The Candlestick Pub in Welwyn Hatfield

Came here with some friends for Mother's Day lunch, beautiful country pub, such a lovely calm atmosphere, excellent service, friendly staff, fabulous roast, nice beer, lovely open fire and good value for money. We'll definitely be recommending to others and will be back! 🙂 Tracie & Paul Carter

Called into the pub for the 1st time on Friday, we liked the pub as soon as we pulled up. They have a lovely duck pond and animals, which my little nephew loved. We all said it will be lovely in the summer as they have a large beer garden. Had a bite to eat and it was very tasty, so much so we booked for Mother's Day. It did not disappointment, the roast was very good and there was plenty of it. When we finished the meal, myself and my mum was given a bunch of daffodils and a beautiful presented mini bottle of pink procecco, it really is the little things. We will definitely be back as the staff are very friendly and welcoming, by the time we left we felt like the The Candlestick had been our local for years.

What a fantastic original building/ pub the food is superb and very reasonably priced. Lamb mint pie is a must if you go, chunky chips perfect. Can’t wait for the weather to get warmer to explore the animal farm and kinds playground. A very welcoming public house.

Fantastic food, great service. We were made to feel very welcome here and would definitely come back again. Very dog friendly, they even had beds out for them. We had squid and fiery prawns to start, hunters chicken as a main, pudding was brownie and jam sponge, all cooked to perfection and extremely well priced. Thankyou for a lovely afternoon. Xx

Best Sunday dinner I have had in ages, great selection of meats available. As well as regular menu. Roast Beef melted in mouth, great selection of veg, comes with Yorkshire puddings, stuffing and sausages. Will be going again. Gets busy on Sundays may be best to book, we call in on the off chance and managed to get a table ( just)..

Lovely friendly pub incredible service

Such a cute little pub. Never knew it was there.

Friendly staff, food was worth the wait. Changed hands since the last visit. The garden will be great in the summer,with new attractions of animals.

Brilliant customer service and so friendly and welcoming. Very good hostess couldn’t do enough for us, it was my sons birthday and I forgot a cake so they made him a special pudding to celebrate. The food was great, very reasonable priced. We have 3 yappy small dogs but they were welcome and perfectly behaved.

Great pub, good beer, very acceptable pub food pretty cheap, In a wonderful out of the way location. An absolute definite for summer evenings outside, can't wait.

One of my favourite local pubs. Good atmosphere, huge garden so perfect for kids and reasonably priced food and good drink options. Incredible fish finger sandwich 🐟😂

Lovely welcoming pub with a fire being lit as we arrived. We were too early for food this time (unfortunately) but will be back again next time we are walking in the area

A friend and I were looking for a late Sunday lunch, and we found this place on Google, only fifteen minutes drive away. Despite being after 3pm, the pub was still bustling with diners and dog-walkers, the atmosphere was very traditional and welcoming. We asked if lunch was still being served and were presented with the Sunday menu. All very standard, no surprises, but no advertised veggie option for my friend. We asked about it and the bar man said that he could add a veggie item from the standard menu, so my friend opted for a bean burger. We ordered drinks and after the bar man consulted with another staff member, some other alternatives were offered and he said that the chef could make a filo pastry, spinach and ricotta slice, if that would be better. My friend was made up with this and the veggie gravy they made for him too. We waited a little longer for this (which we really didn’t mind at all), but when the meals arrived it was worth every minute. We were offered extra gravy, sauces etc and the food was plentiful and delicious. Service, atmosphere, food and drinks were all spot on. We absolutely will be returning!

We came here for a Sunday Roast. The trio of meat was lovely thick cut meat, real gravy, great potatoes and simple but perfectly cooked veg. They didn't have a veggie roast on the menu but the team offered a selection of alternatives, I ended up with a fresh tasting feta & spinach pastry with the roast - lovely. Pricing is very reasonable too. Nice friendly crowd. Quite a few dogs, all well behaved and friendly too. Lovely clean traditional style pub. Absolutely huge south facing garden that looks like it'll be gorgeous in the summer. I'll definitely be back.

Just spent the nicest evening at the Candlesticks. The room is clean and has everything you need. The dinner was superb, Nellio the owner was the nicest host, the food was amazing can not fault anything. Yes some people may not like the D.I.Y breakfast, for the price if it’s not for you just go to the local cafe for a fry up.

