Gibraltar Castle in St Albans

Our favourite pub in Harpenden. Always a warm welcome from Tracy, Michael, Caroline and the other bar staff. This visit was for Mother’s Day and the first time we had their Sunday roast and it definitely didn’t disappoint! Would also highly recommend the other food - especially Caroline’s amazing home made steak and ale pie! A lovely traditional pub with well kept beers and plenty of outdoor seating both front and back.

Absolutely lovely Sunday roast...great service..its so relaxing..the staff are lovely..my husband says the pie to die for

Service is second to none. Tracy and all the bar staff, are a joy and always makes you feel so welcome. Caroline and Michael have done an amazing job at bringing the pub back to a proper, local pub and then have gone above and beyond making it somewhere special. Proper, home cooked food at a reasonable price. Brilliant all year round! We love it.

Just had a fantastic Sunday roast at The Gib - thank you Caroline, Michael and of course the lovely Tracey!

Reasonably priced, served hot and very tasty. The meal was clearly made fresh and it came through in the taste of the dish. Delightful personality behind the bar, making you feel welcome. She was attentive and always busy, giving good conversation.

Wonderful Country Pub , a warm welcome from Michael , great atmosphere , superb beer & stunning food . Experienced one of the best steak & ale pies I have ever eaten . Stunning beer garden & plenty of onsite parking .

Just back from visiting The Gibraltar Castle and wanted to say what a fantastic deal they have at the moment- two dinners for the price of one - we had the steak wraps and they were delicious - lovely tender steak and chips with chips and a side salad - can't be beaten as far as we are concerned!!! Thanks very much 👍

I've never been able to convince my other half to try gravy. But the chef here managed it and im super impressed. The gravy was incredible... And it wouldnt have been fair for him to live his life without ever trying it. It was a sweet little pub, the lady at the bar was lovely and so was the chef. Dog friendly and a great roast dinner. We arent from harpenden... We just happened to be delivering a tin of paint that day in the area and took the dog for a walk around batford springs. But we would go again now that weve discovered this little gem, even if we didnt have paint to sell. :)

Lovely outside areas which surround this beautiful old pub. Buzzers all installed on outside tables so that you can get quick table service, making it easy to enjoy a trip to a pub despite covid. The side and back garden enhancements the manager has undertaken since lockdown have added little zones for smaller and larger groups, with many areas under cover and with heaters as well. Michael manages the pub and he is a hilarious, confident and positive lead making a visit even more brighter because you’re building a relationship with the people who are working hard to make this lovely local business thrive. They’re an asset to Fullers and we love visiting whether that be just for a drink, weekday meal or roast on a Sunday. The pub itself is situated directly opposite the beautiful river Lea/Batford springs and nature area - a destination unto itself, so the pub is not only perfect for the local community it serves but also visitors to this local nature’s area.

Shocking service, adds drinks to the tab that was never asked for and blame and confront you for their mistake. Money grabbing. Slow service, staff aren’t trained properly and don’t know how to use a tray, bringing drinks out 1 by 1 instead. Rude and arrogant bar lady that threatens her customers. I’d avoid this pub by any means. If you want to be ripped off and treated like crap then this is the place for you. Honestly have no idea on how to run a pub properly. Complete shambles. Not to mention the fact they let large gatherings book. Tables of 15-20.

The homemade beef and ale pie and burger were superb. The side salad was crisp and freshly prepared. Service friendly and attentive. The Rioja was very poor. Next time we will stick to beer and it will be five stars.

Un pub típico inglés que además esta protegido como edificio histórico. Puedes degustar buena cerveza y una buena comida de pub. Es un ambiente de barrio, agradable y cercano, muy recomendable.

Went for Lunch Today as hear they have a £5.00 lunch offer Tuesday to Saturday Something Different Everyday Today my Son and i had Chilli & Rice Home made Cheesy Garlic Bread Food Was fantastic Great Value for money They were large potions My daughter had Bangers & Mash again large... with side of Veg & Onion rings included in price £7.95 Very Few places 3 meals under £18.00 Good Selection Real Ales Larger Ciders Will be back ....date 07/01/20

Visiting the area we had lunch here this time last year, the food was good and the place warm and welcoming. This year the place seemed old and sad to say a bit shabby. It was cold and damp outside but the large fireplace was empty and unlit: memo - there's nothing as welcoming as an open fire in an English pub, if you have it flaunt it. We didn't stay after the first drink.

