Regent Cottage in North Hertfordshire

Excellent and a great price to match

Food was lovely I’ll give you that. But we was so rushed it was ridiculous almost every single member of staff came and asked “are you finished” even after I had said after the third person came along “no we are not and would appreciate if you left us alone” and in the end it was all too much and said you know what just take our food we are done now. And even while we were sat at the table they came and took the table cloth from underneath all of our stuff and drinks……really. I was also a bit concerned that the new young girl that had started the day before was pushed away by the man while asking if we wanted a drink and then was pushed away by the older lady while talking to another table. Bullying that is so take a good look at yourself cause that’s not okay.

Excellent and attentive staff but too bright, uncomfortable seating at tiny tables, and the food was just awful, dry and chewy meats in tasteless sauces, one dish was so bad the beef was actually grey in colour.

Sit down Chinese restaurants are a dying breed and to find a good one is like looking for a needle in a haystack but I just find my needle. Was recommended this restaurant for my wife’s birthday as she loves a sit down Chinese and the fact they do the cooked to order set menu was a bonus. Booked a table for 2 and on arrival they only had one near 2 large tables so they asked us to sit there and then they’ll move us to a quieter part of the restaurant which they did after 5 minutes. We had 5 starters, a duck pancake course & 4 mains including rice and noodles. All these dishes were delicious, hot and a good portion so much so we could not finish the 4 mains. The service was excellent and very attentive without being in your face. Drinks and food arrived in a timely manor. If your looking for a decent sit down Chinese then this sounds s the place. It is on a high street so parking is not straight forward but Jacksons car park is a 2 minute walk away and £3 to park. Our bill was £87 including 10% service which I was happy to pay and on reflection should have paid more as it deserved it.

Had the evening buffet here and the food and service was very good, but you are limited to the amount you can choose based on the number of people in your party. Not cheap though. We did enjoy our meal and would probably return again if in the area.

For the price, the food is very good. Service is good too. The place is noisy but nothing terrible

We visited on 13 September, We have been to the restaurant before but this time we found the staff rude, apart from the new male waiter who was very nice and very helpful. We had 5 children with us and they could not wait to get rid of us. All they were interested in was the money. We won’t be returning.

The best all you can eat Chinese I've ever been too! Fantastic selection off a set menu, the chicken satay on the starter menu are amazing! And then at the end of the meal if you've still got space you can order whatever you want. Staff are so friendly and so attentive, we visit every time we come down south to see friends!

Large baffling store, go to the one at Biggleswade much more user friendly.

Had a great meal and time there, very friendly people,will be going again,thank you.

Went last night . Food was really nice but ruined by unfriendly rude waitresses . Buffet menu does not explain itself

Booked here again to celebrate two birthdays in the family . The food was amazing. Great selection of dishes to choose from vegetarian, as well meat and fish. The starters were tasty and varied. The duck was delicious and the salt and pepper mushrooms are a family favourite. The difficult part is selecting from the array of dishes on offer. The staff are fantastic and very helpful. They will help with recommending new dishes to try and they are very kind. Always checking everyone had enough food and drinks. Would highly recommend for a lunchtime or evening. We will be returning soon

Terrible service- staff running about, really uncomfortable throughout the time spent there- food is OK, average buffet food!

Lunchtime birthday treat so we had the full banquet meal which was excellent as always. Reliable food, great staff.

I have been here several times, we went there last night, I really think the food is not as good as it use to be, drinks to pricey, stop pushing drinks to customers , felt very rushed.

Regent Cottage in Hitchin is an absolute gem! From the moment we walked in, we were welcomed by the incredibly friendly staff who made us feel right at home. The ambiance is cozy and inviting, perfect for a relaxed dining experience. The menu offers a wonderful variety of dishes, each more tempting than the last. We were delighted with our selections; the flavors were exquisite, and the presentation was top-notch. It's clear that a lot of care and expertise goes into every dish. One of the standout features of Regent Cottage is its pricing. For the quality and quantity of food you receive, it's exceptionally well-priced. It's rare to find such delicious food at such reasonable prices. Regent Cottage is a must-visit in Hitchin. Whether you're looking for a casual meal or a special night out, this restaurant delivers on all fronts. We'll definitely be back soon!

Best chinese restaurant I've been to. Never let's us down.

I have been going to this restaurant roughly once a week for at least 3 years now. I can't stress enough how good of a restaurant this is. They are incredibly consistent with their service, the quality of the food and their affordable prices. Staff are always polite and respectful. Hardworking, reliable, friendly and super helpful at all times. It is a blessing to have restaurants like this in Hitchin. They deserve every success.

