The King's Mead in East Hertfordshire

The King's Mead is great for all occasions. We have been in for just drinks before, but tonight we decided to eat. The food was delicious, and our server, Debbie was incredibly friendly

**“You need to control the children.”* Ah yes, the warm, welcoming words every parent dreams of hearing as they sit down for a nice family meal in what's *allegedly* a family-friendly pub. From the moment we arrived, it became glaringly obvious that this establishment believes children should be seen, not heard, and preferably left at home in a soundproof bubble. Let’s set the scene: food? Surprisingly decent. Chips crispy, burgers juicy, peas that didn’t look like they’d been dug up last week. Compliments to the chef—who I assume is kept chained in the basement, well away from the judgmental glares of the front-of-house staff. But heaven forbid a child walks to the toilet. One footstep out of their seat and suddenly the manager appears like a ninja librarian with a frown that could curdle milk. “You need to control the children,” she hissed, as though we’d unleashed a gang of wild raccoons to raid the dessert counter. Throwing food? Not a single chip launched. Not even a rogue crumb. Unless a pea rolled off a plate and they mistook it for a grenade, I can only assume the mere presence of youth offended their delicate sensibilities. The irony of the manager coming over to discuss our upset, only to be interrupted by her own child roaming free and requesting the phone from her mother, double standards much? We came for a fun, relaxed meal. We left feeling like we’d tried to host a toddler rave in a retirement library. If you're looking for a place to enjoy food while making your kids feel like mini-fugitives on the run, this is the pub for you!

Had a fabulous Sunday lunch in The Kings Mead today. A big table of us but everyone got their food and it was cooked freshly and piping hot. Will definitely be back. And Emma, our waitress was excellent, nothing was any trouble and extremely helpful, thank you

We frequent often, the food & staff are always great! The ambience is awesome and they’re dog friendly! What more could you want! Oh - and the sunsets are exceptional

A fairly typical pub in layout and choice. The friend we went with recommended the place but although the hound staff were very cheerful and willing, the food was inconsistent. My husband’s gammon was fine but my fish and chips were so dry; the fish was very thin and disappointing that it was hard to find under the batter! It’s such standard meal it shouldn’t be difficult to produce, surely?

Had the chicken and mushroom pie for lunch it, arrived well presented/hot and tasted great. Service was excellent. Lovely pub.

We had a 1:30 table booked for Sunday lunch today. One course in and at just 2:10 the waitress is hurrying us off as we needed to leave our table by 2:30 You offer a 3-course + coffee menu and expect this done and dusted in an hour. Sorry, we will go elsewhere next time! What a shame

Came here with family for a special birthday celebration. The food was good and Debbie and Becky were great- attentive, friendly, helpful and very patient! Helped to make it special. Thanks you two.

Comfortable as always and Debbie our server was attentive and great. The atmosphere was good, the speed of service good

The two of us cleared our plates. Absolutely perfect roast sirloin with all the trimmings. Arrived as asked pink... was just brilliant The service was friendly and professional. Both of us thought this was the best pub lunch for ages. Thank you

Second visit to this very nice restaurant. Service good and friendly. Food good and nice selection of desserts. Very popular as very busy. Would definitely return.

A wonderful family evening. Great food, great beer and fantastic service - especially Emily our waitress and Jon the friendly barman who not only served us beer with a smile but saved my coat and keys too! Such a great evening - thanks guys!

We had our family Christmas lunch here for the third year running. The staff are so helpful and welcoming (especially our waitress Ella) and the food well cooked and generous. A lovely place for a family lunch

Fantastic food drink very festive setting, location abance and sevice very attentive thanks Keira who served us for our meal

Food was great and so was the great service from Ella!Would Really Recommend the Fish and chips and the mini deserts also.

Every member of staff is welcoming. Good food and beer always.

