The Old Bell in St Albans

Mothers Day visit with family. The staff were organised and aware of their expected guests as soon as we approached the restaurant which was a reassuring start. The level of service was high and maintained throughout our visit. Our food was hot, on time and came out together. We ordered a variety of dishes and my trio of roast meats was exceptional, as was the enormous accompanying homemade Yorkshire pudding - which was delicious. Value-wise the meal was very good although no vouchers were being taken today; I was unaware of this at the time of booking and while I can reuse the vouchers on another visit, it would be good if all staff were aware in future. Hats off to The Old Bell for a super experience, you gave me a wonderful day-off from family cooking! :)

Both my partner and I went here for a nice pub lunch, we were greeted with such hospitality, both the man at the bar and the lady who sat us down were extremely friendly. The food was very lovely, I had the Lasagna which was divine, my partner had the veggie burger which she had, the pattie was cooked just perfect and the vegetables were fresh. The chips were absolutely lovely too! I would say out of the pubs in Harpenden, the food and atmosphere is at the too! Prices are about average for the area, would definitely go again!

A lovley pub in Harpenden , popped in for lunch the pub and staff were really lovely and very friendly,orderd lunch one of us had curry that was very nice , other had a lasagne unfortunately that wasn't very good at all , it didn't taste very good seemed like it was just heated up the bottom was totally burnt so couldn't eat it , we would go back again for a drink but give the food a miss which is a shame

Brilliant service from Mike the manager and Sharron. We were visiting the area and popped in for some dinner. The food was excellent and well priced. The kids portions were sizable and great value for money. The kids chocolate brownie dessert was brilliant, we all had a piece of that, was just about adult size portions (for £1.75!). Decor was lovely, with a nice clean atmosphere about the place. My son was given crayons and cars to play with, the staff were so welcoming. Would definitely visit again when next in the area. We would recommend The Old Bell whole heartedly to anyone looking to eat in the Harpenden area. Well done guys!

Called in recently to escape a heavy shower. It was so nice we ended up staying for a second bottle of wine. A very friendly place, most enjoyable experience.

Went for lunch today and what a great afternoon out. The service by mike and his effiecient female colleague was exceptional. We loved the food but for a wet tuesday afternoon the busy pub was testament to their great venue. We will definitely be returning

Great place !! Staff are really nice and attentive and the place has a really friendly atmosphere. Their head chef if also really great too would definitely recommend checking it out !!

Great visit today all staff attentive served very quick and big smiles from all . Met up with friends and they also enjoyed there visit

Lovely experience this afternoon at The Bell, so I highly recommend you visit! The warmest of welcomes and friendliest atmosphere.This authentic pub restaurant caters for everyone. Perfect for business meet ups, family and friends alike. Huge congratulations to Mike and the team for making every visit a special one.I have also had the pleasure of eating here and you won’t be disappointed by the standards or quality. I’ll be back!

Such a great experience - Disabled parking and strange diets (vegan/gluten free) were catered for easily. The vegan Mushroom and Ale Pie was delicious. The environment was comfortable and staff were welcoming and friendly. We will definitely be back.

Great food and fantastic staff would definitely recommend a visit

Had two great meals here & staff & service very good, lovely pint of Guinness.

I was disgusted with attitude of manager. Team members was having to.turn customers away for walk ins as so.prebooked yet the manager swanned in and dictacted wanted a table. He was then going behind bar whislt not on shift and bought his dog threw reatuarnt area of which isnt allowed. Im sorry but staff are told not to behind bar when not on shift he is a bad example of management and feels 1 rule for 1, 1 for him teem time manager. Bring back mark

Great value food and very friendly service.

Gillian was such an amazing waitress to us we came for a visit over the Christmas 🎄 period as a family .. wide range of food to choose from, food was amazing and the service we received was outstanding. Gillian was very welcoming and polite .. thankyou for a lively evening

Food was ok Staff are lovely UNFORTUNATELY itcwas very cold in there, we sat by a very draughty window looking at a stocked fire and fire place. When we asked if the fire could be lighted we were told the fire can't go on until 4pm ( we thought it was a joke at first) especially as there is a sign next to the fire , clearly stating to ask a member of staff to put an extra log on the fire! What they don't state is the log won't be set on fire !!! Very disappointed, when it's winter and there's a fire ?? To be told they don't light it , but they do when everyone has left after lunch. 🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶

Nice little place with very friendly service. The food came out quickly which is good for when you’ve got kids, but bad when the burger was burnt on the outside and totally raw in the middle. Wouldn’t return for the food but nice place for a drink.

An excellent dinner on way to airport hotel. The duck was delicious and service impeccable😄.Thank you Harrison for being the perfect host.Will definitely go again when in area. Highly recommend to all. .

