The Fox at Willian in North Hertfordshire

Rubbish! Pie night was nothing if the sort. Beef pie was actually Cottage pie - no pastry in sight. It even contained chunks of potato inside in lieu of meat. Was sold as having mash on the side with veg. No mash in side, although not needed tbh as whole was almost potato & and a giggling bit of cabbage & 2 titchy bits of carrot. The gammon ‘pie’ was actually a pasty. Loads of complaints. Totally misold & not as described. Would not recommend nor ever return.

It was Pie night, so I ordered the Steak peppercorn and parsley pie served with mash gravy and seasonal veg. What turned up was a cottage pie with a small amount of veg. What a disappointment, I feel conned. It should have said it was a cottage pie on the menu if you go to a pie night you are expecting a pastry pie unless it says otherwise, which it did not. We were not the only people that were disappointed when their "Pie" arrived. Will not go back.

Delicious food and great service. Highly recommended.

We had to return two sirloin steak meals as the meat was so tough we were unable to cut it or chew it, we had rib eye steak as a replacement & that was ok, the waitress was very apologetic & apologised but the whole evening was spoilt as it was our daughter’s birthday & her meal was ok so she continued eating on her own.

Thoroughly recommend The Fox. My husband and I each had three courses all of which were delicious. Food was of the highest quality and beautifully presented. I had the venison dish which was amazing and the triple cooked chips were the best we have ever tasted! The service was excellent and we would love to thank Kate for the attention to detail she paid to give us a fantastic evening.

Excellent food. Starter came very quickly. However Saturday lunchtime & very busy. After starter had to wait 1/2 an hour for main course. Excellent staff.

Really good service! Helped us to bring out a surprise birthday cake and even used a blow torch to light the sparklers we had bought haha! Amazing roast dinner too!

Lovely food, good wait times and service was friendly yet professional

We just had a roast which was good. The pub was very busy but the service was outstanding. Food delivered in a timely fashion on hot plates.

Sunday roast is always the best, keep up the generous servings. 😋🤤

Cosy, inviting atmosphere, fabulous food and service

We went for my partners birthday, fantastic food with a great seasonal choice, great value for money, service was impeccable

Very nice breakfast and lovely setting. Tiny bit slow with the service even though it wasn’t too busy and the portions were somewhat petite for the price but very tasty and very warm staff

Was recommended this place by two different people but was very average at best.

A recommendation from the Michelin Guide App. A quiet lunch date with my wife, we had the set menu which was a selection from the main menu, The tempura prawns, haddock and Crumble were fantastic, Truffle triple cooked chips were not overpowering as is the case with many truffle options elsewhere. The whipped Stilton and sourdough was devine followed by the gammon, topped with the perfect egg. All of the staff we encountered were welcoming, caring which was a breath of fresh air , as nothing was too much trouble. A great first visit.

Food was very good as per normal. Service was a bit slow being it was very quiet. Still a fantastic meal.

Visit Teh Fox for dinner regularly it has a consistent, friendly, relaxed, and professional manner

Thank you, it was amazing-everything! Loved it and we shall be back! Appreciated the bday card also x

My roast was nice but could have been warmer - my husbands fish was very small - pricey and food just ok

Breakfast is served in the bar, not the restaurant. Did know this at time of booking. Although the food was excellent (as has been the case when eating in the restauranr) I did not enjoy sitting in the bar area. Unfortunately we had two very aggressive dogs near us that kicked off very loudly when other dogs came in. It was a very cold morning and had to put my coat around my shoulders. Overall ok but will not return as a breakfast customer.

Delicious food and friendly service. We were there at a reasonably quiet time of day (2-4). Despite being a high-end restaurant, very child friendly and accommodating team.

Unfortunately one of our party was disappointed with her meal. It was undercooked. Spoke to the serving staff and she did give options to replace the meal. The steak meal was delicious. It was very noisy in the restaurant and hence conversation around the table was difficult. Overall a nice evening.

Met friends here for lunch - very helpful staff made sure our table was suitable. Food was good - although have to say the chips were a bit undercooked. Nevertheless there was enough gammon etc so didn't really need them. The dining area is well set out and decor is lovely.

I looked up The Fox in the Michelin guide under gastropubs for somewhere to eat and stay for my husband’s birthday. It did NOT disappoint! The pub and restaurant were comfortable with a relaxed atmosphere and the food was fantastic - as good as any chef with Michelin stars in my opinion. The menu was varied and choice of wine excellent. The restaurant was tastefully furnished and so was our room with a lovely comfy bed! Cannot recommend enough to others.