My Son and I had a great meal at the Kingsmead. We was looked after by Ella, who was very helpful, knowledgeable and cared about our experience. I would highly recommend the kingsmead, Thank you and thanks to Ella too, who was brilliant 👏

We had booked a group Christmas lunch atThe Kings Mead. Our server Charlie O was extremely helpful and made sure that we had everything we needed. The food was absolutely wonderful and the atmosphere was lovely. The venue had gone to a lot of effort to make our table look special Thank you so much. We will be back!

We had a lovely visit at the kings mead. Charlie O our server was amazing. Friendly, attentive, Service with a smile. X

We had Charlie serving us, he was very attentive and conscious of the fact we had limited time to eat so made sure our food came out in good time even though it was extremely busy!

We had a Xmas group booking and the food was fantastic as was the service. Everything ran really smoothly from the initial booking up to the fun evening which was ran very efficiently. Thanks you for a great evening.

Absolutely fantastic pub would recommend

Went with my family for my mums birthday dinner on a Sunday and it was absolutely amazing! The service was great and the atmosphere was just lovely. Definitely going to go back to try their normal menu.

Lovely place. Nice drink, food and decor. Mostly Friendly staff. All good. Quite pricey, but it's a quality product overall

Friendly service and a pleasant atmosphere, great Sunday lunch.

Very small amounts of meat for the Sunday roast

Went here for a Sunday roast as eaten here before and had some really nice meals so it was disappointing that the roast was tasteless. We had to ask for condiments which we waited for so food got even colder it was not that hot to begin with. Just because you present the food in a fancy way on a plate does not mean its gonna be nice the Yorkshire pudding was hard and crisp nothing had much taste not e ough gravy I wouldn't go back for a roast but a very nice clean pub.

Lovely pub. Friendly staff. Nice atmosphere

Not happy with my food it was cold and poorly served 😫 disappointing

Great roast dinner , roast turkey with pigs in blankets was top notch ingredients. Very happy with my meal and service was very good . Very polite 👌🥰

I love this place! Food is always amazing can't fault it. All the staff are friendly and knowledgeable they have all earned their customer service stripes. Lovely cosy atmosphere worth every penny.

We decided we wanted to go out and have a Sunday Roast. Ended up here. Nice pub. I had the roast chicken. Was very tasty. The wife had roast lamb. The lamb was banging £18.50 each. What I don't agree with is that the prices for the beer aren't on the menu. Just tell you what they have. £5.65 for a pint of pilsner and a Pepsi max draft at £3.35 is pretty steep. But over all a delicious dining experience

We went a couple of weeks ago for Sunday lunch. My husband really enjoyed his steak and my fish was beautiful. Desserts were amazing. All of the staff were friendly and helpful; our lovely server was Tiffany and she couldn't have been nicer.

Excellent food as always, never had a disappointing dish here and we eat as a group here regularly. Amazing service, fast and very accommodating. Great range of beers and a lovely atmosphere. One of the best places to eat out in Hertford/Ware

Perfect Sunday roast today, great pleasant staff, brilliant manager Donna, service perfect lovely surroundings would recommend

Great local restaurant with very friendly staff, fantastic service and great atmosphere. Thoroughly enjoyed our meal, very well presented with care.

Amazing service from Tiffany and the food was wonderful!

Great meal and great service..generous portions and a warm atmosphere..thanks to our server Emily

Modern build restaurant styled as a country pub. Good food, good selection of bar drinks. Expensive menu, average service.

Kiera was lovely, all staff super friendly! Massive roasties , yummy food!

Overall good experience, nice staff, welcoming, nice decor. However we ordered the lamb for the roast dinner and for £18.50 you would except more meat. It was a bit disappointing because you feel a little taken advantaged off. Tasty but not worth the price.

Lovely birthday meal, thank you!

New menu, our Waitress Debbie made some great recommendations. Highly recommend the Beef Ribs, lamb pasta and gammon dishes. They do 4 sharer starts for £27. Mains are about £18-£23pp For recommendations, see Debbie!

