The Goat in St Albans

Friendly staff and good service which helped the Herts Social networking event run so smoothly! Thanks everyone.

Fantastic Sunday Roast, we would go there again! There were five of us in our party and we booked ahead. However, when we got to the Goat Inn, it was near enough empty which was a bit worrying. However, the staff were friendly and helpful. We ordered the roast dinner; chicken, turkey (special for the day) and lamb. Vegetables, potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and jus were included and all very, very tasty! I would have been happy just with the vegetables they were so good! The food did take a while to arrive but we were in no hurry. During the meal, the dining area started to fill up a little. The meat, potatoes and Yorkshires arrived on a board so we could all help ourselves to what we wanted. Veg and jus, also excellent, came separately. All of the party would highly recommend the roast dinner. I didn't have dessert but others had the Eton Mess. My impression was they were expecting something with more substance and were disappointed with the sparse sprinkling of meringue, squirty cream instead of fresh cream and (possibly) frozen fruits. Bar and serving staff were attentive but not intrusive and the chef (lovely man) was keen to make sure everything was to our satisfaction. We didn't have the heart to be negative about the pud, everyone finished theirs so it was okay, but only okay, not exceptional like the first course. Not sure when the refurb was done but the place is looking a bit rough around the edges and the ladies toilets were not great, not sure about the gents. The furnishings could do with a revamp as could the toilets and the lighting could definitely be improved; some lights were dazzling, others not working. Moving the tables around a bit might help too, so that the serving staff would have easier access to the tables and wouldn't have to stretch in front of the diners to pass down cutlery and plates. Give the Goat Inn a try!

We hosted a party in their portrait lounge. The managers couldn't have been more helpful, met with us prior to discuss menus. So lovely, delish food, beautiful pub with friendly, happy atmosphere. 10 out 10!!!

Absolutely loved this beautiful pub. Great choice of drinks, was lovely and quiet even with the football on, and had a sweet if grumpy bar cat! Will be coming back here everytime I'm in St Albans.

My old local (or one of them) from my student days, I recently revisited and was pleasantly surprised to find that little had changed, which is a very good thing. A lovely traditional old pub with a storied past and a friendly atmosphere. Recommended.

Hi Amber Wedding 3rd Aug 2024 Just wanted to say a big thank you for all your help. All your bar staff were amazing and very helpful. The day was so great and kimberley and David were over the moon. The food was exceptional please pass on how good it was not a single issue. All in all an amazing memorable day. So again many thanks Alison xx

It's a very decent ancient traditional pub with far more space inside than would be expected, so space is rairly a problem.

Pub crawl after the election hustings at the Cathedral. Very quiet, even for a Wednesday evening. Nice pub.

Amazing place, outstanding Sunday roast. Definitely returning. Service , staff and food was excellent

The chef from Bannermans Resturant is now at the Goat, the food was something really special, not you typical pub grub. Had the Cevettes with Garlic & Chilli Bisque, served with fries & a freshly baked roll. So spicy, taste sensation, 100% recommended, food is more a la carte, on a different level from normal gastro pub grub. Also recommend the Duck a la Peach with spring vegetables, cooked perfectly, with dauphinoise potatoes, yum yum yum. Go there before they put the prices up!!! A la carte food at pub prices.

The chef from Bannermans Resturant is now at the Goat, the food was something really special, not you typical pub grub. Had the Cevettes with Garlic & Chilli Bisque, served with fries & a freshly baked roll. So spicy, taste sensation, 100% recommended, food is more a la carte, on a different level from normal gastro pub grub. Also recommend the Duck a la Peach with spring vegetables, cooked perfectly, with dauphinoise potatoes, yum yum yum. Desert had the Eton Mess, so scrumm. Go there before they put the prices up!!! A la carte food at pub prices.

Bartender let me eat a rocky road for free

Visited Friday night, first thing that was noticeable was the smell of toilets or sewage. Second no friendly interaction from Bar staff. Definitely not as good as it used to be

We did the pub quiz on a Sunday night and it was really fun.