Staff knowledgeable & attentive food was outstanding

It was great from the get go, greeted with a smile, seated quickly, nice atmosphere, tasty food and super service

Outstanding food and excellent customer service. Our experience at the fox was fantastic- all the food was delicious and our waitress was so lovely. We had a guest with a gluten allergy and he was treated so well by staff. Our waitress made sure to spend a bit of extra time with him to point out the items on the menu that were suitable, reassuring us that the allergy was no issue to them to cater for.

Delicious inspiring food. Adventurous. Excellent service and lovely peaceful environment, no overwhelming music which was much appreciated.

The service was friendly and efficient. I particularly liked the venison loin and the exceptional crumble. Other diners had some fantastic smoked salmon and whipped Stilton.

Friendly welcome, efficient service and food was enjoyable. I'd be interested to visit in Spring/Summer to see what the warmer weather brings in terms of variety.

We recently celebrated my husband's surprise 60th birthday at The Fox, and I cannot recommend this venue highly enough. From the moment I called earlier in the day to arrange for a cake and balloons, the young lady I spoke to (whose name, unfortunately, I didn't catch) was incredibly accommodating. She thoughtfully asked if the cake needed to be refrigerated and even offered to have the balloons set up at the table before our arrival. What impressed me most was her attention to detail—she made sure our guests were seated discreetly where they couldn't be seen from outside and directed them to use a side door, just in case my husband arrived early. This extra effort ensured the surprise stayed intact, which I greatly appreciated. The service throughout the evening was excellent. Our waiter was attentive without being intrusive, striking the perfect balance. And the food? Absolutely outstanding. The prosciutto-wrapped cod was a highlight and is something I would highly recommend. Thanks to the team at The Fox for helping to make this milestone birthday such a memorable occasion!

We booked a table for 5pm through Open Table but the day before the booking I was told that they didn't have a sitting at 5pm on New Year's Day and they couldn't understand how I'd managed to book it. They said they could give us a table for 4:30pm so I opted for that but when the reservation was sent to me it was for 4pm. The restaurant was busy as was the pub area. The service was fair but a drink was missed from our order and we had to re ask for it. The sea bream dish was very good but on the light side, the fish pie was one of the best I've ever eaten. My sister and brother in law had chicken wings and a beef burger, which they said were great. The wine list is fair, and the double espresso was authentic. We didn't have desserts. The staff could have been more attentive but it was busy for New Year's Day. We would return though as it was a quality meal.

Service was outstanding, the guys were so helpful, when I mentioned I was gluten intolerant they brought me my own dip to eat while I was waiting Didn’t rush us even though it was busy Great food

Absolutly Outstanding gastro pub. Went today for my 80th Birthday. Couldn't fault it. Brilliant service, delicious food, and very drinkable real ale. Good choice of wines for every part of the menu. Strongly receomended. Will definitely go again.

Lovely meal with family to celebrate a birthday everything was just right

Great meal as ever with great service! Excellent food - lovely mussels!

Although the restaurant was busy the service was quick and efficient.food was good. Staff friendly

We booked for breakfast, not 100% sure what to expect, but had read some good reviews, so decided to give it a try. We were impressed with the menu before we went, as it has plenty of options. When we arrived, there was a kind gentleman who greeted us straight away and directed us to our table in the bar area. The interior is beautifully decorated and with a few extra garnishes for the festive season, truly delightful. The service was brilliant throughout our visit, we could not fault the friendliness of the staff, and prompt service. The food itself was delicious, I chose the Eggs Benedict, which was perfectly cooked and presented, and delicious! My other half chose the Full English, which was a hearty portion, and looked freshly prepared, well presented, and was delicious too. Our bill was very fair, and shows fantastic value for money. We will certainly be coming back for another breakfast, and look forward to trying the lunch and dinner menus too. We would like to thank the staff for a brilliant visit, we couldn’t recommend it to our family and friends enough!

Went with our 3 teens for my husbands birthday. Delicious food and great service. The ambiance was extra special as they were singing carols in the bar. Very pretty pub!

Excellent service from our waitress Zoe . Thankyou 😊

Nowhere as good as previous visits. I have always been impressed previously but today was poor. Gammon was overcooked & burnt in places which meant it was incredibly dry, not all of it but enough to render a quarter of it inedible. What was really disappointing, however, was the complete lack of reaction to the feedback, I wasn't expecting money off, i expected to be treated with a bit more care and respect & why ask how things were with the meal, if you don't appear to be interested in hearing it. For balance, my colleagues enjoyed their meals, but this is my review.

