Cafe Jeera in St Albans

We stumbled across The 1971 due to a nearby restaurant double booking us. We walked in without a booking and the staff were super accommodating to make sure they fitted us in, which we were super chuffed about as it was a busy Friday night. We were a party of 7, and all 7 of us were all extremely happy with our food and we all said we would definitely return - thank you so much!

We have lived in Harpenden for over 10 years and this is still the best place for a curry. Attended on a Tuesday night and was moderately busy. The service was excellent and our drinks, starters and mains all served at a good pace. The quality of the food was outstanding. I had the 1971 special which was spicy and tasty. Have also used them for take away which is also good.

We have been meaning to visit this restaurant for a while. We visited with friends and could not have been more delighted. All our meals were excellent. The owner payed special attention to everyone, recommending excellent dishes. All in all a fantastic experience. Highly recommended.

The 1971 an axceptional authentic bangladeshi/Indian cuisine. Food as well as the service was impeccable. Massive thank you to the chef for his brilliant food me and my family enjoyed. The service from the two brothers Nibras & Naz was excellent. Hadi was also a great help for giving us a excellent service. We definitely will come back No1 in Harpenden hands down!

Nice starter- but very very long wait.. Mains very bland - not spicy how it is supposed to be . Been kept waiting in the reception first - with no-one coming to check on us. More than an hour and a half wait between arriving and having our mains. Would not return...

I’ve been to many towns and cities, I’ll name a few: London, Luton, Bradford, Birmingham, Liverpool and that is one of the best lamb madras dishes I’ve had in my life. Very friendly staff too.

1) Food Quality (4/5) - The heat and spices in the sauces are well balanced; proteins and veg taste fresh and well cooked 2) Food Range (5/5) - Extensive menu but thankfully not as ridiculously long as some other Indian restaurants 3) Service (5/5) - Current management and staff eager to please; just as it was under the previous management. Warm welcome starts at the door 4) Atmosphere (3/5) - Traditional Indian restaurant vibes. Dated decor and a bit gloomy, but feels warm and buzz builds well with other diners 5) Value (5/5) - Prices are what you would expect in this niche but the food is so consistently well executed that it merits top marks for value 6) Overall Verdict (4.5/5) - For a traditional Indian restaurant (the type that proliferates high streets up and down the country) this is a very solid contender, and is deservedly well loved in Harpenden, After Sarakh (which has really carved out its own niche) this is probably 'the best of the rest' 7) Got to try... Green Mossala Chicken, Tandoori Monk Fish, Sag Dall

Had the pleasure of visiting this lovely restaurant with friends today. I am pleased to say that it was beyond our expectations and absolutely lovely from start to finish. Food was delicious and arrived extremely fast. Service was great and extremely attentive to all customers present. Thank you to manager Nibras and team for making this great evening with friends even greater! Will definitely be coming back and recommending to family and friends :) 5/5*

Me and my friends came for a meal and it was so lovely. the service was great and the food was lovely. the staff were really friendly and helpful. would definitely recommend

Have visited previously but what can I say massive change and improvement on all front. cannot thank the new management at cafe zeera enough! Had large number of guests turn up at mine last min which resulted in me calling around local restaurants to see if who had availability, was told yes! The two brothers Naz & Nibras went above and beyond with service and in this day and age you don’t get that service in Indian restaurants. Food was delicious and presented well, we were a party of 22 and each persons food tasted amazing! Thanks again gentlemen & see you in couple weeks again!

Horrific food poisoning, I could barely move for four days and was in extreme pain at times. Tests were undertaken to work out the specific bacteria and the doctors concluded, seemingly confidently, that it was the meal I ate 2 hours before at Cafe Jeera (with the cheese sandwich at lunchtime being pretty safe). I went in to talk to them about it, as I felt they need to know they have an issue, but the guy I spoke to was disbelieving. He took my number to get me out of there, but the manager never bothered to call. There are a few good curry options in Harpenden, so I would avoid this place like the plague. Unless of course you are willing to put up lots of pain and a course of antibiotics to rapidly lose 3kg…

I never do reviews but after dining at this restaurant I just have to share my experience! When dining in a restaurant I happen to find myself either liking the food or the service. This is the first restaurant where I loved the food and the service!!!!! I was greeted by the lovely Naz and Nibras, two brothers that are so friendly and polite! They took their time out to come and speak to me and just have a general conversation which is so rare nowadays, I loved the fact that they like to get to know their customers. The food was just full of flavour and out of this world. Not only was the presentation so stunning, it was mouth watering. I even took some take away for the next day! By far one of the best Bangladeshi/Indian restaurant I have been to and I will be back for some more! It’s lovely seeing two brothers working so hard to build an empire! Keep going lads and I shall be back in January once you have revamped the place!!!!