Great pub. Very lively on a Saturday

Visited the Goat last week (Nov 23). Originally I went there in 1990, yes 33 years ago. Loved it then and hasn't changed much in 33 years! Wetted my grand son's head and had a good evening.

I had my 50th Birthday party at the Goat. We used the back of the pub for plenty room for chatting and dancing. Amber and team were great v easy to deal with and accommodate. Food (Pizzas & Chips) were a hit they did a great job! Such a good spot it you want a party but a pub atmosphere!

Nice pub, quiet, small but cosy

I celebrated my birthday party here and it was perfect! ☺️ A great sized room for 20 people, friendly and helpful staff. It all went so smoothly. Thanks so much ☺️

Very traditional and "Olde worlde". Amazing Sunday carvery and nice garden outside

We had a surprise 40th birthday party here and it was perfect! 👍 A great sized room for 50 people, friendly and helpful staff and yummy food. It all went so smoothly. Thanks so much :-)

This is such a great pub in the heart of St Albans. My husband and I had our joint 40th birthday party here and it was fantastic. The pub were so accommodating even with our last minute requests. Excellent service. If you are thinking of holding a private function at the Goat I would highly recommend.

No one was at the bar so I had to wait a while. No dark beers on tap apart from Guinness, so I had water. Reasonable atmosphere. Good location to go elsewhere to a pub crawl anyway

Nice place for a Yankee to enjoy a game and a pinte with relatives. Several rooms. Nice acoustics. Quaint place in an old neighborhood not too far from High Street.

Went for the live music and not disappointed, quirky layout but great atmosphere and band were decent.

Food was done well considering only one member of staff was in the bar. Our party was 7 so quite a challenge for her.

Went for Sunday lunch very nice place happy staff .

I booked our work Christmas do at the Goat and we had a fantastic night. Amber and the team were great with communication and very helpful. On the night everything was set up and the drinks and food flowed. Everyone at work was really complimentary and we all had a fantastic night. Thanks to all the team at the Goat. We'll be back next year if not before.

Most of the pumps off. Limited choice. Wash first class Guinness even if it wasn't what I fancied when I walked through the door.

Service was quite slow on a Sunday with no obvious rush of people waiting. It's ok.

Inedible pizza. Wafer thin, virtually no topping and raw. Good for a drink but honestly, don't eat here.

The beer is great. The atmosphere lovely. The food... don't go for the food. But it's a charming, classic, historic pub.

Had the Sunday carvery, excellent service and value for money. Everything warm and cooked to perfection. 2 slices of meat was more than enough. I will definitely be going back. Thank you 😊

We booked the back room for our wedding anniversary and can't praise the staff enough. Really looked after us and our guests. Effortless planning and the catering they provided was superb.

Such a lovely pub, so welcoming and accommodating, and looking lovely since the refurb!

I come to most band nights and what a night they are! The goat truly know how to entertain all ages. Haven't tried the carvery but have been told it great and all home made. Will be booking in soon! Truly amazing staff!!

Came for a carvery lunch nice vegetables but shame for the very small meat portions. Barely 2 slices! On each plate! Would not return. Have since be told be the owner that we could of asked for more meat but was told only 2 slices at the time no extra roast potatoes was allowed only vegetables and the parsnips had also ran out. Felt like we were back at school. My wife would of liked some green tea with her meal but was not available. Was a waste of nearly £40.00.

Absolutely perfect and delicious roast carvery😋👏. Wonderful choice of meats and vegetables, all cooked to perfection. Staff are friendly professional and the atmosphere is relaxed. Good outside area with plenty of tables.