The Fox is an a la carte restaurant in the evenings. We didn’t realise and there wasn’t too much for my friend to eat. The waiting staff asked the manager if we could order off of the lunchtime menu, which she did. The food was delicious, especially the Hispi cabbage and the chocolate mousse dessert! It was busy but well staffed so service was adequate. The ambience was also lovely. Would thoroughly recommend

Way below their usual high standards. Thoroughly underwhelming all round

Table was ready and we arrived early. It was our first visit and we loved everything about it. The service was very good and nothing was too much for Charlie. And then we all had great tasty food

Excellent restaurant with great food and service. So good I booked for the next evening

We had our Christmas work gathering at The Fox at Willian yesterday. The whole experience was great, and the food was exceptional. The waitress who looked after us was so friendly and accommodating and always had a smile on her face. We will definitely be returning. Thank you

Very good food and ambience on a visit for a Christmas meal, albeit quite pricey. Attentive service from staff.

Food was delicious as always! Sadly though, my niece had to make a makeshift veggie meal out of roast potatoes and veg as there were no vegetarian options on the kids menu. Service was ok, we ordered a side of cauliflower cheese that didn’t arrive but we weren’t too sad about that as the main was quite big. But we were brought 2 wrong puddings and had to wait a little bit for the correct order, which when it arrived was delicious!! Still a lovely pub and will be back of course!

Food was ok, large portions but lacked taste. The main complaint was the complete lack of atmosphere - bearing in mind this was the Christmas Menu/dinner. I don’t believe there was one Christmas light/effect in the restaurant other than little Christmas tree on the tables that looked like an after thought. I struggle with this ‘pub’ especially as it’s part of a very successful chain - it really is the poor relation, Suffice to say we won’t be eating in the restaurant again, there’s too many other excellent eating establishments in the area. …and they got the bill wrong !!

excellent service. warm welcome. lovely food and interesting variety

Just a simple business lunch. Fancied fish and chips which was really nice. Nice quiet booth the talk business and very good attentive service. Have previously been for a Christmas meal. Very nice place.

Fantastic meal and amazing service. Made our Anniversary feel very special so thank you.

Service was slow and they were not that busy Food was lovely although not much of it! The cheeseboard was disappointing again not much of it and the cheese was as if it had just come out of the fridge!

Really enjoyed our food. It was an interesting menu with some nice choices. Our only complaint is the cost where it all seemed quite expensive almost £200 for 3 x diners and no bottles of wine.

Great lunch with a friend. Excellent food and food service though slightly disappointed you had to pre book a festive lunch. Will know better next time!

Excellent menu. Food cooked to perfection and well presented. Service good and not over fussy.

We ate from the set lunch menu which was great value. Sadly unable to sample the desserts are we were all full.

As usual lovely food and wine. We both had steak and chips. And then ice cream and I had cheese and biscuits. Cooked perfectly. Only compliant, if I can call it a complaint, there were too many chips. Both of us couldn’t eat them all and we don’t like to waste food, but had to. Service was impeccable. Ambience was good too. Nice and busy with great atmosphere. Will be back. Thanks for a great dinner experience.

Food always good - we go there regularly! Nice service from friendly staff. No wonder it’s always full!!

Great meal, we were greeted with a smile and the staff were very friendly. Food was wonderful and the restaurant had a lovely atmosphere. It was our sons birthday so they bought out a happy birthday plate with dessert and also someone else was celebrating their birthday and the whole place sung happy birthday which was great.

Stayed overnight when visiting relatives and friends. Very comfortable room and excellent dinner. We both had the local Knebworth Estate Venison which was delicious and cooked to perfection. One of the best restaurant dishes I have enjoyed for some time. The parfait with rhubarb sauce was a delight. Accompanied with a very acceptable bottle of Rioja. The staff were friendly whilst being professional, a combination not always achieved by other restaurants.

Very good food and service. Will definitely go there again!

