The French Horn Pub in Central Bedfordshire

We are people who came to the French Horn when it was run by Jean Christophe Novelli and it was fantastic. We have come back every now and again over the years and each time it’s got worse. We went yesterday for an evening mean. We arrived and it was empty. No music no atmosphere and it was really grubby. I knew immediately it wasn’t going to be good. If we didn’t have our daughter with us who was really hungry I think we would have upped and left. The food was flavorless, took ages and was really below average. We had to ask each time we wanted more drinks and it took ages for our plates to be cleared. Understandable if it was busy- but it was not. It’s a real shame to say but we won’t be returning again. This was a real gem that has been left to fall apart.

Been to the French horn many times under previous ownership and loved it, but today was my first visit and was really disappointed with the changes made by Greene King. The dining room has lost all charm and is now a boring, basic square room with tables in. No paintings, no soft furnishings, it felt really lifeless sadly. Not all bad - Food was tasty, dessert portions were very generous and prices were good too but the atmosphere in the dining room was nothing compared to what it was previously sadly. A shame to lose a local gem.

Nice Sunday roast. Would go again.

Fabulous Sunday roast. Good service, would definitely recommend.

We have attended twice within the kitchen opening hours advertised and been told that the kitchen were not taking anymore orders. It’s a great village location for a drink. Shame they don’t want to take our money for food. It’s made us visit other, more inviting, local pubs!

Great pub, lots of staff. Very pleasant evening.

Went out of there way to make us food even though the kitchen was shut,friendly staff and great atmosphere

Just ok.. Waiting staff were great. Menu choice was poor and very overpriced. Food was bland. We left feeling underwhelmed and probably won’t return.

I went here on Sunday with my Husband and Stepson. I had the roast pork and I would say it was the best roast I have had in ages! I have had some very disappointing ones at different establishments recently. My Husband and Stepson had the lamb shank which they both said was delicious. The staff were lovely and there was a very nice atmosphere with a live singer in the background

Wow amazing food had a weekend away with family at center parcs and this was the best meal we we’ve had all weekend too food best Sunday roast ever

We held my dads wake at this wonderful pub. We were given the main resturaunt area for exclusive use. Because it's small pub and the wake was midweek there weren't any members of the public other than in the other section which is completely seperate and allowed us to gather with friends and family and not feel like we were in anyone's way. The staff were all wonderful, really polite and friendly and the service was great. The food for the hot and cold buffet was also fantastic, the hot food was being cooked fresh through out the wake so it was actually hot when it came to being eaten. The team were super attentive and made sure anything that looked low was being topped up including teas and coffees. They also accomodated for music choices and some personal touches with a picture of my dad and a glass of whiskey beside it. Really compassionate and lovely place to hold the send off for my dad. Thank you!

Nice surroundings and the staff were very friendly and helpful but I was disappointed with the food.

Has to be our favourite local restaurant. Well prepared and presented food with great attentive service. The menu is varied with specials nights and Sunday lunch which is a must.

Pathetically small children's meals. Don't waste your money on them. Overall very expensive for VERY average/below average food.

The staff were excellent and really friendly. The food was outstanding, incredibly presented and delicious. I definitely recommend the chocolate mousse. Out of this world.

There is always a cozy atmosphere here which I enjoy. The steak night offer (Wednesday) is fantastic! What a great fillet steak it is too… 😋

We received a lovely welcome when we dined this week. Super Service..great tasting food... we have always had a super experience.

Ok, I don't want to go all American and overdo the praise, but I went with friends for their Wednesday half-priced Steak Night and it was GREAT! I'd pretty much given up hope of ever getting an affordable, good sized steak, properly cooked in the UK. Even at supposed steak specialist restaurants it's a lottery and always breaks the bank. Here though four of us were served generously sized steaks, cooked as we wanted, all delivered to our table with a smile despite being very busy! We ordered some extras too and the onion rings were *fabulous*! Table service for everything was lovely too and saved the usual British drag of queueing at the bar and after we'd finished they even boxed our leftovers to take home! For four of us eating steak with some extras, drinks and a tip it came to just under £30 each, which I think is good for what we had and it's firmly on our revisit list. Thank you to all there, I wish there were more pubs like you.

Attended a family wake at the French Horn . Made to feel welcome by the staff . The food was lovely and freshly made . Will definitely go back and try their menu out in the future . Highly recommend .

