The Beech House in St Albans

We visit the Beech House every weekend for a lovely coffee and pastry on a long bike ride, staff are amazing, especially Misha who is always smiling and is a pleasure to converse with 1st thing in the morning :)

9 times out of 10 we will visit during a morning cycle to St Albans. Staff are very polite and friendly, even in the morning when most of us are grumpy.

Great moment and incredible discovery

Arrived right on time for our booking the table wasn't even ready. Had to stand and wait 5 mins while it was made up then just told we could go sit down - not actually shown to our table and just left to figure out which was ours Went for the bottomless brunch as a group of 9 for a birthday celebration - disappointing drink options, no soft drinks or mocktails (only 0% wine, beer tea, coffee) so ends up been very expensive if your not drinking alcohol and don't fancy 6 cups of tea! Once party member did order a hot drink off the brunch menu and it never arrived. Were 'allocated' 4 bottles of prosecco to share between 8 people (one party member not drinking) which isn't really alot or very 'bottomless' - ordered another bottle what we said we would pay for and this also never as arrived Service was terrible - took 20mins to get the attention of the waitress and pay. I ended up getting up and going to the counter and the waitress just looked at me and walked away. Finally able to pay and asked how we wanted to split the 10% service charge added to the bill (£27) advised we would like it removing. The service was definitely not worth £27! After we paid the waitress just walked off - no thank you, have a nice day,thanks for coming..just blanked us and walked off. Food was ok although the main menu had no lunch type options - just large main meals which at lunchtime not always suitable. First and last visit

The worst customer service! Leave you waiting for ages and then look at you as if you are a pain for even being there. No apology for keeping you waiting and stroll around without any concern that you are in their eyeshot waiting for service

Not one to write negative reviews but the service we received today was shocking. My friends and I entered the restaurant and were ignored while others were directed to their seats. The table service was poor. For a table of nine we got 1 bottle of water. We kindly asked for some extra water for the table which never came. When our food came (the food was fantastic!) one of the girls needed some sauce but it was impossible to get the attention of any of the waiters. After our meal we asked twice for the bill. When it was given to us we waited for someone to come and take the payment. After 15mins we asked again and were told we needed to come to the bar to pay which was absolutely fine but there was no communication we were left guessing. While the food was great the service from every person we encountered was very poor.

Wonderful restaurant with great service the steaks were amazing and would highly recommend the profiteroles for desert

The nine of us had a great meal on Friday. Pizza, mussels, burgers were all excellent. One of our company said the salmon special was the best she’d ever had and the portion was very generous. The service was professional and friendly. I drink in here regularly so I was pleased that my family had a good time.

Popped in ad-hoc for an early Sunday lunch. We were a small group and they found us a table in the restaurant. I did hear other people being turned away later so best to book in future. Food was delicious and the chefs were happy to accommodate changes to dish due to an allergy and offer an alternative. The waiting staff were all very friendly but they were much too stretched and service was slow and bits forgotten. I believe there were only three people serving tables on a very busy Sunday service. I knocked down for atmosphere to a four star as we were unlucky in that there was a children's party happening in the restaurant too and the kids were being loud and over excited... Exactly how mine would be on their birthdays but it did spoil the environment a bit for non party attendees. Overall we'd come back but not if we were in a hurry.

Really friendly bouncers. Good people

So sorry that the beautiful ladies' toilets are falling apart. Seats falling off, no toilet paper, vandalised tap, soap dispenser stuck and no paper for baby changing. Otherwise, it's a really good venue for coffee and snacks with the kids.

We've got sat down in the restaurant area, and after that we just got ignored for 15 minutes. No one came to us, to take any food or drinks orders. Was 2 members staff ( blonde lady, and tall guy dark hair)chating each other by the till at the restaurant entrance area. What a shame no one cares of me and my wife. They abandoned us, and we decide to leave. They see us leaving, but still no one did care to spend some words with us. What kind of restaurant is? To come in and never got feed, and just ignoring the guest?!?!

Dear Beach House, I'm writing to you to express my dissatisfaction with the "service" I received at your restaurant in St. Albans,on Tuesday 21st January around 3 pm. We've got sat down in the restaurant area, and after that we just got ignored for 15 minutes. No one came to us, to take any food or drinks orders. Was 2 members staff ( blonde lady, and tall guy dark hair)chating each other by the till at the restaurant entrance area. What a shame no one cares of me and my wife. They abandoned us, and we decide to leave. They see us leaving, but still no one did care to spend some words with us. What kind of restaurant is? To come in and never got feed, and just ignoring the guest?!?! Can't wait to hear from you, to know what it will be your explanation. Kind regards

Very nice new menu. We had steak, smoked salmon fishcakes and chilli cauliflower bites. Excellent and fab chips. Service was friendly and professional. Will visit again soon.

