Cowper Arms in Welwyn Hatfield

What a gem! Family sunday lunch. Beautiful food, great service. Understandably a bit of a wait on food but it was to be expected. Our meals were: nut roast, salmon, lamb, sirloin steak and 3 chicken, ham and leek pies. All of which were served with roast potatoes, veg, yorkshire pud. Yummy food. We will be back. Thank you!

Good ambience, friendly service and best Shepherd's Pie I've had for years! Looking forward to returning.

Lovely food and staff are always so helpful 😊 thanks Max!

Sorry not impressed at all. We weren’t allowed to sit inside as we were not having food. Four OAPs sitting outside in the cold. We would have ordered more drinks but it was just too cold to sit outside. Will not visit in the winter again as it appears you are only welcome if you are eating.

They wouldn't let us sit inside as we weren't having food. Made 4 OAPs sit outside in the cold. Not a particularly good experience. Would have stayed for a 2nd drink but we were too cold.

23 of us went for a 70th anniversary celebration very good service and food a big thankyou from us all.

Food overpriced but a nice atmosphere

Fantastic atmosphere was greeted and looked after by a lovely staff member called Natalia who made our visit a great evening ….

I booked this restaurant for a pre Christmas meal with family. Upon arrival I was impressed with how the pub looked and was decorated for Christmas. I arrived 10 mins early and had a short wait for the table to be prepared. Once we sat down straight away it felt like sitting on a roundabout. There was a very narrow walkway behind my seat which was being used as a thoroughfare for staff to collect drinks and customers to pay. We asked if we could move tables and as a large party was leaving we were able to do so. Good service to this point, however that’s where the service stopped. We had to wait ages to be asked if we wanted a drink. The food arrived and was nice, but the service was just really poor, no attention to asking if the food was ok, nobody asking if we would like anymore drinks, basics that I would expect when having a meal. Looking around it was clear that the staff were clearly more interested in the larger table parties, where they couldn’t do enough for them. When we had finished our mains, the plates were left in front of us for about 20 mins with staff looking at this and just ignoring and walking by. I should have to ask a member of staff to clear my empty plates from my table and when I did they were almost shocked by this strange request. Having since read reviews of the Cowper arms it seems to be a reoccurring theme over a long period that the service is very poor here, and despite replies to reviews from the manager that they take on board feedback and will address it it seems to be empty words. It’s a shame as the pub is nice and food was ok but service is a big part of the experience and it left me feeling very underwhelmed. I wouldn’t return here and wouldn’t recommend it. Feeling like your forgotten about and that you may have to clear your own table isn’t for me.

My elderly parents came for a lunch time Christmas dinner on Friday with a small group of friends after waiting over an hour for food the turkey tough the meal was sub standard very disappointing.

Went for our work Christmas meal, the turkey was so tough you just couldn't eat it. Felt that the staff didn't want such a big group so do wonder why the booking was taken.

Waited for ages to be served and have plates taken away etc. We had main and a pudding and were there for 3 hours in total. Nice atmosphere though and the food was good

Superb gastro pub. Excellent modern tapas menu and super friendly staff. All you want from a place like this 👍

Service extremely slow. One and half hour's before main meal.

A few of us tried the Christmas Party Menu at The Cowper this weekend. It was superb, beautifully cooked and well presented Turkey with all the trimmings, a very generous portions...excellent. An afternoon well spent.

Thankyou so much for a lovely evening. I arranged the evening myself ended up a group of 21. 2 couldn't make it. They was very good with having the booking changed due to one who had family emergency. Amd even did a take aways for the other person who couldn't make it but did try. The Christmas meal was amazing. Most of us had the turkey and no complaints very tasty and a lot of food on everyone plate the way it was presented was deceiving and I struggled to finish it. Someone had the ducknamd said it was lovely. Service was quick and and effortless. I don't know how I remembered who ordered what but it helped getting food to people very quick. I and the crumble it was lovely. If you have Xmas pudding ask your group ice cream or brandy sauce it's not both as some assumed over all are evening at the cowper arms was very present experience and will be returning in the future. Have a lovely Christmas 🎄

Food too expensive and inappealing, so didnt buy any.

