Fox Harpenden in St Albans - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

We visited for a family birthday lunch. Friendly and efficient service in an airy and bright pub. We really enjoyed the Panzaella Salad and they have mini desserts with coffee (machiatto was very good) if you're too full for bigger dessert.

Attractive and welcoming pub. Excellent food with friendly and efficient service. A little on the expensive side but I don't mind paying more for quality service and food.

Had delicious lunch, quick and friendly service. Would definitely go again

Lovely afternoon in a lovely location. Reasonably priced as well.

Nice pub. Popped in on the way home. Lovely bar staff. Very friendly. Will definitely be back.

Thanks so much to The Fox and Fiona for making my birthday so special. I had a wonderful time with my family & the service & food was exceptional as always. I Highly recommend you check it out.

Rosie our waitress was really helpful, attentive and had a very happy manner.

Great food, great service. We had a lovely time! My only disappointment was the portion size, quite small for me but nonetheless they deserve a 5*. Highly recommend!

Great service, food was excellent. Really enjoyed.

Great food, very reasonable price and our waitress, Alina, was so lovely! Definitely recommend!

Very enjoyable visit. Delicious food and great service.

Amazing place to visit and have dinner with friends and family. We arrived and waited less than a minute to be seated, the waiters were extremely friendly and kind and the service was amazing. The atmosphere couldn’t be better. We waited no more than 20-30 minutes for our food and it was delicious. Nothing was cold, undercooked or overcooked, it was cooked exactly how you asked it to be. On point. If you haven’t been there you are missing out on a opportunity of a lifetime. I truly and strongly recommend going there and getting a burger or a steak. Everything is amazing. It’s got to be on your bucket list!

We had very good experience at the fox. Warm welcome from the waitress, no problem with changing table as we wanted to seat somewhere quieter, delicious food and perfect service. Would definitely recommend.

Such a lovely place. Food was delicious and very good service, although was very busy we never waited for anything.

Great food great service great atmosphere

First time visiting - having a family meal. Polite & friendly staff - will certainly visit again.

Lovely atmosphere, but it felt overpriced for the quality. Service could've been a bit warmer.

Great pub Lots of parking Fireplace relaxing Bar staff friendly

Poor service. Unable to cope with high volumes of people. Staff are boarderline rude and very slow service. The so called artisan bread is 4 x half slices of cheap cold bread. Do not recommend.

Fabulous food. Great staff. Wonderful atmosphere. We enjoyed a lovely family Sunday Roast get together.

We prebooked a party of 6, on a Tuesday lunchtime. It looked like several other groups had also booked, including 2 tables of 8-10. So the Fox knew in advance they would be busy, but they seemed overwhelmed by the demand. Service was horrendously slow. Lunch took almost 3 hours. Soup was lukewarm, as though it had been left waiting in the kitchen. Tiny veg servings with the lamb. Even so, all the dishes were tasty, and catered for all diets and tastes.

Sorry excuse for a burger. Premade patties, tasted like a kids or cafe burger. For £16 a bit of a joke

Amazing place. Lovely Staff and great food.

Not much you can improve. I had the three course for £22.95. A) I thought it was excellent value for money. B) all courses were well cooked and tasted delicious and C) the portions were a good size but not excessive to put you off.

Lovely food and service all the team was really nice

Arrived and we were led to our table by Amber. A waitress then came and took our order and drinks order. The food arrived and was fantastic. The puddings with a coffee or tea were amazing.

Bit if a tricky one. Everyone else's food was great, but they forgot my food. Two different starters (only told after ordering) weren't available and they were very apologetic so I'll let that slide. However when 4 mains came out we all waited on my meal to arrive. Eventually called over the waiter and was told it would be over in 5 minutes, 10 mins later nothing. Then told it would be 5 minutes another 10 mins, still nothing. The rest of the party had now finished their food, so I cancelled the order. To be fair, they were very apologetic and gave us a reasonable discount on the full bill. It was my first visit, so I probably wouldn't return, but the others in the party ensured me it's normally great and the discount and way they acknowledged their mistake means I probably will. Bad first experience for me, but everyone else enjoyed their food and I had a few free drinks!

Good food, good service, very friendly staff. Highly recommend!