Amazing! Proper pub grub, well cooked and reasonably priced! Super staff! Lovely ambience, well worth a visit!

A group of us went for lunch based on the good reviews. Unfortunately the pub didn't live up to our expectation or the reviews. On reading through the reviews again perhaps best go for a Sunday lunch or a special night but definitely not worth going during the week. Despite the fact that their website claims "There is a creative (and mouthwatering) lunch menu, plus a host of daily specials for evening diners - all put together using the finest, freshest ingredients available" the menu was limited. In the end I had ham (not home cooked) egg and chips - chips were OK and there isn't much you can do wrong with an egg. Our group were really disappointed, the pub was absolutely empty, no atmosphere, we were the only people eating. Cost of ham egg & chips, 1 glass of wine and a coffee was £18.00. I don't mind the money but I would have certainly expected home cooked ham and a better more varied menu. None of the other meals were very good and we will never go back again. Shame!

Wow banging roast dinner loads of meat and veg well worth the money highly recommend for all different sorts of food we had scampi n chips yesterday and was amazabubbles

Well what can I say, I was disappointed initially to hear it was a buffet . However that was a mistake. It was home made, fresh, tasty, hot and refreshed every 15 minutes. The night was much more than I could have expected. Bring on the next event, Chinese night. Gibraltar Castle Caroline, Michael, Tracy Joe and Lucia you are the A team and the Gibralter Castle is lucky to have your expertise and attention to detail . Thank you from a local resident . Fabulous dining

We visited the Gibraltar Castle last night and thoroughly enjoyed the American Grill night - delicious food and very generous portions - ate far too much but it was so tasty! Thanks to all the staff who worked hard to make sure the evening was a great success!

Spent a lovely evening here with a group of friends which fell in a US themed food night.. Michael and Caroline provided a great atmosphere along with their friendly staff staff. Although busy all the food arrived together and hot to our table of 7. The atmosphere was very relaxed and made for a fantastic evening. I'm looking forward to the next themed night .Thank you

Basically I won't be returning to this pub for food, as I was really disappointed overall. Maybe learn that it's not all about taking the customers money eh.

First we did not book, Phoned to say we were coming about Six persons. Plenty of room, all sat together. Ordered our drinks and meals all in one go drinks arrived pronto all the meals arrived together. Plenty of food served on hot plates and offered bread as a side, which we accepted . For a pub meal you could not ask for more, simple basic and just the thing for a mid day lunch.

After a long walk on Sunday we were worried you weren’t doing food. But pleasantly surprised you were. What a fantastic lunch. Huge portions we had the chicken & lamb with mash & roast potatoes mmmmmm!!! No room for deserts. Think they stop doing food on Sunday at 4.30. Staff are very welcoming & friendly, dog friendly also which is a big must for us going anywhere to eat.

I think I may regret this post, two of us had lunch here yesterday - not the first time - I'll start with the food; if you prefer real home style food - cooked fresh then you won't go wrong filling up here. We both had the steak and ale pie, this wasn't a stew with a pastry lid - it was the real deal, a healthy wedge of pie dominating the mash and veg topped with a rich gravy - real man food. Our gratification Caroline, cracking grub.

Moved to the area recently and have been trying out the local pubs. Have to say, the "Gib" is the best.. Staff are friendly, the prices good and the locals welcoming.

Caroline and her team laid on a fantastic Buffet for my Fathers wake, nothing was too much trouble. The amount and the quality of the food was amazing. We will definitely be returning again and again for lunch.

Food was really delicious, especially the onion chips........ omg they were Amazing!

Really nice, will go there again. Food was awesome and Beer was really good. Family friendly and speaking to the staff further improvements will be made in the next few months.