Four of us went there with high expectations of a nice roast dinner. Myself and a friend ordered the the Sunday roast chicken but what we had was a bit of a let down. The chicken breast was not a roast as expected but a flattened chicken breast that tasted more boiled than roasted. The other two of our party had the roast beef, which they did enjoy. I enjoyed the baked goat’s cheese starter more than the main course. Not likely to go out of my way to go there again. Since writing the above review the manager accused us of being rude and unruly and turning up without an appointment. Utter nonsense. Avoid this pub.

Good food and beer staff excellent.

Not been for couple of years, returned today and was really impressed we were a party of nine and the service and timings were fantastic, The staff were very helpful and cheerful and the food was excellent. Thank you Dan and the team we will return.

Really tasty food and friendly service in a traditional village pub setting. Pecan Pie on the specials board was amazing. Love coming to the Cowper - always a treat.

It was such a wonderful experience with cowper arms heartford nice ambience delicious food and good service with the waiters

The Cowper Arms were hired to supply food and drink for a wake. The staff worked tirelessly to make the evening go really well. I would recommend this pub to anyone

Was sat in the bar nxt to lots of screaming kids when tables were empty round the other side

A former colleague had booked us in for lunch, in the course of a wander round his part of the world. It's very conveniently located about 100 yards from Welwyn North station. Food was good, and service was attentive without being overwhelming. My only comment would be, I wouldn't have known who to approach for a table had my friend not known. The staff were tidy in black, but not the man in charge of the reservations!

Food was very good and beautiful presented, service very good with friendly staff. A nice oldie worldly pub with a nice atmosphere. Definitely coming again.

The most fantastic desserts and food I ever ate in an English pub!!!

Very disappointed with complete lack of service in restaurant last night. Order not taken for 35mins,no water brought to table although ordered it. Staff seemed unaware of who needed serving and in what order! Usually like eating here but will be giving it a miss for a while. Owners not there last night but you can't run a restaurant service that's so shabby when it's your night off. Awful service

Had a lovely meal at the Cowper Arms last weekend. It's been a few years since we've been but they've definitely got a new chef since then, and boy are they good! Thoughtfully prepared and presented food, and my rare steak was cooked to perfection! Plus options galore for the vegan in our party. All at a pretty reasonable price that I don't think was even a lot higher than what we'd have paid last time we went.

Both the dinner and deserts were both cold. Staff very slow to clear tables had to ask for desert menu. I have previously had nice meals but not on this occasion. Maybe the management are new. Will not return.

Food was exceptional and the service outstanding. Everything from start to finish was top tier! Will be returning soon!

Honestly I’m so upset. Just gone out for Sunday lunch at Cowper Arms in Digswell. The meal was  mediocre, it was ok. But for me the potatoes make a roast and they were quite hard and not nice. So I told the gentleman clearing the plates that I didn’t like the potatoes. He replied “nobody else has complained” then proceeded to go round all the other tables around me and make a point of asking if their potatoes were ok. I was mortified! His customer service was awful. There was no “I’m sorry you were unhappy with your meal”, nothing but shaming me. I then went to pay for my meal and said how upset I was for his behaviour nearly in tears and he said have it on the house. Which was a bit drastic, coz I was only unhappy with the potatoes. But because of how he handled it I said ok. As I went to walk out he remarked “that was what I was after anyway”. Honestly how dare he! I just wanted a nice meal out with the family. Never going there again unless they get new management. Because his customer service was disgraceful Rant over

Great food. Lovely place. Friendly staff. Really good vegetarian choices. Will definitely be back.

I had a Sunday lunch with my family (2 kids and 2 adults) for my birthday and it was very nice. The Sunday roast was delicious (the kids loved theirs too) and I had a crème brûlée for dessert which was very tasty. The younger waiter we had was very helpful and polite. Would go back for sure!

Lovely atmosphere, good food and drinks. And drinking bowl outside for dogs

Lovely bar with a good selection or drinks. The menu catered for all!!. Good outside area for smokers and non smokers. Clean and tidy throughout and served by friendly, helpful staff. 10/10

Absolutely fist rate Sunday roast large portions and wonderful veg use to long and short but recommend cowper arms thanks for a lovely Sunday yesterday

Been here a few times recently - Lunch and dinner. The menus are extensive - hard to choose. Service is great. Food is always really nice. Not the cheapest place in the world - but you do get what you pay for. No lunch menu, but you can order smaller portions of some of the mains.