Food is amazing, the chicken burger was so good. Friendly staff and quick service. Such a lovely little collection of animals to pass the time for children while we were finish eating. Would definitely recommend.

What a fantastic, welcoming pub. Walked up from Welywn Garden City, with our dogs. Dogs welcome in the pub & a lovely garden. Great food & beer. Highly recommend a visit.

I had the misfortune to visit the candlestick pub yesterday for Sunday lunch; the quality of the food served as a Sunday roast was Dreadful. The Gravy was watered down and clearly from a packet, the chicken had been warmed up in a microwave, it was so pale it looked anemic with no roasted skin to be seen. we ordered a Lasagna, which was totally inedible. You hear so many sad stories of Pubs closing down daily; the owners of the Candlestick Pub have a decent clientele the pub was very busy yesterday, so a note to the owner: you have multiple reviews stating that your food is dreadful, do yourself a favor, employ a chief and make your pub a pleasurable experience otherwise you will be the third owner in two years to fall short at this pub. read your reviews and make a change before it's too late.

Didn’t have food but loved the outdoor space. Great for kids as there is lots of space for them to run around and even ponies to look at 🙂

Good old "pub" with food available if you wish, good selection of beers with good prices. Huge garden in the middle of the countryside. In the process of installing pens for various animals. Car park needs sorting though. Will be a great pub in the summer months.

Amazing pub with a wonderful walk, delicious food, great beer and very dog friendly, our pooch had a bed to sleep on and was given a treat by the landlord! Three very happy customers and will definitely be returning! Had the steak and onion rustic sandwich and would definitely recommend!

Decided to try the Candlestick for Sunday lunch, having read the recent positive reviews. Phoned ahead and was assured that we didn’t need to book and could just walk in. Got the last table inside and promptly ordered food for our group of 3 adults and two kids under 5. Waited 50 mins for the kids meals to arrive and an hour for the adults. The roasts were dreadful - broccoli so overcooked it was mushy, tasteless water-thin gravy and just one slice of well done beef. The Yorkshire pudding was ok. My kids’ spaghetti was slightly undercooked. We were all so hungry by the time it arrived that we would’ve eaten anything. Didn’t get a chance to complain as no one asked us even once whether everything was ok or how our food was. Such a disappointment as the pub is in a lovely setting. They shouldn’t accept walk-ins if they can’t cope, and the food really needs a lot of improvement. Sad to say we won’t be going back.

I’ve been coming to this pub for fifty years and it’s had its share of good and bad landlords but the current family really have made a difference. Visited last weekend and was very impressed with the food and drinks, not too expensive and the steak sandwich was lovely. They really mean business as the outdoor seating and the rugby viewing area are excellent. Well worth a visit.

BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDINGS....LOVELY HOMEMADE FOOD.....

Excellent staff very polite..food was very nice...Sunday roast...

Wonderful location . Wonderful staff . Food is excellent and the price is such good value for money . I am so glad to see the improvements that have already been made and will be back to visit with friends this week.

So pleased to see The Candlestick has reopened 😊 fab generous roast lunch with lovely roast potatoes and good selection of veg, very reasonably priced too. Delicious puds, friendly staff with very well kept gardens and lots of flowers; cosy and clean interior and welcomes dogs; cannot fault it. We will be back and I wish the new owners good luck with the pub 😍

We’ve been wanting to try this out for a while and very glad we did . Firstly, and most importantly, Sunday roast dinner was lovely, and ample plus it was extremely well priced. Secondly the young staff were friendly and helpful and even made a crumble pudding from scratch rather than say it’s run out Thirdly the place is tidy and clean, including the toilets. Although there’s more to be done with the building it’s clear the owners care and this place deserves a visit . More covered/sheltered outside seating would really help them as space inside is limited. Worth considering there are a couple of good circular walks you can do direct from the pub, either to work up an appetite before or burn off some calories after . So glad we have places like this opening.

So pleased to see The Candlestick has reopened 😊 fab generous roast lunch with lovely roast potatoes and good selection of veg, very reasonably priced too. Delicious puds, friendly staff with very well kept gardens and lots of flowers; cosy and clean interior and welcomes dogs; cannot fault it. We will be back and I wish the new owners good luck with the pub 😍

New landlords clearly investing in the property with a duxk pond being built. Whilst food is of good quality for the price, service remains awful with insufficient and untrained staff behind the bar. No use having a nice pub if you can't get served!