I am a pub blogger, my next pub blog was going to be able The French Horn in Steppinglee Village, which had lovely old beams, which I felt would have a rich history, I approached the woman behind the bar to ask for and leaflets or history information about the pub to be told that she quote "I have no idea!" Should I check online for the history about this lovely pub I asked awkwardly ?, she just shrugged her shoulder saying "I don't think you will find much" I think it's a shame that there wasn't more enthusiasm or interest about the social history of this gorgeous place. A young girl ended up showing me some old photos on the wall but didn't really feel about they were too bothered about the heritage of the place they work in. But the Guinness was decent enough, thanks!

The fact that is was a meal I hadn't had to cook myself it was enjoyable. However, not sure how they managed it but the starter and the chips on the main course were nuclear hot! Service was great.

My chicken was dry, roast tats soft and not crispy

10/10 experience today. All the staff were very polite, kind and accommodating. Food was delicious and they even let us stay late as we were talking away and didn't notice the time. 100% would book again.

My partner surprised me with a birthday lunch at The French Horn, Steppingley. I have to say the lunch was amazing and made the day really special. The staff were really friendly and helpful, without feeling too intrusive. You are welcome to try the beers before choosing which you'd like, a touch that is missing from so many traditional pubs nowadays. The food was superb and the portions were huge making it excellent value for money, my partner is especially fussy when it comes to food, but once again the staff excelled and were only happy to accommodate as she practically re-wrote the menu. The decor is really inviting and really suits the pub and location, Anits particularly liked the poster 'Stressed is Desserts spelt backwards'. In summary, amazing staff, great food, nice range of beers, lovely pub, excellent value for money. Would definitely recommend a visit, will certainly be coming back!

We had a lovely roast dinner on Sunday Dec 3rd for 3 people. The food was very nice and could have been a bit hotter ( the roast potatoes were hot ) but we did have a bit of a long wait as well on this occasion and the restaurant wasn't that busy . The waitress was lovely.

Good food and nice place to eat

We went here for Sunday lunch for my mother’s in laws birthday . Easy to book a table upon arrival taken straight to seat asked immediately before even siting down would we like a drink . Said no just come back in a minute then say nearly 10 minutes before any one came back . Move drinks orders it took ages for drinks to come and food order taken in between. Sunday lunch are very good beef cooked to order plenty of fresh veg gravy potatoes. Then another large wait for plates taken desert order . Deserts are good recommend cheese cake ice creams all good . Food excellent through out nice ambience. Reason for giving four service to slow and not attentive enough even though lots off staff and was not that busy

Lovely place , first time visited , I had the stew bar snack , with bread , it was delicious and well worth the money , totally recommend the food

Visited on the 19th Oct was really nice pub food was excellent staff very friendly thank you so much for alovly service we will back soon

Salty food, reduced sunday menu. Food not as pictures. Its okay for a bog standard pub lunch but nothing special

Sunday lunch on the 1st October 23, great service by the young team, the food was great would definitely recommend

We came in for a Sunday roast and it was hands down the best one I’ve had out. Everything was homemade including yorkies and roasties. Great portion sizes and you get to choose how you would like beef cooked. The service was lovely and they made sure we had everything we needed. Overall it was a lovely first experience and will definitely be returning. If you fancy a roast I’d definitely recommend trying out the French horn.

Food good. Service not so. Dirty glasses on the table next to us despite us being the only customers. It's the little things. But it is early days with their umpteenth new owner in as many years. Good luck to them. We will give it a go again.

Almost under new Ownership. Reopening any day soon.

Visited the pub for the first time on 23rd August for dinner for a group of 4. Easy to find, big car park and quite a big pub. No real person to greet you but the restaurant was easy to find. The menu is not extensive but we all found something to choose, I am gluten and dairy free so had look ahead and chosen to have the vegan curry, however the very nice waiter said there wasn't any which left me very restricted in my choices. However, all the food was very tasty, very good portions and the VE/GV brownie was excellent. We weren't rushed and the young lad looking after everyone did a fantastic job, he was very polite. Good value too so definitely worth a visit!

First visit to the French Horn and sad to say will be our last. Staff are friendly and polite however service very slow. I ordered the chicken curry which was very bland. There is no atmosphere the dining area is very noisy perhaps a few soft furnishings would help absorb the noise.