This is our second time visiting the Beech House. They have lovely vegan options. Jack was very kind and friendly with my questions about vegan and non vegan recommendations. We’ll try the sticky pudding during our next visit!

Service so slow and staff walking round in daze Some food not hot, 1 item forgotten Not a pleasant experience and asked to remove service Also did not want to have dessert Very poor will not go back

Service let an otherwise good experience down. Had to wait to be seated as many tables had not been cleaned despite ample staff, none of whom were in any sort of hurry. Drinks arrived after being reminded twice after the mains were half way consumed.

Wouldn’t bother. Overpriced. Confused allergens menu (ie no vegan brioche etc). Bad coffee. No reason to return

slow service is one thing, but rude and moody bar manager is another. Will no longer be taking my friends there for my birthday

We were initially sat and and forgotten about for a while and had to go and find drinks menus on another table but when we got our waiter he was fantastic, food was lovely and we enjoyed ourselves.

Best fish and chips Iv ever tasted. 10 out of 10 👍

Superb restaurant. Will definitely return

A very dependable menu, this chain consistently produces good food when i visit.

Friendly staff, manager came to ask how the food was, good ambience, and great pizza!

Nice but waited several decades to get served at the bar on a Saturday afternoon.

Great service normally not crowded served a nice cappuccino haven't tried the breakfast menu yet

We had an incredible time dining out to celebrate my wifes and son birthday with our family! The food and drinks were top-notch, and the atmosphere was spot on. The staff were super friendly, welcoming us warmly and definitely made us feel special. We are really looking forward to our next visit, especially for that great service. This place is an absolute Fantastic Thank You

Not around this area, so price is steep for us. Was not written or verbally told that there is a service charge added to the bill. Staff are super friendly! !! However, I be questioning the managerial side of staffing levels and work load as I would consider not actually that much of a peak time. 1 work do at the time (mainly drinks orders ) and 1 reasonable large family and few small tables as food service. Waiters are running off there feet not providing a spare second to think. Due to this , 20-30 minutes after few times trying to get attention of paying the bill ended up getting up and going to main restaurant desk to then wait to pay . Not big deal, but can obviously see how to improve to make it 10/10 experience. Drinks was delivered after food. Which in fairness was quick to be received. However, tend to get drinks fairly earlier then food after . Food took 20minutes from order. On the point of disadvantages on the service, which can only see it's 2 people on the floor and manager serving drinks any more customers see delay will increase and frustration. The chefs Food quality is amazing and would say close 2nd/3rd restaurant. Only down falls are quick fix on more floor staff and would say bar aswell and the cost to food quantity. 1st fav £40. Bigger pizza and starter same quality. 2 super large cocktails and 2 sodas. So in comparison very close and would recommend just understanding those factors will be hard to be what we have.

Absolutely LOVE the Beech House! We've been using their venue for St Albans Buzz Networking, monthly event, for over 10 years now! I've been involved for the last 5, and it makes such a difference to have a responsive venue and staff that care. The team are always helpful and take a genuine interest in you. Well, they have with me! I'm there at least once a week–outside my monthly networking event, so have had most things on the menu. Particular favourites are the delicious Pollo Diavola pizza, and the Buttermilk pancakes with bacon. Mmmm... We have our Christmas Meal there soon. Can't wait! If you need a venue to grab a quick coffee, for a meal or larger event, I highly recommend you get in touch with the Beech House, St Albans.

Every month we host our St Albans Business Buzz networking event at the Beech House and have been doing for many years as we love the venue. We always feel welcome and it makes for a great space for networking events. Also many people stay after the event for one to ones and to enjoy the great food at the Beech House. We always have out Christmas meal there, which is always excellent.

Lovely staff. Excellent food. Just a bit too noisy to hear conversations...

Best pizza I’ve ever had, definitely come check this place out!

The service was very slow and we had to keep grabbing them for attention. We gave up on coffee with our desert as we already eaten it and we had waited so long. The Sunday chicken was nice but was let down by frozen roast potatoes rather than fresh ones, that's a pet hate of mine.

