The Ivy St Albans Brasserie in St Albans

A nice venue with good atmosphere. That is the good part. However I found the service to be fairly average and quite lacking in any personal way. Too many jacketed staff rushing about and not enough care taken with the table guests. To begin with the food is ok, and I mean ok, a large starter of bread whilst I wait for my actual starter. As it happened I could have waited all day as it was not delivered at all leaving me to just try and graze on my sour dough bread and increase my gluten content. When our mains arrived I reminded the staff that I was still waiting for my starter. The reply was apologetic and I could have it asap ( after my main course). Rather disappointing for a restaurant that trades highly on its name and reputation. The food when it came was ok, although my wife’s steak was chewy and not well cooked. The bright spot was the dessert. Overall I am extremely disappointed having eaten a few times in the Asia version with fantastic food and service each time. What was supposed to be a celebratory meal was really very average and not worth the money paid. I left the restaurant full of sour dough bread and a feeling that I could have spent much less for much better food and service at a gastro pub.

Lovely and unusual food, had a great lunch.

Just celebrated my 70th Birthday in the private dining room. Everything was absolutely tip top. Beautiful room, excellent service and delicious food. Thank you to Ethan, David and the very lovely Anna, who looked after us the whole time. She is a true professional and couldn't do enough for us with a lovely smile. Thank you to everyone at The Ivy St Albans. Mark Harris

Fabulous staff, superb food and drink, excellent location. A wonderful venue for family and friends. Andrew looked after us incredibly well and made us very welcone

Always lovely to visit The Ivy in St Albans. Brihanna made the visit very special for my daughter with out any prompting. Thank you:)

I'm hard to please. I'll start with that. My friends took me as a treat for having them over Easter. I'd been to the Chelsea Ivy many a time but never to my local one. Loved it. Sea bass with shrimp was fantastic. I did laugh actually at a bad review left re that dish. Clearly, he isn't a foodie. Prawns are not shrimp, and if you know, you know. Shrimp goes into the sauce on a dish like that. We also shared two different salads, actually some of the best I've ever eaten salad wise. Bursting with flavour. Ok so essentially, food was fantastic. Next the service ... My standards are high on service. Here they were attentive and knowledgeable. When I go into an establishment I expect the staff to know everything! And boy did I test them. They passed every one. 1. When I asked why my favourite champagne wasn't available it was explained perfectly! And he then sold it to me to try something more up and coming than Pol Roger. 2. The history of the IVY was then explained to me perfectly. 3. The fabulous scent that filled the bathrooms. I wanted it and I wanted to know what it was. Plates weren't left in front of us, cleared immediately. Big plus for me. Dirty tablecloth was properly scraped, cleaned. Upsell of dessert and drinks was nicely done. Ambience and my favourite table, number 30 is where I shall reside again in the future!

It’s just over priced and pretentious. No better or worse than any other high street chain, but for some reason the staff like to make you feel like it’s something it’s not.

Brihanna gave such great customer service and made my experience spectacular.

Had a lovely meal with the family as a belated Christmas celebration. Incredible service from Alviya, and delicious food. Cannot wait to go back 😁

Lovely Boxing Day afternoon/ evening at The Ivy St Albans. Our server Alviya was particularly excellent. Well done to all...

We got a nice customer service from Alvia

The food was mediocre at best, with the presentation and interior decor being the only redeeming aspects of the experience. Unfortunately, the service was disappointing. Our waitress a tall woman with brown hair, middle aged, glasses, and a loud demeanour who had the middle section on December 27th at 6 PM. She seemed impatient, rushed us through our meal, and was unwilling to wait an additional few minutes for us to order dessert. This behavior felt unprofessional, especially as we had not been dining for long. We left a tip as a courtesy to the rest of the hardworking staff, who were kind and professional. However, it’s clear that some staff members would benefit from additional training to meet the basic expectations of a pleasant dining experience.