This is our second time here now and the food is amazing, 8 of us had a selection of food and we all thoroughly enjoyed every bite, great portions, fish and chips were massive and can’t wait to come back even tho we live an hour and half away. Thank you for a great service, fantastic food and excellent value for money

Ordered the Sunday roast it looked good but was cold had to send 4 out of 6 meals back for reheating. No apologies just that the air con made the food cold. This is impossible as the food was tasted upon being served. Beef was very fatty too. Very disappointed.

We came here a couple of weeks ago for Sunday roast. It's a charming pub with great ambiance. I knew I didn't want a full meal, so I ordered the children's meal with chicken breast. It was still a large portion and I couldn't finish it. I loved trying the variety of foods on the plate. Almost everything was very good, but the broccoli was harder than I like. The chicken was a tad dry. That said, I would come back to try the other meats and other items on the menu. It was a nice experience!

We went there for Father’s Day, and the roast dinners were excellent. There were a good selection of vegetables, decent amount of potatoes and Yorkshire pudding. The lamb was really tasty and I was told the chicken was really good too. My wife had the burger and she was little disappointed. The burger was a little dry and the chips didn’t taste great either. Service was really good. We had the goats cheese to start and this was excellent and a very good size portion. We were too stuffed for dessert. Friendly staff and generous portions, and all very reasonably priced!

Great food and fabulous service!

An excellent Sunday roast was had by all. Plenty of veg, and plenty of extra gravy if required! One of the vegetable sides had a real hit of pepper (which I love) but worth while asking about if that particular seasoning isn't for you. Also, the broccoli was a little al dente, which again, was fine for our party.

A very nice quite pub in Digswell ..they do really nice food and have a good range of beers to choose from

We were looking for a pub, close to Welwyn Garden City that did "great Sunday lunches", this one came up on Google Reviews so we decided to give it a go. It is indeed very close to the WGC centre (about 6 mins drive) but you'd never find this place just by driving out of the town center. When we visited, Station Road (where the pub is) was closed, but luckily the GPS found another route for us. The pub itself is in a suburban location and is clearly popular with the locals. It has a good amount of parking onsite and a great outdoor space with tables outside. The inside has loads of tables and is actually a lot bigger than it looks from the outside. The staff are very friendly and efficient. I had the house merlot (which was great) and my Partner and I both opted for the "Sunday Roasts" - of which there were plenty to choose from, Lamb, Pork, Beef, Chicken, Salmon (and other vegetarian options) as well as all the "pub classics" that were on offer. I had the Roast Beef, which came with beautiful roast potatoes, crisp fresh carrots, brocolli, other veg and a huge yorkshire pudding, all covered with lashings of delicious gravy. My Partner had the Roast Lamb (he said he'd got the winning dish - although I begged to differ). All in all, a great find, great food and all reasonably priced. Would totally recommend!

Lovely garden, menu and service. Right next to the station.

Another lovely meal at the Cowper! Food is always great Thanks again for a relaxing evening & great 😊 service always appreciated

Excellent service and good food. Save space for desert!

Good food and excellent service.

The food was delicious really nice and hot. The staff were very nice and asked us several times if everything was OK. Definitely going back there.

I went here with my daughters and grandchildren celebrating my eldest daughters birthday, fabulous food, lovely atmosphere, friendly staff. Would definitely recommend 👌

Great food, large portions varied menu.

Well done to all the staff who worked hard to help everyone for tewin water school reunion thankyou from all of us. Hope to see you again next year kind regard. Admi Mark Applin

Great pub, great patrons and great food. Stay away! 😂

Nice pub, good value food, not a huge fan of McMullen beer but needs must!

I am incredibly lucky to have the Cowper as my local pub. Of late, the food has been superb and the team who currently work at the pub are incredibly conscientious and provide excellent service. Testament to this, the pub can be busy and does get fully booked, notably on Sunday lunchtime. I have often observed people turning up for a meal 'on spec' only to vent their frustration when they cannot be accommodated. Unfortunately the staff sometimes do have to cope with what can only be termed as entitled behaviour. From my experience, they do so courteously and professionally. Keep it up guys, you make the pub what it is and we love it here!

Good food, lovely staff and the pub is very attractive and conveniently situated by the station. One star off for the tinny disco music at lunchtime from the very many speakers!