Great place to eat with the family and very reasonable.

Food: never arrived Service: non existent Atmosphere: mehh Ps toilets smell like they haven’t been properly cleaned in months / years

Went to eat before an event at the arena. We had given ourselves 2& a half hours before the show . The service was soo bad we had to ask the waitress to clear the dirty plates from our table that had sat there for over 30 minutes. Then we were soo rushed to order dessert & pay ,we just about made it to the show .I appreciate that there were only 2 people serving but they shouldn't accept bookings if they can't cope .Food was very nice but would probably not return 😕

Very friendly service and the food was delicious 😋 we popped in for a quick breakfast and we were not disappointed. Thank you so much

What a lovely lunch out! The atmosphere was spot on with just the right background music and light, making it incredibly relaxing. The service was excellent; the team was super friendly and had great knowledge of the menu, which made ordering easy. I really enjoyed the dish I customised, and it was delightful to see that my request wasn't an issue at all. Plus, the note about tips going to the staff shows they really care about their team – a nice touch! I can't wait to come back!

Last minute dinner for 2 on a business trip. Walked in not long before close and staff were more than happy to let us sit and order food. Service was fantastic and nothing could have been done any better. Ordered Calzone and Pizza which were fresh and tasty. Few pints with the meal too. Really sorry but I can’t remember the staff names who looked after us, even tho they did tell me. Thanks for the great experience 👍🏼 Chris 30/09/24 - Date visited (Evening Time)

Adam and Matthew served us. They were good-natured, efficient and helpful :) The atmosphere was also a vibe. No complaints!

Food, coffee, customer service experience, location, you name it, everything about The Beach House is excellent, from my point of view.

We ate in the restaurant on a Thursday night with next to no other customers. Table service was good but it took over 15 minutes to get our drinks, and only after I got up to ask where they were. I think the person working the bar (possibly the manager) who wasn’t at all busy, forgot our order and went off to clear tables. No apology from the bar person. Not a great experience.

Came to StAlbans for the theatre and found this place, looks very nice, went in, and was greeted politely and seated. Food and drink were quite quick. We enjoyed the food mostly, but I found the garlic bread a little chewy like it was warmed up in a microwave. This was the only downfall, and hopefully, it was a one-off. We will return next time we visit StAlbans.

The Beech House was perfect for a birthday gathering - we had booked in advance and had a big corner table at the far end of the restaurant - there must of been around 15 adults and 2 children in our party. We were greeted by Mark who was a fantastic host - checking in on our table frequently and making sure everything was as good as it could be. The food (Sunday roast in my case) tasted amazing, was definitely freshly cooked and was served promptly after we were seated. Splitting the group bill for payment was painless and obviously something they do a lot. Would go back here next time I'm in the area.

Food was good, staff were nice and atmosphere was pleasant.

I went to the beach house for dinner on friday and we had the best time. The atmosphere was very pleasant, food was delicious and service was amazing! A very big thank you to Alex our waiter who made sure our every need was seen too which made the evening perfect.

The worst breakfast Ive ever had. I had eggs Benedict the egg was snotty (undercooked white) the bacon was like cardboard and the muffin tasted stale. The orange juice was also undrinkable. I am disappointed for them because I know it’s a great venue and maybe it was a bad morning but I felt I had to write a review

The best perhaps, the children's menu. To be fair, the starters were acceptable. The rest is horrible. We had a wait of almost an hour between the starters and the main course. Bad and expensive food. One of the dishes Prawn Spaghetti, inedible. The pasta was soft, the whole plate was left and after complaining they did not propose any alternative. The burgers, without further ado, are similar to those at Burguer King or McDonalds but cost three times as much. In short, I do not recommend at all and I certainly will not return.

Been here a few times now and always quiet

Happy people doing their best to please. Thanks 👍

Good food but dreadful service. I brought my coffee back to the Barista as it was not hot. She said she ‘couldn’t control the temperature’ but then reluctantly agreed to make a new one.

Honestly, one of the best pizza's I have eaten. Not sure why bolognese pizza is not more of a thing. Unfortunately, service was incredibly short staffed and on returning to the location on other ocassions seems to be a recurring issue.

Had a glass of wine, nice place

The waiter was amazing the food, well a lot of amused bouches. Our meals were well portioned.

Great meal tonight at the Beach House. One of the best steaks I've had, as good as Prime! Service was impeccable! Good job!