We had the most incredible time celebrating my boyfriend’s birthday at the Ivy. Our waitress Anna was so attentive, friendly and informative. She gave us excellent recommendations, always made sure our wine was topped up, and even sang my boyfriend happy birthday! The food itself was unreal, and all the courses came out so quickly even though it was very busy. 10/10, cannot wait to go again. Thank you Anna & the rest of the team :)

Excellent meal, lovely friendly helpful staff, highly recommend, food was delicious 😋

Great decor. We arrived on Christmas Eve 1pm, with a new born. Very accommodating and Andrew our waiter was v. Helpful!

Probably one of the best restaurant options in St Alban's. The service could do with a bit of polish (some waiters are a bit keen to get your food and drinks ordered in order to turn the table and very obvious with their upselling) and the staff could benefit from a lesson in courtesy (barging past customers, not allowing customers to pass by first) but otherwise a good experience.

Alviya was our server for our small work Christmas meal and she was phenomenal. She always wore a kind smile, she was attentive and offered brilliant service! She is an asset to the team and we couldn't have been more looked after! We will be back :)

We enjoyed our dinner at The Ivvy St Albans. The food was amazing and the staff so friendly and special Anna the waitress that served us 😃

Brilliant place and Brilliant staff especially Anna our waitress 👏

Alviya was amazing. Food was brilliant. Can’t wait to come back!

Thank you so much to Alviya for your great welcome of me and my friend! We had a great time and the music was brilliant!

I really enjoyed my time here, with my family. Andrew our server was amazing. My only negative comment was with regard to the front of house/greeters - put it this way, I almost turned around and left. They should learn what it means to warmly greet a guest not be grumpy. They were just as bad as we left. Cheer up ladies! Everyone inside the place is really nice and friendly. I do recommend this place. Food is very good and tasty. Staff (inside) are really friendly and care about service. A great start to Christmas for our family. Thanks again Andrew, you were great!

We had a great experience here. The food was delicious. A special nod to the festive desserts, especially The Ivy Snowmen, which were fantastic! Andrew, our server, was very attentive and friendly. We will definitely come here again.

We had a lovely Sunday roast and really enjoyed the atmosphere. The food was tasty and well-prepared. A special mention goes to Andrew, our server, who was friendly and attentive throughout!

Our server Andrew was so friendly and attentive. Brunch was lovely!

Alviya is the mist incredible waitress I have ever had. She was so much fun she made our evening so enjoyable and we will definitely be returning. Xx

Very nice experience - good food and great service from Andrew

Alviya was brilliant. Great food. Thanks for having us 😊

Our first time at the Ivy, and it was such a special evening. We were well taken care of by our lovely host Andrew. He was very helpful and informative on the dishes as we really couldn’t choose what to order. We were very pleased with his recommendations. Can’t wait to come back again!

Very beautiful place. Good food and good value for money.

Lovely evening with good food and friendly service especially from Alviya

Me and my partner had an amazing dining experience. The ambience and food were really great. Special mention to our server, Rahul who was very friendly and made us feel so welcome, he also suggested couple of dishes which were truly delicious. We had a good time. Highly recommend!

Had a wonderful afternoon in The Ivy St Albans. Our waitor Andrew was very charming and ensured we enjoyed our experience. Lovely young man who is a credit to this restaurant

Alviya was so lovely she made us feel very special on our anniversary thank you Alviya

Rahul was a fantastic, friendly and smiley waiter. He sung happy birthday to me which was really sweet. Food was delicious as always.

we order some festive drinks, so nice.

Food was below par for the cost. Chicken tasted reheated burger was tasteless. Plus side service was very good but for £100 per head I won’t be rushing back.

Amazing food and fabulous service by Rahul.

Fantastic time at the Ivy yesterday for lunch! Sheila was our appointed waitress and her recommendations and overall service were great! The truffle arancini rice balls were absolutely delicious! Will definitely return!