Lovely restaurant. Visited for a birthday meal and wasn’t disappointed. Plenty to eat and good wine to go with! Waitress’ were very attentive and made sure we were satisfied all night.

Coke Cola was flat. Staff were very quick/keen to move you along, but we're friendly. Food was of a wildly varied quality.

This is a lovely spot for food. The menu is very extensive and the portion sizes are perfect. The all you can eat is brilliant with neither me nor my partner left hungry. The staff are very attentive and polite making the 10% gratuity fee well worth paying. We will definitely be returning for another buffet.

We visited with friends the Regent Cottage Chinese restaurant in Hitchin yesterday evening, for the first time. The menu offers a wide selection for each course, and everything we selected was wonderful. Particularly loved the BBQ ribs , and the Tempura Prawns were crisp and tasty. All of the staff are attentive, happy and friendly. We loved it and will return soon. Thank you for a nice evening !

Excellent food and great service

Absolutely amazing! Food definitely 5* bang bang chicken is my favourite dish. Staff 5* welcoming and friendly. Atmosphere 5* nothing is two much trouble. I live in Wales now and miss it so much. I visit every time I'm in the area. Smoked chicken, prawns in mandarin sauce, steak Cantonese, lemon chicken, quail, some of my favourite dishes 😋 👌🥰

Food was amazing 5* staff 5* nothing was to much trouble. Atmosphere buzzing. I live in Wales now. I so miss this place so much. I visit every time I'm in the area. Top dishes are Bang bang chicken (cold starter) Smoked chicken Prawns in mandarin sauce Seaweed Steak in Cantonese sauce Lemon chicken Quail Duck in Cantonese Duck with pancakes Crispy lamb with lettuce and hosin sauce Just a few of my favourite dishes 😋

Welcoming staff. Good food and plenty of variety to choose from.

The place is always busy when other restaurants are quiet. This is because the food is always great quality, the staff are friendly and efficient and the atmosphere is good. The menu is extensive so there is something for everyone

Really great food and plenty of it

Food and staff amazing. So friendly. Food delicious

Great experience. Lovely food- not oily at all. Good range of menu to pick from. Host offered us new year gifts and educated us on the Chinese culture and reasons as to why they share oranges with customers, symbolising wealth and prosperity. I’ll be coming back!

I booked tonight for my son’s Birthday, we were all looking forward to the eat as much as you like menu although we are not really big eaters.. be warned it’s not eat as much as you like? It’s 5 starters between 3 people with one small dipping sauce and if you’re like us, we like sauces with our food otherwise it’s chokey. The rushing us part was horrible They weren’t doing this to the larger tables and my advice is, if you’re a small party don’t go there as they cannot wait to get rid of you will never go there again, food not that nice, poor selection for vegetarians and basically could not wait for us to pay and leave. Also expensive for what we had as we left still hungry .. but a bit sick as you can taste the grease in a lot of their fried dishes… Basically there are many better restaurants in Hitchin and because this is established a long time means nothing, people get complacent and arrogant and this business I feel is like this.

A restaurant you will have walked past without realising it! A served at your table Asian Fusion Buffet. The food is of a good standard, the waiting staff are quite intrusive. The price is high service charge is added as standard to your bill. Your food cost is £29.59 per person and if you want dessert there is an additional charge, which is very cheeky for a buffet.

Use to regularly get our weekly Chinese takeaway from here. It was cheap but the food is nice. They have now ( despite still advertising it on their website ) stopped the takeaway menu where you choose based on no of people , which we normally had for 3 which came to about £60 . They no longer do this and you must buy off the A la carte and the equivalent, albeit smaller portions is now £110 !!! In the space of 1 month. It seems they no longer want to do Takeaway and as the restaurant is bright , stark and basic , I won't be going back ! Hitchin / Letchworth really lack a decent Chinese Restaurant .

I love it here so much. SO much. The staff are amazing, the food is amazing, the price is great, I can’t rate this place highly enough!!! I honestly honestly love it here. I have never had a bad time. Thank you to ALL the staff who make it amazing every time! LOVE you :)

So disappointing. Been going for years but has definitely gone downhill. Food portions smaller and more expensive. Service shocking. Waiting staff are rude and rush you. One said they were tired and needed to go home early. Another kept listening in on our conversation and looking at our phones when we were showing things to each other. When our bill came they didn't add it up or itemise it and couldnt total it up at all at the end and kept asking me to use my calculator to work it out even though I told them how much to take at the beginning.

