The Ivy St Albans Brasserie in St Albans

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Great service staff so helpful

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

First time at the Ivy and it won't be the last.Had a wonderful afternoon with friends food was superb, service was excellent looking forward to the next time.

Amazing lunch today with mum to celebrate, Sheila made us feel so good, special and welcomed. Great manners, professionalism and friendliness- thank you for all that and special thanks for a surprise desert ! Will be back soon

Came here after seeing a sign in town for Sunday roast, have been several times before but never for a roast. Service was really good (although my drink order was wrong) would usually give this a 5/5, however the Sunday roast was lacking. Beef was dry, Yorkshire pudding was cold (another table complained of the same) was not asking if I’d like condiments, not much gravy and the sweet potato had a strong vinegar taste. There was a really loud group, shouting and excited. It was a warm day and no air con, door was open, there was a couple of really annoying flies that kept landing on me. I would come back as usually it’s great but not for Sunday roast, plenty of great places in town that do it better.

We were greeted so very warmly by the hostess. The waiting staff were attentive and friendly without being too overbearing . They were also very observant to the needs of diners before a hand had even been waved . E.g " Are you cold ,would you like me to pull the window too?" When a diner was seen putting her cardigan on. Comfy chairs and relaxing surroundings,timely, efficient yet friendly service from all staff that attended to us . Our food was superb, delicious,soooo good ! Only one of us had desert ( my daughter,13) who enjoyed her chocolate bomb ,which magically melted when the sauce was poured over the top. The only downside if I had to pick something would be the cost of the deserts . Just a little too expensive for me unfortunately,but I treated my daughter and she loved hers !

Just had a wonderful celebrating our 28th wedding anniversary at The Ivy in St Albans Lovely food and a great relaxed atmosphere Our waitress Anna looked after us very well and even surprised us with an anniversary dessert Many thanks

I love the consistency of the food in the Ivy, and we weren’t let down last night. Service was inconsistent with some real professionals mixed with less experienced staff. Service was a bit quick more time between courses would’ve been appreciated.

Seated at front door with no alternative given. We pre booked! slow service, drink and food order taken at same time, burger bun cold and dry, burger overcooked and dry. Honest review. Wouldn't return.

Excellent experience all round. Staff were very attentive and polite, and the food was lovely. The sirloin steak was cooked perfectly, and the chocolate bombe was exquisite. Great atmosphere all evening. Cocktails we're great, we will certainly be returning and can only recommend.

Upmarket brasserie. Food, atmosphere and service are all exactly what you'd expect from The Ivy. Worth the slight price premium on other eateries. They just do everything right. Recommended.

This is my third visit in two weeks and I always enjoy an excellent experience. The food, service and quality is outstanding. Alviya gave us an extremely warm welcome and gave us wonderful recommendations. She was friendly, informative and seemed genuinely passionate about her role at The Ivy- this is so refreshing!

Fantastic Sunday lunch, everything was just great. A very good wine list too. Perfect waiter called Rahul, a credit to the I've indeed

We had a fantastic evening at the Ivy. Back for a second visit within a month. We had the delightful Alviya serving us who gave excellent recommendations. Her positive and vibrant energy made our day. We will be back. Thank you to all the Ivy St.Albans team. Your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed. See you soon!

I have already visited The Ivy in Manchester and York so was looking forward to seeing how they compared. The decor is lovely and not quite as OTT as the others. As expected the service from the minute we arrived was excellent. I chose to have poached eggs on sourdough toast and they were perfectly cooked. My friend had granola and danish pastries. Was a nice change to have breakfast out and it was a very enjoyable visit. Thanks to the staff who we reminisced about Dallas with. Made our visit more enjoyable.

Alvyia was brilliant, manager in the making for sure!

