John Bunyan Pub in St Albans

A useful pub at the intersection of several public footpaths, this pub has good food and atmosphere. Popular with walkers; plenty of parking and a good selection of ales on tap.

The beef casserole was superb that was enjoyed in the large and open sunny garden off a very quiet country lane. Food was accompanied by good beer served by an amusing and chatty pub owner. Thoroughly recommended!

Gave this place a try as I heard it's not McMullens anymore but a freehouse. Excellent beer and food. Would definitely recommend 👌

Welcoming host, well kept beer and tasty food. Well worth a visit.

Food is good and choices are substantial. Lovely pub and good atmosphere, nice and quiet. Would recommend as a stopping point whilst walking or cycling in the surrounding area. The only downside is that it's a McMullen's. The John Bunyan is now a free house and so now given it 5 stars

Idyllic setting. Excellent lager and bitter selection

This is a gem of a little country pub where dogs are more than welcome. Friendly couple run this pub with enthusiasm and warmth. Good food at a reasonable price. Great country walks .

Friendly welcome. Good selection of beers. Large seating areas outside. Large carpark. Well situated for public footpaths in the area

Great pub. Top real ales - 4 to choose from Landlord gives a warm welcome, nothing too much trouble Pub games available, we played a variety of card games.

Been a few times with dog, great proper country pub.

Visited last Sunday for a bikers meet, great pub with lots of parking space. Lovely place with wonderful friendly people serving the customers.

It was great to see all bikes and scooters.had a fun afternoon

Lovely country pub, friendly staff! There is plenty of seating in doors and outside. Really recommend!!

Just a fabulous country pub with fantastic food and beer.

Went to bike night there fairly good turn out not the greatest roads on approach tho better for adventure bikes lol

Service was a bit slow but food was lovely

Nice friendly atmosphere, with good food and beer in a wonderful country location

The food was amazing the landlord and landlady were so friendly made us feel so welcome will be returning!

It is a traditional pub in every sense. Well worth a visit. Great choice of beers and food

I am truly sorry to say that I was disappointed with this pub today. I'm quite local but have only been into the John Bunyan once or twice in the last few years, and not recently; I was looking forward to returning. Inside the pub was really chilly, so much so that after ten minutes I went back out to the car for a jacket; there was no heating on at all (we touched two radiators, which were completely cold), and the was no real fire in the grate. This really did affect our visit adversely. I like my cask ales and was pleased to see, as expected, 3 Brewers of St.Albans 'Classic' on draught, a beer I know well and like a lot, and which is very local (the brewery is about a mile away), but it was off - cloudy, which it shouldn't be, and did not taste at all as it should; I repeat, it's a beer I know well (I know both the brewery owner and the head brewer). I drank about two-thirds of it, not bothering to take it back; perhaps I should have. And finally the food was really rather disappointing, I can only describe it as average. We simply had a filled roll each, and whilst both were acceptable, that is all; very ordinary grated cheese in mine (sliced cheese is so much better in my view, and something a little more flavoursome would've been nice), but the bacon in my friend's roll was good - she said as much, and it certainly looked good to me. I feel that neither was worth £7.45 (I do know that that isn't very much in today's world, but I still think it's somewhat too much for what we got today). The pub itself, I really like, it's an old-school country boozer: just how they should be to my mind! However, overall this visit was not a good experience I'm afraid; again, it was disappointing. I think this is the third time I've ever given a poor review of something, and, please believe me, I take no pleasure in doing so. But I won't give up on the John Bunyan, I will be back, hoping that today was an exception and that things there are as I have found them to be in the past. EDIT, following the response from the pub. Yes, I really should have talked to you about it at the time, my apologies. As stated, I will be back, and that's a promise, because I know that it's actually a decent pub. Today it wasn't good for my friend and I, but these things happen. See you next time 😊

Bikers nights are amazing here. So many like minded bikers.

Attractive pub in out-of-the-way location ...

Was so welcoming ,food was great more than enough to eat. Very clean and we will be returning shortly ,justwished we lived nearer

Fantastic pub, delicious food, fabulous ambience and lots of games to play… I finally learnt how to play dominoes . The landlord’s Ant and Faith have created a gem of a place. Highly recommend 5 stars!

Super friendly and great attention Even our dog got spoiled with biscuits by the owner. They came out with a surprise candle in icecream as it was my mums birthday. Really good food and good portions. Will definitely go back!

Lovely pub, lovely staff. Thank you for lift back to our car, above and beyond. Liked that you could get smaller portions if wanted.

Secluded pub with a lovely welcoming atmosphere from locals and staff. Well kept ales and proper home cooked food. We will definitely return.

