The Oddfellows Arms in St Albans

Met up with family for a birthday lunch. Family members had toasted sandwiches but I had the prawn, crab and avocado salad. I ate it as I was hungry but the ingredients weren't good quality. There wasn't much salad only a small bit of iceberg lettuce and a few tomato slices that were unripe and were cut so thin you could see through them. In the middle of the bowl was a big dollop of small prawns with crab and avocado paste all mixed up together with a dressing. I imagined it would be a few king prawns with a couple of crab sticks and pieces of avocado but it was all a mush. Anyway I didn't complain but thought I wouldn't eat that again as it's quite expensive and not worth it. When I got to my mum's house I had to rush to use the toilet super quick as the lunch had run through my system. Very unpleasant, I won't go into detail! This running to the loo went on for a few days. I thought I should let the pub know as they need to know. I phoned them to let them know that they need to be careful when serving prawns and salads etc and was really surprised at the attitude of the lady on the phone. She didn't apologise once and denied that there could have been anything wrong with her food. I'm really disappointed. I live in London and visit Harpenden now and then to see family. Won't be going back there. It's obvious they don't care about their customers. Be careful that their sea food salads might give you diarrhoea.

At first glance, this is a lovely small historic pub with crazy cute vintage decor and a warm atmosphere. But beware. We were waiting g for a table at a restaurant nearby and thought we’d grab an appetizer there first. Although there was a menu board on the sidewalk outside and It wasn’t very busy we were told they weren’t serving food. No problem; we grabbed some drinks and “crisps” to snack on. Stayed for about 45 minutes then headed to our restaurant. We dropped about £25, not a lot but also left a generous tip. Later, after eating we walked about the town a bit and my daughters needed to use the loo. The bartender smiled and waved at them, one daughter went through, but the younger was stopped by the male owner and were rudely told, “We are not a public restroom!” She was embarrassed in front of several patrons and ran past me in tears. In chatting with locals this isn’t a one-up incident. Apparently they are rude, uncaring and disrespectful to minorities. If you’re going to spend your money at a cute pub, pick someplace else. There are more than enough in this country to choose from.

We gathered at the Oddfellows for a lunch and afternoon during the Cheltenham festival . Excellent lunches , both ours , and mentioned by all those eating around us , fab bar staff and Niki the owner is always a delight to deal with and very friendly . It’s a great property too with unique decor, spotlessly clean plus has the best garden in Harpenden, we would highly recommend a visit. Thanks to all for a lovely afternoon

Lovely pub, not tried the food.

Homely friendly comfortable atmosphere, visiting after a Christmas pantomime

Called in today for lunch and a drink. Instantly got a locals only feel. Guinness was poured in one go without letting it settle. Ordered scampi and chips for two and honestly couldn’t eat it. Scampi was Luke warm with a grey and grainy texture inside and the salad was dry and undressed lettuce and onion. On the plus side the chips were ok and the second girl serving seemed to have more pride in her job. Real shame as a lovely looking little pub but definitely can’t recommend and won’t be coming back

Our favourite pub in the area! Very welcoming atmosphere and their decorations are superb, proper winter wonderland for Christmas. Shame we don’t live closer otherwise would visit more often:(

Live it a great feel to the pub. Had a music after with 2tone great time.

It was fine other than the miserable and unbelievably rude manager. She was extremely unpleasant to two of of colleagues; as they weren’t drinking alcohol, she came over and told them to leave as they ‘need to pay the bills.’ Bear in mind the pub was almost empty on a Thursday evening so then leaving would’ve had no impact on revenue. I would advise to stay far away from here as there are many better locations in Harpenden.

Great place, ladies always so welcoming. We had crab & prawn wrap, it comes served with small plate side salad, we ordered a side of chips, was perfect & delicious. All washed down with a glass of Rose & Red. Thankyou for a lovely Sunday afternoon in the soothing garden to.

Probably one if not the best place in Harpenden. The food portions are very good if not generous compared with other places. The overall atmosphere is really great with huge efforts for every season or special even like Halloween, Christmas, St Valentine's day etc. Very plaisent stuff and really plaisent and talking friendly owners. I have been there for many years. But maybe less so since i had my kids. However every time i go really the place is not only up to par but really constant in atmosphere services and good food and drink selection. I would also note a lot of little extra loke selections of flavoured pork scratching... Exactly who does that? They offer that! Top.