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of going to Gibraltar castle for a drink and Sunday Lunch with two of my friends.Friendly staff,and very efficent.Good selection of Beers and the whole pub was lovely and clean.Great pint and a superb Sunday lunch.Apparently the New Landlady and Landlord have just taken over in November last year.What a vast improvement on my last visit which was about 12 months ago.This is what a good local pub is about.Clean ,great Beer and food,and a lovely open fire.I would highly recommend this Pub to everyone.Well done to the New Landlady and Landlord.

Just had a lovely proper home cooked Sunday roast at the Gibraltar Castle which is under new management since just before Xmas - this pub has been through the mill in recent years with management changes but has struck solid GOLD with the team who now run it - 10/10 for the best roast ever and the same for the warm and smiley welcome from Michael and Lucia behind the bar - I have a good feeling for the future!!!

After too many changes of management it's good to see the Gib being given a new lease of life by the new management team and getting back to it's best.

Hi, Been told that new Managers have taken over. They already have a pub In St. Albans and have won the cellarman of the year award last year. I have visited their pub in St. Albans and the beer is really good and Sunday Roast was amazing.

Great to have the Gibraltar back even better than it was two incarnations ago. My friend and I often visit for lunch in the middle of a walk, and found no suitable alternative when it was closed. Other establishments seem to have turned 'continental' with overpriced, fancy menus, whereas the Gibraltar offers us just what we want -- a drink, and no-nonsense, tasty lunch menu.

At last the 'Gib' has returned (after several reincarnations) to being a proper pub with good food. The new managers have obviously got what tt takes and present a smart, clean pub without the invasive trappings of pool table ,dartboard, fruit machine etc. It now has a more spacious feel without the big tables, and all the military clutter has gone.

It was a bad decision to go here for a drink.

Just visited the Gibraltar for Sunday lunch - we couldn't fault it, great food and as for the service ....Lucy and Nicky made it feel like we were visiting family, what a warm welcome and they are a great team! Thank you very much we will definitely be back!

New management have taken over and are now serving food including Sunday lunch. No food on Mondays.

Walked from Wheathampstead to Gibraltar with dog very hungry. We had been away and have been waiting 4 months for Sunday roast when we got back and I wrote a great review before on the pub. Unfortunately no food!!!!

As regular visitors to the Gibraltar (for lunch during a long walk), my friend and I were disappointed to find the pub closed yesterday, without warning, and no indication on the display board outside. We have recently been celebrating the 're-birth' of an establishment that has been through some rocky times, and have been very happy with the food and service. However, it now has a rival in the Amble Inn, which we repaired to after the disappointment. There, we found a welcoming public house with attractive indoor and outdoor seating, and also an imaginative and tasty menu served by friendly staff.

The Gib has experienced downs and ups just recently but with Ross and Sharon from the Queens Head in Sandridge running the pub these last few months the place was definately worth a visit. Great food (5 stars Sharon), good beer and great staff (thanks Susanna and the team - you made visits memorable) Monday evening quiz nights were a hoot with resident comedian Big D on great form - a pound to play and a complimentary buffet thrown in. Losing this accomplished team has caused a big hole in the community - here's hoping Fullers pull their fingers out and get the pub open again.

Had a family meal for my daughter's birthday, took our dog along too and had a fantastic experience, lovely pub, friendly welcoming staff and the most delicious food ever. Great value for money too, our second visit now and we'll definitely be going again.

Lovely meal with great service. Food excellent. Dogs are most welcome and plenty of parking at the rear. Great night

Celebramos el cumpleaños de mi esposa con un almuerzo de domingo 10. Nos hicieron sentir muy bienvenidos por el personal atento y alegre bar y toda la experiencia muy relajante y agradable. Buena comida tradicional de pub británico todos llegamos al mismo tiempo, caliente, sabroso y porciones grandes. Tuvimos un día estupendo! Gracias.

Nice traditional pub with good choice of ales and food. Generous portions. Good value for money. Worth a visit !

always great for a Sunday dinner good service great food friendly environment kids welcome back as it used be a few years ago

We stopped here for lunch on a Friday. Have driven past loads of times and since it 're-opened thought how nice it looked. It's a nice pub. We both had Somali and chips & it was great. Go again? Yes

Walked from Wheathampstead to Batford springs to the pub. Very friendly staff, best roast dinner ever, big portions. Been twice now. Dog friendly. Nice old pub with good selection of beers. Little outdoor area lovely when the sun shines.

