HATCH in St Albans

Absolutely brilliant! Amazing menu and a great atmosphere..even some great Vegan options.

Definitely the most consistent cafe in St. Albans

Had a bite to eat before watching a show. It is a very modern restaurant and very comfortable. The food was amazing. All the food that came to the table was top notch. All food looked very good on the eye. The service was very good on the whole, my only minor complaint it got a bit slow towards the end. They were very busy so not a massive grumble. The atmosphere was good, a very busy restaurant but that comes with good food. A great place to eat, give it a try.

Not sure why so many 5 star reviews, this is pretty average. Had a chicken burger and fries. Fries were nice chicken burger was very average. A bit dry, yes crispy chicken but didn’t really have much flavour. Burger over all a bit dry, no relish, source or even a bit of lettuce . I think there may have been a small blob of mayo on the bottom . Did not finish it and would not order again.

One of my fav brunch spots ever, and I've been to a few ;)

Had my first visit to HATCH in St Albans. With much appreciation and love to staff Harriet and Steph who made me an amazing oat latte. Each sip of that latte had not only brought me comfort as a smooth creamy texture of oat satisfied me, but also the taste of espresso itself had a unique sweetness to it. I couldn’t describe it. But I can confidently say I can’t go back after trying HATCH coffee. Another great mention to Lucy, who served me with smile and had a lovely welcoming vibe from the start I’ve arrived. I felt confident and comfortable to communite with the team. And compliments to the chefs for the food they’ve made.

Great place! The burgers were probably the best we've had since we lived in the USA some years ago. Good coffee and imaginative soft drinks (it was lunch and everyone was driving, so we didn't try the beer & wine list). Ben T, our waiter, was excellent. BTW - you could add more than a (discretionary) 5% tip to the bill. The service is certainly worth it!

Probably best food in town. Quite busy in a usual weekdays for lunch. Loving the waffle a fluffy instead of hard like rock. Coffee is great too

Food was delicious, we went in the late afternoon so we had burgers & fries. The cucumber, mint & lime juice was divine, ‘made fresh daily’! The staff are welcoming & helpful. The vibe is really lovely & laidback. We’ll be back to try the breakfast dishes for sure.

Incredible food, the place is always busy and full of people. Great coffee, great cocktails. Had the burger special, it was general tso chicken burger. 10/10 would recommend

Perfect spot for food & drink when in town, good range of vegan options & our server Ben T was really lovely!

It was very busy, so we were on stools at the window, but we were not forgotten and received the same service as everyone else. I had a dirty Reubens and my daughter had the special, which she said was really good.

I thought this a small cafe but once inside it's a large casual restaurant with Interesting good food and friendly service.

Visited St Albans for the day, this was easily one of the best breakfast/brunch spots I’ve ever been too. Halloumi/Avo bun with added bacon was so good! Would definitely recommend!

Nice people nice food. We have an early lunch with our children.

Recently discovered Hatch has taken over the former Carluccio's. More reasonable than Joe the Juice for coffee and the waffles are reasonable. Friendly staff.

Walked in at lunchtime on a Friday and were lucky to be seated pretty quickly. It was busy. And I can see why. Great choice for brunch - lots of gluten free options for Mum. Big portions. I had Buffalo Chicken Benedict which was amazing. Good value too. Servers were also all lovely. Definitely reccomend.