Just changed hands and it was great. Food, drink and service was good and will be back soon.

What a beautiful location, loved this hidden pub. Sunday roast was such disappointment! Terrible food, was compared to school dinner roast! The most terrible roast we have ever eaten. Such a shame as we were going to invite lots of friends. Will be sticking with white horse at Burnham green where you pay £2-3 more but the food is delishious!

Brilliant food garden is beautiful we will go back

The Candlestick is under new management and they are here to stay. A lot of work has gone into this pub to bring it back to life and give the village of Essendon a new place to relax and enjoy a nice meal whilst supping a chilled pint in the beautiful garden. The pub also has set opening times...mon-fri 12 til 11 sat 11 til 11 and sun 11 til 10.30. So you wont be turning up to a closed pub like before.

things haven't got any better here. thought we would try it again, given it is local and changed hands (again). things havent improved i'm afraid and drinks more expensive than other pubs locally. dont go out of your way to try it.

Invited to a wedding reception held here. What an amazing place. Lovely spot and staff excellent food brilliant. We had a wonderful day. Thanks all, highly recommended.

My Sisters Wedding yesterday. Good food and lovely staff. You must try it x

Thank you to the Candlestick for an amazing wedding reception yesterday. It was a beautiful venue with the most amazing staff and incredible food. They couldn't have been more helpful and supportive. The food was delivered with no errors and no questions to the right person each time. A sign of a really good restaurant. Thank you so much for making our day so special. A perfect venue for any occasion. They seated 26 with no concerns. The only sad thing was the weather meant that the champagne and canapés had to move indoors, rather than under the canopy on the lawn. Weather sadly outside their control lol. 10 stars for the candlestick - many, many, many thanks. You made it so special.

Beautiful location but the food was very disappointing and overpriced. My wife and I had the roast belly pork. It was disgusting and clearly reheated in the microwave. The crackly was soggy and the meat tough as old boots. Veg was badly presented and possibly the worst roast potatoes I've ever had. My daughters both had the burger. They liked their food, but then they are children and weren't paying the £14 for such a small burger with a few chips and salad chucked on the side with no dressing. Starters were OK, but very overpriced. Only worth visiting for the views and a drink, definitely not for the food.

Stumbled across this pub one evening with the family, it's off the beaten track, but a very pretty location. There happened to be a quiz on that night. It was a great atmosphere. Good choice of drinks. Had gin and tonics. Barman very friendly and good service. Had the Chicken Parmigiana which was very tasty. Will be coming again,!

Good pub, good selection of lagers and food and good service

Had a delicious Sunday lunch here. Glad this pub is open again. For the sunny days there's seating outside with views of the fields around. Relaxing! Welcoming and friendly service too.

Nice to see you are open again Bar manager very friendly and good at his job Will see you again in a few weeks and will try your food

It was very nice I couldn’t think a place better to go to and I would recommend coming here staff is very nice and respectful food was brilliant I will definitely come back here and tell my friends about it

Two adults and my grandson came in for Sunday lunch, very welcoming friendly staff. Listened to my fussy Grandson ls requests. Amazing roast dinners, great drinks while we waited. Followed by delicious sticky toffee pudding and strawberry cheesecake. Will definitely be back.

A complete waste of a Sunday lunch. The pork belly was inedible, undercooked veg, cold food, even when we asked for it to be reheated. The staff obviously had no idea how to handle a complaint. I doubt the new management will last long with such an attitude. Disappointingly, totally not recommended.

Was quietly enjoying my drink when a confused-looking man came stumbling in. He started mumbling something about the Scottish referendum. Thankfully he moved on fairly quickly but it was a close call. Overall great staff, 10/10

Nice pub with nice views over country side. Had nice meal too

Fab sunday lunch, lovely friendly atmosphere

Lovely proper country pub on the outskirts of the village. Surrounded by beautiful countryside, and so an ideal place to stop for refreshments while out hiking. Nice seating area out front. Staff were friendly and the ales well kept. Didn’t try the food but would next time. Highly recommended and will definitely return.

Very friendly bar staff - would highly reccommend.