The interior décor is very traditional country pub style, as the weather was gorgeous so we had a couple of drinks in the garden. We stopped for a drink rather than paying the extortionate airport car-park charges. This pub is approx. 15minutes from the airport. Very convenient for that reason, I’m sure I’m not the first or last to use for airport related reasons.

Lovely food and very friendly staff enjoyed lunch with my sister, good choice of food and very clean pub with a lovely garden

Popped in for a beer. I was on crutches and could not carry the beer myself, but the barman got someone to carry the pint to a table for me. Good selection of beets

Great choice of beers (ale) and the food is what you want from a pub,. Friendly staff who always look after us when we call in after our local bike ride. Most of us have taken friends and family in for a meal - never disappointed. It nice that we have such a choice in Harpenden and now a pub with a great "pub food" menu. Worth mentioning it also has a nice hidden patio garden which you cant see when driving past...

We were greeted by a very friendly bar staff. We were the only people eating. Menu not very exciting. Didn't get exactly what we ordered for starters. Had an extremely long wait between starters and mains told chef wasn't there but since only six people eating why the long wait. At 9.15 no one else in pub they blew out all other candles. We weren't offered a dessert or coffee. Obviously we weren't welcome. Will not be rushing back.

We were worried that the place was going to close when we saw it closed towards the end of last year, so it was nice to see it open again. They told us that it had reopened on 1st December. We had pre-booked a table, which is a good idea as the place is quite small. There was a warm welcome, the staff were friendly and attentive and the service was good. There was a good menu choice with several vegetarian options, including a vegetarian option on the specials board. There was a wait for the food, which shows that everything was freshly cooked. Everyone enjoyed their meals and the food remained hot for a long while. Our table was in the window and the only downside was that the light above the table was not working so it was a little dark.

Went for Sunday lunch and weren't disappointed, the food was great, tasty quality meat with roast potatoes, stuffing, yorkshire pudding and vegetables, all beautifully cooked at a reasonable price. The staff are very attentive too and the atmosphere is more pub-like than before, though the musak was not to my taste. Will definitely go back for more.

Visited here after shopping at the Galleria. This had been our usual stopoff but the pub had changed hands so we were a bit apprehensive. We needn't have worried. The decor was nice and we were made very welcome. The food was excellent. We shall be returning.

Lovely food fairly quick as well. Staff were excellent really friendly and chatty made to feel welcome. Reasonable priced food. Certainly worth a visit. I will be returning in the very near future.

Visited The Gibraltar Castle on Tuesday evening. It has been refurbished since I last visited and new management (thank the lord!) The staff were extremely welcoming and could not have been more helpful and friendly. At last, a nice pub with a great atmosphere.

Chose this venue to meet a friend for lunch as it was roughly equidistant from our homes.Pleasant decor and service was ok but staff not overly welcoming. Generally the place lacked atmosphere. I ordered Thai fishcakes which were potentially quite tasty but were very overcooked (burnt!) and consequently dry to eat. I should have sent them back but didn't because they had been a while coming and my friend was ready to eat.A bit disappointing and will definitely look around for an alternative for our next meeting.

My wife and I ate here some time ago and had lunch to look at the newly referbished bar. Layout was generally similar with some new additions and fully redecorated. The new staff were efficient, friendly and helpful. The open fire was a welcome site on a cold winter day. A great plus for us was that our greyhound was welcome too.The table staff couldn't have been more helpful and the food was very good. We were looked after and our dog had access to water inside the bar. We will certainly be returning soon.Rick

Great new landlords. Great food and real ale. Open from 12 and it's back to its old self. Fantastic to have it open again.

Until fairly recently this was a lovely atmospheric old pub with beams and an open fire in winter and good food. Then it changed hands and went severely downhill with everyone saying how bad it now was - and then I was very shocked to drive past and see it had closed. Hopefully it can reopen again before too long and get back its previous good reputation. It was a great pub to take overseas visitors to.

Pub has been shut since July - there has been signs of work taking place, so it's definitely had a tidy up and a re-fit of some sort. Fullers is now advertising it as a "business opportunity now available" so hopefully may re-open at some point in the near future

I heard that this pub has not permanently closed, but will reopen at some point. I look forward to it.