Lunchtime - Huge portions but nicely cooked. Friendly staff. A wee bit drafty and needs more cushions on chairs 🙂

Enjoyed our main course (steak and kidney pudding) but disappointed to be told at 2.15pm that the kitchen had closed and we could not have dessert. A warning beforehand would have been helpful. Otherwise we were happy.

Wonderful place Very nice owner.

Proper review this time. Can't go wrong with locally made Three Brewers beer on tap when I last visited, so much better than when it was McMullens. Proper non chain pub, friendly staff, genuine country pub atmosphere. Lots of outdoor space as well. Must go back and try the food one day. Worth a visit.

Lovley country pub plenary of ales if you ales very friendly pub worth the visit really nice atmosphere lovley open fire I’ll come again

A fabulous pub with great food and really friendly, affable and approachable hosts. Highly recommend their Tikka Masala!!! Delicious.

We love coming up here on weekends for a drink and bite to eat. It's a lovely traditional pub and the food, (whether just a sandwich or a hot meal) never disappoints. It's set in gorgeous spot, surrounded by beautiful countryside, where you can feel chilled out and relaxed. It kind of takes you back in time (well it does me), to when life was simpler and away from all the hustle and bustle. The owners, Anthony and Faith are lovely and very welcoming. It's our favourite local, and our dog is always welcome too.

Great spot good hosts Great food and service Wonderful hosts Easy parking Good beer A very chilled atmosphere

A delightful pub in seemingly the middle of nowhere! I received a warm welcome and some good natured jokes about the regulars upon entering. The bar staff (in this case mostly the chef!) were very helpful, notably explaining where some of the ales on tap were from in the local area and chatting about some of the more unusual bottles, like a sweet potato rum. The local ales were from a brewery only a few fields away and decidedly pleasant in character. Nice selection of beers and spirits, plus a machine for tea and coffee. Dog friendly, and with multiple friendly dogs during my visit. They also sell honey from a local apiary. I haven't opened the jar yet, but it's meant to be floral in character. Seating both indoors between a main area and a partially enclosed side room, and covered benches outside.

A great family owned pub. Run by Anthony and faith. Good banter from Anthony, and delicious food cooked by Faith!! If you’re in the area, give it a visit, you won’t be disappointed!!

As usual, fantastic atmosphere and service at the John Bunyan! Excellent beers and menu. Nothing is too much trouble! If eating make sure that you book in advance (to avoid disappointment!) and read the specials menu. The Broccoli Bake was amazing today! The pizzas are also delicious! Definitely worth a visit!

Great country pub that’s also biker friendly

This beautiful classic pub is a fine example of a quaint traditional pub. It has a lovely atmosphere, welcoming staff and a wide range of lovely food and drinks. Upon my first visit a few months ago I was welcomed in by Faith and Ant as if I was an old friend and every visit has been exactly the same. I highly recommend this beautiful pub!!

Great proper pub. Recently changed to a free house from a McMullens pub so now serving great beer. (Brilliant) friendly welcome, great atmosphere and great pint of 3 Brewers.

Thank you for welcoming my family for my sisters wake. Food layed on was lovely.

On Saturday I arranged for 20 cyclists to stop at The John Bunyan for drinks and sandwiches for my wife’s 60th cycle. Faith put on a lovely spread of sandwiches and the drinks were swiftly administered by Anthony (lovely beer by the way). We all had a fabulous time and were well looked and shall return!

We had a BBQ tonight as a charity fundraiser for Hornbeam Wood Hedgehog Sanctuary, the food was amazing, the best vegetarian burger I have ever had. Wonderful hospitality too. Highly recommend this pub.

Six of us were planning to visit the pub's beer festival on September 10th but, on discovering that half pints of beer were subjected to a severe price loading, we changed our afternoon social to a different pub. It appears that it is not possible to post a photograph of the chalk board with a sticker saying pints £4.50 and half pints £2.50. I make that a loading of 25p, not 10p, per half pint surcharge which, I respectively suggest, is excessive.

Thank you to the John Bunyan for putting on such a successful event, showcasing local produce and talent. We had such a great time (and full tummies!) on Saturday that we came back on Sunday for seconds, more fun and more live music! Shout out to John The Butcher (JTB) and team for creating truly excellent sausages. Loved the Welsh Dragon in particular! Hope it becomes an annual event.

An extremely traditional, dog-friendly pub in beautiful, quiet surroundings by the forest. No pretensions so not much to look at inside but all the better for that.

