Harris & Hoole Harpenden in St Albans

We popped in for lunch and were shocked at the poor food handling. We watched the lady handling the food, eating from the cheese slice container, rubbing her nose and face, scratching her head and handling the food! Totally unacceptable. Needless to say we didn’t eat anything. The toilets smelt and were dirty, as was the floor in the cafe. Rubbish! Lots of better places

We’ve been here 3 times so far. It is always busy so the staff work hard. Despite this they are always friendly and welcoming. We take our dog but we sit outside as he is quite large. The drinks are the best around, in clean cups and always just as they should be made. It’s a great place to sit, people watch and unwind for a while.

Unfortunately this coffee shop is very dirty. Not just grubby. Seats with unfortunate looking stains. Bathroom which has a slightly less grey ring in the middle where it is “cleaned” an actively dirty sink and overflowing bin, reminiscent of a service station rather than a coffee shop in prime position on a well heeled high street. Tables were mostly uncleared and those that were, were certainly not wiped. I would not eat food here, and had I been to the bathroom before ordering I would not even have stopped for a coffee. It was quiet and there were more staff than were needed to serve so there really was no excuse for the state of the place. Can’t even imagine what the food prep areas look like if this is what they show their customers. Will not be returning and hoping it changes hands soon as the problems are clearly with management. This was not situational.

We just popped down to get a too good to go bag, the staff were very welcoming and lovely and the food was great. If it was very quick getting the food

A frequent haunt for us, the quality of the coffee is one of the main reasons we visit H&H in Harpenden. The staff, however, are always friendly and happy to help, another key reason for us to visit this location. Prices are reasonable, the food is good and it is a dog friendly venue.

Gave it a second try and had the same poor experience . Staff are bad , service is slow , place is grubby and I can’t stand seeing dogs sitting inside a good establishment it’s dirty enough . It has no personality .

Feels like a chain trying to pretend it’s an independent and failing… I know H&H is no longer part of Tesco but has it moved on under Caffè Nero ownership? My flat white took too long for a simple takeaway order and when it did appear, had the wrong kind of milk. One of the baristas was loudly telling her colleague that she'd been ill since Xmas, not the best look while standing over lots of people's drinks. The coffee once it came wasn't bad but I wouldn't hurry bqck. Fortunately Harpenden has some solid alternatives for decent coffee.

Grubby all over. Floors slippy. Coffee was OK. Staff looked completely demotivated. Shame as in good position in town.

Read some of the previous views and as always took little notice, stopped here on the way to Luton Hoo for a night and wanted a coffee and some brunch to keep us going. Best tasting coffee I have had from a chain coffee shop, I had a breakfast wrap and my wife had chicken and avocado bap. Staff were super friendly, knowledgeable about the coffee options and nothing was to much trouble. The manager (I think her name was Kim) was an asset to the shop and got what we wanted from a coffee shop. You don't expect 5star service but expect to feel welcome and have a nice coffee which is what we got. Was quite busy but service was quick and some cute dogs as company that belonged to other patrons. As far as a coffee shop goes it was perfect and we will be back again. If you expect silver service and no dogs then go to a top restaurant. For coffee, brunch and a welcoming atmosphere this ticked the boxes.

Dirty tables and floor staff had to clean our own table. staff unhelpful when I asked for a hand with a tray of coffee to my table as I walk with a stick and cannot manage both. Was told by staff to basically wait a minute and in the end was helped by another customer. Won’t be returning here

What a dirty, soulless, joyless place. The floors, furniture and tables were filthy. A young man was cleaning the floor but was oblivious to all of the dirty tables. Our drinks/food were delivered and the waiter tried to set this down amongst the dirty cups/plates and walk off. I asked again if the table could be cleared/cleaned. "Oh OK" was the response. The staff all looked so miserable. All down to poor management.

Still dusty and the toilets stink. It's a nice venus and I have pointed out these matters before but clearly they don't see a problem. A real shame as the atmosphere is nice but the toilet smell!

Nice place had a nice breakfast. They had ran out of some breakfast items which limited the menu but the meal I got was still very nice. Coffee is good.

I’ve avoided this place for a while because Harpenden seems to be driving out small businesses due to high rents, favoring well-known high street brands and lower-quality products. This establishment is a perfect example of a cookie-cutter business. The staff here are akin to early AI—capable of greeting you with a cheesy grin, but any attempt at further conversation leads to a dead end. I was tempted to grab a napkin and wipe away the dribble from the guy serving me. If you’re seeking a coffee and a pastry in an environment like the café in Luton and Dunstable Hospital, then I’d recommend going to the L&D as this place is nowhere near as good.

Lovely drinks and products however have visited about 5 times now and service is extremely slow. Even when it’s not busy.

Dreadful service. Very rude staff and outside space filthy.definitely wouldn’t recommend it. Had to sit next to broken electricity box. Floor covered with litter , old napkins, food wrappers. Staff deliberately unhelpful.

Visited for a coffee in May 2023, for some reason they do not serve Americano! Staff didn’t really know what they were doing, staring at their mobile phones all the time, not clearing dirty tables or assisting customers. The interior is very industrial and austere, not conducive to being comfortable or relaxing. Very expensive as to be expected in Harpenden. Don’t bother going here.

Having red the bad reviews here I think those customers just love complaining “Karen’s” if you will. It’s a brand new shop of course nothing will be perfect! I came on the 2nd day! Wonderful staff and service! As expected there will be cups on tables they’re not robots! On my 3rd visit the coffee is amazing, the staff are accommodating and even when it’s busy they’re still smiling! Definitely my new regular place to have some quiet time away from the wife!

I came here with my friends and had a lovely lunch and coffee. It is the perfect place for a relaxed brunch for anyone. I love the decor inside the cafe, it has such a welcoming feel to it. The staff were so friendly and service was very efficient. We had gorgeous food, I would especially recommend the chocolate muffin!

Staff were so friendly and approachable. All food was amazing and service was very quick Will definetly be returning!

Such lovely service! Delicious cakes and drinks at a good price. Would definitely recommend. Kim, Zak and Alice were very smiley and welcoming :)

Really looked forward to visiting as the venue itself is pleasant and seating well laid out...however left disappointed...average coffee served luke warm, menu selection is poor in comparison to similar establishments . Staff seem pleasant but it's clear the staff are new and maybe in...

Poor edition to harpenden , service ok but our food wasn’t cooked properly and presented badly .. it’s A really weird layout and we where confused actually where to sit .

I was excited to see this open and the location is great , however I thought it was a very poor experience . Firstly the layout is odd , scattered chairs in random places it doesn’t look cosy downstairs or upstairs . I saw the...