I visited on a Monday lunchtime, while we did have to wait 15 mins for a table, it wasn’t an issue for us. Ordered various dishes, including a kids meal for a 1.5 year old. We ordered with a waiter, he was a bit slow with coming over to us but otherwise nice. Unfortunately, our order got lost in the kitchen and we went over to ask how long our food was. Our original waiter hadn’t seemed to check on the status of our food, despite his tables around us receiving their food, who came in after us. We went over to a woman (manager I think) called Holly, who was far more helpful and so apologetic even though it wasn’t her fault at all. She kept us updated and offered our drinks free and 25% off the food too. This was generous and we were happy to wait for our food to arrive. As our food arrived, one of us had to go and walk round the toddler in the buggy to sleep, and Holly put those plates back under the heat lamps to keep warm. I thoroughly enjoyed the full English and my partner loved the Cajun chicken burger and hash brown bites. When the toddler was finally asleep, we were told the final dish was getting remade so it was super fresh-which was more than generous! All the food was delicious and the service and kindness from Holly was absolutely wonderful. While we were very happy with the resolutions made, we were also offered our meal free, which was more than generous! She was so compassionate and went above and beyond for us. She deserves some recognition for being so lovely!

Amazing food especially the chicken burger and the banana and Oreo waffle is something I dream about daily Also great with toddlers

Fantastic spot for brunch, with great food and a welcoming vibe. The service is top-notch, and a big shout-out to George for going the extra mile - friendly, attentive, and always making the experience better. Definitely worth a visit!

My first time visiting this little gem! First impressions were how attentive and efficient the front of house staff were. The ambience was lovely and buzzing. It did start to get a little busy, but that just goes to show how in demand this place is! Would love to visit again when I'm back in the area.

Excellent visit. Our waiter was friendly and knowledgeable. Great welcoming and very helpful guy. General Tso burger was delicious. Definitely we’ll definitely come back!

Great food and drinks. Staff seem very hard working. I LOVE HATCH

Hatch wasn't for me music heavy on the beat and loud, not at all relaxing, cold wooden chairs and benches, it was a cold February day with cold drizzle the ambience non-existent - we left cancelling our order. Probably OK on a summer's day too many free loaders with one coffee and laptops.

Absolutely delicious! Mine and my family’s favourite brunch place. The food is always fresh, tasty and great variety. The service was great, always manage to book or walk in - they are very accommodating. Space for highchairs and buggies. We recently had a bottomless brunch there and food was fantastic. Drinks were flowing! The best chicken schnitzel burger in the world! A monthly spot for us.

What a lovely place to go for a filling brunch. We had the Full English and the Full Vegan, both of which were delicious. The staff were very welcoming, friendly and helpful and the atmosphere was really nice. The prices are pretty reasonable too, so all in all a visit well worth making. Thanks very much for a lovely time.

Love this place. Warm welcome, great food and lovely decor. In a high street full of Bill’s, five guys etc, Hatch really stands out. Great menu and reasonable prices .

Holly is amazing. She was really helpful and clear with our takeaway order and hospitable.

First time visiting and definetely not the last one! Probably one of the best brunch places we’ve ever been to: the food is fantastic and all the ingredients in the meals we ate are very well combined. Even if the place is busy the atmosphere is still great and the staff is exceptional :) Very attentive and friendly :) Highly recommend!

Ben and co. were tremendous. Food and pricing were fair. It's great to see a place grow over time.

Absolutely wonderful staff, lovely atmosphere and music and the food and hot drinks were delicious too! Will definitely be back again 😁

Nice friendly restaurant with eclectic menu. Excellent service with very tasty food. Thank you.

This place has great burgers and a chill American diner vibe. Love it. The staff are always friendly and accommodating. Highly recommend!

Lovely casual place with great food and great prices. The service was prompt and attentive, will definitely be returning to try their breakfast too.

My absolute favourite place in St Albans! Food and staff are incredible!

Another fantastic visit to Hatch . Food and service top notch as usual. Thanks to Ben and George for looking after us . We love Hatch and will be back.

Had another amazing brunch here! They cater brilliantly to allergies with Gluten Free options in a separate menu (BLTA is delicious!) and also accommodated a pram with no issue. Place was packed but service was excellent - shout out to Ben and Sophia in particular for their attention! Food came quickly with good sized portion, plus coffee was spot on. Highly recommend!