Great food and beers. Service was particularly good. Thoroughly recommended!

I came in on my day off for some lunch (13 April - I record the date as I don’t get too many!). I have known this pub for a long time across a variety of management structures. Firstly, given the place was half full and there were only two staff serving, I thought the service was amazing. Given the workload pressures they were both very polite and attentive. Food quality was excellent. Keep up the good work!

Good food very reasonable and good service.

Slow service at lunchtime. Fish and chips was a generous portion but the seabass was miniscule. Presentation did not make up for the portion sizes. Poor value.

Lovely meal beautifully presented. Lovely atmosphere and friendly staff. Served by Keely who recommended the panacotta for dessert which was delicious. Will be back again very soon

Great food at reasonable prices. Good menu choices to suit all tastes. Been here a number of times and always been pleased with food and service.

Fabulous would highly recommend. Just dropped in on the way back from London as it was dog friendly and we were not disappointed. Staff were very polite and accommodating and found us a table on a busy night, nothing was too much trouble and the food was excellent couldn't fault any of it . There was so much good stuff on the menu we were spoilt for choice.I had the lamb shoulder and it was perfect. Wonderful food at a great price. Would definitely be back next time we are in the area. Well done to all you have totally nailed it.

I felt compelled to write a review. I have ate in the Cowper often, not just because it’s local but the food is usually great and the punters are friendly. I’ve been in a few times since January and was hit with the lady front of house being rude and snappy. In January, we were told as we didn’t have a booking we had to leave, even though we had just been served our warm drinks, we acknowledged we didn’t have a booking and assumed we’d have 15 mins or so to have our drinks and leave however this wasn’t the case, the lady came back and very rudely asked us why we were sat in the chairs we were in. I said it was because this was the only table without a reservation on it and she snapped “it’s reserved so you need to move”. We were left stood up downing our burning hot coffees, not enjoyable. The usual manager, a guy, is brilliant, the woman needs to take some tips from this man who is always polite, puts his customers first and doesn’t treat the place like a McDonald’s. On the second occasion I asked for something for my son and she snapped back “no that’s not on the kids menu he can have what it says on the menu”…it was a very small and very easy request which we’ve asked before with no issue. On the last visit, she told us if we didn’t have a booking then there’s not much point in coming in to ask. Very short reply, made us feel unwelcome, at which point we walked out and won’t be visiting again simply because I want to avoid this woman at all costs. Who wants to go out and spend upwards of £100 for service by a lady who is beyond rude? Gets your back up because you are paying for a service not a McDonald’s drive through!

Love this crackling local country pub. Our 'go to' for food or a drink in our area. Good menu that has some changes on regular basis but always has some old favs too. Nice staff. Dan's quiz on a Sunday evening is always such good fun.

Great local with good beers and a full menu

Drove up from Kent Coast to take brother out for Sunday lunch.Thought it was time to try this Cowper Arms as we have been disappointed elsewhere recently.Superb roast Don't think I have ever tasted better roast lamb.Slow roasted for 5 to 6 hours apparently.And the veg were all excellent also.Good sweets at a reasonable price.And a good pint. We will definitely be back

Attended last night for my sons 18th meal out. Good selection of beers on tap. Food selection good. All cooked very well. Burgers were huge, the pizzas were tasty however the lasagne, although very well flavoured, was overcooked. The pasta was too soft and had lost texture. The speed of service was about right, the staff polite and helpful. Overall, one of the better pubs for a meal in the area.

Food was very nice and service good.

Excellent service meal was great tasty people very friendly and polite will be going back to get another descent meal well done to the chief and all the staff

We had a lovely meal there, a few beers and some wine - Don’t know where the time went 😃😃😃

Excellent service,excellent food.

Been going here for years and always have a nice meal however on Saturday some of our party arrived and went to the bar and were instantly asked have you got a booking we're full tonight, a bit thrown by the rudeness they answered yes, a booking for 8 people, can we have a drink while waiting for the others "ok" while reluctantly serving our drinks 3 more of the party arrived, and on arrival said to the waitress we will be 2 short as they can't make it, " no worry" was her answer. getting our drinks we went and sat at our table it's 7pm (Table was booked for this time, we're not late) looking at the menu whiles chatting time flew by and at 7.30 asked if we could order another drink and our food was told we would have to wait as we sat down late an the table that was booked for 7.30 were in before us would be served first (we sat down on time) the waitress that told us this was VERY RUDE. The food was very nice, but will not be visiting again.