All i can say is fabric definitely wood recommend

Although they say they're open to 11pm, they were unable to accept a booking for 9pm stating that it was too late. Won't be trying them again 😕

Kind and fast service and tasty food . Book in advance in order not to wait . I would recommend it . I will visit regent again when I get back Hitchin.

Our go to destination every time we are in Hitchin. Make sure to book in advance for the weekend as they are normally queues out the door. The food is fabulous and we never go home hungry. I have to recommend the all you can eat menu as it does what it says on the tin. Yummy

After reading such positive reviews, we were disappointed with the food at Regent Cottage. Whilst the service was great, the overall quality of the food was not good. The starters we all deep fried and tasted like the oil hadn't been changed for some time. The special fried rice was bland, and the prawns tasted off. The chow mein was very oil. The duck pancakes and chicken in black bean sauce, however, were pretty good.

All you can eat buffet without the physical buffet. Order what you want and they keep it coming for a fixed price

Visited here with my wife and two young children on Wednesday 27th Sept. Walking in it looks nice and clean. We ordered off the a la carte menu instead of the all you can eat menu. First thing we noticed is how small the round tables are for 4 people. Secondly the restaurant isn't really geared towards families with children, we had to ask for forks as chopsticks and serving spoons were only provided. When you see children enter your restaurant you would quickly replace eating utensils for some that the children can use, I shouldn't have to ask as its common sense. The food was quick to arrive and tasty, portion sizes were reasonable, not huge, not small. The price however was expensive for what you get. I was hoping for something above Chinese takeaway quality. Don't get me wrong it was lovely food just not worth the price you pay. We won't be going back despite it being fully booked by the time we left. We could get equally tasty food from our regular Chinese takeaway.

Good value Chinese good but rather rushed to get you served and out again. Seem to he a two hour table allocation, enough to enjoy the food but sence of urgency to finish. Certainly quick service.

Food came out quick and full of flavour great place if you fancy something else other than a traditional Sunday lunch

I held my daughter's 100 days celebration and the manager Shirley was amazing. Great coms and lovely extra touches (such as closing the restaurant just for my party and giving extra candles). She was very accommodating to our needs and the staff and service was very good. Food was delicious and my guest and I all left happy and with very full bellies. Will definitely be coming back.

I used to really like this place however I recently visited on the 28th and it was awful the food has gone downhill drastically some of it being uneatable shocking the service is a complete shambles I wouldn’t even waste your money or time

Superb menu,eat as much as you can for a great price

Avoided visiting for years after bad experiences Now very impressed with food service and prices

Incredible food and service and good night all round

Another lovely meal and super swift service. We took advantage of the mixed meals choose which were perfect portions and very tasty. Nice they have changed the draught lager to Aashi too.

Thank you for a wonderful meal. The staff were friendly and very professional. A very pleasant surprise .

Food way to salty! Service pestering about drinks

Really nice Chinese food, the best we've had in ages. Fixed pricing, an up-market "all you can eat".

Always good at Regent and staff and very friendly!

Friendly staff, lovely food cooked fresh to order. Good sized portions and good value for money. Good service

You will walk past thd door unless you know. A hidden gem. Attentive service, great food. A bit pricey, but worth it.

Not sure how its got a high rating unless thats for the hot n sour soup.Complete rip off from start to finish its eat as much as you like but you can only order a set amoumt of starters and cant reorder until you have done all the courses. The mains arent that great at all nothing i had other then soup was tasty. Must think im new to restaurants of the same set up. Worst eat as much as you like ive been to and for the price i could have orderd a takeaway at better value and saved £60 and woudlnt have been rushed the whole time. Cant order more starters but very quick to refill your drinks funny that. Place is a dump and the menus smelt

The Regent cottage is a modern restaurant and takeaway for Asian fusion dishes, with all-you-can-eat and a la carte menus. Right in Hitchin town centre. Steep stairs to climb up so not for suitable for all persons . Ordered our dishes as told by waiter all very well presented and very tasty. Service very good - confusion came when we came to pay as a small amount of food was left and asked for it to be taken out rather than be thrown away. Told no cant do as buffet , very confusing as not a buffet self service , all bought to us in dishes with a plates. we only ordered what we were told, so why throw away god food ? Left us very annoyed and spoiled the evening. so will will not be returning.

First time coming here and it did not disappoint! The staff are friendly the food is fresh and tasty, what more could you want?!

Little bit rushed but food and drink was lovely.

Great food, drinks are expensive. Serving staff welcoming and attentive. We love it!

Amazing food, and fabulous service always, never had a bad experience.

