Mad Squirrel Tap in St Albans

Great beer selection mixed Atmos.

It's taken me this long to review this place because I was holding out hope for the food. With the launch of the new menu, really happy to give this place its deserved 5*. Love the staff, love booking random events here (staff are ALWAYS helpful and friendly), love the love music nights, the beer, the vibe, and the location next to the cathedral is stellar. And now the food is fab too, we had a great burger and chicken wings here tonight. Really chuffed, one of my favourite places to have a great pint with friends in St Albans.

Great brewery. Liked the style and the people. Everyone was super nice and the beers are great!

Decent - beer is generally good, especially when there are good guest beers. Pizza is disappointing

Great selection of beers and a perfect venue to listen live music whilst testing a delicious beer

Nice pub recently but the pizza has virtually no sauce, no toppings and no cheese and was burnt. They’ve stopped doing wings and now just have tight fisted expensive pizza. Shame. Otherwise good beer etc, but very disappointing food compared to previous visits.

Awesome find in St Albans for craft beer. Decent selection with friendly staff

£5.71 for a pint !!! I’m going to Wetherspoons Music very loud

A wide selection of beers and 3 sizes priced the same per ml. As such you can try more smaller ones and not be worse off. Place doesn't have a pub vibe which is a bit shame. It looks kike when some pubs atound are quite full this place is quiet and mostly empty.

I used to love this place and the pizza used to be great. This time we had to send our pizza back because there was no cheese at all (menu had said three different types of cheese )and even the tomato base was dry like it had been sitting out for hours in the sun. They brought out a new one (or maybe same one again but with a bit of sauce and cheese added) and this one was just about ok. Such a shame because used to love this place

There was this handsome long haired guy behind the bar and he had great buns (Alice was lovely too)

Not a bad spot, good selection of craft beers alongside their own.

It had a lovely atmosphere and a great view of the cathedral! The selection of beers was amazing!

Great place! Beer is amazing and contently changing, great music, good atmosphere and the food is done perfectly, can't recommend enough

Great selection of beers and staff are very knowledgeable about the beers and allow you to taste before purchasing.

Lovely garden with a stunning view of the cathedral. Perfect place for a tipple.

A great night out. Quality beers, brilliant entertainment courtesy of Ben Jovi, polite and efficient staff - even the new members of staff we met last night are professional and friendly

We used to go there all the time but then the management changed and it’s really bad! Came back after last year we waited with our friends and kids for nearly 2hrs for a couple of pizzas and chips 💥🎺🙌🏼 and after a wonderful wait our order wasn’t even complete… We rock up today and order a pizza to wait about 40 minutes for it and the place was dead! The “pizza” was more like a loaded tortilla! Dare i say we weren’t offered ANY napkins either? This place used to be so good what the hell happened?!

Lovely big mad squirrel tap room, plenty of beers on tap and a couple of fridges fall. Nice big upstairs area to sit in. Sorry didn't take any photos. Staff friendly and helpful

Go with the wings and a nice IPA.

Every beer on tap is great and the pizzas are excellent too, maybe the best place to drink in St Albans. You may go deaf when the abbey is having bell ringing practice but that's about the only downside.

Great food was delicious wings. I loved it 😋 Fast they served at the table.

Very nice staff and beer, the nachos were also very good. Nice outside space and location

Great place for stunning real ales, ipas or lager. It can be pricey but it's worth it for the sheer numbers of drinks available. Bar staff are chatty and can recommend drinks if you're not sure. Pizza is tasty and makes for a great share dish while drinking and talking the night away.

Popped in for a pint on a cold Feb weekend. Lovely ambience, nice mixed crowd, rugby was on for those interested but not to overpowering for those that weren't. Beer was ace,food looked amazing but we didn't try it.

Just had 1 drink here but was impressed with the amount of choice! There are an amazing selection off beers, stouts, and much much more. I had a really interesting cider, which was delicious. Lots of seating inside and out.

Good beers and friendly staff. Can't comment on the food because we didn't eat

Gem of a bar in the shadow of the Cathedral. Fab selection of beers and great food. Bar staff very helpful too.

