Silver Palate in St Albans

Really cute place to have brunch, food and drink was amazing and the staff were super friendly

Waited for over 40 minutes to be served. Half of the food was warm, the other half was cold (steak)....had to ask/remind three times that I had also ordered a drink. There were more items on the bill than we had ordered. Moderate noise made worse when someone turned up the music. A couple of waitresses seemed out of their depth.

This is our second time visiting Silver palate for breakfast. The food is well cooked and delicious although a little pricy; and there is a nice atmosphere. Our second visit had a little hiccup as my vegetarian breakfast came out with my husband’s bacon on my plate. They did apologise and explained they were short staffed. It didn’t affect our experience and still enjoyed the food. We have tried many restaurants in and around Harpenden and would say Silver palate is among the nicer for breakfast options.

I had a lovely visit with my friends. Food was incredible, I had the hot halloumi tacos - to die for!!! The best flat white I’ve had in a long time. Really friendly and efficient service. Already got my next visit planned.

We popped in for something to eat after a long walk around Rothamsted Park. We were greeted and sat down really quickly which was great as the kids were starving. We ordered the kids pancakes and a souvlaki. They both loved their food and ate every bite. My husband ordered a pitta with chicken (can’t remember the name) and I had a greek salad. It was all delicious. It was our first time having lunch here, we have had breakfast before many times. The food is always so good and all of the staff are always really helpful.

Greatest restaurant ever! Excellent food and service Service was amazing and friendly. We will definitely come back!!!

We visited with my family and the kids can’t wait to go back!! The service was very friendly. The food was really high quality and we will definitely be going back soon!!

Absolutely love this place!! The quality of the food is outstanding — from the artisan cheeses and cured meats to the fresh sandwiches and unique pantry items, everything feels thoughtfully chosen and beautifully presented. The staff are always warm, welcoming, and incredibly knowledgeable. It’s the kind of place you walk into and immediately feel at home. Whether you’re popping in for a quick lunch or picking up something special for a dinner party, this deli never disappoints. Highly recommend!

Really nice food and very cozy place

Always perfect food and such welcome stuff!! Keep going guys!

Harpenden’s best place for food. I’ve been here many times and never been disappointed. The staff is friendly and the value for money is great.

On the whole, food was good but the açai bowl came fully frozen although this wasn’t stated in the menu. The food was let down by the attitude of the servers and waitress.

A really spot on restaurant! The hash browns are honestly something else and something you must get. I was surprised with the healthy portion you get A nice chill vibe, a really enjoyable way to start the day. The discount you get for the deli on your way out is a lovely touch, also.

Discreetly emailed them to explain we waited 20 minutes for 2 coffees then were overcharged. They did not reply.

The food is excellent. We had a selection of the med bites to share. They were delicious, thouhh we all agreed the feta meli was the best! The fresh mint tea was divine and the flat white also exceptional. The service was friendly and prompt. We would thoroughly recommend silver palate on all counts!

Update 2025: after my last few visits I have to revisit my review increase the service, which overall improved and the overall stars. The food got even better. Some excellent souvlaki and delicious Cyprus potatoes. The cost is more on the expensive side, but for the quality overall it's worth it. -- Great place for a brunch. Often busy. Quality of food is 5 stars. In my few visits I would rate the service at 3 stars, though. Partly for lack of friendliness and partly for some generic laziness in getting the order or bringing over the bill. Overall still recommended

We came here for a family breakfast, thoroughly enjoyed the food

My family has been coming here for yrs...it was my first visit, definitely not my last. The brunch was excellent and coffee incredible ...the waitress was so helpful and nothing was too much . Great family owned business. I get what all the fuss is about .

Visited today. Ordered the chicken souvlaki it was absolutely delicious. Kitchen was accommodating as I didn't want the chips or rice so they increased the size of the salad. Service was a little slow we were there an hour before our food arrived. Food is consistently good. Will be back!

Found this lovely restaurant by accident today whilst working in the area. Comfortable, spacious environment with a great atmosphere. The staff were very welcoming and attentive, and the food was amazing, fresh, quality produced cooked to perfection. Will definitely return. (PS. Try the poached eggs!!)

