The Highlander in North Hertfordshire

Our friend has been here before and wanted to take us here for a bite of food. We walked in to an old pub and were welcomed. We chose to sit by the fire as it was cold outside. Two beers were ordered. I ordered a Limehouse Rhubarb and Ginger. Wish I would have tasted the gin before I mixed it. I enjoyed the cocktail. We weren’t that hungry. Our friend ordered the onion soup with an olive oil bun. I would order onion soup but my tummy would not be happy. I ordered a goat cheese salad because I had such a good one at another place. This one wasn’t as good but it was still good. The cheese had been heated on top of the bread. The more I ate it though, the more I liked it but it still wasn’t as good as the previous one. My husband had the shin of beef pie. He liked it and ate the entire thing. It came with potatoes and those were good as I tasted one. I also sopped up the gravy at the bottom with bread. It was good. I always try and taste the sauces. Staff was very nice and I would recommend the place.

Had the most wonderful Sunday lunch! The atmosphere was super cozy, with warm lighting and a welcoming vibe. The food was absolutely delicious—perfectly cooked and full of flavor. It felt like a real treat, yet so comforting. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a relaxing and satisfying weekend meal. Thank you so much guys and thank you so much for accommodating to our allergies. One of the best Sunday lunches I’ve ever had :) Rebecca, Tom & Family

Sunday roast. Beef was excellent. Very dodgy in most pubs but not here. Very friendly welcome and service. Highly recommended

Always amazing, staff welcoming, food 5 stars everytime, been here many many times love it

Always a pleasure dining here. 12 people for birthday Sunday lunch. Excellent attentive staff, good food, and great vibe. Thanks as ever Eric, Charlotte, George and the team.

Best Sunday lunch I've had in a long time. Deliscous.

My local, it's great. Awesome food and drinks, lovely people.

Had a really nice lunch with friends. Food was excellent as was the service.

Came for a family lunch great food and service. Lovely little outdoor area too.

Finally made it for Sunday lunch after it being recommended many times and we weren't disappointed. The staff and service were perfect, absolutely couldn't fault them. The Sunday dinners were delicious, super hot and generous. Salmon Sunday dinner with all the trimmings was a lovely surprise and the roast beef was tasty too. Very dog friendly too. Hopefully we won't leave it too long before returning. ❤️

Simply put, this was the best Sunday pub meal I've had in many many years. The whitebait was excellent, the roast itself (we went for the lamb) was generous with a great range of veg - all perfectly cooked. Gravy, yorkshire pudding, mint sauce, horseradish were all great. The desserts (bakewell tart and a huge affogato) rounded of a fantastic meal. Friendly service, casual atmosphere...what more can you ask for?

Fantastic family run business, friendly staff, top quality food, good choice of ales/drinks, pleasant outdoor section with plenty of seating. Not cheap but worth the money. This is going to become our regular I suspect 🧐

Booked as parents live around corner, and had a cousin over from overseas, great meal, great staff and great atmosphere. Staff couldn’t do enough and the Beef Skirt I had was scrummy.

Nice pub, good service but didn't enjoy my food at all unfortunately. Maybe the worst example of a beef & ale pie I've had, frozen chips (how hard is it to peel a potato?) i was asked if I wanted to leave a tip but I declined. £20 for a poor meal & a flat pint of shandy was more than enough. Lovely people though.

The food and service were excellent. The Highlander never disappoints. Great service, great ambience in the outside covered area. So blessed to live with this restaurant on our door step.

A really wonderful Sunday lunch We visited for my friends 40th last Sunday. I can be a little bit picky about tables and asked to be moved. They went out of their way to find another table for us. All of the staff were very attentive, helpful and most important friendly. Exceptional service from start to finish and we stayed for a very long afternoon, there was no rush to get the table back. Food was not disappointing, both starters were a good size and fresh and delicious and the lamb was just divine, super portion size and I didn’t have to ask for extra gravy (bug bear of mine) Well done to all of the staff front and back of house. Highly recommend and will be back!

A friend and I booked last minute for Sunday roast. We were greeted by a young man, later found out he was the son of the owner but don’t know his name, who was very friendly and knew who we were and where our table was reserved. My friend is gluten intolerant and he knew exactly what she could have off the menu, so he clearly had a very good knowledge of the menu. Which you don’t seem to get these days, which shows the passion this pub has for customer service. Food was great, the Sunday roast was really good, my only complaint was I didn’t get loads of the lovely roast potatoes! But that’s only because I’m greedy where good roast potatoes are concerned! The pub was very busy yet the service was spot on and we didn’t have to wait long for our meal so all in all we were really pleased we managed to get a table. Great pub!!! I will definitely be going back!!