Booked a table for 7pm as told they were doing food until 10pm arrived for pizza and was told they had sold out. What sort of restaurant runs out of food??? Clearly the management team needs some management. Beers are nice though, staff were friendly.

Good pizza, good drinks, good service. EXCELLENT atmosphere.

Great beer and service but felt like it was lacking the warm feel you want from a craft pub

Came a long way only to find it closed - arrived at 2pm on Wed 20 Dec- very disappointing 😩

Rosie is the best bartender in St Albans. So lovely and kind

Good beer selection but unimpressed by food offering. Pizza overpriced compared to other options nearby, and the two pizzas arrived about 10-15 mins apart for an unexplained reason.

Awesome craft beer and a nice place to visit next to the cathedral.

Fantastic range on tap, but atmosphere flatter than a pancake.

Great atmosphere. good range of beers to choose from . Rebecca & Gin where really welcoming

Highlt recommended. I've only ever been during the day and it's usually been pretty quiet but the staff have always been great and the selection of beers is excellent.

Brilliant selection of beers, Hopfest is the best GF beer around and the location is great. Well worth a visit

Great craft beers and lovely atmosphere always, very friendly staff too! One of my favourite spots in St Albans!

50 min what for a pizza on Wednesday night, great pub busy, maybe a few more staff would help.

Decent beer, nice staff. Always a nice stop on the way to the park in St. Albans.

My favourite ale is Hopfest. Husband likes the Sumo. Staff friendly.

Excellent range of locally brewed beers in a spacious bar. Was surprised by the large number of children in the bar. Was wondering if this place doubles up as a Creche ie ordinary school. Didn't make for an ideal atmosphere.

First time here as we are from Australia. The blue fingers was the band, sounded great! The beers were numerous and all brewed by independents. Only negatives are, the venue is very small and seating uncomfortable, but my biggest negative is they only take card payments, NO CASH!!!. Other than that, I had a good evening.

Good live music. But check Lemonrock!

Great outdoor space in the sunny weather, unfortunately everything else was just average.

My husband and I recently got married at St Albans Cathedral and we held our reception drinks in the courtyard of the Mad Squirrel. James and the team went above and beyond to ensure the reception was exactly how we imagined it - and it was perfect!! The team were incredibly attentive, made delicious drinks and snacks for the guests, and made sure the venue looked immaculate. If you’re looking for a venue for an event, I really reccomend working with James and team at the Mad Squirrel in St Albans.

Fabulous real/craft beer in a wonderful setting. All brewed locally in Herts. Friendly welcome, spectacular beer garden. We didn't eat, but we tried a few beers which were fab. Recommended.

Great beers and great food. Nice outdoor space.

Great solo artist this afternoon/evening 👏 #Mrindie

We're off to st Alban's comedy garden on a sunny Saturday afternoon (if you visited on Wednesday you know it's a rare thing). Mad squirrel beer is cheaper and better quality than any festival beer

Great pit stop opposite St Albans cathedral. Sat outside with Joey the Frenchie. Service friendly and helpful and food (chicken wings and Nachos ) excellent. Bowl of water for Joey too. Good own label IPA beer. Then don't do tea or coffee though.

Tried several beers, all well done. Nice staff, fun environment!

Absolutely love it in here. Great little atmosphere, lovely location, and most importantly tasty tasty beer.

Just went for a pint with the fam, bartender helped with beer choice, and generally, staff were friendly and welcoming. Beer was cold, sat outside in the early evening, and looked over the cathedral, gentle buzzy atmosphere.

An amazing place, but sadly whatever happened to the food this weekend- change in supplier, or change of chef, or emergency supplier- has severely impacted the quality in my opinion. Hopefully this isn't the new state of the food here, previously these were some of my favourite wings but sadly can't particularly recommend these latest ones. Staff are always amazing though and wonderful place otherwise

Ridiculous selection of weird and wonderful drinks. The helpful staff will guide and advise you, as their range of choices can be overwhelming ... in the best possible way. Better still, they'll give you various tasters of the many options before you commit to a full pint!