An amazing restaurant with very friendly Staff. We were served by friendly staff, including Rahul, and David. They were exceptionally attentive, without being overbearing, and they made sure we had a wonderful time to celebrate our engagement (including a wonderful surprise at the end of the meal). The food quality was exceptional, with good portion size and cooked beautifully. We will definitely be back again!

A great place to come and celebrate a special occasion. I was really impressed with the veg and vegan menu and the curry was lovely that we ordered. Particularly busy during the festive period so would advise booking if you plan to visit during Xmas

Great food and experience. Juan was SO helpful solving a problem with my coat - thank you so much!

Had a lovely meal at the Ivy St Albans Brasserie today. Our group ate the Cheese Soufflé, the Shepherd's Pie, the Fish Cake and the Truffle & Parmesan Chips. Their Christmas decorations also added a lovely festive feel. Great service to boot. We'll be back 🙂.

I had a lovely lunch in Thr Ivy St Albans. I ordered sirloin steak with truffle chips, and my dad went for burger both very tasty! Served was polite and lovely. I would like to recommend that beautiful restaurant.

Amazing food, loved the customer service. Great place, everyone should visit. Our waiter Rahul was amazing, took lots of care and recommended dishes was amazing as well. We had a better time.

Very high standard of food and service. Expensive with all items priced separately.

Me and my family had an amazing Christmas lunch in the St Albans branch. The festive Shepherds Pie was to die for! I'd strongly recommend this place.

Had dinner here recently. Amazing service from our server Rahul, who ensured we had a positive experience throughout. He noticed that we were celebrating an occasion, and provided dessert for us on the house. Food was delicious and the restaurant interior was beautiful and cozy. Highly recommend.

Was a lovely meal with good service.

Amazing service Food was stunning Xmas decs were very festive

The food is bland and underwhelming. I had smoked salmon that tasted like Tesco own brand, duck goose shepherds pie that was completely tasteless and cheese that came with rotten mouldy grapes and no chutney. Bottle of beer £7. Ordered a coffee and it looked like dishwater once the growth melted. All for £60 plus huge service charge. Honestly better quality food in the pub. This food is terrible and this is just another chain masquerading as an upmarket restaurant. Save your money and avoid if you want tasty good quality food.

The perfect place for a post Christmas shopping treat! Fantastic service from Rahul, delicious food & yummy cocktails :)

Lovely meal with a friend mid week. The service was high quality and the restaurant was beautiful inside. Food of course was delicious and we had the mid week set menu which was great. Will definitely come again.

We are twice a month here. Five stars service, excellent food. The water Andrew this evening, and the whole crews are every time always outstanding! Thank you very much Ivy J&A

Food wasn't bad but honestly, it's nothing special and it does not justify the attitude.

Walked in and was not greeted to begin with, stone cold staff on entrance, very impolite upon arrival, just very poor service. Will not be attending again.

Last minute decision to come here for breakfast on a Sunday morning. I narrowly missed the amazing breakfast offer that finishes at 11:30am. Instead, I was treated to the brunch menu and exemplary service. Honestly, you cannot fault this place for service; very attentive and nothing is an issue. What a delightful breakfast that used high quality ingredients coupled with a causal cool environment; exactly what’s in order for a Sunday morning. A totally addictive ambiance. The food, soft drinks and teas / coffees are reasonably priced. It’s the cocktails and alcohol where they make their money. Mind you, they do look good.

Our waiter was great! They also had live music and food is always good at the IVY :)

We visited the Ivy for a birthday celebration and had a lovely time. We were served by Rahul who was really informative and helpful when it came to recommending items on the new Christmas menu. He made that experience that more special for us, truly a kind and warm person.

Attended a family celebration in the private room, everything went smoothly and the hosts were very happy with the occasion

We had a lovely experience on 11 th November. Our server Sheila was wonderful and went above and beyond to make our lunch memorable. She couldn’t do enough for us!Great warm and cosy atmosphere. Food was very tasty.