Nice building, food was good. Front of house staff were atrocious. Asked for a drink to have with food just before meal. 15mins later (and halfway through food) go up and ask where the drinks are, if I can collect (from the empty bar). Response by the blonde pony tail guy was an aggressive 'can't you see we are busy'. As a party of nine, they actively avoided any contact when you tried to get their attention. We heard other tables moaning about the shocking service and even saw a man wandering around with a bill and cash struggling to pay because he had waited so long. If you have a few hours and don't need a drink I'd recommend, but unless this isn't you or the front of house staff get replaced, I would avoid like the plague. So much promise, and such a poor outcome.

Brilliant pub. Excellent food and great drinks selection

Excellent food at very reasonable prices

Very nice 'country' pub. Food focused, there for a birthday meal. Busy at 7pm, which is obviously good, but impacted service, mains at 8.40pm. Food was average and on the pricey side for what it was, unfortunately. Chilli prawn starter had zero chilli and was served with burnt toasted baguettes. Fishcakes, thin and overcooked, poached egg didn't have a runny yoke. Would expect better regardless of price. Massaman curry small, but fish and chips and brisket pie looked good. Maybe I chose wrong! Pub had a nice vibe and obviously popular. Defo come back for a drink but probably not food.

Very nice. Good food and lovely staff.

Would really recommend this eatery, everything so beautifully presented and the staff are great. The only thing that I would say is that salad dressing was not available. I had a hullomi salad which was undressed and I asked for any dressing that was available and was offered a mustard dressing and was expecting a honey and mustard oil style dressing but ended up with a small pot of English mustard and another of mayonnaise. Not sure if I was to mix the two but decided just to mix some mayo in. In general salad is better with a dressing. Aside from this I have only praise for this restaurant and will be returning.

Lovely quiet village pub, with good atmosphere and good food

Excellent venue. Very friendly and attentive staff. Took mother in law for Christmas lunch. Will return in New Year for a walk along the nearby old railway line and then lunch at the Cowper Arms.

Great food and plenty of it. Really nice place for lunch/dinner. Lovely staff

I don't think they are capable of a bad meal, food is always great. Only gripe would be we sat down and waited 10 minutes before asking for a menu, first time it's ever happened and even so well worth a 5* rating.

12 of us had a family meal on Sunday prior to going to Hatfield Park to see the Christmas lights and both the food and service were excellent. Would highly recommend and will definitely be eating here again.

Staff are friendly and helpful. Great Food too.

Went for lunch, Macmillians Pub, service and quality of food we're both great. Would recommend

Excellent meal and friendly staff well worth a visit

After we had booked another restaurant in WGC they turned around with less than a week notice to say couldn't accommodate us at lunchtime after all. I phoned the Cowper arms and they bent over backwards to fit us in. Amazing service. Booked in 40 persons for a buffet lunch with prosecco. Excellent food. Can't recommend it more highly.

lovely service. fitted us in when we messed up the booking. Food was delicious.

I have been going to The Cowper Arms with friends or family groups for a few years now, and until recently I have never been disappointed. They have a great selection of vegetarian dishes and are very welcoming to dogs. Their spinach and wlid rice...

Great atmosphere, great food. Little pricey. Clean. Good service. Free parking. Wheelchair accessible

Been here twice and have been impressed. First was with friends- had a tapas and they had burgers. Both were impressive and tasty. Recently had a roast which was very well done. Both were generous portions and the food was fresh and tasty. Not sure...

Had a burger last week dry as Gandhi's flip flop. This week had Nachos to share and they had four small teas spoons of salsa, no Guacomole either and about 8 chilli's. I know things are tight at the moment but £14.00 for some bone dry crisps come on sort it out.

The best food I've tasted for a long time magic place to go

Good food and pleasant service.

Main meal had really tough , wilted brocolli, the aubergine was also tough, not sure how they missed this. It's a shame as the table service was pretty good, nice location, shame about the food really, probably wouldn't return here.

Loved going back there after so many years pubs changed. The meal was good no problems

Good menu choice , lovely food , very good portion size and friendly attentive staff