Just terrible. 45 minutes wait before we were allowed to be served. 2 very harassed staff running servery Miniscule portions of meat. Only 4 potatoes on the servery for our group of 4, when they were replenished and we went back we were told we couldn't have any as we had visited once already. No pork. Despite the menu saying they had some. Run out of leeks. Cauliflower cheese was just thin liquid. Gravy lukewarm No napkins This was 2 hours before their published closing time.. This was a complete waste of £56. Take your business elsewhere to anywhere that cares about customers

Carvery was terrible. 45 minutes wait. 2 very harassed people trying to run it. Miniscule meat portion and no seconds Only 4 potatoes on the servery when our party of 4 finally got served, then told we could not go back for more when they finally came out No pork despite being told it was available No leeks Cauliflower cheese was just thin sauce reminents. No Cauliflower Lukewarm gravy No napkins £62 completely wasted. When I told the manager about this she just said..have a free drink.... Go somewhere else don't waste your money

Great atmosphere. Good quiz every Sunday. Very good food at Great prices. Historic past and near town centre and Abbey.

- overcooked meat, undercooked potatoes, watery gravy - beer was flat, I did raise this with staff, but they told me it’s supposed to be that way - staff rationed our portions to give themselves a bigger lunch

Really nice pub! Nowadays part of the Wells and Co family, this pub dates back to the 15th Century. Originally Stables, then a mens entertainment hall and now a public house, there's definitely a lot of stories to share about this place. There's a medium selection of ales for the ale lovers and double the number of draught beers available. Prices are average, 4.80 for an ale. No parking facilities on site, so pick a spot whereever available on the main road or use the car park closeby. Toilets are clean but of course dated so don't expect miracles. Overall a good choice for a late evening chill without TV.

Very disappointed, no staff, only 2 who did their best but produced an inedible pizza. Beer taps running dry. Got a refund. Felt so sorry for the pre wedding party (who had booked) I hope it did not spoil the happy day. Do not go here until they sort their business out.

Lovely pub just tucked out of the way. Friendly staff and a good selection of drinks. Didn't wait long at all to be served. Worth a visit.

Very, very disappointing carvery experience. First of all, when we arrived the staff immediately projected their stress onto us despite the pub not really being that busy. Paying by cash proved troublesome since not only did they have to once again leave us at the bar to process the payment they also gave us the wrong change. When we finally paid for our carvery and 4 drinks which were served in dirty glasses, we were told where we could sit, but then weren’t told what the process is for getting the food. We were given a wooden spoon in a dusty bottle handed to us, but weren’t told what to do with it. In the past we remember having to wait until our number was called, but this time after waiting 5 minutes we decided to ask and were told that we can go up whenever “but give it a couple of minutes because there’s a queue”. What’s the point of a numbered spoon? Shouldn’t that be used to control the queue? Anyway, since there was a queue we waited a bit and then went up individually to get food. For some reason, the person carving was unable to cut the meat at any reasonable speed. I’m not sure if the knives were blunt or whether they’ve just never used a knife before but they were basically trying to saw bits of meat off by making very tiny movements which meant it was upwards of 30 seconds *per slice* of meat. The meat was quite cold once served and I wouldn’t have touched the grey looking beef. I ended up having lumps of turkey served which was dry and cold. Waiting for the meat to be cut was already a bad experience made much worse by how sticky the floor was where you have to wait. Honestly disgusting enough a reason not to return despite the rest of the issues, not all of which I have yet mentioned. After finally getting my lumps of turkey, I was just handed the plate with no Yorkshire. Turns out there weren’t any and I had to wait. Which I guess was good timing because I also had to ask and wait for roast potatoes to also be brought out. When I spooned myself some somehow luke warm but over cooked veg onto my plate, sharing the serving spoons between dishes because there wasn’t enough, I had to pull a very long hair from the broccoli. Once my plate was full and I finally got some roast potatoes and a Yorkshire pudding (at least these were hot) I tried to ladle myself some gravy using a comically large ladle which ended up just making a huge mess since the gravy was far too thick and gloopy, and also not very hot. Just to top it all off the table itself was dirty with bits of food stuck in the grooves. My father in law was quick to point out that the whole place needed cleaning top to bottom which I agree with but am disappointed by since it was only recently refurbished. We’re locals and used to come here regularly with a much larger group. (13 people) and it was fantastic before the pandemic, we were proud to take people there because it was good food and felt well organised. Today was a far cry away from that and I felt like we wasted our money and was embarrassed taking my in-laws there, who also paid for the meal. Very disappointing and I hope it can return to how it used to be, but we won’t be trying again until next year at the very earliest. UPDATE: They think we should have to talk to staff to make things improve rather than them just being aware that the floor is sticky, serving food with hair in and that they’re serving drinks in dirty glasses. Perhaps they could just take some responsibility for the state of the place rather than expecting patrons to have to confront staff face to face before anything improves. As I mentioned in my original review the very first thing we were faced with was staff projecting their stress onto us; not very approachable so hardly surprising we didn’t talk to them about our issues is it. Another updated reply from them suggests they’re unable to take any public criticism in their stride and just apologise and promise to improve. Not everyone is going to leave a 5 star review, especially when they have as many issues as we did. It’s part of being on Google Maps.