Delicious food (schnitzel and pie) today here. The location is great and staff always very welcoming. One of our favourites for sure.

Really friendly staff - nice to see the pub’s been taken over by the original tenants and the pub’s now a freehouse - great range of beers, dog friendly and a bike meet on Thursday nights 😎😎😎

Waited and hour and a half for mediocre food that was overpriced

Lovely country pub, friendly staff, quirky interior

Lovely people and atmosphere, love visiting as always a friendly welcome. Whether eating indoor or outdoors it's a great place in the countryside to pop into while your out and about

I already had it rated at 5 stars but now it's a free house and the new owners are able to put their personality into the pub it's got better. Also nice to see them using so much local produce, sausages from the local butcher to ales from a local brewery.

Soooo cosy and cute. Amazing ales

We have been regulars to here for 40 odd years with our dearest friends, we used to love the AK beer but Anthony and Faith have made an amazing choice of new beers that my husband loves. The food is great, good price and big portions but it is the landlord and landlady that make it, they treat all as family. We will keep visiting until our days on earth end, thr most amazing pub

The John Bunyan has recently changed owners, however is still run by some of the best landlords in the county. Faith and Anthony are very welcoming, with genuine love for the trade and show a kindness to all customers. The beer selection is second to none, with Three Brewers brewing some fantastic beer, complimented by other classics. The range outshines all local pubs (e.g. Farr brewery's Elephant and Castle, Miller and Carter, The Swan) and in this day and age, reasonably priced. I can't comment on food, however it appears to be 'pub classics,' and generally smells good when we go in for drinks. While it is a touch out the way of the village, it's definitely worth a visit, especially if you're on a walk or cycle in the area.

Traditional pub. Very friendly. Great location with good pub grub.

THE PLACE TO BE. Super dog friendly (our dog is more popular than us) and the owners Anthony and Faith are such lovely people. Cannot recommend enough 😊

Consistently great food and service from the owners who go out of their way to look after you.

After a half an hour walk to the pub we (2 of us) stopped for a drink and some food. We went to the bar and picked up a menu and were immediately met by the Landlord who said "have you booked?" to which we replied " no". He then told us we could not have any food as a 'walk in' as they were too busy making food for a table of 5, one of 4 and one of 3 - not even a sandwich. It's location makes it a casual stop - we will not be going there again and definitely would not recommend it.

Excellent country side pub! Great location food amazing and perfect costumer service! You feel like at home!

I came back for second time which was nice in the sunny weather but just the chicken was a bit too dry to eat. Otherwise was a nice meal

I tried to enter with a child but Fagin twitched his fingerless gloves and grimaced. Kids no welcome .

So lovely, nice food and dog friendly I will be back soon for that jacket potato x

It was good enough, providing refreshment to weary walkers. Great setting. Lovely countryside.

Pop in after a walk with my daughter and the dog, food and service was Brilliant, no children are allowed to eat or drink in the pup , but it was a nice day so didn't matter. Would strongly recommend this pub.

Excellent family run pub with fabulous beers, amazing atmosphere and lovely food. Will always be a family favourite.

Wonderful country pub, roaring fire and dog friendly, great place to stop after a walk for a pint and a meal. Thank you Anthony and Faith for your hospitality!

Lovely atmosphere, friendly and lovely food. Even sang happy birthday to me since it was my birthday! My elderly father loves this pub and always feels special since he is looked after so well. A+++

Walkers not welcome :( they would not let us sit and eat our packed lunches on the green opposite the pub, despite buying a huge round of drinks. Came out and said we had to move on. Can understand if it was the pub garden we were in, but we were just sitting on the green outside. We looked on OS maps and the land opposite is actually open access and not owned by them. The pub garden was completely empty apart from a couple of people so it wasn't like we were taking up valuable space for customers. Unfriendliest experience I have had in a pub in all my years of walking, so won't be returning.

Popped in for a quick ale after a walk with the Mrs . We Instantly felt very welcomed by staff and locals so stayed for another . highly recommend seeing it for yourself( just to make sure we didn't just catch them on a good day) 👍 And As Menu looked good and the food people were being served smelt amazing we will definitely be returning to try the food for ourselves ☆☆☆☆☆ See you again soon I hope

Our group of walkers stopped by during one of our walks and politely asked if we'd be able to have our packed lunches in the outdoor seating area of the pub. There were no patrons eating outside and a big portion of us purchased drinks at the pub, but we were told we weren't allowed to eat there anyways any food not purchased at the pub, which is fair enough. However the impoliteness of the bar staff reached surprising levels when we were told we were not authorised to eat on the green opposite the pub either. As I said most of our party purchased drinks at the bar, and the pub seems to be in their right as they claim the green opposite the pub is part of their property. Nonetheless, this attitude towards our group certainly didn't earn them any favours. I'll never bring my custom to this pub and will advise others to follow suit as I'm doing through this post.

