The Carpenters Arms in Central Bedfordshire

Wonderful pub! Delicious food, cosy atmosphere, and very polite and friendly staff. Sat on the sofas right by one of the fireplaces and could have stayed all day!

Popped in for a drink after a local walk and had a very warm welcome. Friendly pub with lovely atmosphere and great choice of beers.

Fantastic roast dinner! We expected a busy pub lunch but only a handful of locals besides my wife and I. A little chilly when we arrived but the fire was started and all was cozy and well. Staff attentive, friendly and efficient. Car park at rear is convenient but entrance to pub was not posted well.

Reading the reviews from the last year breaks my heart a little as, clearly, those with bad experiences have taken the time to write a review whilst it seems the many great reviews have not made it. Please allow me to update you now that we near the end of the new owners first year at the Carps. Needless to say the building itself and the beautiful village of Harlington, is the very image many would conjure up when "cosy English pub in the countryside" is mentioned. It's quiet, it pretty and it's full of wonderful, caring people (attested to in September this year when the flooding brought out the best of what community spirit really means). In a village like that stands this old budling with bags of history and memories in it's very walls. Needless to say this ripe old age also brings a lot of challenges and need for care, not just for the bricks and mortar but for the entire setting and community that comes with it. The family that have now been running it for almost a year have taken on a whole heap of responsibility to treat this piece of local history (and the locals with it!) with the care and respect it deserves. It's not an easy job and every pub is different. Rome wasn't built in a day, as they say, and turning an old and tired village pub into "the dream" certainly will not happen over night. Now to the review itself. The landlord is great! Look, I have seen the reviews that mention him but they make no sense to me. He is friendly, talkative, passionate and very concerned with the happiness of the customers and the quality of what he does. He is a larger-than-life kind of character, granted, so I guess maybe if you don't like that, fair enough, but I would never describe him negatively. The food and staff are also mentioned in the other reviews but let me assure you that the first year has been a year of settling in, trial and error and a lot of training and establishing how things are done in this new era. The young staff behind the bar and in the kitchen are absolute stars and a hard-working-fast-learning bunch. We all have to learn and these guys have had a crash course. The menus are ever-changing for this reason too, to find out what really works and what people like so if you haven't been for a while, a re-visit is warmly recommended. In conclusion, whether you are a regular local or someone who happened to turn off at the wrong junction on the M1 and felt peckish, both fires are crackling, there are brand new beer lines drawn, the Christmas decks and lights are up and if you are lucky, Pete is making cocktails!. Friendly locals are guaranteed (myself amongst them as you may have guessed by now) and I recommend the beef burger!

Lunchtime was very quiet, but that didn't bother us. Food was good but the pub was cold and the food cooled quickly.

Would give 6 stars if I could. Working down here so decided to nip out for a bit of dinner. Bar staff really nice. Turned up at 3:30 so the bar staff whipped me up a mixed roast dinner as they were running short on all meats and it was lovely. Then got chatting to Cristo and was invited to cheese night but I was driving so had to cut the night short. Would 100% return

New owners deserved to do well as very customer focused. They were very welcoming on arrival and full of thanks for our custom when we left. They were at pains to recompense when kitchen issues caused delay even though we were happy talking and didn’t complain. Clean plates speak volume. We will definitely be back.

Popped in as was close to where we were staying. Unfortunately although we enjoyed our Steak burgers and chips we do not feel it was value for money and the menu was very limited(possibly as we understand it is under new ownership?). Would we go again if we are back in the area? sorry that would be a no - however this pub seems to be very popular with some of the locals.

Had my husbands 90th birthday party for 26 friends and family. We had a barbecue and lunch it was great. Food and staff was excellent everyone commented on how lovely everything was and even my god daughter is now considering it for her wedding.

I will not be back the Landlord was rude and they ran out of red wine - how can a decent village pub out of red wine This place would be great if they had decent people running it

Went for a drink with family in garden, was told that getting drinks was bad, service was non existent, decided as they were doing a bbq my sister and bro-in-law decided to have a meal they ordered abd I went to get another drink, omg, I understand about the service, it wasn't there. Also no pinot. Went back outside and there was only about 3 tables, no atmosphere, ie, music and took 35 minutes for their meals to come, one didn't have the garnish said on menu and other was totally wrong. In the meantime another table who arrived after and ordered after us were served their food about 5 minutes before ours. When we said the meal was wrong, they said they'd make the correct one but that meant with eating separately, so we declined the food and I did mention the service was bad and all I got was a hope you're alright, what ?? The attitude was all wrong. Passed by today, a Sunday in Sept, there were about 4 people waiting outside to get in, could see them trying the door, but locked. Supposed to open at 12 noon, must have been about 15 minutes till the door was opened. Wines have increased to almost £10 for a large glass, a portion of chips are £5 !! Not been back since July and won't be.