We had Brunch. Wonderful food. Very well looked after from the moment we arrived until we departed. Thank you so much. We will back very soon

We recently celebrated my brother in law engagement at Ivy, and it was an unforgettable experience. From the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel incredibly special. We were welcomed with complimentary glass of champagne, setting the perfect tone for our lunch. The team went above and beyond to ensure that every aspect of our dining experience was flawless. The service was impeccable—warm, attentive, and genuinely caring. The food was outstanding, with each dish beautifully presented and bursting with flavor. The menu offered a delightful range of options, catering to various tastes, and every bite reflected the quality and creativity of the kitchen. What truly set Ivy Restaurant apart was the personalized touch. The staff made a point to congratulate us on the engagement, and their thoughtfulness added a layer of joy to our celebration. It's clear that they take great pride in making special moments even more memorable. I can't recommend Ivy Restaurant enough for any special occasion. We left with full hearts and a desire to return again soon.

What a fabulous evening we had last Saturday at The Ivy St Albans. Having only ever visited The Ivy in Covent Garden, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Fear not , this branch is every bit as good as the London branch. Fantastic food, gorgeous wine and amazing service from Rahul. He was charming, very efficient but still had time to make sure we all had everything we needed. We will definitely be back.

Delightful cream tea in a cozy and upscale atmosphere. Service was exceptional and prices were very reasonable. Definitely recommend.

I cannot fault 'The Ivy' the food is divine, the service second to none and delightful atmosphere.

Had a lovely breakfast at the Ivy today. The thing that really stood out was the wonderful service from Sheila who couldn't do enough to look after me and made sure everything was perfect.

We were with my family last week at the Ivy Brasserie St Albans. What I would like to mention first of all is the lovely ladies at the host, they greeted us very nicely, took us to a nice table in the centre of the restaurant, the atmosphere was amazing, very friendly and comfortable staff. We were served by waitress Anna, service at the highest level. What I would like to mention from the food was the Shepherd's Pie, but the top thing was the chocolate bomb. Overall 10/10 would definitely come back here again.

Having never been to The Ivy before my husband and I were lucky to get a table for lunch on tuesday as they were very busy. Our server Sheila was delightful and although she was extremely busy she made our lunch a pleasure by her efficient and personable manner. We both had the 2 course set lunch menu at £19.17 we selected bang bang chicken salad starter followed by haddock and salmon fishcake which was topped by a perfect poached egg for mains, both courses were delightful so we opted for the extra dessert course at an additional £5 and we were glad we did, chocolate mousse and also the berries and hazelnut sundae, delicious. We will definitely return next time we are in St Albans

Very great service, quick, easy and will be coming back in the future. Andrea was very friendly as she helped get us situated right away. Our server Alviya was splendid. Very nice, attentive and always made sure we were good. Sunday roast was delicious.

We had breakfast at the Ivy St Albans. I can say that the atmosphere was perfect and the food outstanding. I also want to say how amazing Sheila was who served us. She was kind, attentive and engaging. A thoroughly pleasant experience all around and I would recommend to anyone in the area.

We loved the food and the service was excellent. Thank you for making my boyfriend's birthday so special.

Had a wonderful dinner at the Ivy. We were served by a wonderful and attentive Alviya who made our night extra special. The food was delicious, and the ambience exceptional. Would definitely visit again.

Ivy is a staple, we have always had good service. The seasonal menu has been delicious and loved the salmon burger. It honestly needs to be a regular dish. Eggs benedict for breakfast is also another favourite.

The IVY St Albans offered us an excellent service with a welcoming atmosphere, attentive staff, and delicious food. A wonderful dining experience that I highly recommend for any occasion.

Great dinner. Enjoyed all the food and friendly service.

Great experience. Tasty food, great decor, the best service we had in a very long time

We had a super experience. We booked for a Sunday lunch and ordered three courses and bottles of a local IPA. The service was superb. We had not told the staff that we were celebrating a birthday but our waiter overheard us talking and after the meal he presented us with a large and delicious birthday chocolate profiterole! All our courses lived up to expectations. If you have the appetite and a sweet tooth, the chocolate bombe is superb!

Food and atmosphere was lovely Alviya was fantastic ❤️

Wonderful evening at The Ivy, beautiful atmosphere and food was delicious. A special thank you to our server Alviya who was super friendly and attentive, really made our night!