Almost 2 hours for a below average hot dog. What a waste of time

With 25 taps there is a huge range of craft beers to try from IPAs to Pale ales, stouts, cask, DIPA, TIPA even. If you just want a lager you can get that too! The beer garden has great views of the cathedral. There is also seating on the ground floor plus a smaller space upstairs; also with views of the cathedral in one corner. On the day they had a projector screen upstairs showing the tennis. Great location, great spaces, best range of beers I've ever come across in a tap room: been to quite a few in London. Wouldn't go anywhere else in St Albans for a beer. Did I mention they have cans for take out including guest beers such as verdant? Ok, prices are top end, but worth it in my opinion: The 10% TIPA is equivalent to £15 a pint! Personally I like to buy 1/3 to try as many beers as I can!

Lovely place, young and vibrant with extremely good crafts beers.

Loved it. They have massive selection of beers, is located in the heart of the city. Dog friendly. Staff friendly.

Cracking little real ale bar with outdoor space in the centre of St Albans. Loved it.

Called here while on a break for a few days. Perfect beer, lovely friendly staff and a great atmosphere. Missing there already. Cant wait for next visit. Only problem is they dont take cash. This is a real ale bar. Beers from mad squirrel brewery plus guest ales. Also a wide selection of craft beers. A heaven for CAMRA members. Use your card 👍

That was my first visit that place,but I will return...quiet place,good selection of beers

Amazing little taproom, had one of the best ciders I've ever tasted, can't even describe it. Service was fast and staff were friendly.

Hidden away near the Cathedral you can find this nice bar, i remember it being called radio days in a former life.... The St Albans branch of Mad Squirrel Tap is just as good as it's big brother in Watford. Same great choice on tap and very nice thin and crispy pizzas.

Enjoyed one of the local brewed stouts. It was very good.

Fantastic beer selection, live music on Thursday and Fridays (check website to be certain). The food however it’s not the best, but it’s alright.

The best bar I have visited in St Alban's. Amazing range of craft beers, no need to visit any where else as they have superb pizzas and knowledgeable and friendly staff. A definite 5 star experience.

Went here for a family get together. Children welcome (prebooked ?) upstairs on a Saturday until 9pm. Good range of drinks and bar food like pizza (nice thin crust) well worth a try. Staff friendly and helpful.

A great selection of beer both on tap and in the fridges. Very knowledgeable and friendly staff. A great looking place with all the taps and display behind the bar. Very good beer being poured, both craft and real ale. Very kindly allowed me a sample of a rather unusual white chocolate beer too.

Lovely place, such a great vibe! The place is set on 2 floors (sports TV on the second), but I prefer the main floor atmosphere, good music 😁 it also has an outdoor terrace with a beautiful cathedral view. Great selection of craft beers and simple but tasty foods (think pizza, chicken wings, nachos, hotdogs). Vegetarian options are also available. Sometimes they have live music too.

Great beers, friendly staff and relaxing atmosphere!

A great range of fun beers to try. The best place to go for craft beer. It will be lovely in the summer with the beer garden by St Albans Cathedral. The staff are always lovely and you can try a sip of different beers before you buy your drink!

When we got engaged we always dreamed that this would be the place we celebrated our wedding, and we were lucky enough to hire out the taproom for our wedding day and could not have been happier with the job the team done. Bearing in mind they aren't a wedding venue we were blown away with the level of service, organisation and just how all over everything they were. James the GM is an absolute legend and a credit to the company, as soon as he took over running the taproom we felt so assured that our day would run smoothly, he made us feel completely at ease and confident that him and his team would get the job done. Shout out to Tom the GM from Watford who was also on hand for the day and, again was a complete an utter legend. We honestly can't praise the whole of the team enough, completely smashed it and gave us the best possible day. So helpful and nothing was too much trouble. We are so so grateful to James, Tom and all of the Mad Squirrel team. You made our day so perfect and we can't put into words how grateful we are for everything you done to ensure that, and how hard you all worked. From a very happy newly wed couple, Mollie & Mike xx

Great selection of beers on tap.