Great food and superb service, always good value and friendly reception

This was a bad night for us it went wrong straight away when my dipping sauce was taken away before I finished with it . My partner ordered medium done steak and when it was cut blood was seen. it was obviously under cooked . I ordered pork , when it arrived it was very fatty , The potatoes were so hard a hammer would have gone down better than a knife and fork . I really felt a mcdonalds would have been better , my partner complained and was offered a free coffee ,it was a freezing night and there was only ice cream and other cold desserts it was definitely not worth the visit or the rates they charge

We had dear friends visiting, knew it would be a beautiful sunny day for a walk in the country, and the Fox was nearby to provide them with a delicious lunch. It exceeded our already high expectations. They have an ala carte which was incredibly good value too. Delicious food! Excellent service. Thank you.

The beef was perfectly cooked, and the Yorkshire pudding was the best I’ve ever had here, ie not overdone, just right! Service was excellent too, and my espresso martini was expertly made!

Booked The Fox in the hope of something elevated in terms of a local Sunday Roast but was badly disappointed. One measly slice of pork loin, three roast potatoes, some cabbage and a couple of carrots with some gravy was it. There was so much white space on my plate. The potatoes tasted like they’d been sitting under a heat lamp for an hour. The wine we ordered took an age to arrive. Very poor show. The cheeseboard and desserts were better, hence the two stars but the main event was an embarrassment to the establishment.

Saturday night and we’re seated in the restaurant. Menu looks different to that advertised on the website but we go with it - until we see others being served burgers. Turns out there is a bar menu but unless you ask for it you’re only offered the (more expensive and quite restricted) a la carte. We mixed from both menus. Whipped Stilton starter was bland and didn’t taste of Stilton. Carpaccio was reported to be good. Bream main was bland but the pub choices of burgers and fish pie went down well, as did the pork loin. Service was good and we enjoyed the pre-dinner beers in the bar. All in all, would go back for the bar ambience and food, but probably not the restaurant experience.

I received an email from the Fox informing me Pie night was 1st and 3rd Thursday each month. I booked a table for 4. When we arrived, there were no pies. It was beaujolais night. So we had fish pie. But please sort out your communications!

Lovely meal at the Fox at Willian. Really nice food.service was great. Atmosphere friendly.

Couldn’t fault. Visited with my son and his 14 week puppy. Food was definitely high end restaurant standard. I’m vegetarian and both main course options were so tempting. Son had fish pie which he highly rated. I had blackened his pi cabbage ( so much more delicious than sounds) Lovely staff too. Opposite a great little walk - perfect for puppy and my 6 year old cockapoo.

Restaurant is lovely and food was good no issues there at all. Only problem I had was with the wait times between ordering, we was asked if we want deserts so we got the menus then was sat there 30 minutes with no one coming back over, especially with this being my partners birthday meal we felt let down as we did want a desert, but after that amount of time waiting we didn’t have time as we needed to be elsewhere. We were in the restaurant over 1 and a half hours and all we had was a main meal. Again the food is very good can’t complain, just won’t be back in a hurry and wouldn’t be going if I’m on a tight schedule.

Ordered from the bar menu as the restaurant menu didn't inspire us. Enjoyed a very tasty gammon steak and the Fox Burger. The yoghurt parfait dessert was disappointing as it was semi frozen and had some lumps of gelatin. My friend's ice cream was delicious though. Service was attentive but not obtrusive. An enjoyable evening.

Charming team. Nice ambiance and generally a happy experience. My risotto was more like a rice pudding than a risotto but to their absolute credit, they adjusted the bill without having to be asked.

Food is always good at the Fox. Just wish the chef would add some autumn staples to dessert menu - crumble/ apple pie etc. Sunday roast is excellent.

I was seated and served very quickly. Food was very nice. I had beef carpaccio which I'd recommend and the topside of beef roast. The beef and vegetables were very nice, yorkshire pudding was nice and big. Will come again maybe at next seasons menu.

Food was lovely, tasted good and presented well. My partner felt the serving of roast beef was small..there was less than we had with other meats, but it tasted good. Staff were friendly and attentive.

We chose to come to the Fox because we know the food is amazing. Service today was first class, very very nice touch the staff noticing it was my son’s birthday and giving him a small chocolate plate to celebrate. We always recommend you. thanks again. Top notch all round

Delicious Sunday roast. We had a lovely Time at the Fox.

Another excellent Sunday lunch at The Fox. Good food, good wine, excellent service all contributed to a lovely family meal. I love this consistently reliable venue.

Great pub, lovely Sunday Roast. Would recommend. Meet friends from work there, great atmosphere.

Great food and service. Not the cheapest option but overall definitely worth the money.