Having eaten in many restaurants over many years we have never had food so good. Everything was cooked to perfection and the depth of favours were spectacular. Service was above and beyond anything We have experienced since coming back from Shetland. So many restaurants seem to be run for the convenience of staff and management. Here the whole experience revolves around the customer. This restaurant was recommended by a friend and what a recommended that was thank you .

My friend who lives in Harpenden recommended this restaurant to us, and it was just amazing. The food was perfect and the service was outstanding. I would recommend to everyone and will be returning when we next visit. Thank you to the restaurant staff for not just fantastic food but also a fabulous evening.

New team has given this restaurant its sparkle back. Loads of seating and very convenient for town/station. Food is top notch and service very good. Caters well for big groups. Keep up the good work..

Another great meal at the Cafe Jeera. The new management team has made a huge difference. The food is back to its best , service is really good and friendly. Lighting is subtle and all the team now need is to complete the decor refresh...

I have been back to Jeera a few times with it under new management, and each time it has been excellent. The menu is very interesting and eclectic, the food is very high quality and extremely good. Of note is the service - the willingness...

Very enjoyable evening - the food was tasty and pudding a lovely surprise . Staff friendly and professional. Thank you

Lovely food that was fresh and full of flavour. Would definitely recommend a visit. Excellent friendly service. Thank you !

Delicious Indian Food @ Cafe Jeera on Sunday Lunch. Great variey Lunch for 24 odd Chatty women ! Food was nice, hot & tasty with Starter & Main - served quickly with nice staff - Good choice for Vegetarians too  - Ladies went home Full...

We visited Cafe Jeera yesterday evening and it was a great experience - I suffer from an intolerance to gluten and they were super helpful in making sure that I was looked after. The food was brilliant and so was their service!

Jeera used to be a decent local Indian restaurant. Now it's a great local Indian restaurant. Service was always good but is even better mow. Quality of the food is much improved and now compares favourably with the best anywhere out here or even in...

Excellent service, food and at a good price. Faultless and we will definitely go back. The owners definitely know how to run a great restaurant.

Lovely food and great service, quick with food and drinks. Always looking out for customers and offering help.

Best restaurant in Harpenden. Top class food with even better service, strongly recommend for anyone

A big group of mates, amazing, polite staff, i recommend for a big or even, a small order best curry house in the local area 100% The brothers Nibras & Naz went above and beyond ! great service and quality food ! definitely will be...

Top top restaurant, strongly recommend for anyone. Service is the best I’ve seen and the food tops that by being extremely nice.

Great place to eat with delicious food and great service. Everyone working at the restaurant are lovely people and have great service

Cafe Jeera was always one of our favourite restaurants in Harpenden, but sadly, COVID lock down seemed to cause issues when they re-opened. It now appears to be run by new, enthusiastic management. The food is really excellent, and the service likewise. I believe it's...

Service from when I walked in was exemplary, food was on par too and all round atmosphere was fantastic

Brilliant night for outr our last night , nibras and naz, brilliant customer service and food was amazing

The food at Cafe Jeera is the best I have ever attended. Service is incredible. Staff are very friendly and price is very reasonable the there food

Very good food and very good service nibras and nas were excellent. Recommend the Bombay Potatoes. Was delicious.

Greeted upon arrival by the lovely Nibras. Customer service was astonishing, the food was amazing and the atmosphere was a lovely place to be in! Will be back soon :)

Fantastic service and food. Naz and his team were fantastic - very friendly and happy to help. Food was lovely we will definitely be back as always! Thank you!

I went for a run with my running mates. After a couple of pub stops we arrived at Cafe Jeera and were welcomed with poppadoms and jugs of waterwater accompanied by a round of Cobras and the occasional white wine. Super attentattive staff supported a...

Really attentive service from all the team and everyone’s starter and main were right on the mark. Always a superb place to visit.

We had a relaxing evening with fantastic hot food with great service. The staff were so helpful. I haven't been to Jeera for many years and I was really pleasantly surprised.

Amazing food and amazing service. Nibras was very friendly and the chef came to check everything was okay which was very thoughtful. we will definitely be returning!

Beautiful fresh food. Impeccable service. So friendly. Menu is new, vibrant and delicious. Fish is AMAZING!!! Have the lobster special. Incredible!!!

Went to Jeera a couple of weeks ago with friends, the food was lovely (I went for the lamb shank) and the service was friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommended !!

The workers in Cafe Jeera are very friendly and sweet. Very welcoming. The food was cooked superbly. Highly recommend to come too. 5 star rating for the service and the meal I had. Myself and my friends enjoyed this occasion. Thank you!