Called in for a mid-week snack and pint this afternoon. Friendly welcome, lunch was tasty and nicely presented. Good choice of local ales. Bit of attention needed in the ladies but easily remedied 😉 we're looking forward to returning on a warmer day when my hubby can walk and we can enjoy the beautiful walks in this area/sit outside in the nice garden areas.

We had a lovely lunch here on Boxing Day. My husband said the Gameskeeper pie was really good and so was my fish and chips - washed down by beer and mulled wine. Friendly pub with nice service

We enjoyed a lovely walk from Essendon through the woods and stopped here for lunch on a sunny Saturday afternoon we had warm chicken ciabatta sandwiches and beef and ale pie . Which were both excellent the staff were efficient and friendly and we were made to feel welcome . The pub is dog friendly and well worth a stop whilst enjoying the surrounding countryside.

Nice pub, fireworks were nicely done.

Had a great lunch pork belly veg great beer was made very welcome It has only been open for about 3 weeks will be going again soon

Fantastic food. Slow cooked pork belly with dauphinoise potato. Delicious

Food average dog behind bar which staff where pickin up and holding on bar .

i feel bad giving it a 2, because i wanted to try this pub as heard it opened again, but it really wasn't very good.. It was cold and damp in the bar area, with an old gas fire in the middle of the room. the beer wasn't great either. sadly wont be going back

The food was MmmmMm 😘and also the pasta oh 😽😻 highly recommend the pasta 🤤🤤 bye cuties 💕💕💕 ✌️

mazing amazing amazing 😻 the food be bussin like it’s fire the pasta oh don’t get me started 😻😻😻😍😍😍💕💕💕the ice cream was 🍷 it was so good 😜😩😘but something that really disappointed me is that the second time i ordered the ice cream was WAAAAARMMM!!!!!!😩😩😩☹️☹️☹️😩😩💕💕🍷🍷

Really lovely unpretentious pub. Dog friendly. Really delicious Sunday roast. Gardens are huge, with large play area and fantastic views and countryside all around.

Found this little gem in the Good Pub Guide and rightly so! They had a great selection of real ales, including a well-kept Tring breweries Sidepocket, so that was me sorted. We had lunch outside, as it was still quite mild. The vegetarian Chilli was excellent. The group I was with had burgers and sandwiches and everyone was happy with their meals. Had a lovely walk after and will return to sample the Sunday roast!

Use stopped in for a drink on a beautiful sunny September day!

Did a lovely walk starting and ending at the Candlestick. Very friendly welcome, well kept beer and a great choice of tasty snacks for a late lunch. Highly recommend!

Nice pub, good selection of ales and the chicken burger was great, Ollie did well after we finished our bike race and were hungry. Outside space and also seating inside.

Very disappointing. Walked in on a quiet Saturday afternoon looking forward to some decent pub food. No-one in sight, but unbelievably loud music. Stayed for a minute and then decided that there must be more convivial country pubs in the immediate vicinity. Never saw a member of staff!

Nice and tranquil country pub with garden area, pleasant experience.

Met with our children and partners for a short notice Sunday evening meal. Had a lovely welcome and a very good meal. Served promptly and everything was delicious. A good sized meal and all the trimmings - extra gravy served - lovely!

I have been going to the candlesticks on and off for the last 40 years or so, even back to the days of stan and Carole...always a lovely rural pub and friendly. However when I visited a week ago, on Sunday, I was shocked at the total rudeness and abruptness of one member of staff, a young woman serving. She needs to work on her PR skills as I'm sure it's not the image the pub wants to project. It totally spoilt my visit!

We love the Candlesticks & have tried to support it in these difficult times but I’m sorry to say the place deteriorating. We went for lunch a couple of weeks ago: their website said they served all day & and We tried to ring repeatedly...

Nice country pub Such a shame about the young lady serving, could not be more hostile if she tried Shame

My colleagues and I were based in the Hatfield area , working as ambulance crew . Sadly this was during the Covid era so the public house was not open for normal business. We took our chances and called at the pub on Sunday 17/5...

The food was absolutely top notch. The sausages were prestigious. Very tasty and good value for money. Surroundings are great. An old style pub with proper ale available. It has a great look and feel. Friendly atmosphere. Even the views are good. We need more...