Fabulous meal , welcoming , friendly staff . Perfect evening and wonderful dining experience . Lovely atmosphere in the Highlander . Tasty starters , homemade focaccia bread with a gorgeous beetroot dip , and haggis fritters followed by scampi and fries and steak , really tasty mains. Too full to try the desserts this time . Highly recommended !

This is the best pub in town. Food is great, staff very friendly.

Lovely people great atmosphere good food

£6 for a pint of Guinness. Then ask to move because a bunch of boomers have booked all the tables.

Had a work dinner here,food was awesome. Brookfield farm butchers supply them with their meat and its 1st class

Child size portions adult prices Great staff, nice atmosphere, food quality good but miserable portions, 10 inch plates roast beef sliced to transparency ( must have a ninja knife) hardly any veg most of the plate taken up by the Yorkshire Not on my list to return to as food was the reason to visit

Great place for food and music good beer and friendly staff...one for the best pubs around.

Went with my daughter and her fiancé for dinner for my birthday. We had a warm welcome. Good selection of meal choices and everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. Service was first class. The Highlander has a relaxing ambience and is friendly and welcoming. I love it here.

Warm welcome and delicious Sunday roast with excellent service. Food was quick to arrive which is always welcome when you have small children! Thank you for a lovely lunch.

Felt very safe and secure eating outside in a social distance environment. Food was delightful!

Delicious food. friendly and efficient staff.

Great food and excellent service

Celebrating our Golden Wedding Anniversary - lovey traditional pub serving speciality cuisine. Look for the specials - blow-torch mackerel was sublime!! Hospitality and our welcome was excellent, service was very helpful, kind, respectful and caring. We did not feel rushed or 'watched' and felt liked welcomed and special guests. Booking was easy and worth while. Definitely a regular returner. And we received a complementary drink to mark our Anniversary!! - Thank you.

Had the Grilled Lamb, would absolutely recommend it. Great service. Would go back for sure

Lovely food, atmosphere and service. Charlotte was friendly welcoming and helpful. Definitely be back.

Lovely lunch today, sat outside and the space is so relaxed and peaceful. Food was delicious, drinks were cold and perfect choice, and Charlotte was the perfect host. Warm, friendly and welcoming. Definitely be back soon. Nom nom nom 🤤

This pub is traditional, but serves modern delicious food with an excellent menu. I love the owners as they work so hard to create an incredible atmosphere.

Bern twice in last couple of weeks can honestly say best roast we've had in ages. Staff really friendly great pub for family and friends to meet up. Would definitely recommend a visit.

We had lovely freshly cooked pub food and the staff were very nice, friendly and attentive. Nice atmosphere, not a loud drinking pub. The food was all freshly made, tasty, good portions, like someone would cook at home. We'll be back soon

Just cant believe how good the food and beer is at this cosy and friendly old school pub.Everything on the menu is homemade and the selection of traditional deserts are second to none.

Great food, bustling atmosphere

Really enjoyed.. Had their skirt steak (never heard of it) and it was delicious. Pub atmosphere with excellent food and delightful service

Excellent, we had a great meal.

The Highlander is a traditional pub with owners and staff who care about delivering excellent food and service. Myself, family and friends have been coming here for years. We always come as a large group close to Xmas and have a great time

10/10 family run pub with lovely staff , lovely food and drink , must try the daily specials. Hidden gem of Hitchin at a great value

Great service with lovely staff. Definitely a must visit in Hitchin. Homemade food, great specials. Had the perfect cosy winter visit. Highly recommend!

My friend took me here for a birthday treat. What a little gem of a place. Such a lovely atmosphere, the ladies that served us were so friendly & helpful. The menu is varied but not too large & the specials were lovely. Had the best homemade bakewell tart I think I've ever tasted. There's no parking, but don't let that put you off as it's only a short walk from town and definitely worth it. The outside space looked lovely as well. Will 100% be back

16 of us,great food,great beer,great service,top night.Cheers guys.

Great food and great service with a cosy family atmosphere.

Lovely food and friendly staff !

Reasonable range of real ale, sometimes has a mini beer festival in summer, cosy, friendly and good service. Only 4*'s because we didn't eat here. Only a few tables weren't booked for the Saturday evening when we were there which is good in the run up to Christmas when people are saving themselves and their money for the festive season.