We had the chicken waffle and unfortunately it was nowhere near enough to fill us up. So the portion size is very small in our opinion. And we had to wave around to get a waitress to take our order. My chicken and waffle arrived before my wifes.. so I almost finished mine and then her meal arrived. Overall we don’t think we would go back.

Great place, went for brekkie with my parents. Friendly service and good value for money. We ordered the veg breakfast. The hash browns are lovely here.

Lovely people who make eating there a comfortable experience.

This was such a fun place to visit. Really busy, which is always a good sign and really good experience here. Big menu and good catering for dietary requirements

There's a reason this place is always busy! Yummy food, great coffee and attentive service. Thank you Hatch.

We were promptly seated which was really good considering we were walk ins and not pre booked. The atmosphere was vibrant and busy but for us a little too loud. That's not the staff or business's fault just stating it in case people are looking for a quiet place for brunch/lunch. Our biggest negative was the food and some staff. When asked how our food was (half of which we left behind). My wife explained that the fries and her main were both too salty. The response she received was "That's ok, no worries". Not really deserving of 4/5 star for service or food. No attempt was made to correct this or understand the feedback, so we left a little disappointed.

This is a must go to every time we come to St Albans from Brighton Everything about this place is spot on. Buffalo Benedict and a couple of dark & stormys is normally to order of choice

Ok, I’m addicted! This place is absolutely amazing and will be returning when the kids are back at school and I don’t have to share!

One of the all time greats. The amount of options on the menu is simply unreal, I don't know how the kitchen does it. Really is something for everyone! I would probably recommend booking (if they do bookings) as it can get really busy midday. But the food is the real star of the show here, a real gem.

First time. Very busy but still top food. Will come again.

Dog friendly - and people friendly … what amazing arrival and hospitality from the staff !! AND … unbelievable food !! Honestly the best brunch in St Albans and served by great people .. loved it x

Went here for brunch last week - HIGHLY recommend! Very easy to walk to in the town centre, a little tucked away so unlikely to just stumble upon it. We didn't book and the place was busy, though a table for 2 was fine. People are in and out so can't imagine you'd have to wait long for a small table. Really struggled to decide on one dish to order, chose the Buffalo Benedict and Berry Waffles. Both were so tasty! The waffle was incredibly light and fluffy, the benedict was excellent! Defo worth a visit.

First visit since Hatch moved to St Christopher's Pl, great location and atmosphere. Quite busy when we visited at 9:15 might be worth us making a reservation next time but they squeezed us in OK. Service was still superb with plenty of kind helpful staff on hand. We had the full English breakfast and thoroughly enjoyed it. Overall a great independent café with great value food and attention to detail in food and service.

*Great experience, would recommend* It was very busy when we arrived, but we were able to easily book a table for 45 mins later. Every table was occupied but they were spaced out enough that we didn't have to squeeze past anyone, and the chairs & tables themselves were bigger than you often see in such busy places. Also, there was a whole kitchen roll on the table instead of napkins, which we liked. The food & drink itself was delicious (perfect poached eggs) and the staff were really helpful & friendly. I'd definitely go again!

Excellent location for lunch. Plenty of veggie and vegan options and nice quality ingredients use. Staff very friendly. Dont always agree with adding a service charge but 5% is fair level.

Service was great. Food is good and worth the price.

Just had brunch here and it was amazing, friendly staff and amazing food! Thank you!

Excellent, definitely worth a visit.

Had a terrible experience on my first and probably last visit to this restaurant. We were sat next to a table with a very active dog wagging its tail that was hitting our legs. We asked to be moved and was only given the option of sitting on high table with bar stools which was not appropriate for us. The manager was very unsympathetic and just stated the it’s their policy to allow pets. Whilst I have no objection to pets in restaurants, not everyone wants to eat in close proximity to animals and should be given the option whether you want to sit next to a table with a pet. Priority should be given to paying customers after all.