The 1917 menu is not only great value but the food is excellent too. Really nice atmosphere and the staff are very friendly and professional.

Great service staff so helpful

Very hard to pick fault with this place. Downgraded atmosphere solely due to the fact that it was a Monday night and therefore not busy, which is by no means their fault.

Absolutely loved it. The team made me feel really special on my birthday and the food was absolutely delicious. To me this is one of the best restaurants in St. Albans (if not the best). We'll definitely return next time we're in town

Rahul gave such wonderful friendly caring service. Thank you x

We loved The Ivy at St Albans :) The food was really tasty - so many tempting options on the menu and the service was fantastic too! It was a meal to celebrate my birthday and the restaurant hadn’t known this until they saw me open a gift but surprised me with a chocolate profiterole dessert! Very kind. I would definitely like to visit again as we enjoyed such a pleasant evening, thank you!

Had a lovely meal at the St.Albans Ivy. The food was delicious and our waitress Sheila was superb a lovely lady.

Food and atmosphere was great. Staff were welcoming and friendly, especially our waitress Sheila who was amazing.

I had the pleasure of dining at Ivy St Albans in October, and I can honestly say it was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, lovely host lady in green jacket brought us to a table. The service was flawless—our server Anna was attentive without being forceful, offering excellent recommendations. for starter we had a roasted scallops and mozarella. The food—wow! Every dish we ordered was bursting with flavor and beautifully presented. The Peruvian chicken was a standout; the combination of quality and tastes was simply unforgettable. We also tried the Sticky Toffee Pudding, it was the best pudding I've ever had so far. I also appreciated the variety on the menu—there’s something for everyone, whether you have allergies or intolerances, or you are a foodie. The wine list was diverse, with something to pair perfectly with each course. My boyfriend had a glass of Pinoit Noir and I was staying with glass of Picpoul. I highly recommend St Albans Ivy for anyone looking for an outstanding dining experience.

Came for a birthday celebration meal on a Sunday lunchtime. Several of us chose the Sunday Roast option. All of us were disappointed and frankly disgusted that the “roast potatoes “ which at over £30 per meal we would have expected to be good quality were obviously “Aunt Bessie” style pre-prepared flavourless lumps of nothingness. A Sunday Roast stands and falls on its roast potatoes and this was a massive fail. Would definitely not recommend.

Finding somewhere to eat on a Saturday lunchtime, with a group including a Vegetarian, a Coeliac and two people with serious food allergies can be an interesting proposition, but we decided to give The Ivy a try! I am so glad we did! We chose food from the main menu and the brunch menu and all found food that was really great. Recommendations would be Shepherds Pie and the Macaroni cheese, and for desert i would recommend the Nougat glace with cherries in flaming kirsh! So, the food was great, and the atmosphere was lovely, bright and relaxing, BUT i have to say a BIG thank-you to our wonderful server/waiter Drew (Andrew), who not only managed to deal with the allergies, was happy to give recommendations of what dishes to try and was also pretty handy with a chef's blow-torch! and all that with a friendly smile! Our lunch was enhanced by all the friendly staff, and we will definitely be back!

My daughter and I went for brunch , the staff were friendly, efficient and attentive. The food was good, and beautifully presented. We were given a celebration treat which was a nice surprise. Shelia was very friendly and made our visit feel special.

Visited on Wednesday 30th October at 6.45pm. My first visit and I can honestly say it wont be my last. Service was excellent, food also excellent and very good value. Really pleasant décor and was made to feel like nothing was too much trouble. Had a lovely surprise at the end with a sweet treat of a profiterole filled with chocolate ganache and cream. A really lovely experience all round.

