Bar Meze in St Albans

This place is amazing. Our host, Fouad, was exceptional. The ambience, the service, the food - everything worked together to elevate the entire experience. What a great selection of wines! Our food was outstanding. The charcoal cooked prawns were the size of lobsters, all of our meats were tender, juicy and charred to perfection. The vegetable dishes were fresh, vibrant and delicious. As a professional restaurant consultant and avid foodie, I was delighted to have stumbled across Bar Meze on a business trip. I cannot recommend this place highly enough.

Advertised, on their own website , as being open until midnight. We arrived at 9pm and they were closing up and we were turned away.

We visited Bar Meze after personal recommendation as one of their favourite places to eat in St. Albans, and it is very easy to see why. Fouad greeted us with open arms, inviting us into his family restaurant. Immediately, you are given unmatched service and care, a constant throughout our evening. The food is delicious, made with both passion and care, with Fouad excited to share his personal recommendations based on your preferences and tastes. We were presented with some beautiful dishes that we enjoyed sharing, right up to dessert. Personal highlights include the Egyptian Pastry, the Swordfish, the plethora of breads and dips, and the Knafeh. We honestly can’t recommend Bar Meze enough, and we are looking forward to coming back already.

This is not a Cypriot restaurant as stated, more Egyptian. The food was ok nothing memorable. Service was slow and not very organised. However, Atmosphere was nice, relaxed and friendly feeling. Maybe a better dining experience when not so busy.

Excellent food and great atmosphere. Fantastic service that made you feel you really welcome, very reasonably priced dishes that were fantastic value for money.

Another excellent meal with superb service. Jasmine an outstanding host standing in for her dad while he takes a well deserved holiday.

We had a lovely meal - as ever - at Bar Meze tonight. Delicious food, good drinks, and wonderful service from Jasmine and the team. It’s one of my favourite places to visit whenever I’m in St Albans, with a great range of fish, meat, and vegetarian dishes to suit all tastes.

Great food, and not expensive. The owner cares. He cares about his customers and likes to ensure everyone has a great experience. The food is Greek style. Try the Kleftiko, it is superb, but the Special Meze, at about £25 per head, is a feast in 4 instalments. The problem is keeping enough room for a pudding. Try choosing between Baklava and Kataifi, and then see his version of banoffee pie. The Owner is also the head waiter, and he is keen to make his customers comfortable.

Just back from an amazing night at Bar Meze. Our first visit but won’t be our last. The food was fantastic, the home made desert just fabulous. The staff were friendly and efficient. My hubbie even had his photo taken!! Highly recommend this for a special experience.

The food was like out of a bucket on to the table.

Great atmosphere, very authentic. We ordered the vegetarian meze for 2 and we thoroughly enjoyed it. They were very welcoming and knowledgeable about the veggie options they could offer. Highly recommended

We had an amazing meal here on February 15th for Valentines, it was very busy so i’m glad my parter booked ahead!! Jasmine served us, she was warm and welcoming, very knowledgeable on the menu and had a personal caring touch to the evening. We ordered the 4 course Set Menu (vegetarian) which was catered for perfectly - it was the best greek food we’ve had (and we love this cuisine!) we will gladly go back time and time again! Thank you for having us.

Great place, great food, great people. Very attentive and caring. Family run. Highly recommend the 4 course special. We got to try lots of different bits and were allowed to swap few options due to dietary requirements.

We were booked here for our works Christmas do in December 2024. I was looking forward to it as from previous visits I knew the food would be good and plentiful. Unfortunately the opposite was true, portions were very small, one nugget size piece of swordfish per person, one slice of halloumi, dry over cooked chicken, it was certainly not what I was expecting, perhaps too many large parties for the kitchen to deal with and my colleagues felt the same. The manager was quite rude at points too so perhaps again don't book numbers you cant handle! The dance floor (when it was eventually cleared of tables) was fun, although the play list needs some work!! Unfortunately we wont be returning next Christmas thou.

"An Exceptional Dining Experience" I recently visited [Bar Mezze ] and was thoroughly impressed. From the moment we walked in, the ambiance was warm and inviting, with a perfect blend of modern and cozy decor. The staff were incredibly welcoming attentive without being overbearing. They took the time to explain the menu and offered great recommendations. The food was simply outstanding. Every dish was beautifully presented, bursting with fresh flavors, and cooked to perfection. I particularly loved [the grilled salted fish], which was an absolute highlight. The service was prompt, and even though the restaurant was busy, we never felt rushed. The dessert options were just as delightful as the main course, making it a perfect ending to our meal. Overall, it is a gem, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for quality food, excellent service, and a wonderful dining atmosphere. Can’t wait to visit again!