Really nice food but service was slow. Chair was broken so had to change it. Good job one was free. The bill was wrong so had to be corrected.

Not been here before, and as usual, a pub is made of bricks and mortar. Not had dinner here, but I can tell you, you won't find a friendlier pub in the county. Great beers, and Ellie ( bartender) is an absolute star. Highly recommended!

When are the fruit flies coming back? Great times !

We spent nearly two full days here! Between the Euros playing on their terrific outdoor viewing and the fun, welcoming atmosphere and service inside, we couldn’t tear ourselves away! Such a delight to be here! So bummed we have to fly home tomorrow

Great food at a good price, very welcoming and quick turnaround.

Just popped in for a pint after visiting a local garden centre. 6 hand pumps, 5 ales on. Very cosy and olde worldly. Felt very comfortable and will certainly return, maybe as early as next Sunday, for one of their roasts.

Dropped into this lovely friendly pub for a drink

#Mashgate. The new menu under new management was such a disappointment. We have been going here for the food and service for years recommending to others but will definitely never return. Greasy. Small portions. Poor quality. Many things we asked for were not available. It got silly as most dishes were served with mash or dishes with chips. We were told they had run out of mash. This seemed ridiculous to run out of a staple food. The prices were incredible to with one of the specials being ‘fish and chips’ £18+ We couldn’t even gave that as they had run out of fish and chips too! No lasagne, no pie of the day. No exciting choices with a few of us fighting for the last cottage pie and vegetables. When that came it was underwhelming. One carrot and a scraping of the elusive mash was nothing to be excited about. The details of this pub needs updating. Do not go for the food. It seemed like they had bulk bought from Iceland and microwaved everything. I may be wrong but there was very little quality. The young lads did their best. Felt really sorry for them as they must have been embarrassed. We were offered a round of drinks as an apology. Unfortunately this did not hide our disappointment of the evening. We went home hungry. Lots of food was left. We weren’t even offered desserts. What a shame. This place was always amazing for service, food, quality and atmosphere. Not any more.

Lovely village pub. Great food. Well worth the visit. Food has been good every time I have eaten there.

Very friendly atmosphere good selection of beers.

Very welcoming and it was lovely to meet the owner. The food was good although a little slow, particularly for the puddings to be served. We had our dog with us.

Food is worth a detour, exceptional quality. Great wine list. Better of the two pubs in village by a mile.

Good beer and local feel. Just been taken over by new owners but looks like it could become something special. Large garden still being finished off at time of visit May 24.

Food was good, better then expected. However, service was so slow, it took nearly an hour to get our deserts. But the staff were friendly, I think it was an issue in the kitchen. I would definitely eat there again, burget was spot on.

Absolutely fabulous pub. Brilliant food, friendly staff. Will definitely be back! Thank you to the owners for a super night.

Lovely place, delicious food and great atmosphere. We loved the decor and the service was great! We had a fantastic time and will be back soon!

Rude! Unimpressed! We ordered a cottage pie for £15.50, it was tiny. When we questioned it the lady at the bar said we had ordered the child’s portion. We checked, it was on the main menu! No mention of a child’s portion anywhere. We pointed this out to her and she just looked at us blankly. She was unapologetic, quite rude and just looked at us! She said they were under new management and were getting rid the old stock …. Fair enough but customer service was sorely lacking! We should have been charged £7.50 if it was suddenly a child’s portion too! We won’t be returning!

Ordered the Chefs stew, which although was tasty came with 2 slices of carrots, one piece of broccoli, a tiny portion of cabbage and mashed potatoes. Complete let down after having eaten there for years and always well known for good sized portions.

Visited Sunday with family. I had the roast beef but had to ask to have the whole meal heated as it was warm . I also had to ask for vegetables as I only had 1 piece of broccoli and 1 slice of carrot! My additional veg was cold and watery inside. My wife had apple crumble for pudding and left it . Would we return? No not now.

Nice xmas buzz,light snacks all tasty, chocolate brownies well worth falling of the diet wagon for,

Had a Christmas dinner last night. Wow!, what a fantastic dinner, with extra gravy! You will not be disappointed.

Lovely pub, friendly staff and Wadworths 6X Gluten free beer available! Hope to return and eat here too.

Staying for only one night locally we went for an evening dinner very nice atmosphere and food was excellent hosts very pleasant and friendly made for a good evening. Highly recommend

I'm glad my impression is poorer than seems typical because initially I was really hopeful. Just an off night? If my vegetarian cassoulet was much mare than tinned chickpeas in tinned chopped tomatoes, well, that's what it seemed. It was under-seasoned as was the huge (excessively so) hummus starter. Staff were pleasant but poorly trained.

Lovely, friendly village pub with great food. We had cod and chips and a hunters chicken which were delicious. The batter on the cod was done to perfection.