The staff needs training. They serve food over your drinks and the candle with their sleeves dragging into your drink. They interrupt private conversation to explain about the desert menu… They asked me this evening, if I had any food allergies FIVE times!!…For the desert menu, they gave us the set menu, it was limited and only cold desserts…I had to ask for the à la carte dessert menu as there were more choice… The general service was a disaster.. We were asked if everything was to our liking this evening and we said the food was excellent, but the service was diabolical.. My starter knife and fork was inside the main course display. We eat from the outside in! I have to say I was very disappointed With my experience. I did not pay the service. Buckle up, teach the staff manners, etiquette and how to lay a table. We pay for the food and the dining experience.

First time here and I would go back the 1917 set menu was very good

Thank you so much for understanding and compassion. Having booked a 90 th birthday celebration for my father he became unwell after ordering his meal. Your staff without any fuss organised the meal to be packaged up so we could take it away and then followed up with us on realising a mistake had been made meal selection. It wasn’t quite the celebration we had anticipated but still a very memorable occasion and hopefully will be able to organise a return trip for him soon.

Fantastic dinner at the Ivy! Service was excellent, very attentive and the Peruvian chicken was delicious. We'll definitely be coming back!

Brillant evening out, great food excellent service. Birthday box was a lovely dessert.

Music too loud that I could not hear the people on my table. Told they could not turn it down any lower. Steaks were bland and my daughters was very fatty. Wife's filleted fish had bones in it. The weakest gin and tonic I've ever had. May have been just ice and tonic. Not bad for over £400.00 for 4.

The staff at The Ivy St Albans are charming and well trained and that is the only positive thing I can say about the dining experience. The restaurant is overcrowded and noisy, the management say they are unable to turn down the volume of the droning piped music which makes it impossible to hold a conversation without shouting. The food is on a par with a fast food restaurant, I ordered arancini as a starter and was presented with 6 small dry pieces in a metal bowl, no garnish, no sauce, no presentation. My main of blackened cod fillet was watery and tasteless. Others in our party ordered Peruvian chicken which was dry chicken covered in bbq sauce, sea bass which again was watery and covered in a the cloying sauce. None of the meals ordered were of a high enough quality to warrant the price this restaurant charge. I return to this restaurant once in a while to see whether it has improved, sadly it has not.

Absolutely shocked by the service we received yesterday. Meal was fine, service not rushed. We ate at 3pm on a Saturday so place was relatively quiet. Tea and coffee arrived after our dessert, then a front of house team member came over and, without any warning and having never spoken before, leans across the table and says ‘you have to leave now, immediately, your table is for 2 hours only, you are over your time’. Taken aback, we explained we’d not been given any warning and had literally just been served hot drinks… she left with no apology. 2 minutes later another member of the team arrived to say the same thing. Still while our drinks are piping hot in front of us. And we’d not at this point been asked if we wanted anything else, or hinted at to move to bar area etc. For context, the table next to us was empty, lots of other tables nearby were empty. It was 5.20pm on a Saturday, no one in the bar area waiting for a table. I honestly couldn’t believe how embarrassing their staff were and how they couldn’t handle a totally normal situation. Note: we’d also had 3 courses and drinks so it certainly wasn’t like we’d nursed a tap water and outstayed our welcome. Explaining the situation the second staff member apologised, and I’m not really sure what the conclusion was but we asked for the bill anyway. She came back, and I mis-heard her say ‘I’ve taken the drinks off the bill’ which would have seemed mildly acceptable given how obscure and rude they had both been… on checking the bill she’d taken off £12.95, the hot drinks only. (They even left on the £15 service charge!). What a cheap and frankly, offensive, offer! Of course those drinks should be free, you’ve not even let us drink them! An actual apology would have been a genuine admission of wrong doing and something much more substantial by way of actual apology. By that point I didn’t even argue, the first staff member was nowhere to be seen, and second staff member was just interrupting us and making everything more awkward… what a terrible end to an otherwise ok meal. As we left, around 5.30pm, we collected bags and used bathroom etc… 5 mins after leaving table it was still not cleared, several tables nearby all still empty, and no one in the bar waiting for the table. What was all the fuss about? Awkward, embarrassing, unnecessary. Won’t ever go to an Ivy again, would never waste my time or money if the staff are that poorly trained and the service so offensive. And happy to be contacted directly by the restaurant if they read these reviews.