Absolutely love coming here, always gorgeous food served with a smile and a bit of banter. Would definitely recommend a visit or two

Authentic and homely, with spectacular flavours and impeccable service that leaves you with a mile-wide smile! Fouad and his team are welcoming and by the time the evening ends, you genuinely don’t want to leave. The set menu is a treat - hugely recommended. The swordfish is a favourite - but the entire experience leaves you wanting to return - as quickly as possible!

Bad very bad experience food is crap Rip off Drinks are not what you order better places in stalbans Very busy Al thay want is the money

I was very impressed with the quality of the food. Top service! The atmosphere was giving a great ambiance feeling. The staff were great and helpful the front of house staff was very friendly. Great customer service.

Consistently the best restaurant in St Albans. The tuna was excellent and the chips fab as always. Charming host of course. We visit at least once a month. RECOMMEND.

Fouad and his staff were so friendly and made our experience so enjoyable. The food was INCREDIBLE, all the dishes were tasty and authentic. They also made my father-in-law’s birthday super special. We’ve just moved to the area and this is now our new hot spot. We’ll be here every week!

We’ve visited this beautiful family run restaurant 4 or 5 times now and it’s has been 5 stars every time! It’s so easy to book a table online, the restaurant itself is a lovely setting, the staff are so so friendly and very attentive. The food is unbelievable, in the best way possible, and I would highly recommend the swordfish, it’s 10 out of 10! The desserts are also extremely nice. All for reasonable prices, considering the prices you pay at other bog standard restaurants. Always a great experience when visiting this restaurant and we will certainly be back.

Avoid, avoid, avoid! Very rude staff and the portions were the same size for two as for one. Left there hungry. So many other places to choose which are better. Save your money and spend in restaurants which appreciate their customers

Amazing food, really friendly staff, honestly one of the best places to eat out in St Albans! The dips and pitta are a must order and the dessert selection is divine!

A very welcoming and pleasant atmosphere. Our waiter was willing to banter with us (we love it when that happens) and help us navigate the extensivecand varied menu. The food was wonderfully prepared and presented; the wine list was also wcexcellent. Meze means mixture, and so we chose a fish, a chicken and a lamb dish plus a dip and a Greek salad. We couldn't manage a dessert. Thanks to the team at Bar Meze.

As always, the Bar Meze was welcoming, friendly and comfortable. The service was excellent and the food superb. My wife has mobility problems and the proprietor was very caring and considerate of her needs and, indeed, mine. We can heartily recommend this restaurant.

Amazing taste and friendly service. The kufta specifically was delicious

My wife and I had a wonderful time at Bar Meze. The food was delicious, very well cooked and great value for money. The staff are super friendly and helpful. We will definitely be back.

Tiny expensive portions. In the Greek salad there were three small cubes of feta and one olive each, the rest just tomato and onion. It was £16 for seven chicken nugget size portions of chewy lamb. The chicken tasted like nothing much. It would have all been just fine if it was cheap but it was incredibly expensive. The manager is incredibly rude and wouldn’t let us leave without paying a full tip. The customer is not right in this place, the arrogant manager is. And he’s ready to insult you. This is a place where is trying to charge for very mediocre food to just see what he can get away with. He had an awful attitude and turned very nasty very quickly.

Always receive excellent service. Food is delicious and affordable.

Absolutely would recommend this restaurant. The food was delicious and the service was amazing, and could not do enough for us. The atmosphere was nice and cosy.

Very disappointing experience overall. The food was very average and very overpriced. I think £10.50 pp for some dips (very small portions) and a small amount of pitta bread is a complete rip off! We assumed when ordering there would a lot for that price. Sadly not. There was also a small issue over our vegan friend receiving a meat dish despite her checking with the waitress before putting the plate down that it was definitely the veggie one. The mistake in itself isn’t the biggest issue (these things happen) but how this was handled by the owner/manager was appalling. We were a party of 8 friends in our 40’s meeting up after losing one of our closest friends, and the evening was tainted so much by his behaviour. We almost felt like leaving after our starters. All our main courses were just ok. Nothing bad about them but very average. Overall very overpriced & poor management. None of us will be coming back.