The food was terrible. We had the trio of roast with cauliflower cheese as a side. The greens were already unavailable by 1.45. The cauliflower cheese was tasteless. The roast potatoes were not cooked properly. The Yorkshire pudding was like cardboard and turned to dust when cut. Parts of the dish were cold. The gravy was pointless. Very watery. My son had the fish and chips and said it was the worst too. My daughter had a cheese burger from the children’s menu which was also cold. The waitress gave us 50% off our roast which was a kind gesture but at £21.00 a dish there is so much better places to go in the area. Very disappointing.

We went for Sunday roast and had the unpleasant experience of being served by "Veronica " she was rough in her way of taking orders as if she was doing us a favour .

Interesting menu good service on nice surround

Comfortable setting and friendly staff, along with a good selection of drinks and good value food

Best pub in a perfect location… And please try the Cuban mai tai …

Only popped in for a quick drink, but very friendly staff and they did a good selection of coffees for the drivers. I suspect it's a popular gastropub in the evenings but can't add much else.

Phenomenal food, service and atmosphere. Incredible staff, little slow on drink service but not enough to reduce the stars!

Staff lovely, friendly and helpful. Disappointing that both Doombar and London Pride were off. Food was good. Coffee not so good, luke warm despite asking for it to be extra hot.

Staff seemed to struggle with the numbers in the pub on this visit. We, a triple birthday group (a couple of us near fifty and a teenager amongst us), were sat in an awkward table between the bar and a till - which made for constant movement by us to allow people past front and back. Overall the food was fair, however the triple meat roast had very dry chicken and pork (the beef was fine and those who has the roast beef only enjoyed it). Portion size was smaller than anticipated. Staff were okay but not as attentive or friendly as previously when we have visited. We've been to this pub and others in the group many, many times and this was a disappointment - however, I'll put it down to an off day for staff and we will come back and hope for better.

Really nice meal, with good and quick service. Definitely come back!

I don't live in Harpender, but if I have a special occasion or just want to have dinner in a nice, quiet atmosphere with perfectly and tasty cooked food, it is the best place to visit!!!!

Lovely spot, food was overdone but otherwise excellent

Thankyou so much for a lovely Sunday lunch. Marcin Was lovely and a huge thankyou to Amber for managing the booking. We will be back!

We arrived on time, our orders were taken and we were waiting for our starters and people that arrived after us had their starters and mains and we were still waiting, a hour goes past and we are told the order didn't go through so we placed it again. The starters arrived and were lovely. When our mains arrived I was given the wrong dish I asked for roast beef and got pork belly, my daughter ordered linguine with scallops and they were missing, my dad ordered hake and it was cold, it was sent back and still came back cold. We ordered a vegetable side which was left on the table while the other dishes were sent back and ended up being cold. We received no apology and were disappointed so we paid and left.

Used to be 5* but reducing in quality and atmosphere

Have had some really good food here. Steak pies a bit less good compared to the other dishes. Good wines and cocktails too

Friendly pub but the food was only so-so. Ordered the mixed salad and all the ingredients were very cold and wet. So the salad tasted a bit like a slobbery mess. Everything else was better but this was at best a ‘good’ experience.

Outstanding service, remarkably polite and friendly. I chose the Roast Beef while my companion enjoyed the trio of meats, all of which were divine and served generously. The atmosphere was ideal, and I had a thoroughly enjoyable evening with my date.

What an amazing pub! We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner Easter Sunday.

Delicious mini desert with tea. Wonderful decor.

Lovely lunch at the Fox today wonderfully served by Marcin. Great steak pie and veg- v large v fresh portion of cod. Finished with a huge sticky toffee pudding with a sumptuous ginger ice cream. Noisy when we arrived due to it being so busy so would probably leave it til late in the day next time.

Beautiful restaurant Excellent food, the best i have had in a long time. Excellent and friendly service.

What a terrible experience,arrived for dinner here and was greeted with a manager that looked extremely unhapy, was seated at the table to be then greeted with a sour face waitress that was very unfriendly. She made it very clear that she didn’t want to be there and spent ages scratching her hair and face then took 20 minutes for drinks to come then she vanished for a good 20 minutes , no interest in taking our food order so we just left . I don’t think she would have even noticed. Really gone down hill , use to really like it here.