Lovely sandwich and pint at lunchtime. Chunky chips are really chunky!! We used to enjoy sitting in the bar on the comfy chairs and sofas, pity they have gone. August 2023 - just went back for lunch today, no sandwiches or chips on the menu and for a Friday lunchtime there were only 4 tables of people in. We had crisps and a pint. What a shame that they have stopped serving lunchtime pub grub.

Food was very nice, staff pleasant & friendly. Bit sparse on the decor, could have done with a few more pictures or bits on the walls to make it feel more cosy & inviting. I was surprised they were not full up for a sat evening as food was good. Found it difficult to always hear what others on my table were saying due to the background noise from people talking on other tables, so was just as well only half the tables were in use.

Visited last Friday lunchtime, very quiet. It looks run down and unloved. Service was poor and our empty glasses were left on the bar after our second round. The food is good but expensive.

We had Thai chicken curry, £16, the flavour was good, but the chicken was awful, must have used the cheapest cuts from the bone, considering chicken is the cheapest meat you can buy, this was very disappointing, breast of chicken surely in the future. The service was good

Great food, poor service! Four of us went for Saturday lunch yesterday. Clearly this is a high end restaurant and as such expectations were high. We were given a good table with beautiful views over the gardens and river. Initial service ordering drinks was good. We ordered a number of different starters and I have to say that they were excellent in both presentation and quality of food. We had a similar experience with the mains which were equally excellent. The deserts were a little disappointing, the soufflé wasn't as fluffy as it should have been and the creme brûlée presentation was very average. That said, I have given the food a 5* rating. Sadly the service was somewhat lacking. We were constantly having to ask for wine/water refills as the waiters were not at all attentive. Only the maitre d seemed to understand the meaning of service which was very disappointing for a restaurant of this level. Let's be clear, we had a wonderful lunch with excellent food. I just don't expect such poor service when you are paying premium prices.

We had a lovely Sunday Roast today for 5 people as my brother was visiting us from China . It was delicious food.

Very good food. I had a nice Barnsley chop. Given we were the only ones there when we arrived service was a little slow.

always have a great meal here and the service is top class too. highly recommend especially steak night.

Great food really good choice on menu and friendly staff. Nice place to visit for a local pub would go back again

excellent food and drink with friendly and attenrive service. highly recommended

Visited The French Horn today with a walking party for 14 people. Excellent service and food was very tasty - whilst assisted the chef with providing a pre-order the food was all served in a very timely manner and they even catered for a couple of people who wanted something outside the menu - lovely pub - would recommend and will use them again

We went on a Sunday which had a special Sunday menu. Lovely place to go for a meal, great service and food. However the pub advertises that they do Gluten Free options, just tell them. Very disappointing as they just took the item which had Gluten in it off the plate for the main dish. I.e we had the roast beef dinner with roast potatoes, seasonal veg and beef, Yorkshire Pudding. No Yorkshire Pudding for the Gluten Free dinner. Only 1 option of GF brownie for dessert.

Not worth their salt! Our young waitress was a credit to any organisation. It is just a shame she was let down by sloppy kitchen staff! By all means go here if you want your meal overly salted without thought to you or your health! I imagine this is just a ploy to make you buy more drinks. Shame on Management if this is your directive! The meals we had were made up of 5O% potato - another profit maker at the expense of the client. We will not be returning.

Really lovely pub/restaurant, lovely food, great service. More people need to go and enjoy a meal at the French Horn.

Comfy snug room to enjoy a swift half after a pleasant walk.

Really disappointed to find this no longer the destination gastro pub it once was. No fizz by the glass and mainly burgers and scampi and fries on the menu which was well done but isn’t a patch on what this place was. The decor had lost its homely atmospheric charm. Sad to have lost a good thing.

Very tasty food, good although fairly relaxed afternoon service. Happened to be in on "half price steak" day which was a bonus. Because of this I had the Fillet and it was one of the best steaks I've had in a long time! The brandy pepper sauce was very good and could not taste the brandy (a good thing IMO) Recommend!

A beautiful country bar/restaurant offering excellent food, drink, and attentive service at very competitive pricing. Ample safe and secure parking. 🇮🇪🥂. Visiting from Ireland..