Decent enough cafe style food, with a few more interesting items on the menu. As others note, service is a bit haphazard and be sure to check the bill as we had to point out items not purchased were on ours

Silver Palate is fantastic! Great food! Great drinks! Great desserts! Great staff! Great service! The manager Donna is always smiling and extremely warm with her staff as well as customers. one of the best in Harpenden..

We had a delicious family lunch with impeccable service from the lovely staff. Highly recommend it for an atmospheric, great value informal bite!

Lovely. The hand made food was absolutely delicious. The coffee perfect. And the service superb 👌 Highly recommend the vegan pitta wrap.

Amazing food and top-notch service.

Love this place. The food is great from pancakes in the morning to a great selection for lunch. I recommend the chicken salad for lunch. The coffee is great too, with options to go large.

Lovely food in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

I have been eating at Silver Palate regularly for breakfast over the past 7 years. I can honestly say that this is the best place in Harpenden for breakfast with a young family. Through all the menu, management and staff changes I believe it has remained consistent and delivered quality in a great environment. If I am being objective, I will admit that at times the waiting staff and servers have let the place down. However, I believe that this has improved over time and that there is now a stronger presence directing activities on the floor. Overall, I would always rate this place as a 5 out of 5 and my family enjoy eating here thoroughly.

Unfortunately the breakfast was not that great. I was suspicious when the veggie breakfast and the English breakfast that myself and a friend ordered arrived within a few minutes... normally a sign that a microwave has been involved. Whilst the bacon , poached eggs and veggie sausage were fine, the 'grilled' tomato was cold ,the mushrooms were so bland, they could not have sliced the halloumi any thinner, the avocado came in a tiny pot and was stone cold (they obviously just grab a pre-prepared pot from the fridge). I would not have breakfast here again. It was not worth the money.

Really good cannoli! I had pistachio, it was great. There sandwiches are good too and the hot chocolate was high quality. However, the food and drinks are pretty price. But, the place is decorated really well and the servers are usually really nice. So I still recommend, you get quality.

Excellent service and amazing food have taken many clients in there and they always impressed definitely the best cafe/restaurant in harpenden.

This restaurant is an all round great place it is consistently amazing and all the staff are very friendly and welcoming. I would recommend this place to family’s in all shapes and sizes.

I visited for lunch recently with friends. I hadn’t been to the Silver Palate for a few months and noticed today there were some new members of staff, I was hopeful they would be a friendlier bunch than the staff in the past. The food was delicious, however some of the staff are miserable and devoid of any customer pleasantries. There is one particular member of staff who I think is the Manager who is aloof and unsmiling. I am totally gobsmacked she works in a business where friendly customer service is so important. After reading some of the other reviews, could it be the Manager is friendly to people who visit the cafe regularly, however in the hospitality industry staff should be friendly to both new and revisiting customers. I would highly rate the food and for this reason I would revisit, but would hope that we would be lucky and get a friendlier member of staff.

Excellent food Pancake breakfast to die for.

Ordered halloumi in pitta , £13. Salad had one sun dried tomatoe, other dishes £14 plate had twice as much food, so much that half had to be packed to take away. Not enough for meal, just because it was a vegetarian dish.

The service and food is always top notch at Silver Palate! Donna always makes us very welcome and a pleasure to see her! My friend and I always have our regular lunches here! Thoroughly recommend.

The food and drinks are really good but most of the staff are so rude. They always look like they’d rather be anywhere else and you never get a smile out of them. I don’t understand why they work there when they clearly don’t enjoy serving people. It’s not great in the main restaurant but particularly bad in the deli, especially the middle aged woman who served me this morning.

Fabulous food and lovely staff. Our grandson loved the pasta dish. There are some unusual food choices. Everything is presented really well. My only criticism is the amount of time we had to wait for our food with a 4 year old. The restaurant is clean and bright and airy.