Went past this Public House on Wednesday 3rd August 2016 and I am afraid it is boarded up. I hope it is being refurbished rather than demolished as it a reasonable Public House with good parking on the main road between Welwyn Garden City and Luton in Batford.

last had lunch here a few years ago and it was good modern pub fayre - 'gastro light'. Today asked for sparkling mineral water sorry we don't have any, pineapple juice sorry we don't have any, apple juice and yes you have guessed it ..... Sorry we don't have any. We ordered liver and bacon asking for it to be pink, after a 45 minute wait something more like brown leather arrived. I then asked is this pub under new management ? 'yes for six months'. Go elsewhere.

I used to take the here family for Sunday lunch every few months due to the authentic home cooked feel. The menu under the new owners is very generic. For me its no longer destination for a 'special' family meal.

This pub used to be one of the best in Harpenden for food. Unfortunately it has changed hands recently and the food is no longer as good. It now seems to be run-of-the-mill fast pub grub, as opposed to the proper "homecooked" style it had previously. They have also now installed a gambling machine which changes the tone of the pub.

Four of us had a meal on the 21st August. Staff were friendly and whole place had a good local pub atmosphere.We had steak ostrich and chicken pie. All were very well presented and plentiful.The steak was cooked to perfection, ostrich was tender and very tasty and chicken pie delicious.With two large glasses of wine, four beers and sparking water bill was a very good value at £89…Great evening in a lovely traditional pub served with love and passion...

Went recently with some friends for a couple of beers and supper. We were well looked after in a very friendly fashion and the beer was in excellent condition. Whilst some menu choices were unavailable, I can confirm that the Avocado and Crayfish tail starter was excellent and the rump steak that followed was tender and perfectly cooked.We enjoyed the experience the only criticism being that there was no fresh ground coffee.

I went for lunch recently.wirh a friend. The pub was very quiet but it was a Monday. The menu was good with a varied choice. The bar staff were friendly and the food was good pub grub. The one thing I noticed when I parked my car in the car park, was the mess alongside the side of the pub towards the back. An old microwave was dumped alongside the pile of what looked like rubble. This was very unappealing and did not create a good first impression. This could have been a temporary blip, but seeing a broken old microwave on a pile of rubbish in full view of the car park does not create a good first impression. It was have only taken an hour or so to tidy this area up, so absolutely no excuse to leave this area in this state.

Waited 45 minutes for 4 starters (all salad based) and a further hour and twenty mintes for the main courses (one burger, two salads and a meat dish) The burger was absolutely burning hot in the middle and cold outside. The service was very poor considering the pub was very empty. I was so upset about this as we had been told this was a very good pub at one time.

Friendly local with good selection of beer, open fire, and good restaurant, but can dip a bit when chef is off. Wine list needs some updating and some not available on list which is a bit disappointing. Food usually good to very good and worth a visit.

Went here for lunch over the bank holiday ..... Very disappointing, have been many times but this time the whole place looked as if it needed a good clean, it was dark and depressing, dingy, tables needed a good clean, table mats filthy, so un inviting. Glasses were dirty, in fact one so bad we had to return it to the bar and ask for another drink... Flowers on the tables in filthy vases. It used to be spotless and very inviting, with lovely bright cushions, nice candles and obviously had alot of tlc not now I'm afraid makes you wonder what the kitchen is like! Food was Okish but nothing special presentation leaves a lot to be desired. Such a shame as lovely building and could be so much better. Locals hogging the bar and not being friendly does not help!!

We had always enjoyed our meals at The Gibraltar Castle, but this time was a big disappointment. Although the pub was not crowded, the service was really slow and indifferent. Steak was poor quality and tough. It then took an age to order and receive our desserts, which were only very average. None of the staff seemed to care in the slightest, or apologise for the lengthy delay in serving us.