Wonderful experience here. Really enjoyed our time. The staff seem really accommodating. The atmosphere is wonderful with a great food menu. Even though you looking for a drink or a meal, I highly recommend this place.

Service extremely slow, food was passable but expensive for what is was, overall fine but can’t say more than fine.

We just popped in for a couple of drinks and to share a portion of fries. Good selection of beers and Wow! Possibly the best fries I've EVER had. Perfect.

Went here for my mums birthday. Lovely staff. Good food& atmosphere.

Food was below acceptable and inedible. When complained a £10 discount was deducted from £120 bill which was half the cost of one meal which was inedible when all meals where of a poor standard. Also then had to pay a £11 service charge so didn't actually get any compensation after having the awkwardness of raising the issue. Would not visit again, very disappointing family visit.

Lovely little breakfast we had, nice and tasty

Pleasant bar not too busy when we went at 4pm . Service was OK, I wasn't sure if the barman wanted us there. Very little eye contact and very matter of fact. Definitely no smiles. Waitress on the other hand was very polite and welcoming and smily. Drinks seemed a bit pricey but good selection of drinks.

Staff were pleasant and efficient and the food hot and tasty. Visited mid week so seating was easy to obtain but I passed by at other times and it was heaving, so pre book if you can.

Great food, staff and service very slow, lack detail

Love it here! Such an amazing chilled atmosphere - it feels like a private members club. Lovely Aperol spritz and pizza, amazing waitress (brunette lady who moved all our things inside when the weather worsened!) and a great atmosphere.

I had a business lunch, and a waitress called Emma retrieved a very precious keepsake to me; a Concord final flight leather wallet. This was particularly helpful of her, and indeed, she was very professional and welcoming throughout the meal.

Booked for a group of 10 that became 11 and manager could not have been more helpful on a busy night. Good choice of food served by cheerful staff. The only disappointment was the lack of any real ale on the evening

Food itself was good as were portion size. Unfortunately we had to wait almost an hour to be served after ordering. Not good when there is also a young child present.

Dreadful service on Easter Sunday.

Great atmosphere, great service, great meal and time in family. Couldn't have asked for more (Loved the lobster entries)

Didn't eat as the state of the toilets were absolutely filthy 🤬the stairs also going up to toilets were black and shelf was full of dust?!! . This isn't down to your bar staff this is down to youse as a company to employ cleaners as your Amersham one is the same dirty and filthy toilets!!!?. You as a company as losing a lot more money than making it because of dirty premises so get your act together and get professional in to give your establishments a good deep clean then keep on top of the cleaning as youse as a company as losing customers and money.

Very slow service. food average and over priced.. 2 different areas of this place. front not sure. main restaurant waiter but have to be checked in . made the mistake of ordering from the just drinks. said we were having food . told you have to check in 1st. ordered a Latte 12mins later i go chasing it . told they are making it . ordered pizza it came within 7mins. has to stand up to get someone attention to pay . presented with bill. no one came back to take my card . had to stand up again . the place was not busy.

Came for lunch in bar area around 2 ish. Plenty of tables and people eating. I was told to order at the bar and then waited to be served. The lady behind bar then said she didn't know if they were serving food and had run out of cutlery. She asked the manager who was the rudest person on the planet and just grunted a no. Since moving nearby last May, we have been good customers of this restaurant. Bringing friends for lunch and dinner on many occasions. I can't express how bad I felt at the treatment and they don't deserve to have a business license.

Go to this place every year for our anniversary as it was our first date venue. Love the food, staff are always really polite and helpful! The only thing this time around is that they ran out of roast potatoes for our roast dinner but was replaced with mash so no biggie.

We visited the beech house for dinner on mother's day and woe it did not disappoint. three of us had the lamb from the mother's day menu which was just incredibly delicious and satisfying. the others had burgers. the waiter who served us had great menu and allergen knowledge and was so helpful as we had two different dietary requirements at our table, which with other restaurants is sometimes a bother but the beech house handled this so excellently. we will be back! it's my fourth time eating here, third time having a Sunday roast and it's been exceptional each time!!

Came 5mins late to a Mother’s Day reservation and they gave a family with 3 small kids a high top table where the kids could not reach the food even when other tables were clearly available. Once we sat down no one took our order or acknowledged our existence for 30mins. If we weren’t hungry and other places busy we would have walked out. Avoid this place.