We enjoyed a great meal and loved the music but also loved that it wasn't loud enough to drown out our conversation

Great pub, great food, great staff.

Nice local pub astmospere in a half-timbered, real fire environment. Good beer and great food. Cozy bar area and more room foor eating in back. Great staff and attentive service. Really great staff! Will come again and again.

7 of us went for a meal before heading to Wembley. We pre order our food. Came quick and was very good. Staff were very friendly

Had an amazing Sunday roast with family,The best ever had.staff were amazing,very friendly.we traveled from milton keynes and will be traveling again just for a roast dinner

Nice village pub, friendly staff. We were surprised that the food was so nice to be honest. Pub grub, but well cooked and with fresh vegetables and salad. Thank you. We were staying at Harlington Manor, which is less than five minutes walk away. That meant we didn't need to drive. We therefore shared a nice bottle of Merlot after a pint of Real Ale. Recommended for down to earth evening meal.

Lovely little pub Easily accessible of M1, just a couple of minutes detour each way Popped in on way back from London and were 5 minutes before food was being stopped serving for the day but we were still kindly offered a menu. We both ordered House burger and it was tasty and delicious, very juicy 😋 👌 Toilets are on ground floor and plenty of seating If passing by, will definitely pop in again 🥰

Sunday roast x 2 Desserts x 2 Drinks x 2 Coffees x 2 £59.00 total. Food tasty. Staff pleasant. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend The Carpenters Arms At Harlington to others.

Lovely meal. Friendly bar staff

Had a good evening as it was Paddys night. Lovely pub and the chips were great too....

One of the best pub foods I’ve had in a long time !!

Excellent food, friendly & helpful staff

Really good meal and well kept beers in this local pub. The varied menu is interesting and caters for vegetarians as well as meat lovers. All our meals were excellent. Welcoming atmosphere with 2 open fires and original beams. Children and dogs welcome.

An excellent fresh spread for a wake.

Very warm welcome, ordered the roast pork for Sunday lunch, it was well presented and absolutely delicious. Will definitely be going back there again soon.

Lovely evening and great food tonight, highly recommend ☺️

Great food. Best lasagne I've had in ages

Nice meal and pleasant staff, may be a little over priced, compared with other pubs in the area.

Where do I start? Me and my girlfriend travelled up to see family in Leighton buzzard and found this absolute gem whilst waiting for our train. We were a bit rushed for time so didn’t get a chance to nab a roast but it looked and smelt incredible. We had a couple of pints of peroni both outside in their beautiful garden and inside the quaint and beautiful indoor area. 1700-1800 decor throughout with traditional wooden beams and low door frames! The landlord Terry was incredible, both professionally whipping through the pub keeping it tidy and chatting to customers ensuring everyone has a lovely time, What a bloke! We will actually be returning to this place at the first opportunity despite it being a bit out of the way as it was such a lovely little spot. We would just like to extend our thanks to Terry as he made a stressful journey home much more bareable. If I could leave higher than 5 stars I would as the service was above and beyond what you could expect from a pub. Perfect.

First time eating here, and I must say the food was lovely and service was good, will be back

Eaten in here a few times now. Safe to say probably the best pub food I’ve ever had. Friendly staff and all round great experience

For us a Monday night so no food served which was a shame. It was pretty empty though but felt good. Barmaid very helpful and so we sat and enjoyed a cosy seat

Well that was delicious! Such lovely people and everything was just brilliant :-). Just mentioned by email that we were coming with a pram and a high chair was already waiting. Scrummy roast beef and a great selection of dessert board classics. Went for a birthday meal and would definitely come again. Thanks!

Just had the loveliest food and drink, served by the friendliest and loveliest bar lady. Highly recommend this little gem.

Very nice pub in Harlington. Good choice of beers and will visit again.

Had a lovely meal here while staying in the local area. Service was friendly and warm on a busy evening. The veggie katsu curry was delicious and the peach crumble for pudding was great!

Lovely pub with a nice atmosphere. The service was very good and friendly. Good menu selection, and the portions absolutely massive (and very tasty)! A little bit pricey though. I think I would have preferred smaller portions with a price tag in line with similar establishments.

Excellent food, especially the specials. Really welcoming and cosy inside with real fireplaces.

We had very nice dinners every time we visited.Terry is very friendly and welcoming!!! The pub is very cosy and it’s also dog friendly!

Lovely pub for a great Sunday lunch (x2 roast beef dinners and chicken + bacon pie!) with amazing desserts and a couple of pints. Lovely atmosphere, not to busy and great music

Visited just before Christmas. So good we went back within a few hours! The manager was fantastic and reserved us a seat by the fire, whilst the food was superb. A real treat and highly recommended

Lovely Sunday roast and really nice attentive staff.