Great night, awesome atmosphere, loved the live music by the Huggy flares and chips were tasty 😋

Nice quiet pub, out of the way and quaint.They also show football

Been here many times. Great pub with good choice of beers. Great staff too.

We were staying in the area and fancied a carvery. So glad we chose The Goat Inn. Lovely friendly and helpful staff, a fabulous carvery. It was all hot, the meat was tender and the veg just right.

Best pub in St Alban's, always has sport on, good beer and very friendly staff

The choice off Ales have decreased & the quality not up to how it used to be

A beautiful pub set in idyllic St Albans serving fantastic food a great value

Lovely pub. Just popped in for a quick drink but will return and try the food next time.

Ham, Turkey, Chicken and veg great. Beef cooked as tough as old boots... shame...

A good selection of beers and a selection of board games, usually space to sit down even on a Saturday night.

Great carvery roast. Will be coming back

Set up as a pub there are a good range of beers. The Sunday carvery had a choice of meets and a good range of vegetables. Good value.

One of the very best in St Albans

Always cheerful bar staff and a nice okay to sit with friends

The carvery was amazing today. Very fresh and great value. Keep it up..

Great local pub with amazing quick and attentive service with a good selection of real ales and even cocktails!

Proper pub. Good beer. Cosy evening atmosphere.

A really cosy proper pub. A small group of us went in and it was a really great atmosphere. The wine was good too.

A very homely pub. Great staff and a good range of beers.

Good boozer. Efficient friendly staff. Well worth a look.

Great music venue. The Push are playing tonight one of the best bands in the region. And it's free! All you've got to do is buy a drink (at normal prices). Amazing value.

A reall gem of a pub just off the hill of St Peter street in St Albans. It has a lovely old wooden interior and lots of nice old wooden furniture. It even has a nice courtyard at the back. It was very quiet when we went as life is still a little quiet after Covid, but I urge anyone to give it a try, aa it's a lovely pub.

Great pub, shame they aren't all like this one

Friendly pub with good selection of ales.

We stayed for two nights...its perfect for backpackers but that's all. Better off in a holiday inn or such like as they are clean.quite and roomy..

Booked well in advance for the Euros and booking was confirmed over the phone. On arrival we where told that we were ‘in the book’ but not ‘on the table plan’ so we where refused entry. Staff blamed us for not booking early enough (despite being offered tables inside or outside when we booked due to good availability at the time). Disappointed in the lack of internal controls on reservations as well as the inability of staff to accept responsibility for errors.

Went to the Goat on saturday 26/6/2021, with a party of 10 , to watch football and to eat and drink beers and other drinks, I was extremely impressed with the staff and their overall can do attitude, they worked tirelessly and went out of their way to accomodate us and serve all afternoon, it was a great experiance and an afternoon that will stay with me for a long time, well done to all of them, very impressed . 5 stars for excellence .

Fantastic old pub in the heart of St Albans with great ales.