I am fussy and often get little value from eating out vs eating at home. However, I cannot give enough praise to the meal that I enjoyed last night at the Highlander. A lentil dhal curry - the flavours were absolutely wonderful. All other aspects of dining out were great too - warm atmosphere, friendly staff and good value for money.

Banging roast high quality ingredients. We went for the beef roasts and I can honestly say its the best roast beef in Hitchin. Melt in the mouth. The veg was inventive and delicious and the gravy rich and full of flavour. The entire team were super friendly and accommodating even to our 2 year old. Relaxed atmosphere and service was very quick considering we visited in the middle of a Sunday lunch. Highly recommend

This is a perfect relaxed setting for a catch up meal with friends. There is a good choice of beers, including some Hertfordshire ones from Mad Squirrel Brewery and an excellent choice of meals both on the menu and specials board. We had pies, fish cakes and seafood stew..all very good. Seafood stew although well cooked could have been a bit warmer. Puddings were excellent..bakewell tart, sticky date and creme brulee. Overall we really enjoyed and would happily return.

Banging roast high quality ingredients. We went for the beef roasts and I can honestly say its the best roast beef in Hitchin. Melt in the mouth. The veg was inventive and delicious and the gravy rich and full of flavour. The entire team were super friendly and accommodating even to our 2 year old. Relaxed atmosphere and service was very quick considering we visited in the middle of a Sunday lunch. Highly recommend

As a vegetarian, choices can often feel like an afterthought, however the food I ate at the Highlander (twice, I went back two days in a row) was sensational. I chose a seasonal risotto, and a dish prepared with butternut squash which was delicious. Highly recommend.

Really nice evening with good food and service.

Cycled down from London with a friend with Highlander as a destination on the basis of a countryside jaunt and a lovely food reward after a long pedal - it didn’t disappoint. Wonderful starter with figs from the pubs own garden, and a risotto cooked fresh that was sublime. The wines are also not the usual and very interesting, and importantly delicious;the one we went for “like drinking rain on a sunny day” Chardonnay was just that - not like any Chardonnay I’ve had (and avoided in the past). A good trip out for the food and wonderful welcoming hospitality that also was memorable. Will return - when the legs recover.

Visited recently and service was very slow. I get that they were busy on the night in question, but there was no explanation throughout the wait. Food was on par.

A few good ales, food looked and smelled appetizing. Nice outside canopy.

Amazingly kind to our team of marshals from hitchin hard hal marathon.. thank you.

Discovered this venue by searching by reviews on Google maps as only passing through and dont know the area. The venue was clean and very welcoming, the staff where very attentive and the food locally sourced and seasonal - fantastic menu and delicious.

Really superb service - the young lady serving couldn't have been more helpful. Good real ale. The food was well done, from a fairly small selection (I definitely prefer this to a huge menu where most of the options must be frozen or something) and nicely presented. Thanks! Well worth the 5 minutes walk from Hitchin town centre.

Good staff, great Sunday roast and outside covered space really nice whatever the weather!

Lovely spot, food was fantastic and very timely, staff were really friendly. The overall outdoor eating experience was really lovely in a really friendly environment. There were lots of people that seemed to know each other but it was a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

Excellent meal, Sunday lunch done to perfection! I had the beef which was so succulent and seasoned expertly. My friend had the nut roast and was equally impressed. Sat outside and enjoyed the atmosphere on a lovely day, not to mention it’s always great to run into a fellow Scot away from home!

Lovely relaxing outdoor area, Zoe is such a lovely and patient waitress! Would definitely recommend

Probably the nicest pub Sunday roast I’ve had. Apple & pear crumble was lovely too.

Just great, had a couple of meals recently, been fantastic!:)

Inside: one of the coziest, warmest, and most welcoming pubs in town, which is certainly saying something as Hitchin has set the bar quite high for welcoming pubs. Outside: An equally warm and cozy garden, with ample seating and a chill countryside atmosphere. While this was my first time here, the staff made me feel like a regular from the moment I stepped through the door.

Very poor selection of vegetarian food. Whole menu feels dated as not changed much over the years. Quite expensive main meals given the lack of choice

Another wonderful meal at The Highlander, everyone is so friendly and the food was lovely. We both enjoyed the Salmon supreme special tonight. A really welcoming pub restaurant with a quality menu.

Average lunchtime pub grub, expected much better, but excellent welcome and service from staff.