Beautiful beer garden with a lot of seating. Just wish there was a more extensive selection of beers. Haven't tried their pizza yet though - supposed to be ex excellent

What a find. We have been coming to Harpenden for so long & have only just walked this way. Lovely pub serving Pride, beautiful garden & peaceful atmosphere 😀

Great garden pub ,lovely big garden done up nicely, real buzzing atmosphere when it fills up

Very nice gardens and good beer etc

We have been fairly regular customers here over the past few years but our visit for lunch on Monday 29th July was better than ever. Lots of new tables,chairs and sunshading.Amazing display of colourful flowers & bushes.Great food and very friendly staff all make for a super lunch spot,especially with good weather. Thank you. D & D

Nice pub, good beer & friendly staff

Had a lovely pint of Landlord Bitter after an enjoyable afternoon at the Classic Car show - "Classics on the Common". Very pleasant and friendly staff. I recommend this place for a relaxed and enjoyable time amongst wonderful people who frequent this lovely old pub. Paul H.

Nice decor, but landlady and staff have terrible attitudes. Got kicked out the pub within 5 minutes as I did not order an alcoholic drink (as I was driving), even though I was in a party of 6 who were all ordering drinks. Terrible experience, would not recommend.

Facade and decor are the only nice thing about this pub. Walked in with a group of six people, of whom 4 bought drinks. My friend was driving and I was fasting, so we did not. An old couple walked out to our table and demanded that we all buy drinks or leave the pub. Since no sane pub owner would actually act like this, I assumed them to be an old and bitter couple. It turns out that they were in fact the owners. Was kicked out to wait for my friends to down their drinks and leave. We will not be returning and I now understand why the pub was empty at 7pm on a Saturday night.

A group of us came and bought drinks. Our designated driver came to sit in the garden and they where rude and told him to leave.

Great pub, amazing garden space.

Beautiful garden with plenty of comfortable seating areas. Blankets and heaters placed in all areas if it gets chilly. Staff lovely, helpful and welcoming. Love it there

Large beer garden in quiet part of Harpenden, just metres from the high street. Great for summer chilling. Quirky interior, well worth a look. Friendly service.

Lovely stepped beer garden that gets lots of sun, food is good. Landlady is rude but adds to the fun of going.

Sadly, despite the lovely decor in this pub, this is not reflected in the way the owner treats the staff. There is no professional process in place - subsequently creating is an aura of confusion and fear among the employees. I have even overheard the owner treat the young staff cruelly - and use guilt tactics to make them feel responsible for things that are her responsibility. Subsequently, the owner's behaviour projects a horrible atmosphere for customers. So, in good conscience I cannot recommend this pub to any visitors to Harpenden. Nor will I will ever recommend it locally unless the owner improves, sets a clear process and trusts her staff.... or leaves.

Nice place staff friendly will be back

Pub looks nice from outside. That's as far as the pleasant experience went! The landlady is unfriendly & simply does not know what a welcoming experience is. Felt sorry for girls working behind the bar, they were really nice & friendly.

Didn't eat, couldn't review. Friendly staff in a warm and welcoming boozer, nice cold beer. Never a disappointment.

It's a really nice looking pub. Been Before, this time food wasn't that good. Pie pastry was out of a microwave, soft, not the best meat either.

Such a great pub with really lovely staff. We came in on a Sunday with our baby and toddler and were really welcomed. The baby change facilities are excellent too. Great wine selection. Lovely blonde bar lady who may be the owner. We also couldn’t believe how much effort has gone into the valentines decorations - somebody has pinned thousands of hearts to the ceiling, it was amazing like an art installation! We will book to come back properly.

Such a great pub with really lovely staff. We came in on a Sunday with our baby and toddler and were really welcomed. The baby change facilities are excellent too. Great wine selection. Lovely blonde bar lady who may be the owner. We also couldn’t believe how much effort has gone into the valentines decorations - somebody has pinned thousands of hearts to the ceiling, it was amazing like an art installation! We will book to come back properly.

Great in the summer. Great pub garden

Bar staff were not very friendly or engaging.The pub was beautifully decorated but not welcoming .

Lovely cosy little pub with great ladies who are very welcoming, Food great value. Salmon portion, a little small, but did not detract from great food overall. We’ll definitely be back.

Just a wonderful place to be we had a Christmas 3 course meal was excellent

Came here for lunch whilst doing a long walk with a friend. The pub is beautifully decorated inside. It was really clean and very well maintained. There was the Sunday menu on when we went. This was good but not if you're a vegetarian as there wasn't any meat/fish free options. We had scampi and chips which was delicious! Good portion sizes and very quickservice. .

Always a good service, friendly staff and the lady is always polite every time we visit.

The landlord was grumpy and unfriendly

What a gem of a place! Stunning sunny garden. Lovely staff 👌 Great food and lovely specials , Wagu burger was excellent 👌

What a great pub! Fabulous outside space with covered areas and bookable VIP areas for special occasions. Staff were all great and although smallish inside they kept the waiting for food and drink down to a minimum. Thank you 👍🏻

Great atmosphere and lovely garden

Lovely village pub with a large beer garden.