My family have had amazing food here in the last 3 months always for a Sunday Roast but today on Mothers Day we were disappointed. First of all my booking for a booth which was made well over 6 weeks in advance was not even listed but they did find us a different table. Secondly the roast dinners we chose were such a disappointment compared to previous meals. The cauliflower cheese and roast potatoes were inedible. The cauliflower was so overcooked it was greyish brown and tasted awful. What has happened?

Nice dinner on the way back from Mayfair . London

Limited menu unless you like burgers. Food was very average. Had the scampi and chunky chips which took chunkiness to a new level. Each chip was the size of 2 fish fingers stacked together. Not particularly appetizing. Staff friendly and service good.

I went with family to celebrate a birthday, the person booking let the restaurant know at the time that I would require a vegan meal, I also have a dairy intolerance. I chose the Eden burger (ve) when it arrived it had cheese ( cheddar) I explained that I couldn’t eat it, it was taken away, the rest of the family had their meals. 20 mins later my meal appeared, a plain dry burger in a brioche bun (which I can’t eat as it contains milk and butter)NO salad and chips. Certainly not worth what was charged. There didn’t appear to be anyone in charge, our waiter was a young lad who didn’t really understand the situation, no one from the kitchen came out. Don’t go here if you require vegan food, we’re certainly not going back.

Came here last Sunday after enjoying Woburn Safari, which is nearby. The pub is clean and smart, and the service is very friendly. Our waitress was very attentive and made us feel very welcome. Highly recommend the roast chicken - good portion size and very tasty. I dont usually have a roast but after seeing someone else eating this, I couldnt resist! Decent selection of beers on tap, and reasonably priced. Would definitely come back here if in the area.

We, as a family and with friends, have been coming here for twenty years and seen some changes but really glad that there are new owners in here this last year or so and enjoy dining at The FH which we have done many times since new ownership. The food rarely disappoints, the decor is now better and it’s a go to place to eat in Central Beds for me, BUT: Some staff training is required - For instance, please don’t address middle aged / retired people as ‘Guys’, please help mop up sauce when it’s spilt and pointed out to you and if a customer orders a bottle of wine, open it AT the table and pour it for them, do not just dump the ( not cheap ) bottle and glasses and go off. Sort these small but significant issues so that staff excel rather than just serve and it’s five stars all the way!

Nice food, helpful and polite staff.

Nine of us regularly lunch somewhere in the Flitwick area. The French Horn is a new venue and I will certainly return. Their Winter Saver lunch menu is very good value, portions were ample for elderly ladies but might be a bit small for those with a bigger appetite. The food was delicious, nicely served and a there was a good choice on the menu. The staff were pleasant, friendly and helpful.

We visited in January 23 for my wife's birthday. We were sat in the little booths by the window. All the staff were welcoming and cheerful. We have previously not visited the French Horn due to the lack of choice for vegetarians but it is much better now. I had the chicken burger and my wife had the veggie curry. All the food was piping hot and freshly cooked. We both enjoyed our meals. Not sure the burger needed the paper on the plate which disintegrated during the meal. We had a lovely evening and would recommend.

We visited on Saturday for lunch and we were all hangry! Yes it's not the biggest menu in the world, but that's why you check before you go! We all had burgers and they were all very nice - the chicken burger was ever so...

I've visited The French Horn a few times for lunch recently and decided to take my parents there for a birthday dinner. The food was great, and the service was prompt and friendly. The menu is what you'd expect to find in a typical pub....

Enjoyed a lovely Sunday lunch (veggie option), perfect sized portion and nicely cooked although personally I prefer my roasties a bit crispier! Restaurant has a comfortable, rustic feel to it and service was good The desserts - Cranachan cheesecake and Chocolate mousse were divine!

We went there for a late pub lunch on 21 Jan. The service was so great- the server(I should have asked for his name) was very polite, attentive and kind. The food was great. We loved the place. Thank you !

Can't knock the staff, and I did get my burger taken off the bill. I'm all for a small menu, but with that, I would expect a much higher standard of food quality and presentation for the prices being charged. £16.50 for a burger. The photo shows what I ate. Partner had scampy and chips, over cooked, possibly dirty fryer fat? (it tasted of onions) and itty bitty scampy. Looking around at other dinners I was not tempted to go back. (Sorry, I know everyone is earning hard, but feedback here is required)

Basically a nice place for lunch. Food ok. Deserts seem to be an after thought. Very boring, little choice. Also very little vegetarian choice or vegan.