As I’ve been there many times, a friend met me with her dog which was inside a bag. So when we chatted about the plan to deal with the dog, the staff came and slapped the table and removed the menu. They became aggressive. Not the best start to the school year! It’s not that when their friend comes in and dog nibbles the cakes whilst sat at the counter. Bye

The Silver Pallet stand out is the incredible hostess, Donna. She goes above and beyond to make every guest feel like a VIP. Her genuine hospitality, attention to detail, and infectious enthusiasm create an atmosphere that is both comfortable and special. Donna has a knack for making everyone feel at home while ensuring that every aspect of your dining experience is perfect. The food is, of course, outstanding—beautifully presented and full of flavor, with a menu that caters to a variety of tastes. Whether you're here for a casual lunch or a special celebration, The Silver Pallet, with Donna's impeccable hosting, is the place to be. Highly recommended!

Absolutely love this place. The staff are wonderful and the food is great. The manager is always extremely welcoming and charming. Best spot in Harpenden.

Nice place to visit. Def want to come back for breakfast! Had lunch this time with the American grilled cheese sandwich, served with fries. Was really good actually, enjoyed it!

I've always enjoyed going there—the food is delicious, the coffee and pastries are great, and the ambiance is clean and inviting. The only downside is that the music can be a bit loud at times. Unfortunately, some of the staff aren’t as welcoming as I'd hoped. The manager, in particular, tends to be abrupt in her manner, which can make the atmosphere less enjoyable than it should be. A friendlier approach from the team would make a big difference in creating a more pleasant experience overall.

Great brunch today. Food was amazing. Good atmosphere and value for money

Awful customer service. When I went into the Silver Palate I didn’t receive one smile from one member of staff. When they came to take my order they just grunted at me and they seem to look down their nose at just about everyone in the restaurant. Annoyingly the food is delicious but the staff need some serious customer service training - they are same in the deli as well. You’d expect them to be helpful and warm considering they want the custom but every member of staff is cold and unwelcoming unfortunately.

Owners need to sort this out. The review is regarding the deli only. I have visited multiple times for drinks and snacks on the go. The drinks are good. But my goodness the customer service is appalling. The staff there are so rude, they need training in customer service. Every time you go in, when you order you feel an inconvenience, they talk amongst themselves even when they are serving you especially when one is sat at the counter eating her lunch of breakfast. there is no eye contact. No friendly good morning or thank you. Just that’s £4.10. Really unprofessional. They don't even take care to remember your order. My partner goes in there multiple times a week and they never remember her order. She orders the same thing at least twice a week. No care or attention.say what you like about Costa and the likes but they remember your order. If it carries on I’ll avoid completely. Lots of other locals have said similar. Shame.

A great experience! very nicely set up, spacious place. Great food . Service was excellent. Its Italian/greek style food. We all enjoyed it and this is on the list to return! Highly recommended.

Nice food as always but totally different vibe than before. Looks like they have new management/owners and all new staff. No hello, introduction or asking how the food was, even from the manager. Staff looked anxious and in chaotic environment. Would be interesting to know what happened to the old team and when it changed hands..

Had a good full English breakfast.

Fantastic food, and lovely sitting out in the sunshine. Highly recommend the breakfast taco

We sat outside for brunch when visiting for my second time today. The food was top notch however I feel the service let the overall experience down. We waited some time to order our drinks, and when they arrived, both food and drinks came out at separate times. On top of this, I had to go inside to pay my bill after waiting 20 minutes. Overall, I would return and recommend, I just hope for slightly better service next time!

Visited here for lunch. Truly awesome. Every bit was delicious.

Sadly not a great experience today. It felt like they were trying to get us to leave- music was turned up loud then, when we asked for it to be lowered, they put the aircon on so we were cold. When I mentioned to the waitress that it had been unpleasant, and why, there was just an "ok' - no apology or anything! The food was nice but I think , after many years of patronising the place, I will now be voting with my feet!! Thank you for your response to my review. I think you have just confirmed that my decision to vote with my feet is correct. I am astounded at your rudeness and your lack of customer service.

One of the best cafe options in Harpenden. The food is delicious, particularly the Rosti. I would love to see some more gluten free options in both the cafe and the deli and potentially more awareness about cross contamination but that doesn’t detract from the overall experience. I would say the staff members are all lovely but service could improve slightly in terms of attentiveness to customers and creating a relaxed environment but I think this partially caused by them being very busy so it’s understandable. Great option if you’re in the area

This was our first visit on Saturday about 1.30 & sadly disappointing. I ordered the Halloumi salad that was large & very good & my husband had the flat pitta sandwich that he thought was dry & overcooked. The service was extremely slow, I had to ask for everything 2 to 3 times before getting it (menu, water, drinks order, food, cutlery). The young staff were busy most of the time talking to each other & their choice of music was too loud & annoying. We won't be returning.