I cannot believe this pub gets any good reviews. Look back at the other reviews that talk about the lack of service and the unfriendliness. They are spot on.I have visited this pub three times now over a period of about two years as its on a convenient thoroughfare for me . Each time I thought it was perhaps a one-off; caught a member of staff having a bad day possibly. No. The last time - literally! - I walked in and up to the bar. A member of staff was by the till, right next to me; only I was at the bar. The member of staff ignored me and then went halfway up the stairs to look at something. Then back to the till. Then back halfway up the stairs again and back down. By that time a local came to the bar and yes you can guess it, she served the local and didn't even acknowledge me. As I walked out I said that she obviously didn't want my custom. It summed up the staff, the service and dare I say it the locals. They suit each other well. I have eaten here on the first visit. Basic, unimaginative food that is poor value for money.Do not waste your hard-earned money at this place; there are better and more welcoming places to go close by.

I have eaten at this pub four times. On the last two occasions I asked the bar staff what risotto of the day was. They told me and then served up something different.Most recently I asked the bar lady and she immediately asked the chef 'crayfish and rocket' he said. I ordered two. I was then immediately told they had no rocket so would use green beans instead. When it came out it was chicken and green beans! no crayfish no rocket in the very dish the chef recommended. Even after we complained there was no refund and no complimentary drink. Instead I was charged £4.90 for a pint of peroni and £14 each for the two meals I didn't order. Never again.

I went to have lunch with my husband and friends on a Saturday, we've made a reservation the day before. When we arrived we expected to be assigned our table, instead, and even when I could see a couple of tables free, the waiter made us stay by the bar and asked for our drinks. We advised we had a table booked and after several minutes finally we got seated. It took forever for them to take our order and over 40 min to get our food served. I could see other people haven't been served even if they got there before us. The people seated at the table next to us complaint about the food not being properly cooked. We didn't get our plates taken away until I asked the waiters to do it, after waiting a long time for someone to do it. They asked if we wanted coffee or dessert, we said we did, but 20 min passed by and we decided to leave. Even paying the bill was painful, I had to ask to the waiter at the bar for it, because we had waited ages to get anything for dessert. My friends had to stand up and go to the bar and pay the bill, and even then, the waitress left and my friends had to remove the receipt from the machine and take their card by themselves. I wouldn't go back, everything was filthy, even spider webs on the walls and on the decorations. Horrible service! I wouldn't recommend it at all!

My daughter took me for a quick lunch as we both had busy afternoons. The food was really nice and very well presented and both of our drinks were in really nice glasses, which makes a nice change. I am looking forward to going back in the evening for a meal soon with my entire family.

With the onset over the recent years of chain pubs with no character whatsoever i was very pleased with the Gibraltar Castle. An old style public house which was commonplace in a bygone age.The walls are adorned with military memorabilia and a open fire.Staff are friendly and the menu not overpacked with items, i had a starter of terrayaki springbok which was excellent, my wife had the chicken pie which was packed with chicken and the wild boar was selected by myself. The portions are generous and i would not hesitate in returning here, a breath of fresh air in an industry being overtaken by chains.

Weekday lunch with my father-in-law. Standard waiting time for food (food comes too quickly and I worry about it), didn't get charged for my 2 lime and sodas when we came to pay, food was good, the warm fire was more than welcome and all 3 staff who were on were very amenable.

My family and I had a lovely Sunday lunch at the Gibraltar Castle last Sunday, 25th January. Very friendly, lovely food and they are a dog friendly pub so we could take our Yorkshire terrier in with us. Very nice atmosphere, lovely log fire. Sunday lunch was very good value for money and would recommend any one to go there hence my excellent rating.Carol, West Sussex

Business dinner last week. Service was a slow, given the small staff (one lady) but the food was good and we were not in a hurry. Nice pub atmosphere.

We have been here a few times now and on each occasion the waiting staff are always miserable, unhappy and never provide a service with a smile which is expected.

We live just round the corner and in all that time have never eaten here- just drinks. Menu was ambitious and absolutely gorgeous. A rare child free treat and a lovely relaxed meal. Don't understand the other posts about service as I've always found owner and staff to be friendly. I often come her for drinks, pta meetings etc and there is always a friendly face and great service.