Went for Christmas Dinner, the food was excellent, along with the service and ambience. Would definitely recommend

Amazing food, superb staff and atmosphere so friendly great family Xmas day thank you so much. Definitely do again The Rogers

Excellent food, service and ambience. We all really enjoyed the 3 courses, piping hot and some lovely extra touches. Well done team French Horn 👏

Very nice place, definitely returning.

Booked a table for 7.15pm on a Tuesday evening with a friend and arrived at the bar at 7.14pm to be seated. When asked for my name one of the staff turned to the other and whispered ‘s*** I have just given away that table’....

Absolutely lovely food, clearly a lot of work has gone in to getting this place back on it's feet after Covid. Courteous, attentive though unobtrusive service from the Manager, However when he left the remaining staff seem to have completely forgotten the art of hospitality....

What a wonderful evening meal, the beef bouguignon was absolutely superb and the burger was to die for. The atmosphere was delightful with plenty of space between tables. Will definitely go back, highly recommended.

Table booked and over 35mins after the booking time we were still not seated and with the kitchen closing soon we left to eat elsewhere.

Our party of 3 visited on a Tuesday night when The French Horn has a half price steak night. Each of us had sirloin steaks which were cooked to our individual requirements and we all found them very tasty. They were accompanied by either fries...

Great pub , landlady very friendly , stopped here for a pint . Restaurant and menu looked very good

For a 10 oz sirloin steak with fries, mushrooms and tomatoes for £14 (50% off) you cannot complain on a Tuesday. Probably the nicest steak I have had very nice and tender and a very good sized portion. Would most definitely come back here again.

What an amazing place, delicious food, excellent service. Had a wonderful evening out. Thank you xxx

We came for an evening meal on a very quiet Saturday night. We were taken to the restaurant where my first query was why the menu was different to the one I had seen online. The waiter said that it came from 'The French Horn'...

Over priced for the food served, this place should get another head chef, who tbe hell puts popcorn with duck, won't be coming back here in a hurry.

Great food, attentive helpful staff, I really enjoyed my birthday lunch. Thank you all

Had not been here since before the pandemic. We went for Sunday lunch and it was excellent. As with previous visits the food quality was excellent, with good sized portions. Selection and menu are very good and the seating comfortable. Will certainly be returning soon.

Had rump steak this evenings steak night ! Truly superb not had such a great steak in ages cooked to perfection

Can't remeber much so it must of been ok

Amazing rare roast beef, and the smoothest of crème brûlée. Thank you for an excellent Sunday lunch. Everything about The French Horn is good. Will be going back again and again.

We had a great lunch. Excellent value for money. Great attention from Dave despite our musical chairs. Thank you Dave, Jade and Steve for a memorable lunch. We’ll be back.

Booked for 7.30 for 4 of us. After waiting over 25 minutes for our drinks order to arrive (after having to chase it) we ordered food. After another 5i minute wait we still had not been served despite other tables getting served before that. At...

Great food steak night on Tuesdays. Half price steak. Great service too.

We came here for Father's Day and the food was just great. I had the roast beef which was delicious! The team looked after us really well and overall I was very impressed. We'll be back!

Good family pub resturant in the middle of Bedfordshire county a place called Steppingley so beautiful there 😊😊

Just returned from a lovely meal at your restaurant it was wonderful in every way I’m a chef myself and can honestly say it was the best meal and service I’ve had in a long time we’ll done to everyone I will definitely come back

Arguably some of the best restaurant or pub food in the area. Excellent quality, very well presented and a lovely setting and team of staff. We will certainly be returning.

Visited with the family whilst staying at Center Parcs nearby. The staff were really helpful and friendly and the menu had a good selection with some specials for that day. The food was outstanding in quality, presentation and value, we all enjoyed excellent portions which...

Lovely pub and friendly staff. Went for food with the family and it was delicious with generous servings. Highly recommend.

Came here as a coupe for a birthday celebration on a Tuesday following a bank holiday weekend We had both come here 3 years before on a second date ( we are in our sixties!) the decor then was old English but now had changed...

Beautiful country pub, all low beams and atmosphere. Great menu and excellent food and staff. Highly recommend

Food was really nice, well presented and tasted great. I would say the portions were on the smaller side. The service was great too and the setting is lovely. I find it strange how quiet the restaurant was - hopefully more people will try it...