Went for lunch with friends. Lovely restaurant, great food and service.

A harm welcome with an amazing food and service. Highly recommend

Nice restaurant shame that they got the bill so badly wrong

The Ivy St Albans is my favourite place to have a special evening. My sister was in town and I wanted to take her a place where the food was always good and the welcome from all the staff Is outstanding Everytime I visit this very special place I am always impressed by the staff, despite it being a busy Tuesday night, we were looked after by the kindest and friendliest people Alviya and Rahul were always smiling and friendly, and remembered us from our last visit; you made my sister feel very special. Last but by no means least is the amazing David, Portugal best ever export, this guy was super busy all night but was always checking we were ok and made sure out drinks and food arrived when we wanted You are a great credit to The Ivy David, your energy and humour and joyful personality made our evening Thank you all The Ivy, St Albans 10/10 everytime!! :)))

Ethan at the Ivy has the worst customer service in the world! At least the worst I've experienced in many years!!!

Lovely birthday treat for my sons 21st today

Fantastic food and exceptional service provided by David, made my Mum’s 70th very memorable. Thank you for a wonderful evening!

We had a very relaxed breakfast meeting here. Very accommodating and friendly.

We had some expectation on food quality because we tried another branch before. This time, the classic crispy duck salad was not crispy but was hard instead 😅 the raddish was bitter…Luckily the crab and scallop linguine and chicken Milanese was of normal quality. Service was good, cozy environment, good for family.

The best service I think I’ve ever had at a restaurant. All the staff couldn’t have been more attentive especially with my 3 year. Food was delicious. 10/10 will definitely return

The food was nice, but it was so loud that I couldn't hear the people I was with. It's expensive so, not what I expected.

We booked early through the app for a table of four. Unfortunately, due to traffic on the M25 we had to cancel and then re-book within a short window. We highlighted this on arrival and the waiting staff were very accommodating to the situation. We selected the £19.17 menu when booking on the app; the food doesn’t disappoint! We had the fried zucchini and fried fish balls for the table as we waited. They were a big hit! Super service and very attentive waiting staff! The food is delicious and the drinks of the highest standards. Thank you - we’ll be back!

We booked breakfast for our wedding anniversary and it was fantastic. Sheila was our waitress and she was amazing, she was very knowledgeable, helpful and kind. The food was great value for money and they even surprised us with a little sweet treat for our anniversary. I would highly recommend going, if you get Shelia as your server, your going to have a great experience.

3 diners, and all the food was great - in that it was consistent- tasty, the right temperature and s service was excellent.

We had a lovely evening celebrating an engagement. The food was excellent, not a single complaint. Our waiter Guillermo was very professional and attentive paying particular attention to a food allergy in our group. Highly recommended.

First time trying the Ivy.and we both enjoyed it.my boyfriend loves my shepards pie.but today iam second he loved it.the flavour .potato he said was so smooth.had the escolope with fried egg .beans and admonds. And the croqutote for if flavour .everything was good.service good .was a friday late afternoon we both went . Toilets were very clean. We had wine and water.

Excellent food and great service

Best Restaurants in St Alban's!

We’ve been to the ivy St Albans on numerous times and it has always been fabulous sadly it seems to have gone downhill . We went for an anniversary dinner and myself and my daughter went with the burger option, the burgers were awful, I’m assuming frozen, tasteless and overdone. Even the burger buns were hard, myself and my daughter left most of the burger and the whole bun as it was that bad. the waitress didn’t even ask why we hadn’t eaten it!! Also the bar staff bought us the wrong tea, no milk and forgot our drinks order which again happens but to be charged £15 for service when the whole meal was shabby and orders not correct is laughable. We did receive a free anniversary dessert which was a nice touch but sadly will not be returning.

We’ve been here a few times now and every visit has been excellent. The food and especially the service are top notch. We forgot our metal straws and they called us straightaway after we left and had them clean and ready for us. They were great with my kids too - little things like that go a long way. Highly recommend!