I'd heard really good things about this pub but unfortunately they proved misleading. We went for a Sunday roast, the meat had clearly been reheated, the parsnips were so undercooked that they inedible and the roast potatoes greasy. Considering the near £15 per head for one course a great disappointment. The staff however were friendly and food for other tables that wasn't a roast looked to be fresh and of good quality.

We recently had lunch with friends at the Candlestick . It is situated in the countryside near the village of Essendon. In summer there are plenty of tables outside. It is situated on a footpath from Essendon so would be a good place for walkers...

Lovely visit today with the family for my son's birthday. Lady behind the bar was very welcoming and offered us a quiet part of the pub as we have a very highly strung terrier dog who gets very anxious in crowds. I did email ahead...

My daughter and I cycled to the Candlestick is it was ideally placed for a 20 mile round trip, and on quieter roads. My wife and younger met us there in the car. The pub is down a very narrow country lane, so be careful!...

Overpriced and...well... average!!

I haven't been here for several years, and i can't think why not because it was very good and better than I was expecting. Lovely warm welcome from the staff, food was more than acceptable, from a fairly small menu, but it is all the...

Quirky village pub. Dogs allowed makes it a ideal location to chill with good beer and food

It's in a nice location, and quite a nice pub. We had booked a table for 6, and I found it a bit odd that we weren't given menus, they had one board with a menu on that was handed out to each table (the same board). The food was nice, everyone enjoyed their meals and it is reasonably priced as well. My only complaint would be the toilets. The smell of urine as soon as you open the door to go into the toilet area was horrendous, and the toilets even worse. Could definitely do with a refurb in the toilet area!

Great food and very friendly service and extremely dog friendly, we had the mixed roast, lots of meat!

We went there with some friends and had a lovely night out. Food was really good. I recommend the Fish & Chips. Prices are really good. Emilie, the bar manager is absolutely lovely! Thank you for a great night, we'll definitively visit again in the...

Went here as a last meal with my heavily pregnant wife before the baby arrives (in-laws staying over, who babysat our other two). Food was delicious, but quite expensive for what you got I felt (£23 for a relatively small and simple halibut dish, sausage...

Cosy, traditional and welcoming pub/restaurant where food is freshly cooked and service is great. Recommend the goats cheese, balsamic and bacon salad to start. Great value menu for 2 or 3 course lunch. Service from Emily was excellent. If you're looking for a very quick...

Lovely setting. Charming service.

Me and my partner Booked a room to stay for two nights at the candle stick pub. Got told had to give a deposit before he could give us the room.just in case he still lost it out. As he had to let out the...

Nice country pub with good food

Great rural place to go to, food has been lovely. Not too busy and massive garden area. Quite alot of apple trees. Only downside is that it is quite pricey

Such a shame. We went for lunch at 2pm and all had a roast. It’s unfortunate that quality wasn’t the best. Meat was a little dry, as were the potatoes. Veg overcooked. It was “ok” so we didn’t complain but it’s a shame as I wouldn’t rush back.

Welcome rest on the Hertfordshire Way. Lots of outside space to sit and enjoy a cold drink on a warm day, and clean facilities.

We hadn't visited for a while. I really did not think it could have got better, however i has. The sunday lunch is spectactular, the service was attentative yet not intrusive.

Lovely surroundings and gardens, was there for Sunday lunch and was very disappointed with the food especially the roast beef with two slivers of meat that didn't even taste good. Very poor value for money!!!!

Ate here this evening. Lovely waitress. Red snapper with lime and pickled carrot on a bed of mash was delicious! Will be back.

Went for a family meal having previously enjoyed the food at The Candlestick. Sadly the day we visited the chef must have been having an off day. The fish and chips were soggy and greasy, the peas dry and shrivelled. The veggie lasagne was heavy and uninspiring. It's always embarrassing leaving food on the plate, but it was just so hard to finish such a disappointing meal. I felt bad recommending it. I know The Candlestick can do much better.

Lovely pub, lovely people, great food and very good service. Has a lovely large garden to enjoy with some lovely seating areas directly outside the pub. Highly recommend a visit

Great food & very friendly staff also good value

Food not great and grounds aren't well kept, particularly playground for kids

We booked based on the open table reviews, it was nothing like any of the reviews we read. Today was a special meal which we treated my neighbours to, I can’t tell you how embarrassing it was as the two hours unraveled.