Great food. Pleasant surroundings. Lovely staff. Very reasonable prices. Food arrived fast and was piping hot. Thank you very much, we'll be back!

Tasty food, good service. Would recommend! Could expand what they offer for mains.

We went as a ‘treat’ as we have eaten here many times over the last 25 years. However last night was a disappointment! The food tasted tired and our main course was barely lukewarm. Very different from our usual experience

Our favourite local family choice for eating out. Always fantastic food cooked fresh to order, plenty of choice and good value.

The menu is excellent and the food is wonderful. The staff were extremely friendly and even made a special portion of chicken chow mein for our grand daughter. We will definitely be back again very soon. Thank you

Never get tired of eating out here, the food is amazing and service is on point every time 👌🏻

Wife and I have ate here many times over the years and the food has never been anything less than 5 stars The staff are cheery and attentive without hovering over you.

My favourite Chinese restaurant, great food and great value for money

Well, you should visit to see for yourself. Very nice place. Toilets are small but who cares when you're enjoying good food 😆

Wow what a wonderful place. The food was delicious puts a lot to shame. Please visit they are amazing. The staff were very attentive and fast. The restaurant was fully booked all night. I have never tasted Chinese food like it in Hertfordshire. Used to go London to get authentic Chinese not anymore.

We had a great time to have the meals today, I 'm Vegetarian, but my friends n her family not, so I always feel difficult to have meals out with them. and I very suprise they served a vegan meals although it's X on the menu, and taste thank's so much for the friendly staff and we really enjoyed the meals, definately will.come again.

Had not visited for a while but the service and food was still amazing,had a great time and will definitely be going back again soon

Too much food and worth every penny. Wonderful service.

Over 60 of us booked the restaurant for a special birthday celebration. They closed for a private function which worked fantastically for us. The food was amazing. Great choice on the buffet for everyone. The starters were tasty and varied. The duck was delicious and the salt and pepper mushrooms are a family favourite. Each main course had a different sauce so there was something for everyone. The staff are fantastic and very helpful. Always checking everyone had enough food and drinks. Would highly recommend for a lunchtime or evening. We will be back soon.

Food fantastic and plenty of it, fresh and hot.

All you can eat menu is now £24, was £20 not so long ago. The quality of the food as for the most part good, however I echo the comments of another vegetarian reviewer on here with regards to the second course. Meat eaters get a wide selection, the one vegetarian option is a sloppy tasteless vegetable mush with lettuce! Bland, unimaginative and unappetising. Why in this era of veganism and vegetarianism going mainstream is this the only option after all these years? Maybe a mock duck wrap could be offered? I see this at many Chinese takeaways these days. The second course is so unpalatable that I always ask for another starter as my second course, this is always granted, or at least was until my last visit. The waitress seemed adamant that I had to have the second course, it took quite a bit of arguing and telling her I had no problems before on my multiple visits over the last couple of decades to get her to agree. Kind of ruined the atmosphere a bit, having to argue over something that is so petty. The vegetarian starters and mains are very good, the tofu is always cooked to perfection. It's just the second course that needs addressing. It must be said that the 10% service charge that is automatically added is not on in my opinion. Especially as the price of the all you can eat menu has gone up by 20% within a short space of time. Tipping should be at the discretion of the customer, not automatically added, especially when the service is lacking.

We recently went here with a group of friends, lots of variety on the menu and everything we ordered was very nice , no complaints on the food at all, I do however have an issue with a service charge being added automatically , and the drinks prices are very expensive ,hence the 4 not 5 stars,

Excellent Chinese right in the heart of hitchin. Quite hard to find so good to look up in advance. I would also recommend booking in advance, even mid week, as it is always packed and you don't want to miss out. All the food is cooked to order and hence very hot and tasty.

Busy restaurant for Monday dinner. Food ok, service ok, probably rather expensive. Doubt if I will return.

Food was pretty good. The lunch menu was leaning towards the small side but still sufficient especially for the price of £10.