Popped in to meet our son who was there having Sunday lunch...lovely old pub will come back another day to have food. Its looks cosy and smells of wood fire

Brilliant food outstanding service

Ordered the southern fried chicken and it was superb, staff are really friendly and came to the table to take orders. Well worth a visit, good range of beers.

Fantastic Sunday lunch will return for sure

Great evening great people great service

The staff are very attentive and go out of their way to be helpful even providing chopped up fresh veg for the toddler we had with us, our food was very tasty, just the sort of place you would want to go to when you want that home cooked feeling

We turned up as staying in the Harlington Manor and it was practival to eat there. Pub food can be good, but here, it was not specially tasty, the fries chewy, and the staff was not particularly friendly.

Fast and friendly service. Lots of training going on, so getting back up to speed. Menu looked like good pub grub. Good luck!

We booked a table for 6 , we arrived an HR early , sat in the lovely garden for a few drinks , then at 5pm went to our table , the staff were lovely so helpful and the food , was apsalutely fresh , home cooked and very tasty , and the pub is gorgeous , we shall all be back again thank you so much for such a lovely afternoon X X

Lovely few drinks in the garden service excellent

Lovely pub good beer and great staff,

Great service , could do with more seating and choice off beers but overall very good 👍

Excellent pub with bottled gluten free beer

Enjoyed a lovely evening here last night seated in an open gazebo complete with patio heaters which kept us nice and toasty when it got cooler. Tasty fresh food and friendly staff who were very good at making sure customers complied with current government guidelines. Felt safe and welcome. Will definitely be back and would 100% recommend...it's very close to the train station

Lovely time and lovely dinner well done Terry.

Great Sunday dinners during lock down I just have to remember to order early

We turned up as staying in the Harlington Manor, however did not realise the pub did not serve food on a Monday. However lovely location, great welcome however we just did not get our date right. Staff very friendly and helpful. Unsure if the pub website is up to date as still has the2019 Xmas menu

Lovely old pub food was great would eat here again

We enjoyed a meal out at the Carpenter's Arms last week - good pub grub, served with a friendly welcome. The steak and Guiness pie was delicious - lots of tender beef and a light, crispy crust. Couldn't finish the chips as the portion was huge. Husband had the burger - served quite pink but OK for him. Cheesecake was delicious to finish. Staff were welcoming. Good Covid planning - bookings, one way system, spaced out tables, food delivered covered with foil etc. Will come back happily if we're back in the area!

We had dinner here after a long day travelling. It was welcoming and quiet with very attentive and cheerful staff. We had a lovely meal.

Not had a meal at this pub for a couple of years, after having a few poor meals.Thought we would give it another try, the food was only average chips were dry and hard and vegetables were overcooked and tasteless, overpriced for the quality of the food. As previous review music very loud and cold with the door stood open, staff are friendly could be a nice pub.

Just popped in for a quick snack and as always food and service were great..

Hubby and I came here for an evening meal, the waitresses were friendly and showed us to a table, the music was far too loud and the pub was quite cold. The food was ok but the chips were rather dry and hard.

Popped in as we haven't been here for a while to find , for a Wednesday night, it was reasonably busy. People eating food & drinking good ale( four real ales). Specials boards lead the way & it smelled delicious. Lovely open hearth belting out heat with various types of seating, from armchairs, sofas to informal dining tables.......a pleasant surprise. Hope to upgrade to 5* when we return to eat.

Friendly host good atmosphere good food

Nice pub and some fairly priced drinks. The food looked on the pricey side and not that many vegetarian/vegan options, a whole lotta chicken on the menu. Stop killing chickens but well done on your old low ceiling pub venue and nice beers.

Always a friendly welcome for our groups, huge portions

This was my first visit, meeting up with old colleagues. It is a clean and welcoming hostelry with a reasonable selection of beers ( a shame that I was driving!). Three of us had home made pies which were full of meat and a puff pastry lid, whilst the fourth had a lasagne. Two puddings were purchased and they looked amazing and soon disappeared into clean plates. We will definitely be returning.

Sofas to sit on in front of a roaring fire, which they trusted us to put logs on! Standard Pub Menu choices but the actual food was amazing. I don't think I have ever seen so much meat in a pie. Totally value for money and the staff could not have been more friendly and helpful. I was travelling for work,but it is very likely I will be that way again and wold absolutely go back to the Carpenters Arms.

Good food and atmosphere at a traditional english pub...

A lovely pint of Guinness, food a bit disappointing. Attentive staff and landlord.

I love eating here. Always friendly and welcoming. The food is always lovely and they are always happy to make adjustments for preferences or dietary requirements, nothing is too much trouble. Really quiet on a Monday evening so it was perfect for me and my friend to have a girlie catch up in peace and enjoy a really tasty meal (& no washing up!)I would highly recommend it.