Very good quality fish. Not easy to find around St Albans. Price is also okay. Will visit again

A fabulous family run restaurant with super friendly service and delicious food. The lamb kleftiko is amazing! And the swordfish kebab. Our favourite local spot.

Great customer service and nice food 👌

We've been going to Bar Meze for years and celebrated lots of family birthdays there. We visited today with our children and my parents for my Dad's birthday and it was exceptional as always. The food was delicious and Fouad was a wonderful and welcoming host who has a talent for making everyone feel special. My Dad is struggling with dementia now and, while he may not remember the detail of everything he ate, I know that he will remember how Fouad made him feel. Thank you.

Cracking place and well worth a visit.

😀The food is delicious, great mutton, which I have never liked. A lot of appetizers - starters that caused a storm of flavors and of course wine. I can't wait to visit St Albans again. We will definitely be booking a place for lunch again. Greetings to the friendly staff and the boss of Bar Mezé. 😉

Superb! The taramasalata is glorious. Thank you!

Nice laid back atmosphere with strong family-business vibe. Interesting tasty food that didn’t do too much damage to our diets. Will definitely return when in St Albans.

Amazing food and service, hosted by the lovely owner and his daughter of this family run business. We were well looked after and entrusted them to pick the meze for all 7 of us, and with his help we ordered the perfect amount, with just enough room left for Greek cakes and coffee! Would recommend to anyone in the area

Lovely tidy little restaurant in the heart of St Albans with plenty of parking nearby. Our host was so hospitable, he made us feel so welcome and service throughout our lunch was excellent. We let him chose for us and we had a wonderful selection of Meze goodies including calamari, swordfish, kleftiko, felafel, mousaka, prawns and the full range of delicious dips (tzatziki, hummus, babaganoush, taramasalata). Everything was absolutely yummy - no duds whatsoever - and we'd strongly recommend the homemade cheesecake and banoffee pie if you have room! Had a lovely time and would definitely go here again.

Went there for the first time to celebrate a friends birthday and really enjoyed the lunch. We each ordered five dishes and stuffed ourselves, swapping plates between us because everything needed to be tasted. Ended up taking doggy bags home with us because there was so much. We had fantastic service from “Dorothy” who went out of the way to make coffee the way we liked it.

17 of us celebrated my son's 21st birthday at Bar Meze. Absolutely brilliant evening. The staff looked after us extremely well, the food was all served in a timely manner, catered for all our needs. Food was delicious. Helped with dressing the table for me & held the birthday cake overnight. Definitely worth a visit.

We were served off food. Everything was sub-standard from the wine to the pita. Avoid.

Had a fantastic dinner and great conversation with the staff. We tried a bunch of different dishes and loved them all. Would definitely recommend.

Once again, great food, service and atmosphere . See you soon.

Fantastic lunch here today. The food was delicious and fresh and we got to enjoy the outdoor seating in the sunshine. The service was excellent and the staff friendly and professional. Will definitely be back!

Tasty food and loads of choices for gluten free and vegetarians!

My favourite restaurant! Fabulous Mediterranean food friendly staff! And a great atmosphere

Good experience, a good meze restaurant. Nice staff. Chilled. Good for a relaxed evening with friends. A little loud. Just good food and good company.

Tremendous restaurant with great food and lovely service. Ordered loads of cold and hot meze dishes, a few mains and salads and everything was delicious. Our table of seven was very well looked after, from a lovely greeting at the door to quick service and regular checks to see if we wanted anything else. Our large meal with plenty of beers, two bottles of wine and coffees came to just over £40 each. Great for vegetarians too. Excellent stuff all round and would definitely recommend a visit.

Delightful and engaging experience at Bar Meze this afternoon for Father’s Day. Food and service was fantastic, thanks so much! 💯😋

I just feel like £160 for 3 of us with sharing platters, dips, and bread, and 2 beers each for 3 of us is an absolute rip-off. Sharing dips and bread, how is that £30? You basically charged us three times for the same portion. I am sure this place used to be better.

Once again a wonderful evening , always enjoyable and thank you for looking after us so well

I came in with my friend for a lunchtime meal and was pleasantly surprised with the whole experience. The customer service was delightful (we were served by the young lady with brown hair) and the waitress was very well informed and friendly towards me and my friend. The food was excellent and would definitely come back!😀

Awesome Food and great service. Loved it .