What a little gem in St Albans. This place had a great atmosphere. Honestly had one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. Lovely staff very friendly and helpful. Can’t wait to come back.

Great place for food or just to simply hang out with friends especially if you are a mum and have a pram. Plenty of space and staff are very accommodating.

I was so impressed with Hatch the first time that I had to see of the quality of the food would be the same the second time. It certainly did not disappoint! Make sure you book as it can get busy, even on a weekday!

Really appreciated amazing food Really helpful staff fantastic thanks

This place is from another world! These guys literally make scramble egg and sourdough toast taste heavenly! My hubbie went for chicken n waffles and he was speechless, it was THAT amazing. We were served by Ben who truly gave us a celebrity status treatment, very friendly, very good sense of humour, he made our day :-) He's a keeper! Will be back again, for sure!

Stunning food and stunning service - absolutely love the food, especially the loaded hash browns! Big shoutout to Ben T for being the best server going, he always remembers us, never fails to make us laugh and makes our experience 10/10!

Wonderful selection of brunch foods with quick service, especially with how busy it is. If you plan to eat here I would book in advance as you can be waiting a long time to get in otherwise

Food is sublime as ever. They even make a burger delicious. Service excellent. Cocktails best value in St Albans. Decor and atmosphere give it a bit of a school refectory feel. Still worth going.

First visit since the change in location! A much needed move as there is a lot more space now and still got a lovely cosy atmosphere. Staff are attentive and food is nice. A lovely brunch spot.

Great buzzing brunch and lunch place. Great selection and good quality. Really friendly service. Always busy so book if you can.

Had the yogurt and berries , was really good. Excellent coffee. Interiors is my kind of style, so all good

Food was decent. Not amazing but decent. Main issue was portion size was small for the price. Please note this was for dinner. I think brunch is much better here than dinner

Great place for an evening meal . Service is impeccable. Beers are great. Burger and sides fantastic.

Great place for an evening meal . Service is impeccable. Beers are great. Burger and sides fantastic.

The first meal I had when I came to St. Albans was this restaurant. First of all, as someone who doesn’t like baked beans, this English breakfast is simply perfect! ! Every ingredient is very delicious, the eggs are cooked just right, the sweet and juicy roasted tomatoes and mushrooms go well with the sausage and bacon, the butter on the toast is also very fragrant, and a cup of latte is super satisfying! The space in the store is very spacious and comfortable. Because there was only one person seated by the window, the clerk didn’t notice me for a long time. It took me a little longer to stop someone to help with the order... but this was nothing. Big problem, the attitude of the store staff is also very good, and the dining experience is great!

The first meal I had when I came to St. Albans was this restaurant. First of all, as someone who doesn’t like baked beans, this English breakfast is simply perfect! ! Every ingredient is very delicious, the eggs are cooked just right, the sweet and juicy roasted tomatoes and mushrooms go well with the sausage and bacon, the butter on the toast is also very fragrant, and a cup of latte is super satisfying! The space in the store is very spacious and comfortable. Because there was only one person seated by the window, the clerk didn’t notice me for a long time. It took me a little longer to stop someone to help with the order... but this was nothing. Big problem, the attitude of the store staff is also very good, and the dining experience is great!

Really great service and the breakfast Greek poached egg and avocado toast was delicious! Best part was the cappuccino coffee which was top notch too. Would highly recommend

I went there yesterday for the first time with my partner and kid. Love the food, the atmosphere and the service. They accommodate every our request. Loved the juices as well. Definitely recommend and we will be back.

Fantastic food... Highly recommended!

We were group of six, since the seating the service was extremely good and noticable that the stuff are really making their best for you. The food is just excellent and fairly priced.

Best brunch i tried this summer, totally worth driving all the way from central London for this amazing restaurant, food is delicious, place is very clean and the staff members are great.

Loved the atmosphere, super service and great food!

Fab fab fab but book in advance!