Welcoming staff, and nice relaxed atmosphere. DELICIOUS food and a great place to stop by! We both had the prosciutto focaccias. They were fresh, warm and soooo tasty!

Nice place, and good location. Service was a little lacking for us (we had to ask for menus, while others - who came in later- were attended to). Food was OK, but my lunch was supposed to include chips - I got a total of 5!

Enjoyed a really delicious lunch

massive fan - whether its breakfast , lunch or coffee/cake the options are great, its all delicious and the staff are lovely - plus really nice atmosphere in there

Very nice food , tasty , atmosphere is cool and classy and staff is welcoming

Very good Breakfast , Vegetarian options available , fresh juices , lovely environment and good staff and service

Always a warm welcome and food is always excellent... Look forward to next visit..

Lovely experience with nice friends and attentive staff

Delivers everytime I visit. Reasonably priced, coffee is to die for, great choice of dishes, and service is timely. A nice spot for coffee, a bit of lunch with friends, or just to drop in and say hi to the friendly staff. Highly recommended.

Such a good find. The food is so tasty, and big portions. The staff are lovely. Really recommend this place.

The food was delicious, and customer service was excellent. Will definitely eat there again :)

Our favourite little spot to go to. Food is outstanding. Service is amazing and just a lovely atmosphere. Especially love the lovely Donna 😊

I visited Silver Palate recently and found the food to be quite good. However, I was disappointed by the attitude of the hostess. She seemed excessively rude, soulless, and cold towards guests, which made the dining experience less enjoyable. Her demeanor came across as demanding and uncaring. Overall, while the food was satisfactory, the service left much to be desired.

Don't go English .. try the Italian breakfast .. perfect!

Really good breakfast. Staff were very kind and friendly!

We had a lovely meal at the silver palate. We were seen to by Mia who was very polite and friendly. Couldn’t recommend more!

very nice food i had the chicken and my friend had the grilled cheese. absolutely great food and atmosphere was lovely. only critique was that the service was a bit slow and the food came out a while after each other just so we couldn’t eat together. keep it up!

Very busy which is a good sign , did not have to wait too long to be seated,nice clean restaurant. Lovely friendly feel. Would go back

Very good food. Been 5 times now. Some issues with getting the order right but food is amazing ever time

Great deli with really good coffee! Best coffee in harpendon!

Nice spot for lunch... Friendly professional service and tasty food. Padron peppers were spicy!

Delightful spot. Excellent breakfast, generous serving. Will go again.

Great service great food highly recommend

Full English and the Full Italian is top class food. Always popular so get there early if you want a breakfast.

THE most delicious sandwich in St Albans!

Best place ever. Love it. Been coming like 3 times a week for years. Owner is a legend. Food is great. Love the staff.

Sweet deli, sandwiches are delicious, salads are tiny and expensive!!! but nice, lady (owner I think!) is lovely, one guy very nice, other staff bar one are unfriendly, nonchalant / arrogant and just dump orders with you, a lot of plastic waste, very slow service at lunchtime. I like it here but some things that need to be looked at

Fantastic food and lovely location. Nice big portions

This place is very nice with excellent food and delicatessen but the girl serving hasn’t got a clue on what she is selling, as matter of fact I asked about an Italian cheese that she had right under her nose but she told me that they didn’t have it in store. Also she sliced mortadella half inches… very good focaccia although extremely greasy. I will go back though

Went for breakfast on Saturday 7th October, the food and service was excellent. All staff were friendly and very helpful. We will definitely be coming back .

Shocking service by three members of staff when I ordered a takeway sandwich. Incredibly slow, rude and the attitude of staff was very poor. In stark contrast to my dine in experience which was good.