Pretty average Sunday roast, Yorkshire pudding looked good, but tasted like it was old and reheated. Poor selection of lagers, no Stella, Fosters, Kronenberg, Petoni etc... Just the unknown stuff with a bigger markup for the pub....

We came for Sunday lunch with some friends as it's a half-way point for us. All the staff were friendly and welcoming and very accommodating when our friends arrived late! Food was lovely, we had all the roast dinners between us (chicken, lamb, pork and beef) plus a plant burger, and everyone was more than happy. Good portion sizes, cooked perfectly, lovely atmosphere and great service.

Lovely pub with dining. Good choice on the menu. Friendly staff. Bar area is dog friendly. Have eaten here a few times and had no cause for complaint. Would recommend best to book in busy times.

My partner had the prawn cocktail as a main. It was a bit disappointing as the prawns were very small and about ten of them. The dish mainly consisted of chopped lettuce and tomato. I had the burger which was very good but very few chips with it. We have been several times to the King's Mead. It is expensive and I left feeling that it's no longer value for money I'm sorry to say. The staff and service were very good but at a hundred and twenty quid for four people as I say disappointing.

Food very good so is the service. Drinks are a bit on the expensive side but a pleasant venue with plenty of parking which may change when the golf course opens next year

Disappointing. The King's Mead has really gone down hill since the last time I reviewed a year ago. £100+ meal for 2, though they don't have any of the menu that you actually want, like the steak frites or chicken burger, which is surprising for a Saturday night and which I feel is a ploy to get you to buy the £30 steak. Staff is nice but inattentive, had to ask for cutlery and flag someone down for more drinks. Used to love coming to the King's Mead and since we are moving out of walking distance, figured we'd give it one last chance, but honestly debated leaving after the first drink. Really disappointing as the King's Mead used to be a great dining experience, but perhaps they've changed management or staff? Wish I'd spent my money on somewhere else.

Came up for a weekend to Hertfordshire zoo. Drove past on the way. The place Grabbed our attention and decided to come back for food and it did not disappoint. Fantastic food. Lovely service. Good night out to have.

Lovely food, dog friendly, what more could you want?!

Really enjoyed lunch here today, one waiter was amazing, a young lad with some hair band. He was really good attentive and corrected our order after it came out wrong. I would go again, my fish and chips were really good but a bit stingy on the amount of chips given.

Great pub. Lovely food and friendly staff.

Very nice meal with my family .very busy .enjoyed very much

Loved the atmosphere. Vibey and busy, without being too busy.

A local pub with good food. Place for catch ups or gatherings. Parking space available. Good service staff.

Decent Sunday Lunch nice atmosphere

Terrific food, 5 star service. We came to this pub woth our dog, truly dog friendly, every table had a water bowl and the waiter came round every 20mins giving complimentary meat to the dogs. Food was well worth the price, really good quality, delicious. Everything was 5/5, will defo come again

Really nice space, done with modern materials but in a rural/country pub style. It's not trying too hard and doesn't come across as 'faux'. The food was tremendous and the service was friendly and efficient. Definitely worth a visit.

I don’t normally leave reviews but im sorry the food was so bad completely tasteless. The only reason i didn’t bring it to attention as we was celebrating my grandparents anniversary and didn't want to cause a scene. It wasn't just me a few other family members said the same all having different dishes. For me personally the steak was completely tasteless and for the money it is i don’t think I’ll be coming back. Which is a shame as the atmosphere and staff were very nice.

Excellent lunch. All our requests had been listened too. Very welcoming staff and regular checks on everything.