Would not let us picnic on the 2 big greens in front of to the pub (both open access land) even though we did purchase drinks, invoking a nebulous "law". We met other walkers after our stop who confirmed how unfriendly the pub was. Avoid at all cost

Been coming here for years whilst venturing out on my bikes rides but only just now left a review. Anthony behind the bar is super friendly and the lady in the kitchen is amazing. Love the food and the open fire. I'll be visiting for years to come

A very traditional country pub on a quiet lane, popular with locals and walkers. Lovely beer garden in the summer, and a cosy interior with open fire on cooler days. The pub has a fairly small bar and separate dining area; all light wood with plenty of jugs, wall plates and other traditional pub paraphernalia. (Didn’t take interior pictures as didn’t want to be intrusive.) Really friendly hosts and a nice environment. McMullens isn’t my favourite real ale but it’s local and is kept/served well. Haven’t tried the food but it looked good. Noticed that they have ‘themed’ nights; most definitely would like to return for one of these sometime.

Great hospitality and good food

Love this place, so friendly, good food too. perfect location.

food can be very hit and miss, some days it's awesome, others overcooked. otherwise I've always liked the place.

Good food and friendly staff, great service and atmosphere

I visited the John Bunyan with my daughter as a good friend of ours was helping out at an annual fete. What a lovely event and the staff couldn’t have been better! Ant and his lovely wife literally made the event!

Friendly and welcoming old fashioned charming pub. We met family here for Birthday drinks. Outside seating provided, and some under shelter too. Bar area, separate dining area as well as tables in the bar. Has a lot of charm. Pub grub available. Wish it was nearer to us!!.

Great pub, good food, Great Staff

Always love the John Bunyan, the location near some great walks, drink selection good and the food is like home cooked. When the weather is nice sitting outside is really nice and peaceful.

The food was cheap a long wait. Didn't like the staff was using the f word. Not very welcoming

Peaceful quiet and relaxing. Food was amazing and the bar team were very friendly and welcoming

There is a good selection of food catering for all tastes on the menu. The pub had a nice atmosphere and staff were friendly.

Helpful staff, plenty of choice on menu. Best food I have eaten for a while. Will go back soon.

But what a sandwich. Beautiful home-cooked ham and side salad. Excellent 4.8% IPA too... Proper country pub in lovely countryside with plenty of outside space.

Visited with the family one Friday evening. Great service and food - scampi and chips was delicious. Will definitely return. Keep up the good work !!

Lovely pint on a lovely afternoon in a lovely pub.

Really enjoyed the food and the staff were very active and present when needed. I didn't know of this pub before due to it being hidden away, but I will be back again when I am next in Welwyn as only a short drive for...

Nice people, good beer and good pub food. A pleasure to visit

Great location with a huge garden but sadly the service did not match

Lovely food and lovely staff will definitely be visiting again

Had often see the signage from the main road but never visited. Opportunity arose so drawn by previous reviews thought give it a try. At noon the large car park already bore cars but could have been walkers Bar wasnt busy & a group of...

Great food and great surroundings.

Nice remote locale. Staff cheerful. I used the green route on satnav and on lots of single lanes had to give away to miserable gits on way home from work and not yielding any right-of-way. Need another go to rate food...🤷🏾‍♂️

Visited the pub for the first time - having been recommended by some good friends . Loved our visit - the landlord, Anthony, was very nice and friendly - the quality and service for food was exceptional - Faith in the kitchen was wonderful -...

Just got home from a lovely early evening meal, with my 10 month old GSD (first meal out with him) and our daughter who has recently been struggling with a touch of social anxiety. The pup was welcomed with open arms and had a fuss made of him, he sat beautifully whilst we ate (abliet a few corrections - but nothing that would make us feel like we wouldn't take him out with us for a meal again) and our daughter managed to get up and order her own dessert at the bar. Landlord and landlady were so welcoming! Food was amazing, generous portions and was served piping hot - what more can you ask for? Our daughter was bargaining with us the whole 30 minute walk home asking if we can go there 4 times a month. Sadly we can't do it 4 times a month but we'll definately be back again soon!

Anthony and Faith are very welcoming and provide good service and reasonably priced food. Children not allowed in the bar, but spaces outside to eat under a marquée. The common outside is always a popular place when the weather is nice to have a picnic or pizza and drinks from the pub.