Really friendly, huge pie and very tasty.

My friend and I had lunch here, the only problem we had was a wobbly table which was sorted out immediately. Apart from that the staff were very friendly and helpful and the food was great. Definitely be going back.

Really delicious meal with great service and friendly atmosphere. Reasonably priced too. Always enjoy coming here as made very welcome and staff extremely professional.

What's not to like....Great service, good food and pleasant atmosphere. All the staff were welcoming even on entry....definately go back again

Really enjoyed my food here. Portions are very large. Staff were very helpful with food accommodations for my child

Christmas Eve drinks. Just right.

Ive visited the pub on many occasions but this is my first time eating there and very enjoyable it was. We booked for Boxing day and had an early sitting so the place was almost empty. The staff were brilliant and the food was very good. There was a choice of two menus and we had a mixture from both, the Turkey roast was soo good and plenty of it, the fish and chips was also a very good choice for one of our party. We will definitely be back

Good quality and tasty dishes, and staffs are friendly and Kind , toilet is clean;) Big parking.

We visit The Old Bell regularly for Sunday roast, their portions are generous and the prices are reasonable, but best of all the food and service are unquestionably and reliably wonderful. Today we had the pleasure of having our Christmas dinner there, and true to form the food and hospitality was faultless. Everyone that works there and all of the other guests made sure that there was a real Christmas cheer, and the feeling of coming home Christmas Day to no washing up is priceless. Will be going back again, and again. Until next Christmas!

I've been to the olde bell several times and on this occasion the main meal was very poor, my friend and I both ordered the steak and Ale pie. I had mine with mash potato which tasted like it was made from a packet mix and quite inedible the Brussels where cooked to an inch of their life and the parsnips seemed like they hadn't been cooked at all. We were both very disappointed as the food there in the past has been fabulous. The staff are fantastic such a shame the food let the place down..

It was our first visit last night despite only being 10 minutes down the road. We don't have a bad word to say. It was busy, but there was a nice calm vibe. The staff were all friendly and no ask was too big. For...

Came out for a birthday meal. Highly recommend on service alone but can also add that the food was fantastic!! The steak and ale pie was huge and incredibly tasty. Not clear on the menu but the pies do have bottoms! We will definitely come...

I was treated to the meal which was excellent.

Had a work reunion and sadly it was a disaster. Waited 40 minutes for the starter courses and when they came, sadly, the food was dry. The main courses were a slight improvement but one colleague couldn't eat the warm rubber steak he was served. We informed a member of staff but there was little interest. We acknowledge that Christmas-time is busy but we were given no explanations or apologies. The atmosphere was jolly due to the high numbers there, but it will sadly be our last visit.

We attended the Breakfast with Santa with the kids and they had the best time! (Sorry about the noise!) The hosts were welcoming and warm, really cosy atmosphere and the food was lovely and very reasonably priced! Will def be returning!

Excellent food and service from Gillian. The kids menu was particularly good and so nice to have real food for them not just chicken nuggets and chips!

Fantastic brunch with Santa, the food was delicious, the staff were exceptional and the children loved meeting Santa.

Loved it great food and staff are so friendly.

We had a lovely meal for our Granddaughter’s 6th birthday. Gillian was our waitress for the afternoon and she made everything perfect for us.

What can I say the reviews speak themselves, went for a Sunday roast with the family and could not fault the service the staff or the size of the portions. This is what a real Pub is meant to be traditionally run by loving and...

WOW, we’d never been here before but we’ll absolutely be returning. Stunning food, we all had some variation of a roast as it was Sunday, the rib of beef fell off of the bone and melted in your mouth, the turkey slices were perfect, the...

What an incredible pub! Excellent quality food and full of flavour. Amazing staff and what a lovely Landlord. We will recommend and we will be back!

What can we say other than thank you for another amazing family meal! A welcoming pub, amazing food and run by the kindest, most professional yet friendly staff. We will continue to keep coming back and bringing all our friends and family to enjoy faultless...

Sunday lunch with my wheelchair-imprisoned wife. Very busy and rather noisy, including a yapping dog. Lots of family groups. Service could not be faulted - swift, very friendly and obviously well-organised. Rib of beef was tender and tasty, and the only complaint about the meal...

What an incredible pub! Excellent quality food and full of flavour. Amazing staff and what a lovely Landlord. We will recommend and we will be back!

Terrible meal. Huge wait for main. Large christmas party for christmas dinner last week pre booked- had to send half the food back, yorkshire rock hard. Potatoes awful. Soggy parsnips. Told waitress we werent happy with food and said shed see what she could do- never came back. Will not be returning! Waste of £27!