Visited last night without booking ,before heading home for the boxing . Was able to fit us in despite a few large groups and made to feel very welcome . We were very impressed with the new menu , great interaction with staff and overall...

So pleased to see the cafe Jeera under new management with a team of guys determined to make a genuine impression and deliver great quality and authentic cuisine. It’s a success. Keep it coming and spread the word. The Jeera is back and it’s better...

I love this place, curry is beautiful. Lamb rogan josh is to die for. Staff all all so friendly and welcoming, especially Nibras

Cafe Jeera has recently gone under new management and the food is FANTASTIC!!! Service is so warm and welcoming. Food is fresh, fragrant and delicious. Side dishes could be a bit more generous for the price but that would be my only grumble.

Great service and a delicious meal. Highly recommended. We will be back soon. We are regulars and have always had very good meals.

Had heard CJ was under new management with a new menu. Food was very good (The Spicy Chili Chicken starter and the Lamb Shank main were excellent) and service was friendly and efficient. Good luck to Naz and his team.

We visited CJ on the 25/02/22 We visited after a show in Dunstable. On our way out round 10:00 pm we decided to dash back for an Indian x4 of us we rung to see if we could attend late. They booked us in for...

The food was amazing, cooked beautifully and served by a lovely team that couldn’t do enough to help.

I’ve been coming to Cafe Jeera for years & now under new Management, to which I wasn’t disappointed by. Food was fresh & unbelievably tasty, service was extremely friendly & accommodating! Will definitely be returning!!

I visited Cafe Jeera after I heard it came under new management and I must say I was amazed. I was welcomed warmly by the brothers Naz & Nibras, such friendly service, they spent time talking to us and I must say they know the...

It was great to be back at Café Jeera last Sunday evening, for the first time since they reopened after lockdown. We had an added unexpected bonus as they are offering free starters as a Welcome Back! The food was as delicious as ever and...

We ordered some poppadum's and we got charged 95p per a poppadum. We did have 24 between 6 of us, which is rather a lot. However being charged 95p individually is crazy, I have never been to an Indian and this has happened. I'm outrage....

Delicious meal tonight. Large portions and good value. And free starters tonight too. As always great service!!!!

Visited in October and the food was good but not as good as it used to be. Staff were also not as welcoming as normal!

Relay friendly service and fast delivery. Big portions and they customised our order to suit our tastes. Will definitely use again and eat in next time.

Great food lovely service good atmosphere will be back soon. Waiters were funny and awesome thank you

Excellent food and excellent service will be coming here again no doubts. Try the lamb naga it was absolutely fantastic

Visited this place again last week believe me when I say the food is out of this world. So much flavours and fresh. Words can't describe how much this place is worth a try. Excellent precautions in place and service soo good as usual. Will...

Lovely curry and service from always cafe jeera. Now the lock down is over I will definitely visit the restaurant and hope to see it going

After going to this restaurant for many years ordered a takeaway and could not believe how disappointing it was. The food can only be described as tasteless bland lacking in flavour and not particularly hot. The food was always good so not sure if it’s...

Popped in for a belated birthday meal and wished we hadn't. The food was just about ok... not overly tasty. The worst thing however about the meal was four staff hovering in close proximity. If we were VIPs needing close protection they couldn't have got...

We invited 60 guests to spend the evening with us at Cafe Jeera to support a fundraising event. The staff were amazingly supportive, the food was delicious and our guests had a great evening. Thank you everyone at Cafe Jeera !

Have been going here for 15 years and still Often go to this wonderful place for our curry night. Quality of good and attentiveness of staff is quite excellent.- Highly rocommend.

We have been here many times and of course it’s tastier in-house than take away. We had another take away this time and it was lovely but the rice was cold as they come in the metal aluminium containers which do not contain heat. The...

As a Harpenden resident we have used Cafe Jeera as our goto curry house for 15 years without question. That has all changed after this visit. We will never use them again. We ordered a pretty standard takeaway that was produced on time with great...

We had an amazing curry tonight. Everything we ordered was delicious. Excellent and friendly service too!!!

Really bad experience at this place as both food is of a poor quality and service lacking. The starters and mains were poorly presented, bland and under-spiced with little flavour. The "duck" was tough and inedible, the lamb chops tasteless, hardly any meat on them...

Great food and fabulous service in a quiet spot. The chicken masala was absolutely delicious as well as the tasty potatoes

Cafe Jeera is an upmarket, authentic Indian restaurant which provides superb food and friendly service. I cannot recommend Cafe Jeera enough.

This is my 3rd visit to cafe jeera, me and my colleagues had a great time and a fantastic meal the food here is truly authentic and exotic.. Great service please open a franchise in London.