Came 5mins late to a Mother’s Day reservation and they gave a family with 3 small kids a high top table where the kids could not reach the food even when other tables were clearly available. Once we sat down no one took our order or acknowledged our existence for 30mins. If we weren’t hungry and other places busy we would have walked out. Avoid this place.

We reserved a table in the bar area as we were bringing our dog. The table was set up for us with a water bowl for the dog. We had excellent sevice from James. Our food and drink arrived promptly. We can recommend the pizzas and Spaghetti Bolognese. The mini deserts are not too small - if you have space the (fresh) doughnuts and chocolate sauce are very nice. If there's any complaint it's that the bar area, being near the door, is not warm.

Went with my partner for brunch, lovely place, chilled atmosphere,food was very good and good menu selection,plus staff were very pleasant too.

Obviously don't expect a quality food or anything remotely resembling a professional customer service. Tired, spiteful and unprofessional team. A decent shift manager though I must add. They brought me a raw roast beef, and when I complained, they overcooked the beef and pudding just out of spite. I hope they'll get their act together as they used to be alright years ago.

Went with my wife and two daughters on Sunday 11 Feb. We ordered two pizzas, one fish & chips and a Porchetta Sunday Roast. Pizzas were rated very highly, fish and chips - the fish nice and crispy and chips plentiful. The Porchetta which I had was amazing. Delicious, flavourful and the size was more than satisfying. The veggies that came with it were very nice. Service was quick and friendly. We are going back again, soon. Thank you🙏 to all at Beech House !

The vibe of the restaurant was generally okay. The chicken gave me food poisoning - stomach pain and needed to get a day off work. It tasted like it was pre-frozen and the bone was black. I had a few bites before noticing and left the whole thing but the damage had been done. Not good.

Great bottomless brunch with friends. Food was lovely with a great choice. We had prosecco and mimosas. Really good value for money

Waited eons to be seated then 15 minutes later was asked for our drinks order. 40 minutes later our food arrived The chicken roast was moist and tasty the burger the same. It wasn't at all busy but the people working there seemed uninterested and non smiling. We won't be going back. The tipp was added to the bill which I do not like. Had to ask for it back.

Great place to grab a bite to eat, and have a drink! I went for a Napoli Forte wood-fired pizza that was freshly cooked, and was amazing! The service was fantastic and the staff were very friendly, so all-in-all, well worth a visit.

We had a nice family tea here this week, food and atmosphere were great!

Came here with some friends recently. It's quite nice on the inside, but the service was really slow and the food although really good quality was expensive and portions were small. I prefer The Peahen down the road for drinks.

The staff were amazing and friendly, the woman that served me had a smile every time she approached me the food was out of this world, I don't live in St Albans but will be back

Came for brunch with the family. The restaurant was fairly busy but we were left standing around until we found our own table. The service was slow and the food was a tad disappointing and cold. The portions were tiny. All in all a very poor experience which I will never repeat again.

Friendly polite lady served me and my friend today, the food was fresh and tasty and reasonably priced considering the current climate. Will definitely be going again. Highly recommended.

Great meeting place. The staff are very accommodating, friendly and welcoming.

Great ambience and selection of drinks, go to place for anything you want really!

A lovely cafe with delicious meals and cakes, coffees, etc, And it's dog friendly! Perfect place for a rest after a long walk on the beach.

Great food. Great service. We ordered spaghetti puttanesca mussels and sea bass with celeriac. (Starter bruschetta with mozzarella). A green salad as a side. All perfect, fresh and well-presented.

Always lovely, friendly service. Good hot drinks.

Waited way too long for food. Staff all walking around like zombies, know urgencie. Very disappointed.

Waited 1hour and 45mins for our breakfast and half of the order was cold ! … never again

POOR POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE Food was nice BUT it ruined our day as staff acts like the place is empty and it’s only themselves there. You tell them you are ready to order they ignore you, you ask for something they forget to bring, 45min no one checks if you need something and then they don’t even come for you to pay the bill but you need to go and chase them … ridiculous Staff only talks among themselves especially the woman behind the bar with the pizza man…. Oh and the restaurant was empty … I can only imagine when it’s full…. poor poor customer service

Muy familiar y buena comida a un precio razonable

Honestly amazing food, really lovely place and location right in the heart of St.Albans - one of the highest rated places to live in the Uk in Hertfordshire. 100% recommend. Great speedy service also.