Lovely pub excellent friendly staff

Stumbled across this fab oub in Hitchin. Food and service wonderful

Good food and pleasant atmosphere

Another lovely meal from Eric, Charlotte & team. There was a great choice, including several on the specials board - all 4 of us loved our meals. Although there were also great dessert options I had my favourite chocolate brownie for dessert again - same as I always do! Cosy atmosphere and friendly staff add to the reasons why we go again & again.

We travelled from Norfolk to visit our son and daughter in law and following their recommendation we had prebooked a table in the marquee for our lunch. We were met by friendly staff and promptly served with drinks whilst we waited for our main course....

We loved the atmosphere in the tent last night! Food was incredible especially the duck special! The service was second to none and the beer selection was brilliant. We are going to be bringing and recommending to all our friends.

Very friendly helpful staff. Fast service. High quality food. Lovely outdoor dining area. Reasonable price. Only caveat is the expectation to pay at least 10 per cent gratuity.

Had a very enjoyable lunch with friends. Plenty of choice and the food was delicious. Staff very helpful and pleasant. First time here but would definitely go back.

A very safe place to go, staff are very helpful and friendly all wear masks, everything is clean and sanitized, and not forgetting the food it is first class.

Good food and friendly staff. However, it's unclear why there is only outside seating available. It makes for quite a chilling dinner, even in the summer! Personally, I would hold off visiting The Highlander again until inside seating is opened.

My favourite Hitchin pub. The outside seating is well thought out and the food is superb

Best craft and cask ales in the area accompanied with a fantastic cajun chicken burger .. sunset and some chilled beats .. love it as always !

Amazing nut roast and sticky date pudding with honeycomb!

Great atmosphere, tasty food, good portions and friendly people. We will come again!

Great food, brilliant atmosphere, really friendly staff

Amazing food and great local honey rum

Had a lovely evening with friends, outside, under cover. Great food, LOVED the pork special. Service was great, very friendly. Look forward to visiting again

Our second visit didn't disappoint. Food was delicious - enjoyed the lentil Dahl and my husband the scampi. Staff are very friendly and approachable. Still plenty to try on the menu and look forward to our next visit.

Fabulous outdoor dining experience . Almost felt as though we were on holiday . The food is fantastic, with good sized portions . Freshly cooked and very tasty. The waitress is knowledgable , friendly and helpful - you could see her smile even though she...

Best meal out we’ve had in the past year. Inventive dishes and delicious, far beyond our expectations and reasonably priced too. Hospitable and friendly, clean and well-kept, clearly a place that everyone takes pride in. Food better than many restaurants I’ve been to recently but in a lovely, friendly and relaxed family pub setting. Cannot wait to return.

Had a nice afternoon drink with the family. Helpful, friendly staff with a lovely outdoor surrounding. Hot water bottles and cozy seat covers kept the cold out whilst a decent pilsner quenched my thirst.

I was so disappointed with my experience, my friend booked it for drinks only and no one said anything about having to order food. The place itself was lovely and then this French guy (owner I think) came and told us that we have to order food to sit there, we told him we were never told this, he practically accused my friend of lying and said she would have been told that! He was so rude and never apologised! He told us we have got half an hour and we have to leave or he can put us in the corner next to the smoking area which is so secluded. We had our drink and left! The awful thing is my colleague had exactly the same experience last weekend with him!! I think he needs to go and have customer service lessons and needs to learn manners and personally think he is racist, I do not play that card easily but, it is funny that my colleague is also brown who had the same experience.....

Friendly staff good food and drink

Thank you Eric & Charlotte, our midweek take away of beef bourginon was so tasty as was the delicious creamy mash. A real treat on a wet Wednesday evening.

Eric and his team looked after us so well. Hot water bottles to keep us warm and soft fur seat covers on the benches in their tent outside. Great local beer and tasty pub classics.

We hadn’t been here for a while but it used to be really good. However on this occasion we found it extremely disappointing. Our food came out cold and it took a while for us to get the waitresses attention to advise her. They gave...

Great food again and prompt service even though we came on Saturday evening when it was busy. The Highlander have adapted their setup due to pandemic and we felt very safe. There is a huge tent outside to welcome you and also available for drinks...

Another lovely meal provided by lovely hosts. And Covid-safe too.

Good food and selection of ales. Well thought out Covid protocols

Super lunch here with friends yesterday7th Oct . Felt very safe covid precaution wise :) The food was superb . I had the celeriac and chestnut risotto which was absolutely delicious . Thank you