A gem in St Albans - great location and super freshly cooked food. Every member of staff was smiling. That in itself is rare. Highly recommended!

We ordered chicken and double cheeseburger. They are all perfect and fantastic that we forgot to take any pictures of them.

Fantastic and absolutely delicious food. Diner like feel to the space, top breakfast and lunch spot couldnt recommend enough. Good coffee too. Buffalo benedict A++++ Make sure to arrive early or reserve well in advance.

Absolutely superb food, amazing cappuccino and a real buzz as breakfast got underway. Would highly recommend but I absolutely hated the fact that they refuse to accept my cash payment, this is a sad indictment of the society we are in as cash is legal tender and should be used to pay for any good you buy.

Lovely food and very friendly staff. Would definitely recommend for breakfast or brunch if your in St Albans

Amazing food! We had chicken and waffles and the double cheeseburger. We did have to wait 25 mins (they took our details and notified us when our table was ready which meant we could leave and come back). Definitely recommend visiting!

This evening was our 2nd visit, and I have to say it was even better than the first time. Firstly, the food is Fantastic! Secondly, the service is Outstanding! On both occasions the atmosphere was ? Just chilled, warm, great energy, vibe? 2 out of 3 of us are vegan, and the variety offered on the menu is exceptional. For this meateater the chicken & ribs are A-Star! On both occasions, even though service is included, I have left a tip. Because that team deserves it.

Amazing food as always. Best brunch in St Albans

Superb service. Excellent food. One of our group is Coeliac and impressive care was taken over food selection and preparation. Overall superb

Really enjoyed my visit. The food was superb , the staff were friendly . Would recommend booking in advance as it gets very busy.

Came in with dogs and the lovely staff made us all very welcome. Small menu but was super tasty. The chicken schnitzel burger was sooooo good. Lovely little spot in St Albans

A great dog friendly restaurant. Had the schnitzel burger, was amazing!!

This is how you run a food service business. Probably been over 30 times now never had a bad meal. Food is fantastic, service with a smile and so damn consistent. Can’t fault it. Kinda ruined brunch for me because 95% of the other places I try are so bad compared to hatch. You will not be disappointed by your visit and I wish the owner all the success in the world. He clearly has a brain and has worked out how to make and keep his customers happy.

We come here a lot, food is always awesome and the staff are always super friendly. Loads of varied food options, really fun for brunch or dinner. The burgers are pretty epic, and the loaded hash browns are the best! Great drink options too! Favourite place to take people visiting St Alban's!

Service was very slow on Sunday, but it was definitely worth waiting for! Delicious 😋 and we were treated to a free coffee for our patience. Highly recommend.

Had a mix up with a Deliveroo order and when we called to let them know, the lady on the phone was amazing and very apologetic. Went to get the missing items that they remade of us and got a few sweet treats as an apology. Their service is always so amazing and the food is always fantastic!

10/10, divine food. Top quality. Had the chicken schnitzel burger with fries. Cannot fault it. Amazing spot. Went for dinner! Top service too.

Hatch has been on my list for a long time and it is now going to be a regular brunch option for me. Inside it can get quite noisy but we sat outside as the weather was good enough. The menu is sizeable and full of familiar dishes. All the egg dishes looked great and the truffle version I got was done well with a perfectly poached egg. The veg burger was properly done and didn’t feel like an afterthought compared to the nonveg options. The dessert options including the waffles looked great but we skipped, it means one to try next time!

Had the most amazing burger (the Louis) with very friendly service. Will be back!

We tried to get a table around lunchtime Sunday but the wait was more than the time we had. Very helpfully we were directed to their sister establishment round the corner, Marmalade, which has the same menu. In fact the guy very kindly walked us round there and called ahead to ensure there was a table free. The food was delicious and if I lived in St Albans I would visit again.

My favourite place to eat. Amazing brunch food, gorgeous burgers, friendly staff. If you're in St. Albans, absolutely go here!