After having a delicious roast here in the Summer, I went back for lunch with my partner on Saturday. The food was great, as well as the service. Shout out to Jacqui, who was so lovely and served us all day. Will definitely be going...

Lovely pub with delicious food and friendly staff.

Gillian was absolutely lovely. Very child and dog friendly. Good food and lovely service

Great pub, friendly service, incredible steak and ale pie!

Food was extremely delicious I tad more expensive then I would normally pay but worth every penny, the welcome and intro to the table vaired l, some got full descriptions and others didn't thats is the only reason for the 4 stars

The food is great every time I come here and the staff are always friendly. I had the Pork Roast Dinner yesterday afternoon and enjoyed it very much. Would definitely recommend this pub if you're looking for a cosy, chilled place for pub food and a drink. It's also family friendly and has outside seating for when the weather is better.

Lovely early midweek lunch, very welcoming for us and the dogs, looked after very well by Mike and his team. Very reasonable and generous portions.

Food and service was fantastic .nice place for a family birthday or event.

We had a lively oval table which meant all of could talk to each other easily. Gillan our Server was absolutely lovely, she was very friendly and helpful to the point she even rushed after us when we left some birthday cake on our table! Thank you Gillan and The Old Bell for a lovely evening, we will definitely be coming back!! 😊

Gillian was incredible, really made the visit special! Thank you. The building also was lovely

Lovely pub with great service and delicious food. I took my brother there when he came to visit us from Spain. He loved the food and, especially, the red whine recommended by the waitress.

Gillian was our waitress who provided a fabulous service. We were well looked after and food delicious as always. And appreciate my bottle of prosecco for my birthday complimentary x

Went here with the family and had a really good time and the food was excellent. Would recommend to families.

What a find! We booked for 12 people, and the table was perfect. Menu is extensive and very reasonably priced, the mixed grill was beautifully presented and cooked to perfection, the staff were both efficient and Fri, all the food came out at the same...

Clare was amazing, so friendly and helpful! Food was amazing, piping hot. Would come back again! Great service

Really great desserts and very nice and smiling service (today it was Gillian) Thank you and see you next time! * * * * *

I wanted to say that sharon claire Jacqueline and ben are absoluetly amazing hosts friendly welcome very attentive you never have to wait and if not too buzy table service in here i visit 3/4 times a week just for there friendly faces.

Wow, Well, what can I say...Firstly, Mike was absolutely fantastic and second to none with service. He certainly deserves a manager award for hospitableness (if that's a word) towards disabled people) as that always gets over looked in a lot of places. He made me...

Nice little pub at the entrance of Harpenden town. Had a Sunday Roast and pudding plus 2x prosecco 2x cokes (1 lg 1 sm) and the total bill was £65 for two people. Would definitely go again as the roast came out piping hot 😊 and the service and staff were good! Thanks

What a lovely place. We had booked a table in the restaurant with our son and his family. When the assistant manager saw our dog, she said we could have a table in the bar, as dogs weren’t allowed in the restaurant. She was so...

Incredible meal of venison shin, slow cooked to delicate perfection in red wine gravy served over potato mash with crisp cabbage. We grew up in Oregon & Montana eating venison and this was by far the most tender and subtle venison flavor ever. A divine special for a Tuesday! Friendly proprietor and great to see families & pups on the patio. The best meal we’ve had in ages. Thank you The Old Bell!

Brilliant food, fabulous atmosphere and service. The jewel in the crown is Mike the manager. Great fun. Can’t recommend this pub/restaurant enough xxx

Thank you to the lovely staff onThursday afternoon who couldn’t have been more attentive and kind. I would definitely recommend visiting here.

Thank you to Mike & Clare (and team behind the scenes) for a great meal recently. Very friendly staff, great for families, we’ve booked for Christmas for 8 of us, looking forward to it! Martha & Dave

Service was friendly and quick. Food was beautifully presented and tasted amazing. Best Pub Grub ever, Husband had the signature burger and I had the steak and ale pie. Honestly immense!!!! Great value, definitely coming back!!

Excellent pub to meet half way with friends. Food excellent Staff accommodating helpful and friendly Value excellent

Clare and staff were friendly and helpful and I enjoyed the food especially as I am a Coeliac. Thanks for a enjoyable time.

We had a Lovely Sunday lunch, really hot and very tasty. Mixture of roast turkey and a vegetarian meal which was mushroom wellington, Thank you chef! Staff really friendly. Pub lovely and clean. Definitely will be returning!

We arrived a little early so avoided the rush. I can see this pub being a popular place for a great night of food and company though! From the Pork belly appetizer to the Steak and Ale pie, everything was charming, delicious and hearty! Finished off with a great Sticky Date pudding to remind me of being at Granny’s. A definite addition to the library of restaurant’s for a regular visit.