Very nice comfortable atmospheric pub/restaurant. Good and varied menu including food for assorted tastes

One of the most cozy pubs I have ever been to. Ambient is relaxing and even when full of people it isn't too noisy. The fireplace room is very nice. Food is classic pun food but with a touch of elegance and the dishes are very well presented.

Lovely food well cooked and presented, add bonus it has a good menu for Coeliacs Amber are sever was knowledgeable and helpful. We definitely plan to eat there again

Had a family lunch, atmosphere lovely service very good

Exceptional staff and great place overall!

We was greeted,and shown to a table,with menus,the Fox was busy,we waited 20 mins,then someone took our food and drinks order. I would have liked to have had my drinks beforehand.i was tempted to go to the bar myself!

we arrived on time for our 7.45 meal booking for 3 people. we waited over 10mins before the manager came to greet us. He had trouble finding our booking and then asked us to go to the bar as they were still preparing the table. We purchased drinks and were left waiting another 45mins while we watched other customers arrive and be seated . When I asked the manager if he had forgotten us I was told he was just finishing table for us. Once we sat down we waited for another 10 mins before a waitress came to take our order. we were then informed half our selection was now unavailable . We then informed thee waitress that we had decided to leave to which she said just wanted to pack up and go home .

Good food, nice atmosphere with friendly and efficient service.

Great Mother’s Day Sunday lunch - excellent food and service. They took care of my nut allergy and a request for an extra Yorkshire pudding was no problem at all - thanks Victoria!

What a fabulous find lovely atmosphere and wonderful food.

I liked the food here. The Scallops starter was cooked really well. The Portion was too big though. Would have been fine at half the size. The The burger with gravy dipping sauce was great. However the pot to dip your sauce was tiny! Onion rings freshly cooked too 🙂. The desert was average, but l was satisfied with everything else. Overall the Atmosphere was fine, but to make serving easier and at a guess, cheaper, everyone was crammed into a single area of the pub making it quite noisy. This wasn't unbearable and you could still hold a conversation without having to shout. Overall, I'd happily go back.

Highly recommended, not cheap but worth it. The ribeye steak was cooked perfectly

Fantastic place to eat and socialise.

Lovely Sunday roast. Good relaxed atmosphere, great food and excellent service from Chloe ☺️

Lovely place to come and eat, will be coming back! 😋

Great food Good layout Little too hot and a bit loud

Was a lovely Valentines Day trip to treat our mum. Throughly enjoyed it

Went for valentines and had the set menu. Everything was PERFECT! The staff were friendly, the food was tasty, the cocktails were amazing and the decor was beautiful. I would definitely go back there again.

Nice venue but poor quality food. I had a ribeye steak, cooked as suggested by the house; medium. It was chewy and tasteless and had to be returned (first time I have ever returned food). Fillet steak was brought out instead, but was still chewy. King prawn, crab and chorizo linguine was a disappointment. The exact dish has been ordered and enjoyed here only 6 months ago, but this time there was very little sauce, no crab to be found and little to no chorizo. Dirty Burger was compressed processed meat like any supermarket burger. For this price point we have enjoyed much better minced steak burgers. Not a great experience. Won't be coming back

Fox Harpenden is a gem of a gastropub! The food is absolutely fantastic, with a perfect balance of price and quality. The atmosphere is welcoming and cozy, making it a great spot for any occasion and you do feel like home here. The dishes are served with care and attention to detail, and the customer service is truly incredible. Highly recommend for a delightful dining experience!

I had a fillet steak sandwich. That was the worst fillet I've ever had. Chewy, overcooked. Chips were average. Fillet should melt in the mouth. Sat next to a couple who I heard liked there food. My first ever visit, will give it another go, service was good.

A pleasant building and waiter/waitress trying their best but feel let down by seating and missing food. We were sat by the fire exit which people were using to exit the restaurant causing cold rushes of air every time. I think it would be much better to require customers to use the main entrance butane/exit only as this won’t negatively affect diners. The watermelon and basil cocktail I ordered tasted like cold water. Hard to believe there was much alcohol or watermelon flavouring added. We wanted sea bass (we don’t rest red meat) but that was out of stock. The pasta and salmon was taken off the menu too. We decided to settle for the nourish bowls for dinner which were nice but one of our dishes had zero butternut squash on it. A key missing ingredient in our view..