We arrived around 12.30pm on a Sunday and it was so cold when we walked in that we went to stand by the fire. The staff seem to lack the ability to smile or be friendly which kind of puts you off immediately. We decided to skip the starter... two of the group had a roast lunch, the beef was so rare it looked like it had only seen the heat for a few minutes and the roast potatoes were soggy as though they had been pre-cooked and just heated up. All this came swimming in gravy - why can't restaurants put gravy in a jug and allow people to decide how much they want. The chicken pie I had well you might of just of removed the pastry because it was so flaky it just disintegrated into a pile of crumbs.... None of the food could be classed as hot -- in the end we decided to skip dessert and coffee and go elsewhere for that.Definitely not somewhere we will be returning

I've have eaten at the Gibraltar Castle with my family on a few occasions. The building has an historic, cosy feel about it and the staff are very friendly. There is a good selection of decent beer. They have tried to be ambitious with their menu, offering such meat as crocodile, buffalo and kangaroo. I applaud them for this. However, the gastronomic results can be variable and, in my opinion, slightly overpriced for the area.

If you want smiling faces; if you want food served in a reasonable time; if you want somewhere with a nice ambience.....then don't go here.We usually eat out on a Saturday and had been recommended to come here (our recommendee has been suitably reprimanded!). Arrived just after midday and were given menus. Immediately told that there was no soup, no prawns, no something else. No apology either or suggestion of what may be good. Anyway, we settled on a chilli jacket for him and an avocado and crayfish baguette for me. Well, 25 minutes later we asked whether it would be much longer. Response was 'we'll we had no potatoes prepped'..eh? Eventually the food arrived. Chilli jacket was actually mince and kidney beans..no evidence of any chilli. My baguette was so dry I really needed another wine but at £6 a glass decided against it!A family in the corner had ordered fish fingers for the little one. After about 15 minutes they were told 'we're out of fish fingers' No apology to them either.Suffice to say, we won't be back. I just wish this had been one of my Mystery Shopping exercises. Maybe the management should approach one of the mystery shopping sites and get someone to do a visit.As we were leaving, having been virtually thrown the card machine, a group of 4 arrived. The gents asked for 2 pints of London Pride to be told it's off.Some serious customer service training needed here.

If you want to go somewhere that serves reasonable pub grub and you are in the area this Public House is more than acceptable, in fact it is very good. They serve real ale so it is already ahead of most of the competition.Been in twice now and had a good meal on both occasions.

Called in here for a spontaneous light lunch, it was a beautiful day so thought we would sit outside; a choice of the front outside, or on decking at the back. Ordered drinks and food at the bar, it was a Sunday, so they offer a roast along with a superb fish menu, including barrumundi, crocodile and lots more interesting dishes. Deciding on a light lunch we ordered Avocado with gorgeous prawns with a chillie mayonnaise dressing which was scrummy, served on a variety of tasty leaves, it was really lovely; served to us on the deck, sat on comfortable cushioned chairs, and there is a good variety of different sized tables, canopies, umbrellas, pretty flowers , shrubs and candles. Very nicely done. Will return.

Table booked for 5 old friends on a Saturday lunchtime although we were amused to find the place empty so maybe booking a table is not always necessary. We were made very welcome & having never been before, were pleased to find it is a very lovely old building, clean and well maintained. The menu was not too big but easily something for all tastes. Wine list was also very good. Once we had all chosen starters & main courses and settled in with out drinks the food soon arrived. Everything was very well presented and we all enjoyed both courses with no negative feedback, although no one asked. Around the same time as we were finishing our main courses a group, including lots of young children arrived somewhere in the pub behind us. Once our table was cleared we never saw another member of staff! The previously unnoticed background music was turned up & we sat for another 30 minutes or so before we went to the bar to ask for the bill. We had never been offered desert or coffee (not sure if they do them to be honest) so we went to the bar to pay the bill and left. Sorry but we did not leave a tip, however the best tip would be to look after ALL your customers right to the end of their meal. No doubt we would have had more drinks, food & coffee if asked as we went back to our friend who lived locally and had booked the table where we drank & ate in peaceful comfort. So yes, it was a great start but sadly not once the children's party took priority. I would still recommend the food as the burgers were great.

Superb quality of both real ales and gastronomic delights. The food menu, together with the ever changing specials has to be seen to be believed. A popular establishment with a nice friendly atmosphere. Cannot praise enough.