We popped to this pub today for a bite to eat, food was lovely, as were the staff, we forgot to register our car on entering, but then did, when I remembered,!! it's a lovely well kept establishment, we would definitely go back.

Ordered 2 pints of moreti, extortionate prices and the beer tasted so bad that i wished that I went to the fox pub

We have been to the Old Bell twice recently for Sunday lunch and we think it is the best Chef & Brewer pub/restaurant in the area. The food & service on both our visits has been excellent and their prices in the present economic climate...

Gillian was our waitress who was extremely friendly and couldn’t do enough for us.Her service was impeccable.High standards at all times

No atmosphere, very very average service, and pretty poor roast dinner by other pub standards. Lack of gravy, and three small strips of meat, which were about the size of a rasher of bacon. This after having no Turkey and no pigs in blankets. Veg average and warm. Didn't bother with desert as service times poor.

Very nicely cooked food. Attentive but not intrusive staff. Nice experience

We had a lovely Sunday roast at the Old Bell. The staff were attentive and great value meals.

Nice friendly pub. Not too busy when I was in so the waiter gave us his full attention. Great staff Great wines I would highly recommend The steaks. And I don't think you can beat a desert in a pan.. I'm looking forward to enjoying...

lovely pub, Gillian was our waitress and she is very lovely and kind

Gillian was a wonderful host, very attentive and welcoming.

Lovely pub, nice atmosphere, good food. Best pint my husband has had in months. We will be back

Excellent pub with a great draft pint of Belhaven and some delicious snacks.

Wonderful staff with great food at a great price. We really felt like the staff went the extra mile!

Food was lovely but felt portions were very small

I am editing my rating because The Old Bell staff was fantastic to get the parking ticket refunded. Thank you so much. __________ My family and I were visiting from the USA. We had a nice meal here, and a good experience. The one star rating is due to the fact that when I got home to America, my rental car agency had charged me $144 due to some bogus parking ticket from "euro car park" that apparently The Old Bell contracts with to rip off their customers. So upset by this and I can't get a hold of anyone to fix this. Such a joke that a paying customer is charged such a massive parking ticket for no reason.

What a lovely room, great choice of food and a spectacular pudding. Lovely banter with Jacqui and the team from David and his team x

We just popped in to this restaurant on our way back fro L&Dso glad we did I had belly pork and my husband the trio of grilled fish. Everything was cooked beautifully very tasty. I was most impressed with our waiter Matt attentive and friendly....

wonderful customer service and amazing staff members! the old bell is always lovely to have dinner in and the atmosphere is delightful

The staff are always welcoming. I meet a friend for a drink here once a month and then every few months we dine. Normally all is great but last night's dinner was rather "average" and disappointing. I had Steak & Ale Pie with Mash and "seasonal veg". Sadly my first pie was ice cold in the middle, but my plate was whisked away with an apology, however the second pie had far less filling and although looked appealing these was little to it other than pastry. Seasonal veg comprised of carrots, parsnips and peas, so not really very seasonal for August. The mash was rather tasteless too. Our dessert was not the show stopper that the description promised either. Such a pity as the staff really do work hard and it is a lovely pub.

Fab service from the excellent Harrison ! Thank you so much - great food and a top evening ! Thank you. We had a really good time !

Beautiful place. Excellent food and lovely staff. Definately be returning. Thank you for a lovely time x

Amazing food Amazing service from Jacqui and her team See you again very soon ❤️

Drove pass , drove back , drove inn !! Hadn't booked so we were the classic walk inns !! for a Saturday, registered our car registration which is a have to if you don't want a fine !! Seated menu's drinks ordered .. fab .. no rush looky looked @ the menu ordered some fantastic food .. starters were to die for & quite portional .. loved the prawns , mains next & no fault there either.. one sweet between two !! Three drinks to be had all for £83 ... get in .. Nice laid out pub , good service, nice polite land lady !! fab food.. toilets could do with a re-vamp ? ( but most pub toilets do !! ) I'll/we be trying the Sunday roast next time but I'm thinking we'll have to book !!

Drove pass , drove back , drove inn !! Hadn't booked so we were the classic walk inns !! for a Saturday, registered our car registration which is a have to if you don't want a fine !! Seated menu's drinks ordered .. fab .....

Never disappoints. Food and service always good and the 0lace just gas a lovely natural atmosphere of a good country pub.

First time visit and very impressed with quality of food for a pub, the service was equally good with staff being very attentive throughout our visit. I ordered the steak and ale pie which was enormous and extremely tasty and can certainly recommend this dish.

Absolute joke No staff So no food May as well close down How can you run a business with no staff Never will I again waste my time going there