Lovely-looking pub with a nice beer garden. Shame about the rude bar lady who soured our experience. I would rate the food had I received an answer if the kitchen was open.

A pleasant pub with good outdoor seating, some of which is covered.

Huge garden to sit out in a a warm evening. Decent beet and wine, plus pizza.

Nice pub with great garden, I did not eat in there as the pizza were somewhat oddly named.

Fabulous garden area and quite quaint inside. Decent selection of beer and spirits. Unfortunately, one member of staff didn't really seem to appreciate what her job entailed (no customer service skills and seeming to daydream most of the time) and service generally was rather slow, hence the 4 stars overall. Didn't have any food so can't comment on that but, overall, we had a lovely afternoon here.

Great local pub with beer garden and outstanding pizza

Fabulous afternoon at this delightful pub and garden, great service , choice of drinks and interaction with the staff. Lunch food wise was generous portions, good quality and well priced . Thank you Niki for a great time .

The gardens of the odd fellows makes you feel like your on an exotic holiday, very relaxed and beautifully decorated. The food was excellent as always.

I've had dinner and lunch here many times this year inside and out in the remarkable garden. Food and beer are fresh, reasonably priced and service is friendly and efficient. I almost don't want to tell you as it's rarely been too crowded when I've been. Love it.

Great after noon in the sun shine in the garden food lovely music was great will be back thank you to all the team

What a fab pub, had a brilliant time, great George Michael tribute act, lovely garden, fun atmosphere, staff are amazing. 5*

We booked a garden table in advance for a glorious Saturday afternoon. We had a table under a cabana to provide us some shade from the hot sun. We also had some pizzas that only took about 20mins to arrive from ordering. They were simply delicious and went down well with our friends. The garden atmosphere was great it felt like a summer retreat.

Love the garden area so nice to sit in on a sunny day or evening. The pub inside although small does not seem cramped and has a lovely atmosphere.

Great pub with tasty meals comfortable rooms friendly staff and very dog friendly if their humans behave 😂

We’ve been here a few times for drinks and home made cakes, but decided to try the sunday lunch last weekend and were very impressed. We were a large group of 15 so had to pre-order food. Plenty of options for vegetarians and meat eaters - particularly recommended the pork belly, roast chicken, waygu burgers, vege burgers, veg lasagne and vege roast. The vegetables served on the side were plentiful, varied and well cooked. Service was prompt and attentive despite the large group of us. Also worth mentioning the decor which is worth a visit in itself. The garden looks great with plenty of seating areas - although too cold and wet to use it on this occasion. All in all a great experience and very pleased we brought our guests here - we will be back!

Stumbled upon the pub, not literally! Blown away by the decor, it's a pub but wow the love that the team give that pub, I applaud! The service was great, the food was surprisely large portions and good value and the garden left me breathless. I heard the ladies toilets were worth a visit but I did not want to be arrested. Definately going back. Well done to all concerned.

A quick stay before going to dine elsewhere. All OK service and ambiance but cramped and steps to seating areas for people with access problems.

Had a wonderful Sunday lunch today in lovely old pub . Really nice staff who made us very welcome. Look forward to returning. Highly recommend it

Yes I went to this pub after a fantastic evening at the theatre 5 mins away . Walk in with friends and seemed a lovely pub however at the end of the evening I politely asked the manager if he could please phone me a taxi and he said do you want a proper taxi or someone he knew . I said the cheapest please . To my disgust when we got the taxi back home which was only Dunstable with one stop on route and all this before midnight I couldn’t believe the taxi man charged me £70.00 and going to harpendon earlier that evening only cost £30.00 so someone is making a killing with all the passing trade that there is and I’m not happy. I hate being ripped off😡 The cab firm was euro cabs in harpendon

Went here for drinks after going to the local theatre really nice inside. But beware if you need a Taxi do not ask landlord as he called a "mate " who was in a Licensed cab but we were charged £70 for a 10 mile trip.

A cool venue that is unfortunately ruined by the abysmal service. Utterly rude for no reason at all, felt completely unwelcome and sensed a high level of impatience from the server. Don’t come here if you’re looking for a friendly inclusive venue.

Lovely pub with friendly atmosphere. Always a decent pint or two to be had

Love this place. So friendly and full of atmosphere. Landlady is lovely and so helpful.

Lovely pub, friendly staff, great food at reasonable prices, lovely ambience. Well worth a visit.

Excellent pub! Really cosy, fantastic friendly service and delicious food. Highly recommended.

Beautiful bacon bap and coffee. So much effort put into the Christmas decorations also and very friendly staff

Fantastic pub, great staff, amazing garden and tasty food.

Nice atmosphere good choice of drinks friendly staff

We had my son's christening here. The food was really good, and the staff were friendly and helpful. It was everything we'd hope it would be. Thanks to all the staff. The kids really loved the jelly and ice-cream, and all the guests complimented the food and service. Thanks again.