The sun was out so we walked to the Gibraltar Castle Pub with friends for Sunday lunch. The pub is traditional English with loads of character, the staff are very friendly. The lunch menu is distinctly "Gastro" with a lot of choice with some unusual dishes alongside pub classics. I chose Beef Teriyaki Salad which was light and very tasty while my friends chose Fish and Chips which was not at all greasy and, according to my friends, excellent. They weren't very busy on the day we were there, we sat outside and the service was excellent. The cost of 2 courses, including wine, was £28 each which we all agreed was good value. I was impressed with The Gibraltar Castle and we will definitely be going back.

The beer was of reasonable quality, but had to wait an absolute age for the food, which was not worth it.Paying top price for fish and chips and only getting what can be best described as a pensioners portion is not good.The only time I got a smile from any of the staff was when she handed back my credit card and receipt.A return visit? NO.

This restaurant is excellent for families. The food is well priced and of the best possible quality. The adults had Sunday roasts followed by desserts whilst the children chose sausages and chips. The food was well cooked and the resulting bill was extremely reasonable. Our welcome into the pub was friendly and we were offered drinks whilst we waited for everyone to arrive. Certainly will return when we next visit Harpenden.

Fabulous local pub - lovely old building with great decor. Roaring fires in winter and a nice garden for the summer. Very welcoming for families. Have now eaten here on several occasions and the food is excellent - menu is just the right size - big enough to give choice but small enough to ensure it tastes good. Had a really good beef stroganoff and the spotted dick with custard was exactly as is should be! Came out full and happy! Service is good and the staff are really friendly and welcoming. Would definitely recommend this pub for either a friendly drink or a nice meal.

On arrival. No service. Had to go and collect menu. Good menu, but slightly pricy- food must be v good. Wrong assumption to make. My partner chose beef baguette. I chose beef stogonoff. Baguette was not buttered and contained nothing but a thin slice of old tasting beef! With a small side serving of greasy chips. All for £6.95. The beef stroganoff was swimming in grease and tasted bland and old! Meat was rubbery. It came out very fast which leads me to believe it was heated up in a microwave having been made in bulk (poss the day before and frozen!) it was disgusting. The side salad was very pleasant. The staff came across friendly but service was poor. When the food was brought out, no offer of sauces, salt or pepper. And did not return once during the meal to check how things were. Reluctantly paid the bill and left. Will not be returning.

We hadn't booked, but we're fitted in no problem, the place got much busier after we arrived. The food was fantastic, good quality ingredients cooked to perfection. We had three roasts and one chicken pie and desserts, we were stuffed! Fantastic service, generous portion sizes. This was our first visit here for food, we will be returning when in area. We found the whole place clean and tidy inc the loos. Nice outside seating area. Dog friendly.

delicious traditional pub food, lovely atmosphere. very friendly staff. a traditional pub with a roaring fire, locals and dog friendly.

If you are looking for a dog friendly place to eat and drink you won't go far wrong by coming here. On walking through the front door we were greeted by a roaring fire, pleasant company and complementary dog biscuits that impressed our hound.We both had 8oz burgers, covered with a slice of fat free bacon but we declined the cheese that normally accompanies this meal. Normally when eating homemade large pub burgers the plate is wet with dripping grease but these burgers were bone dry even when squeezed. The burgers were served with ample fries and a small side salad. At £12.95 for a burger many pubs serve steaks at that price so despite the quality of the ground beef we felt the meals were over priced. Take note that the pubs website menu shows a lower price! The pub was a fantastic find, really cosy with no music or fruit machines, just laughing customers and the odd sleeping dog under a table.The cost 2x Burgers @ £ 26.90Pint of beer @ £3.70Diet Coke @ £2.80Half pint of beer@£1.90Total price £34.10.I don't think I have ever paid such a high price for a simple pub lunch for 2. Will we come back? I think so but not as often as it would have been if the pub had been better value.

wouldn't waste my time folks staff have zero personality and the food is shithouse.toilets are disgusting and the portions are a joke,typical harpenden boozer if you ask me full of braindead maggots on coke talking crap.and the beer warm tastes like bath water.no wonder the uk is the laughing stock of the planet