Very central and right next to the Abbey, the Mad Squirrel’s upstairs room was a perfect spot for my daughter’s 21st, with about 40 guests (although this unique space can accommodate around 80). No need for room dressing as the decor matches a trendy taproom vibe, which we snazzed up with balloons, and the pool table is an added bonus, greatly enjoyed by many at the party! With a dedicated and fully manned bar, allowing for three of the Squirrel’s best beers on tap, we also enjoyed the venue’s delicious pizzas, mozzarella sticks and bbq cauliflower wings, which I'd ordered in advance, and which accommodated a number of different allergen requirements in our group - very reassuring! The friendly and efficient support of James and his staff leading up to the event, and on the night, helped make the evening special and stress-free… indeed, nothing was too much trouble and we all had a great time! Due to location, you'll need to wind things down at 11.30pm. So, a top tip is to start your event early to make the most of this unique and enjoyable space, which I can highly recommend!

Nice ale. Music a bit loud but that's the environment. Lots of youngsters having a nice time.

Amazing selection of drinks, family friendly and right in the heart of St Alban's

Excellent atmosphere, excellent beer, excellent staff, just go and enjoy.

Luna kindly helped me choose what style of dark beer was on offer. Toilets are upstairs, a bit on the small side and poky hence a few stars not added. She even told me 'Hoodwink - the white chocolate stout' was going to be discontinued so there was an offer on. I took that offer up and stashed six cans of it into my bag 💰

They NEVER give me the darned chicken wings!! 6 out of 6 now, must be shadow banned! :D

Modern day drinking establishment! More for the younger folk I feel! But having said that I'm 60 and I enjoyed the IPA style refreshing beers that mad squirrel produce! I'll be going back most definitely!

Decent enough beers.A little expensive compared with other venues like their brewery

Excellent selection of beers, and the pizza was really good, too.

On two levels with two bars, bottom bar has the full range of craft beer. Usually a few guest craft beers plus plenty of bottle/cans in the fridge to drink in or take away. Lovely location next to the Abbey in the city centre.

Great place for a pint. Especially in summer when the awning is down and you can see the cathedral.

Love this spot in St Alban's, friendly service, great selection of beers and good atmosphere.

Really good bar, lots of interesting beers

Greeted pleasantly by staff on entrance . Will visit again.

23/11/2019: photo upload from a trip to Hemel Hempstead to visit friends. Annually we do an Ale Trail and 2019 was a St. Albans Ale Trail. The Mad Squirrel Tap was along the way. From that trip so long ago now, it was my first taster of the Mad Squirrel Brewery. Absolutely fantastic! 2010 - Company incorporated. 2011 - First awards won. 2012 - Brew kit expanded. 2013 - Chesham taproom opened. 2014 - Brew kit expanded. 2015 - Berkhamsted & Amersham taprooms opened, successful crowdfunding round on Crowdcube. 2016 - High Wycombe taproom opened. 2017 - Rebrand, brewery moved to bigger unit and brew kit significantly expanded, craft beer cruiser launched, first cans released, Hemel Hempstead taproom opened. 2018 - Second successful crowdfunding round on Crowdcube. 2019 - Brew kit further expanded, St Albans taproom opened, new website launched. 2020 - SURVIVED PANDEMIC 2021 - Launched with 4 major retailers nationwide - Installed 2 new 12,000 litre FV tanks in the brewery - Brewed over 30 new beers despite the pandemic 2022 - Opened our biggest Taproom in Watford with 27 taps behind the bar - Signed a 3 year partnership with St.Albans City F.C.

There us nothing wrong with this place the staff are friendly and helpful but I didn't enjoy their beers

My first time visiting the Mad Squirrel and I can firmly say it won’t be the last. A truly magical experience. Was served by Finley, a cracking young man and a real good laugh, lovely fella. Thanks squirrel, you don’t disappoint.

Amazing beers and cracking pizza. Try it.

Very good ales, both in quality and variety. We had the piri piri hot wings and they were crispy, and the sauce was tangy, sweet, and spicy. Great service and ambiance.

There's a cat! Any bar that has a cat has to worth a visit 😻 Oh, and the staff were very nice too....

Beer is good. No pub atmosphere

Good selection of beers and ciders. Staff friendly and nice decir

Friendly staff, lots of great beers