You can always be sure of a friendly welcome here. Staff aren’t over bearing which is good, food is full of flavour and priced reasonably. Would def recommend over other local town centre Indian restaurants

We live in St Albans but fancied getting out to Harpenden to have a look around as we havent been there for a while. So grabbed the train for 1 stop up the line for a couple of quid. We had a great evening culminating...

Had booked for 4 on a Saturday night and arrived on time but didn’t get allocated a great table but we’re moved without fuss when one become free. Food and service were dependable as ever. £110+tip for 4 including a few beers. Will go again...

We tend to celebrate father's day there. A good selection of non spicy and spicy food. Very child friendly - offers the icecream inside a plastic toys. A place a curry lover would love.

Food,customer service was excellent,dish that I wanted with extra green chilli it's cooked really perfectly,the taste was exotic. looking forward to visit again soon.

I have ordered from here twice and can say I have enjoyed both meals each time. The first time was for delivery, waited the time stated, not long, hot food. Second time I picked up my order, was given complimentary Ferraro Roche, nice little touch...

This is my 2nd visit to cafe jeera I must say the customer service skills are excellent top top service. Food was deliciously exotic,we defo will be coming back with our work colleagues for Xmas.

We have been visiting Jeera for at least 10 years now. My wife and I briefly moved away from Harpenden for a few years but recently returned and immediately went back to Jeera. It was as good as we remembered it!

Six of us ate here last July. The food was great and the staff were very attentive. We were treated with such care and pleasantry. We will definitely eat here again

Really enjoyed a family evening here. Eating in is always much better than take away, also it seems less oily. The naan bread is so fresh, the dishes are much more tasty because of not packed in containers with condensation dripping in. Comfortable seating, clean...

Here for a friend's catch up. Traffic problems made all those of us that stuck at it late. Service team could not have been friendlier in the circumstances. Great range of fish on the menu both mains and starters. Loved the lamb sheem. Combination of...

Friendly and well staffed - so easy to be looked after. The food is fabulous. Good quality ingredients and very tasty. Highly recommend

Four of us visited Cafe Jeera after several years absence. The place was quieter than we remembered it, but both service and food were top notch as before. We were not hurried but food and drink arrived quickly and were very good indeed. They included...

Six of us visited this restaurant last Saturday. It was a celebration for our Grandson. The food was delicious and the staff very attentive. Will definitely visit again.

Visited on Friday night with family..Chi jalfrezy and king prawn vindaloo was Fantastic..service was absolutely super. .we will be back soon.

Friendly, convenient and good food. Always been a success here although the last time we went my husband's chicken was rather chewy. Overall, we really like this curry house.

Me and my family visited this restaurant on Friday.. The service is top class but the food is so exotically tasty and satisfying.. Definitely will be comeing here on a regular..

If you are looking for a good curry house in Harpenden then Cafe Jeera offers great authentic food and beer. The same staff have been here for years.

Had a lovely meal here and the monk fish curry was amazing. I usually go for chicken or lamb, but wanted a change and wasn’t sure in case disappointed. However so glad I tried it as I would opt for this again next time. Only...

The loveliest and most helpful staff ever! I regularly eat in and have takeaways delivered to my house as well. The staff are just brilliant and will go the extra mile to make your experience better. Not to mention that the food is by far...

Ordered a 9 person take away, with lots of different things on the order. It was delivered promptly and was still piping hot when it arrived Good quantities of very tasty curry, poppadoms and side dishes Haven't been to the restaurant for a few years...

Love the food and I regularly order take away, usually get poppadum free as I’m a regular I guess but recently there is no more free popadom in bag? Please continue :) I look forward to the treat.

Have been here on a number of occasions over the years. Staff are always friendly and welcoming. Think the food has taken a bit of a dive and just lacks any real flavour. Both my friend and I came to the same conclusion. All the...

I've been here a number of times with my group of friends. Good food at a reasonable price and great service. I would highly recommend it

Very nice food, love it they are full of flavours and good service. We used to get free popadoms with our take away but now they have stopped giving, that's a shame. Don't stop us ordering again though I suppose. However price quite expensive!

Excellent service, very friendly, service was swift and the food arrived all together although they did get one order wrong, they were quick to sort it out, portion sizes were really generous - I would definitely eat here again

Been here a few times. Usually nicer dining in than take away, but recently couple of times food delivered were cold and also very oily and spicy compared to usual. Hope it will improve otherwise will start trying elsewhere for a local Indian.

Despite it's not great location for parking, and strange name - the food here is of an outstanding quality - and having lived and tried them all in Harpenden It is definitely the best in terms of quality of food. Tasty, good quality meat -...