Our visit was something of a game of who halves. We had booked a table for eight but were sent away twice as it was not ready and there was no space to wait in. The second time they took the cake off us. The third time we decided to stay and just loom over them until we got a table. The place was packed and noisy and chaotic. We were hungry and had initially had to book the table for a later time than we really wanted at their insistence. We went for the eat all you can menu. This was not the preferred trough model and, to our eyes, not really scalable to a table of twelve. We decided to subdivide ourselves into three units of four. Each four was allowed to order six items from the starter menu, two from the middle course menu and then six from the mains menu. The mains six included any rice or noodles. These restrictions may work well for a couple or small family. They were not ideal for a middle aged group of a dozen friends who were out to celebrate a landmark birthday. The chaos continued. When the food eventually came, it was delicious. It was small, but it was wonderful. Once we had completed the initial 6 2 6 task, the shackles were off and we were able to order whatever we wanted too. This was the best bit of the evening. There was no reason it could not have been like that all night. The waiting staff brought the cake out at just the right time. There had been some concern earlier when the oft-repeated birthday music kicked off while our birthday girl was in the lavatory but this turned out to be for a celebrant at yet another table. The drinks were expensive. The all one can eat price was £23:90, which is slightly higher than the price we had seen on the website. Despite the amounts, the billing process was spot on. They brought the twelve of us individual bills – although a waitress had earlier suggested that the lady beside me and I might have a common bill. I pointed out my wife, sat further down on the other side of the table. She joked that she had never seen me before. The waitress did not get the joke. We all had individual bills. We would have argued the toss on the 10% service charge but we felt that they would not get what we meant with that as they had not done with the earlier joke. In summary: Go here if there are not many of you and you are not very hungry. Otherwise, go somewhere else to avoid disappointment. I took two pictures to go with this piece but Trip Advisor’s website won’t upload them. This happens about a quarter of times, in my experience. They are 2mp jpgs of food.

We have been going to this restaurant for 35 years. It was our go to Chinese restaurant for all occasions. We ordered a takeaway for the family that was not only missing a dish but the quality was very poor. We know the dishes well and it was surprising that all the mains appeared to be in the same sauce. Dishes that used to be very good were not the same quality. Such a shame but as another member of the family had dined there with friends and also had a poor experience we will not be returning.

Disappointing. Amazed the place is so busy.

Wonderful place amd food.just expensive

Huge selection on the all you can eat menu and the food items that come out are quality and very tasty. Service is quick and efficient and staff helpful. The place does get busy but it doesn't affect service or quality. Overall a really enjoyable visit will definitely return.

Food good but it was so cold in the resturant and even colder through the doors to the toilet area and beyond! It was like the air conditioning was on constantly ...we were all wearing jackets by the time we had the bill came so will not be returning.

Always amazing. Food is always delicious. Can't recommend this place enough. Been coming for years and it just seems to get better and better. It was £60 for two people and we got 1 large coke each. Which I think is amazing value for money considering how good the food is. Definitely book a table as they do get quite busy. Some of my favourite dishes are bang bang chicken ( a cold chicken dish in peanut sauce) honey glazed prawns, smoked duck, and the crispy chilli beef is incredible! Will definitely be coming back

Went here on the strength of reviews and would definitely go back. I am always nervous of buffet restaurants- often signifying poor quality food. That's absolutely not the case here. Great value menu, was absolutely packed when we went so clearly popular, and deservedly so!

Been coming here for years, it hasn't changed one bit, always amazing food, great friendly service

Staff are very friendly, and the food is delicious! You definitely get your moneys worth! Would highly recommend!

Had a lovely meal at Regent Cottage, food was all very hot, good quality, great choice and the service was very good. Cost of meal for 4 with drinks was very reasonable, would definitely recommend.

The door bell continually going off as restaurant is upstairs is annoying. The music was a little too “love song” more the sad and dreary type. The food was nice but; They don’t explain it properly 4 items for starter / my husband asked if...

Went to the Regent Cottage tonight, which will be the last time! Just me and the wife had the set meal and a bottle of wine. The bill came to £81.00 and showed a 10% service charge and VAT at £3.80. When I asked what the VAT was for, I was told 'I don't know, it's what the boss told me to put on'. Food was 'ok' but we wanted to spend an evening over the meal and wine but we were pushed along by the staff who seem to think that it's good service to do that! I always give a good tip for good service and do-not like being told that 10% will be charged whatever the service. We eat out twice a week and have never been charge VAT in a restraurant before.

Very efficient service. Really nice food and reasonably priced. Fantastic selection on the eat all you like buffet.

Lots of food for all you can eat, only £24 for adults. Very nice quality as well. Good vegetarian options however nothing labelled vegan (but I think the vegetarian options are mostly vegan)

Where do I start? First the staff are all very friendly and accommodating, most importantly the food is made to perfection! All choices we made were very nice, I requested that the chef/s were made aware of our great experience and to all staff I certainly appreciated my time in this restaurant,👍🏼😉

Really nice food, eat as much as you want but order a set number of dishes at a time. Ask how many before hand. Advised to book Because it's not massive and get full.

Lovely food, great service and wonderful atmosphere highly recommended