The Fox is great, food is always delicious and service warm and friendly

Good food. Desserts were only so so. Staff helpful

I have dined at The Fox before and have always enjoyed it. The Sunday roasts are lovely however they are on the smaller side (one half of a carrot, 3 roast potatoes, some cabbage, well done yorkie, gravy and the meat). Don't order the chicken, its smaller than a childs portion! Beef and pork was lovely. Cauliflower cheese was nice. We did mention the chicken to the waitress who got us another piece as it was tiny (basically half a breast). Starters where lovely and good quality, as were the puddings. Due to small portions I would say you have to get a starter and maybe pudding which does push the price up. Drink prices are priced slightly above average. Good staff and friendly service. The quality of the food is reflected in the price but I would rather pay a little more for decent food, they just need to make the portions bigger.

Greeted very well and got an early seat, had a roast , only thing was roast potatoes should have been better and the gravy could have been more flavoursome, but overall a nice place to dine.

Food was OK - the vegan roast very unimaginative. The sea bream with gnocchi was too rich for all who tasted. The pork roast was good as was the beef. Starters were fine and the vegan dessert really good. Service was excellent and everyone very kind and responsive.

We came for lunch with our granddaughter, her husband and our first great grand child, had a snack dinner and spent the night here. The food was good, our granddaughter is Vegan but didn’t have any problems with the menu. We had a garden room, quite large, there is a big walk in shower, the only problem for us is the lack of a safety rail or non slip mat in the shower.

Nice roast with friends but wouldn't say it's value for money. Limited dessert menu.

The food at the fox is amazing.we had the Sunday roast and the service from Cormac was excellent,he was very friendly and good to my kids.

Very good service and friendly staff. Food was good but a little expensive.

Lovely food but very noisey. Have been before but never this loud, too load to talk.

Good service and food , limited menu but would go again .

Lovely meal at the Fox, great staff and service. Had hake which was cooked perfectly

Really fast service and lovely staff. The Sunday Roast was delicious! Will definitely go again!

We eat here quite a lot. Mainly breakfast. We were greeted by a very happy, welcoming member of staff and served by an equally, friendly happy person. Our coffee and juice was delivered very quickly and we both ordered an English breakfast which was as perfect as it could be. It is rare to get perfectly scrambled eggs even in 5* hotels all over the world. Every ingredient served is a high quality ingredient especially the bacon and sausages. We were also reserved the window table for two with a nice view of the village. This is the best breakfast in the area and well worth the slightly more expensive price.

Easy to book. Occasion was celebrated with card awaiting us and complementary brownies and Happy Anniversary inscribed in icing on served plate. The best ribeye steak for two we have ever had. Great service and ambience. Really enjoyed our evening. Both waitresses who served us were really excellent - attentive but discreet. Thank you for a lovely evening

Kate greeted us incredibly kindly and warmly, being gracious about us being a bit late. We were shown to a very romantic table, away from the crowds. Charley who served us was so good. She gave us time to choose our drinks, brought table water immediately and accommodated my want for a double tomato juice in a large glass. She gave us more time to choose and was so kind when I chose more standard dishes, explained what the sauce was that I didn’t know, it was just super all round. The free focaccia to start was such a nice touch with oil and balsamic. The food came out quickly but pace well and was such good quality, everything was on point, my smoked salmon was beautifully cut with perfect trimmings of capers and the asparagus cooked to a T. My steak was to die for and cooked perfectly medium rare, the chips crisp and delicious. The Guinea fowl was delicious but the cavolo Nero heavenly with the mash!!! My sorbet desserts were lovely and the service, ambience, quality of the food beat their rivals in the area, we are coming back soon!!!!

Entrance : Carpaccio was very good but different from what I was expecting. The slices were slightly thicker that what I had in the past in some other place. Buratta was good but we had to put a bit of salt Main: Guinea fowl and the purée were very good. Nothing to say. Risotto definitely needed more salt. Desert: Brownie was good but I would have prefer it cold just my preferences The Parfait was disappointing even if it was well presented, I regretted taking it. Overall : The food is good in there for the meat menu but they need to improve the non meat dishes. I spent a good time but I may not go back, It was one of my favorite pub with the tilbury but I think it went down in quality and it s not what it used to be, the services seems to be a in a rush and did not present us the note soo we can check before paying. Still a good pu were you ll find good food.

A really excellent experience for a birthday meal. Great menu choices, reasonably priced and prepared to a high standard. Friendly and attentive service throughout. A celebratory birthday plate was presented at the end, which was a lovely touch.