This place does not accommodate toddlers and babies as it used too. They left things in reach of a 8 month old. One of the waitress was quite rude and made us feel like she didn't want us there if that is the case than say you don't have enough room for kids. We only received cutlery or napkins if asked. Food wasn't great. Overall I wouldn't recommend going to this place anymore if you have little kids due to how the staff behaves.

Great food, service and atmosphere.

Posh cafe with prices to match. Generally good value.

We love the silver palate, and have been regularly since we moved to the area. The food quality, iIMHO, remains great, but the service has become…weird. Generally, the waiting staff are great. However, 2x we’ve been with visitors, enthusiastic to share our love for the place, and had a bit of embarrassment. The first was a weekday lunch (2 adults and a toddler), and although not that busy, when I pointed out that the platter marked vegetarian was brought out with (fish based) taramsalata, the waitress’ I advised of this had a demeanour as though I was causing inconvenience. She did check (I presume she was more junior member of the waiting staff?) and came back to say that there is an error in the menu, and it shouldn’t be marked “V.” There was no refund or partial refund or complimentary drink etc offered. The second time, we took a group of 8 adults. Quickly and comfortably seated; orders taken quickly, despite it being busy. That was good; clearly we had an efficient waitress. But when we pointed out one order of the eight was still to be taken, we were made to feel like we were causing inconvenience. The main waitress dealing with our order was efficient but borderline brusque at times. When the orders came out, 2 were wrong; our lead waitress apologised, and the incorrect orders were replaced. This time, she DIDN’T act like we were inconveniencing her, and pointed out that she had put the order through as requested, and couldn’t account for the kitchen staff. There seems to have been an issue with the fresh (orange?) juice provisions, as 2 of them came with bugs in them; unfortunately one of the guests had hair in their plate. The dish was replaced, but not before we were again made to feel like we were being difficult/inconvenient. So our party ended the meal feeling a little uncomfortable as customers, although everyone enjoyed the actual food. But then, the lead waitress who HAD come across as annoyed at us took the cost of the drinks off our order; which obviously we really appreciated! If this review is a bit confusing, it reflects our somewhat confusing experience! Still recommend Silver Palate for the food, for sure, and we’ll definitely be back! But whilst they navigate changes (is it increased footfall, or staffing issues?) we may hold off introducing visitors, and just keep coming to enjoy it ourself, as we’ve generally had a really good experience when it’s just us. I hope this feedback is useful, and taken in the constructive spirit it’s intended.

It was really busy, to the point it affected service quality. The food was amazing

The place is lovely and the service is the good too. But unfortunately the same can’t be told about the steak sandwich. The beef was way too tough and chewy. Couldn’t chew it, had to spit it out. I guess it was overcooked and the fat got rendered out completely.

Wonderful food VERY fresh and great staff

Great place for a lunchtime meal. Meals aren't too big. You can often get the same in the deli if you don't want to sit in.

My friend and I popped into Silver Palate for a quick coffee. The chocolate drink was perfect and I fell in love with the red motorbike. I will definitely go back and stay longer next time 😊

We went in for brunch and my partner ordered the vegan Spanish beans, when they arrived it looked like it have chorizo in it so we asked the server who went to check with the kitchen. She returned and explained that it was vegan. However we later learnt that it was not. I have tried to contact the cafe but they have not responded. Regardless of the ethical issues this presents it’s also a food health and safety issue. Both myself and my partner were ill after eating here. Extremely disappointed

Food wasn't hot and poached eggs were so hard

We were a party of six for breakfast; it was busy even at 10am on a Sunday morning! Clean, very airy, very busy and buzzing, with a very active and attentive service staff. A very good selection of fayre was available and very well prepared it was too. I just have to say that I found everything rather expensive but then, looking at the crowd in there, they all seemed to be quite well off, and perhaps this restaurant's prices were a reflection of the affluent area and of how much it costs to run a business there. Much as I liked it I would go somewhere else next time,

A familiar restaurant in Harpenden with Mediterranean food, more greek than Italian or Spanish. Very nice welcome, good service and the prices didn't match with the online menu but they are reasonable They serve breakfast and lunch and everyone like the food they have. No booking required but they make you space without waiting time. Very recommended restaurant.

the food is amazing! I had the best dish ever of my life there and its called feta meli.