We had a problem with one of our foods where we had to send it back, the others were great and they enjoyed it. The deserts were lovely! But i just wanted to say a thank you to Emily one of the staff members for helping us and solving the problem, we was greeted nicely by her and she was very polite. 💞

This is the 3rd time we have been here and served by the same amazing young lady Emily she is so helpful and polite and makes you feel she really wants to serve you, which is very rare these days , well done , definitely management material 👍

I really like this pub mcmullen brewery with country best bitter great seating inside and outside and lovely friendly staff

Excellent professional service and meal Great atmosphere and great food Been here a number of times and never disappointed

£4.75 for 15 chips in a tiny bowl , please explain how they are triple cooked if you are buying in frozen coated chips? Maybe our fault as ordered on app but on the arrival of the food no cutlery or condiments were offered to us ,the onion bird nests again very small bowl for £5.00 and greasy .Only had a few picky bits but very poor

Wonderful Saturday lunchtime treat with excellent service ( Keira and Cherie) and marvellous food . Cheers

One of the best around, had a superb Sunday roast (veggie). Great for dogs too!

Lovely staff and service. Outside patio is ideal for hot days to have a beer in after being at the driving range. Will be returning

Debbie served us yesterday and was very attentive especially when discussing my sons allergy. The wine was very good and the food was also.

Fantastic family meal as usual and great service from Debbie and the team!

Our favourite place in Hertford, great venue, great food and great service!

Attentive, friendly service from Rhianna. Food was very good too.

Food was amazing and the food was fast but, there was a crying baby, but over all its a 5

We went at 5.00 and it was busy and there were families there with very young children. Some running about. So I would go later next time.

Debbie was a really lovely host! Food was delicious some nice vegan options and my mum really enjoyed the fish of the day!

Lovely Sunday Roast Dinner. Relaxed atmosphere with friendly helpful staff service was very slick. Plenty of parking.

Popped in for a drink, great service on the bar from the lovely Mel and Ella

It's a really nice atmosphere to be in, the food is good quality and the staff members are really kind, you will feel safe there. My server was Debbie who was really sweet to us all and made us laugh. I would recommend going :)

First time at the kings mead. Ella was very friendly and attentive. Will definitely be back.

Debbie is a really fantastic waitress and the fish and chips was delicious! Highly recommend

Always a good venue for a casual and relaxed lunch or dinner. Charlie was an excellent server.

Ella makes a great love wins and a great experience

Visited The Kings Mead on Wednesday 26th June. Was very pleasant sitting outside. Our server was Charlieo. Who was very pleasant & attentive. We didn’t eat that evening, just drinks. But previous times, the food had been very good.

Fantastic staff and food. 10/10 every time we come here. Best pub in the area. It’s a little on the pricey side but worth it for its quality. Dog friendly in side the bar area so perfect for any weather with your furry friend! Today, we were served by Charlie, who was a perfect host!

This pub is a must see/must go to in the Hertford/Ware area. Dog friendly. Spacious. Very friendly staff and clean establishment.

Stake was well done when I asked for medium.

Charlie O’Neill was our waiter & he was charming!

Charlie has been excellent could not have asked for more. Such a great experience.

Charlie served us, he was lovely!

Excellent lunch 1st Class service from Charlie O. Will recommend and return.

Great time meal good thank you Charlie.

Lovely meal as always. Great service from our waiter Charlie.

Always the nicest service at the Kingsmead, staff are so lovely and great conversation, lovely cocktails and especially appreciate Ella Fleming for being so nice

Great team - Ella Fleming was amazing!

Always a five star rating, service is very good and food lovely :)

Charlie was brilliant in service, friendliness and experience.

Shout out to Ella she always has a cheery disposition- always happy to help and very knowledgeable an asset to KingsMead

Well.. where shall I start, greeted at the bar as I walked in by 3 beautiful smiles which was lovely to my not so great day.. then after asking what drink I’d like to be asked how my day has been which wasn’t great but felt good to share the load and felt the girls really cared.. I felt a huge load lifted after our chat.. these girls are a huge credit to the establishment and really made me want to return if anyone is going here look out for Ella Becky and amy.

Lovely setting and friendly staff