Family birthday celebration and very well looked after.

The ambience is inviting, but service was slow and staff were inattentive. My drink did not match the description in the menu and I was almost through with my entree by the time I was brought a condiment I requested. I waited to pay, and finally left only to be accosted by the host who had followed me outside the restaurant claiming I hadn't paid which was untrue. I offered to show the receipt. A disappointing dinner that could have been much better.

My daughter and I are intolerant to cheese and cream, having this for many years we rang the day before to check they could accommodate us, we were told yes , not a problem. On arrival when asked what food would we like and we repeatedly lactose problem, our Greek lady became most anxious as she took it we were allergic not intolerant and she didn't know the difference, hence the food being offered for the Sunday roast was dreadful.We eventually got her to understand but when the food came, what a disappointment, tiny dish with a small amount of vegetables, unnecessary, 2 Yorshire Pudding , Roast potatoes, not cooked well and tough strands of Beef that we were given Steak Knifes to eat with plus gravy. For £29.95 plus 12% surcharge this was dreadful and not having staff trained for special dietary needs. Truly disappointed and would not recommend the St Albans restaurant to anyone

Lovely service and great food, would definitely recommend

Had lunch here today, fabulous food, staff were absolutely brilliant, it was my husband's birthday we got a chocolate dessert with a candle.

Super attentive service amazing food . Love it

It was really good experience, I really enjoyed the time.The food and drinks were amazing.

Today's service was top-notch. Keep up the good work.

It was a lovely night out. Very expensive but the food was stunning. We visited for a birthday but you weren't allowed to decorate the table or to bring balloons, it's against their policy. On the website, the dress code is stated, but on the night we visited, it seemed you could turn up in jeans and trainers and still be permitted to eat?

Lovely evening .I can't fault it. Great place. Food was delious.

Highly recommended. Service from Sheila was outstanding, she is a credit to the team

Very tasty food. Went in a group with differing eating requirements / allergies and they catered well to all of us. Yummy cocktails. Good service. Can’t fault it

We visited on 06/05/24 for my husband’s birthday and were greeted by a very friendly maître d and served by the warm and attentive Sheila. There is also a very dapper young man who takes great pride in his job. As a team they have mastered the art of refined service without being stuffy, which is the perfect balance because you feel spoilt but not intimidated. Food wise, the pastry selection was absolutely stunning but my avocado was brown from oxidisation and the toast underneath it was soggy and cold. Also, the coffee isn’t really the best…I’d skip it unless you really need the caffeine. I felt like there were shortcuts being made in the kitchen on produce quality and food preparation, because the efforts on the other side of the door can compensate for the shortfalls. This creates a very confusing polarisation between the standard of the service and setting , and the food in front of you. Unfortunately on this visit, it also smelt very strongly of fresh fish, as if there had been a fishmongers delivery sitting around nearby. However, thanks to the efforts of the staff exclusively, I’ll be visiting again, but maybe for just cocktails this time…?

Absolutely loved our visit on Saturday for my boyfriends birthday lunch. Amazing food, and the service was impeccable. Special thank you to the lady at the front desk (sorry I didn't catch your name - red lipstick hair tied up ) for making our visit amazing. We got sat in an area that had enough space for our buggy. Can't wait to come back!

I come to St Albans often and Ivy’s is the best option. One specific reason is the lady called Sheila… she is absolutely amazing… welcoming… helpful…. Exactly what you’re looking from a server in the restaurant. Thank you Sheila… I wish there are more of you out there

Enjoyable meal with fantastic service, particularly from David & Sheila.

We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary here and it will be a memory we will never forget. The Food was excellent but what made it even better was the amazing service we were given. We were made to feel very special and can't fault any part of our evening. Thank you x

A great place to have a birthday celebration and to celebrate 30 years of service for a colleague