Great dinner. Service was exceptional! Arianna was magnificent!

Excellent service from the staff friendly . Fish and chips the best and dissert delicious love the latte and cappuccino. Love all the menu especially the scallops for starter and Sunday roast. This restaurant is my favourite now love the atmosphere .Thank you Angie

The food was excellent, very generous portions and excellent quality. The service was fast and the servers attentive and the overall atmosphere and interior of the premises was very cosy and welcoming. If I could change one thing I would make the parking bays easier to make out as at least half a dozen cars were taking up two bays making parking on site very problematic. Other than that an excellent experience and we will definitely be coming back again.

Decor nice, staff pleasant. Like to see more info on gluten free and lactose free and choices on menu

Really good in all respects. Great service

Nice, cosy decor. Generally, the staff were very friendly and service was timely. Food was fresh and well executed.

Nice food , although service was very slow . Table had empty plates , and glasses waiting to be collected so asked for them to be moved so we could order desserts , took another long wait . Forgot to bring coffees , so left without . Nice atmosphere , nice food but service really poor .

The chips could have been better quality and the dessert menu could be improved. Other than that the service was good and friendly staff

Food was nice. Really good service.

Food is lovely , but staff are so rude shame i won’t be coming back as food is nice

The food was very basic Slowly getting worse.

The Fox has such a lovely setting, and atmosphere it's enjoyable on those items alone. We took our kids for a Breakfast & visit with Santa - which was a great experience for the children. Unfortunately the food was not particularly good... And usually it really is! Or waitress did her best to accommodate our needs - we were a fairly large group which can be a challenge, and the staff were all very helpful. I'll definitely be back, just not for a breakfast.

Lovely tasty food - very good experience. #RajD #RajD01 #RajD001

Great food and good service. Restaurant & specifically the seating feels really crowded though.

Very busy for Sunday lunch, not in a rush but service was a little slow . Enjoyed both the pork belly and roast turkey , selection of veg was good although some parts not cooked well ( Soggy Brussels sprouts ) . A little on the expensive side .

Had boxing day lunch with all the family. Superb service and food. Brussels a bit too firm. Definitely coming back.

We had Christmas lunch at the Fox. Staff were incredibly, helpful (as we had a wheelchair user in our party) attentive and friendly . Considering it was Christmas Day , service was very fast, we didn’t have to wait long for the next course. Food was lovely and so much of it too. Can only think of one negative , the Brussels sprouts were so hard almost raw I couldn’t get my fork in them, apart from that it was all beautifully cooked. The chocolate torte and sorbet was delightful could have had seconds . All the staff worked their socks off to make our lunch so enjoyable.

Another lovely time at The Fox, we we're only having a quick stop but the staff make you feel so welcome. My wife saw mulled wine so had that and states it was the best one she'd had, it was so nice and talking to one of the lovely staff Krystina she took time to tell us how it was made and she made us feel so welcome. We had some of the snack bites too can highly recommended. We went around 1 o clock it was not packed but busy enough we had our dog with us too who was made very welcome. I would definitely recommend The Fox for either a full meal or a quick stop and some snack bites.

Very enjoyable eatery. Good food, good wine, super friendly staff, highly recommended

It was a great meal with fabulous company.

Booked the ‘private’ dining area for a double 60th celebration on 19/12/23. Very pleased with the food and service was excellent. Many thanks for helping to make it a special night.

We had our works Christmas meal here last week. It was very busy which is always a good sign. Food and service was all first class.

The staff were busy but lovely friendly and professional. The food was excellent, highly recommend

I have been coming here for 5 years, when I come from Spain I try my best to come on a Sunday. I was very Disappointed yesterday with my Xmas dinner, we had to wait for an hour to get the mains, that were probably sitting an hour on a hot plate, dry turkey, half boiled potatoes uncooked greasy, half burnt ones, gravy with burnt flavours. Everybody has a bad day, i keep your 5 stars, they gave us a 20% discount on our bill, this doesn't take my disappointment away, I was really looking forward to a fantastic roast.

Great food as always! Thanks to Krystian for his fab service.

This years Christmas meal was a real disappointment.

Beautifully decorated venue with a lovely cosy atmosphere. Food was reasonably priced, served with efficiency and tasted great. Lovely place. Will be back.