Lovely staff, brilliant service, good Sunday lunch & amazing puddings xxx

Excellent beer. Staff are quite persuasive in tempting you into trying their range of ales. Lovely atmosphere and like the deco. Definately will go back

Excellent friendly staff, brilliant pints and a good evening guaranteed.

We would like to say a big thank you to the team at The Goat Inn for making our evening perfect. It was the first time the guys have managed to catch up for the best part of a year due the current climate. The Pub team was welcoming, organised, efficient in all areas, was very impressed by them. Look forward to popping in again. Thank you again guys !

Only been visiting here for a few weeks but welcomed from day one the service the staff so attentive had a Sunday carvery and will be back again dont take my word for it try it you wont be disappointed atmosphere is just what you need at this time

Good beer choice and saw the sport screen alright. One of the best in town

Really nice pub with a great beer garden that I have been going to regularly for a couple of years now. Unfortunately on my last couple of visits me and my party have had issues when it comes to billing. Drinks have been put through incorrectly or as another drink altogether. This on its own would, of course, be fine. The lady who helped us was very nice and more than willing to sort everything out, the bar manager however proceeded to get unnecessarily annoyed and to make comments about my parties inability to just divide the bill 5 ways (despite us all ordering different drinks, some of us having food some not). Again this could be fine, maybe he's having a stressful night we don't know right? But then he proceeded to walk off and return several times making more comments. To the pub's credit eventually, it did all get sorted out, but this experience left an extremely sour taste in our mouths. Perhaps the bar manager should stop taking shots with customers and start focusing on putting his orders through correctly and maybe he would be less stressed :)

We all had a great night and the staff were lovely and very welcoming

A nice beer garden & friendly staff

Still such a nice pub and cannot wait to re visit. Great ales. Good for kids and dogs. Rooms to stay if you get carried Away! Can’t wait for it to re open

Nice food, good joice of beers, friendly staff and reasonable prices! All I need :)

Very nice friendly good atmosphere great landlord l Michael

Brilliant pub, great atmosphere, great food and drink and even better customer service! Well done to all the staff especially the man who welcomed us and made sure we were okay the whole time!

Great beer. Lovely atmosphere. Friendly welcome.

Huge fifteenth century former coaching house. Lots of rooms with a circular central bar. Good selection of well-kept real ales. Generally found the staff to be friendly and welcoming. Lots of board games to play and an ideal place for large groups. The walled beer garden is well equipped and is a very pleasant sun trap! COVID edit: This place has just undergone an amazing refurbishment; opened-up (so feels more spacious), exposed dark wood and lovely new furniture. Well equipped for these challenging times, with a well-signed and well-managed environment. Service is far more friendly than I remember it - so now five stars! The Sunday lunch carvery looked good!

The pub has undergone a complete renovation, providing a great location that blends beautiful period features with the modern amenities you’d expect to find in a 21st century pub. The renovation has provided allowed The Goat to strike the right balance in attracting the football watching pub goer whilst not alienating punters who want to somewhere to have a quiet casual drink. We stopped in for a drink and a pizza (which was great) and had table service by the fire.

A clean pub with friendly staff and a good range of drinks on tap

Visited here last Sunday , Roast Dinnner was one of the Best I've had, very good choice of vegetables We sat in the beer garden, great weather, nice atmosphere, pleasant staff too Will definately be returning

Absolutely loved the roast dinner, amazing selection of vegetable and lovely tasting food. Roast potatoes were a favourite 😍. The garden was lovely to sit in and good with social distancing. Can’t wait to go back

The carvery on a Sunday is absolutely brilliant

This is a lovely pub, and the management and staff are wonderful. Lots of tasty beer and some fun bar games.

Lovely traditional English pub on the outskirts of the twin centre. Great atmosphere and they also show the sports. Good for families and just friends

There are no real goats, but plenty of sacrificial virgins.

Fairly large but still cozy pub in Sopwell. Good beers, food and atmosphere.

Great staff. Food might have been a little warmer but it was plentiful and delicious.

An enjoyable quiz with a wide selection of questions and an entertaining jovial land lord. Makes a fun Sunday night