I would highly recommend a meal out here! The food was delicious and the staff were very welcoming and friendly with a great atmosphere. I’ve been a couple of times now and will keep going back.

Food ok if going for the shared Meze eat before going out

We went to celebrate my husbands 50th bday. Fouad and his team were absolutely brilliant. They catered for everyone in the group and their attention to detail was impeccable. I gave him balloons, table plan and banners and he happily arranged them for me. The food as always was incredible. He’s definitely got new customers now. Thank you Fouad. Xx

Booked a table on their website for a party of 6 of us and received confirmation two days later by phone. On arrival, they had no details of our booking. After some discussion about their manager being on holiday they gave us the only table left which was right in front of the kitchen. We ordered the four course Meze which all turned up very quickly one after another, felt very rushed and after the third course we was asked if we would like to move tables to the front of the restaurant and to just take our drinks they would sort everything else, which were items we were still eating. Once on the new table they brought the fourth course but the food we had left on our first table was not brought over and was cleared away. It was clear that the restaurant were more focused on their Saturday night larger tables, and perhaps a party of six was an inconvenience which they needed to get rid of. We did see another couple who also said they had booked online be turned away. A disappointing experience on this occasion.

Don't rely on an email confirmation when booking a table. We turned up after booking a table for two to be told that there was no table for us and the boss had confirmed the reservation and he was on holiday, when showing them a confirmation email. On a busy Saturday night we were turned away and told it wasn't his fault!

We turned up after booking a table for two to be told that there was no table for us and the boss had confirmed the reservation and he was on holiday, when showing them a confirmation email. On a busy Saturday night we were turned away and told it wasn't his fault!

Booked a table for 2 at 20:00 and they were very accommodating with extra table space for the multi dishes we wanted to try. The Kofta was delicious as well as all the small, dip dishes. The stuffed pepper was very good as well. Thank yall again for great food and service!

Great food. Lovely friendly staff. Our go to place for any celebrations.

Beautiful Mediterranean food. I keep coming back for the seabass especially. Thank you especially to Said for his lovely hospitality. Highly recommended!

It was a wonderful impromptu night out. The food was excellent as was the service, we had not booked a table (although I do recommend doing so as it was busy) but we received a wonderful welcome. The swordfish and sea bass were both grilled to perfection, washed down with a crisp glass of Prosecco, the whole evening was a delight and with such reasonable prices for the quality of food and service we will be back very soon.!

Prices are extremely high. Quality was okay but portions and prices have a massive gap.

Food was horrible, no flavour at all. There was a mandatory service charge and they didn’t even bother to give us salt and when we asked for ketchup they gave us one pot of ketchup between 4 people? The portion was tiny as well. Will never come back

This was great experience. A lovely family owned restaurant with a superb menu and the freshest seafood. We went in wanting prawns - they'd had a very busy night previously and had sold out. We were persuaded to try the swordfish kebabs that dad and daughter assured us were the best we'd get anywhere, and nothing like the stuff we'd had in the past. And oh boy they were right! Absolutely juicy and tasty - we ordered extra! Everything else we had was also excellent - sardines, red peppers, potatoes and warm pitta bread. We can't praise this place highly enough.

Highly recommend! Great food and fantastic service!!!

We chose Bar Meze as we’ve been before for a meal to celebrate a family occasion so went for lunch to celebrate another! Sadly we were the only ones (3) there today so we had to create all the ambiance. We ordered a number of dishes but were disappointed that the quantities served were small to say the least. We just had sparkling water and a beer between us. I was therefore shocked at the amount the bill came to for the small amount of food that we had been provided with even if what we had was up to standard. Perhaps that’s why we were the only ones there…..

Service and welcome were wonderful. We had the full Greek meal and the only disappointment was the last course of lamb which was tough. The restaurant is definitely worth future visits. Service, welcome and food still very good.

My best friend and his wife held their wedding blessing and reception here and everything about this place was amazing. The food was delicious, the staff were excellent, the ambience and decor was lovely and Fouad, the owner, went out of his way to be helpful and meet the couples requests. A number of us have said we will be back to eat again, as it was just fab. A big thank you to Fouad and all his staff for making the day amazing. Kind regards Richard

Easily the most delicious Greek restaurant I've eaten in. The meat was cooked to perfection. The mushroom dish was sublime. The cheesecake melted in the mouth. The staff were really friendly. The atmosphere was great. Can't wait to go back.

