We had vegetable soup with hot bread. The soup was the best we have tasted for a while. The other food looked amazing and could of eaten it all.The place is very clean and good atmosphere. Will certainly go back when in St. Albans.

Visited the cathedral as part of a group and the staff dealt with us very efficient and quickly as we descended on them before our guided tour. Well done. The food was good, service friendly.

We visited St Albans with our mother as part of her birthday present. We purchased a Groupon deal to visit St Albans Cathedral with a tour and afternoon tea. When we arrived we were told the tour was only once a day and an hour before we arrived, we were very disappointed and annoyed at groupon because it was not clear when we purchased our offer. Well, never fear because the chef that was there went off and had a word with a tour guide there and not only got us a private tour they allowed us to stay and finish our tea after they were closed! They were so friendly and helpful, beyond what they needed to be, and it ended our trip to St Albans perfectly. Amazing staff, beautiful tea and the scones were just lovely and the Cathedral is well Worth a visit, beautiful!Thank you Abbots Kitchen x

Food not very inspiring. Staff should pay visit to either Chichester Cathedral Cloister Cafe or Wells Cathedral, both definitely better

A cold winters day,a need for a good breakfast,then this could be the answer to some of your prayers.?This was our second visit to the Abbot's kitchen,and we chose to have the scrambled egg,this came with loads of freshly cooked bacon to add to the flavour of the eggs.I know that this may not sound like something to wax lyrical about,but this was possibly the best I have ever tucked in to.Summing up,well worth a visit,and I am sure we will be back.

After a wonderful tour of the cathedral, we had an excellent lunch in the Abbot's kitchen. Great jacket potatoes, good coffee, friendly service - just what we needed.

The location is beautiful and the resturant decorated out nicely. The area is clean comfortable and warm.I feel that £4.50 is expensive for the quiche compared to other such venues. Mine was warm and prety dry. The milk had been out too long and tasted as it had.I feel that it is a nice place to pop in for a hot drink and a cake etc but beyond that it needs to improve its variety and catering to meet the above average standards.

We visited for lunch on a quiet weekday. Pleasant surroundings. Good range of homemade food. Child friendly - high chairs available. The staff were friendly and helpful. I think the service could be a bit slow at busy times. Best value were the baked potatoes at £5.50 - large portions, well cooked and a varied selection of fillings. We enjoyed biscuits, cake and coffee to complete the meal. The bill was £33 for 2 adults and 2 toddlers.

We had a lunch here after visiting the Cathedral. The food was delicious (homemade soups and bread) and reasonably-priced, and the employees were very friendly and helpful. We would definitely eat there again if we found ourselves in St. Albans.

We popped into the Abbot's Kitchen whilst visiting the cathedral. It's a light, warm, airy café that seemed welcoming. We only had coffee and cake but I must say that my slice of Victoria Sandwich was delicious. Service was good and prices were competitive. The cafe also serves light lunches and possibly meals too but I cannot comment upon these as we didn't try them. The cafe seemed clean, as were the adjacent toilets. You do not have to visit the cathedral in order to eat here. If I visited St. Albans again it's likely I would return to this café.

Located adjacent to the Abbey in St Albans this is a very pleasant place to grab a snack or light meal. On view were a variety of salads, baked potatoes and cakes alongside freshly made soup. Coffee and cakes were good quality and well priced. Worth a visit as well as a tour of the Abbey.

Nice freshly made food in a great location next to cathedral and convenient for adjoining park.Sncks and meals available

Good food and friendly ,a nice break during a great a really informative day good coffee and the abbey bun friendly staff and very clean

If you are visiting the Cathedral, make it a point to eat in this restaurant. Very good and tasteful preparations, reasonable price, and good friendly service is what you get in a calm and clean atmosphere. They also provide catering for large groups and can serve alcohol. They open at 10 am and close by 4.30 pm.

I have tried various restaurants when staying in St Albans, but always return to Côte! I have been five times this visit, and will probably go tomorrow! :)

Prior to visiting St Alban’s Cathedral, we stopped for lunch in the Abbot’s Kitchen. This is a refectory-style restaurant located in the Chapter House, close to the cathedral entrance. Inside it’s bright and modern, and offers a wide range of food and drink at competitive prices. The staff we spoke to were friendly and helpful.I had the quiche and salad for lunch, which was very nice. Also, popped back for afternoon tea and biscuits after our tour of the cathedral.