Previous visit. I like this place. All good and would usually recommend. Think there is room still for slight improvement on food , menu, service. Competition in town again high. But could be one of the best all round pubs locally. Follow up visit. I know we all need to make money back at this difficult time. But 5.80 for Guinness was a tad hefty. It was pretty empty mid week evening. Shame. Also noticing more parking directly outside. So now double parking both sides close yo the major car park next door. Needs double yellows outside for safety.

Lovely food and drinks just shame that bar staff seem so upset/annoyed to serve drinks as slammed pints on the bar after pouring it.

Lovely pub garden, stopped here for a drink after a restaurant meal

Been there today..awful customer service...not sure lizzy or issy..she was rude to at least 4 customers and poor young lad working...she's a bully...my husband said 🚻 coverd in sick 😫

Beautiful place for everyone, and every time a day , coffee,lunch or dinner or drinks.I love it

Staff could not be more careless. They were not helpful at all (they did not care to move a finger) when we forgot a football in there even though we called them straight away to ask for help. I also asked for a alcohol free Heineken beer as I am pregnant but I’m pretty sure I was served a real one. Really disappointed with them.

Popped in for a quick drink waiting to meet a friend on a warm summer evening. Small bar inside but there may be more I didn't see. Large beer garden to rear which seemed pretty full. A traditional English pub with a fairly extensive menu but nothing too fancy and all the better for that!

Lovely venue. Nice and quiet. Thank you

Solid old school traditional public house uplifted to superb by the great landlady , landlord and their team. Available for private hire. Will provide catering if required. Supports local community with special lunch deals for retired folk. Splendid afternoon teas. Use it or lose it. Recommended

Had a great time having champagne cream tea listening to live music. Great atmosphere. Thanks to Nikki and her team.

Great outdoor seating area. Very quirky with a lot of differently themed areas

I visited on a Thursday lunch time with friends and was greeted by two of the most miserable unfriendly waitresses. One actually rolled her eyes at me whilst I was having problems with a new card. Then when asked not to have an egg on something it was like I’d asked them to cook me something completely different☹️ I have been to this pub before and not had problems. I suggest if you’re not a people person you would find a different career 🤷🏻‍♀️

We called in for a cup of tea in the pretty garden at the Odds. The woman serving went to put our tea in paper cups, so we asked if we could please have our tea in china cups. It was obvious she did not want to do this and begrudgingly began to make the tea. She then said she would use teapots. As my friend went to pay she charged us £12 for 2 cups of tea, because she had used teapots. She was clearly unhappy at using china and tricked us into the most expensive cup of tea I’ve had! Watch out!

Just returned from a lovely afternoon in the stunning pub garden. We had lunch from the specials board and drinks. We found the lovely landlady and her staff to be very welcoming, helpful and friendly. Will definitely be back very soon.

What a hidden gem. Decor on the inside is very good and the outside seating area quite stunning.

Good beer. friendly atmosphere. friendly staff. just what you want from a local pub although I am not a local anymore.

Quirky pub, met with friends mid morning for cuppa and cake, very nice! Landlady has pinned hundreds of hearts to the ceiling along with a few Easter chicks

Quaint. Food excellent and HOME made. Yes I would visit again 100%

Quirky pub with lovely outdoor garden. Lovely food..

This place has a lovely atmosphere, is very friendly and full of character. We didn't eat but could see that the food was of good quality and very substantial. Staff and customers made us feel comfortable and I loved all the Easter decorations. Will return.

This is a really cute pub with a lovely garden, parking can be a bit tricky but there is a car park a bit further up the hill that you can use

Nice outdoor seating area, however drinks are overpriced. I know it’s Harpenden but 2 Koppaberg’s for £12.20 is ridiculous

We stopped here for lunch and decided on the fish and chips. It was superb! We shared an apple pie with ice-cream and that certainly topped off the meal. Great staff as well.

Lovely pub! Lovely staff! Lovely food! My friends and I had Sunday lunch and a few beers and we thoroughly enjoyed everything. Thank you everyone!

Lovely food and great customer service

I visited just before Christmas with my family. The pub was beautifully decorated for Christmas Staff were friendly and we were served quickly. We decided to order some food and ordered a couple of pizzas which were delicious. We will definitely return soon.

Lovely local pub and the effort made with Christmas decorations is just fantastic. Over 1000 baubles hanging from ceiling- great effect and atmosphere builder

I went there with my brother today and we sat outside for lunch . We were made so welcome. It felt like I was in Liverpool and Whitechapel in old times. Food a treat. The best meal in ten years. My brother and I were made to feel like royalty. Prince Charles if you are reading this, you know where to come 👑. GBY Andy