We have been eating here for years! Had a wonderful lunch today and the staff were friendly, attentive and efficient. My children always love it here. The food is fresh, delicious, great wine....one of the best in St Albans!

Another splendid lunch at Bar Meze St Albans. New baked lamb in baked pitta and hummus dish. And, the usual Pharaoh's Special. Usual great service and atmosphere. Never disappoints .

Another great meal. Everything fresh and tasty. The sea bream was perfect. They now have a couple of vegan options - the moussaka was delicious. You might have to ask because I don’t think it is on the menu yet. Fouad was charming, helpful and professional as always.

Very good food with lovely service and owner. The super meze had everything you could want with lamb, chicken, and swordfish, making a perfect evening out

A restaurant that we regularly visit. Always made to feel welcome. Mezes and such dishes as the tuna..worth checking out

Fabulous evening. It was a Saturday night and the place was packed but the service was great, the set menu was tasty. The hosts interacted with our party in a fun but professional manner. We were the last group to leave. Will definitely go again.

The host was brilliant and very welcoming. Food is very good and service excellent. We went in a very busy Saturday night, but no complaints as the service was quick and all the staff were friendly and wonderful.

Once again, Bar Meze proved a great venue for our friend’s birthday do … the place was heaving, but our party was looked after with friendly, efficient service. We had the set menu, which was delicious … as it has been every time we have come. Once the evening started to thin out a bit, they cleared some tables and gave us room for a bit of dancing. All in all, a great evening - thanks again 😃

Fantastic food, great menu and Fred is a wonderful host! Each dish was perfectly cooked and delicious. Beautiful restaurant, will definitely be returning soon!

We visited for a late lunch after a day out in St Albans and we felt so welcome. Fred was an amazing host. The food was absolutely delicious. The prawns and sardines were divine!! We will definitely be returning and bringing our friends and family 10/10 👍

We visited here after reading previous reviews. It was really close to the Travelodge we were staying in. The swordfish and sardines were fabulous. We wish we lived nearer as this would be a place we’d return to frequently.

We always have the best time at this restaurant. The food, atmosphere and service are second to none in St Albans - we’ve lived here 12 years. Can’t recommend highly enough!

Really lovely restaurant food even better. We enjoyed fresh sea bass, tuna,and chicken tikka. Wine was chilled and staff very helpful.

We had a fabulous lunch today. Excellent service and amazing food. The waiters were so friendly and entertained the children in the group. The food was delicious and plentiful, we really enjoyed all of it. Will definitely be returning.

This Greek restaurant is tucked away just behind the main street in the centre of town. It has a spacious warm pleasant interior. We had a selection of dishes, all of which were good, accompanied by a good bottle of Greek wine.

We had a fabulous lunch today. Excellent service and amazing food. The waiters were so friendly and entertained the children in the group. The food was delicious and plentiful, we really enjoyed all of it. Will definitely be returning.

A wonderful evening of delicious food and excellent service. The restaurant had a warm and welcoming atmosphere and was a perfect setting for a Saturday night dinner for my wife and l. We have to give a shout out to Fouad, the owner, who made us feel we were getting the VIP treatment thought out the evening..

- Excellent food - Even better service - Love the atmosphere Perfect place for any special occasion or a date night. I haven't found this type of food anywhere else to the same quality and price. As someone who has tried pretty much everything on...

Once again the special Meze lived up to it's name.

Great food, very tasty, great staff

The best meze in st albans we had set menue yesterday it was lovely tastey and great service from saed he so funy with my kids Well definitely come back

Friendly staff, homely atmosphere and great food. What more could you ask for?

Very disappointed ordered takeaway the lamb was raw not cooked properly and smells badly, garlic bread was burned 😫 chips taste overcooked dry very disappointed didn't expect that..the food not fresh at all only tzakiki and beperia kokkina worth it!

Can’t say thank you enough to the staff at this restaurant. We’ve held our company party here for 2 years now and they have made us feel so welcome every time. Thank you for being so brilliant. Kind regards. SAADI GYMNASTICS LTD.

I am unsure whether we had an outlier experience. The staff appeared disinterested in us (despite being the only table present). We ordered the set Meze for four and the majority of the portions were small and overcooked. The only saving grace was the swordfish which was delicious. However with the competition in St Albans Bar Meze might need to step up their game.