The Old Guinea in Hertsmere

An early family meal utterly ruined by live music by a solo singer who redefined melancholy and warbling. Further, we asked the staff three times to ask the musician to turn down the speaker as I honestly couldn't hear my wife or son. Even the waitress kept saying pardon. What a nonsense and a terrible evening. This took place at 7pm on a Friday.

There have been a number of changes since our last visit; Predominance of ‘spicy’ pizzas which is not to my taste nor do I like meat on pizzas so I’m left with ordering a margarita then adding topping (added cost). Price of wine has increased to such a level as to limit us to one bottle not two, so the business actually looses out a bit. House salad has increased in size (and price) but was good. Tomato and feta cheese salad was again quite large and looked good though the feta was very bland and perhaps a better quality should be sourced.

Superb! The Old Guinea offers wonderful gluten free pizzas, crispy base and loads of toppings, a real treat. The overall mms is excellent and they have a nice range of non-alcoholic cocktails. Service was friendly and efficient.

Amazing place. Excellent location and good food.

We booked for today just so we weren't disappointed if they didn't have any availability just turning up. They didn't disappoint as the food was superb as always.

Beautiful views and do like coming here. Service is sometimes hit and miss though and staff could be a little more attentive.

A lovely restaurant in a great location, the food was very good, the service & scenery was at a great level as well

Each time we go here the weather is atrocious. I keep saying we should go in the summer when meals can be eaten outside. Still, in or out the food is good and the service friendly and competent.

Been coming here for quite a few years now and always enjoyed. However, the pizzas have all off a sudden (only in the last month judging by recent pictures) shrunk considerably in size. We had four different pizzas and all were the same size. Looked like children's pizzas. They were nice, but nowhere near big enough. Don't think I've ever had such a small pizza in a restaurant before. Disappointing.

Used to come here regularly but haven't been since covid. What a very different experience. Pizza's mediocre, doughballs okay. Ordered pint of diet coke only to be brought a small glass bottle, which was already opened and they couldn't take it back! Have other people's meals and drinks being brought to our table. Wouldn't mind but it wasn't busy when we arrived! Waited a long time for a simple margherita pizza.

Ignored on arrival by 4 of the waiting staff to finally be seated by the 5th. This was representative of the service the entire evening. Slow , forgot things. Painful experience. Food was pleasant and atmosphere was nice. Serving staff really let this place down

Having dined here many times before, I visited today on a Sunday afternoon. We sat in the bar as it was damp outside and we had a dog with us which meant we weren’t allowed to sit in the main restaurant. I was disappointed in the service, the Indian waiter I think was new as he appeared unfamiliar with the menu. He also insisted that we had to give starter and main course choices at the start which I thought bit odd. The sea bass dish I had was quite full of big slices of fennel which were tough and had far too many olives in the sauce which overpowered the dish. The fish skin was soft and unappealing as if it had been microwaved. I told the staff I hadn’t enjoyed the dish and had very little feedback other than “I will inform the chef”. I also heard other customers complain that their drinks had been poured into hot glasses. Perhaps the management has changed or just some staff but I came away disappointed. It’s expensive -£30 for one course with sparkling water and a coffee.

A most enjoyable family meal in in a lively vibrant environment with excellent service.

Had a fantastic dining experience at this Italian restaurant once again! Even though they forgot our starters this time (which has never happened before), it didn’t take away from the overall experience. The main courses more than made up for it—the cannelloni and mushroom tortellini were nothing short of phenomenal! Every bite was packed with flavor and perfectly cooked. But the real showstopper was the sticky toffee pudding for dessert—out of this world! It’s easily one of the best desserts I've ever had. Can't wait to go back!

Don’t go for peace and quiet! We chose early in the hope of enjoying the beautiful views and to catch up with old friends. What a mistake. We were sat near a table of totally ignorant and rude people who allowed their children to run riot around us all evening. Staff were ran in to with trays of drinks and hot food by these children old enough to know better. Parents sat and ignored and encouraged their children to cause more havoc. Staff ignored the chaos. We did complain and cancelled our booking for next week as we were insulted by the same table who thought their children’s behaviour was totally acceptable. Then the anti semetic comments started by one of the party members so we felt unable to stay around and enjoy a coffee or a dessert. Food was really poor. We had one main course. A total let down. Spoke to manager as we left. Tried to get her attention earlier to allow her to address the situation that was going on. We were ignored. Told her what happened and she said that unfortunately they couldn’t help it if idiots were there. Well yes, you could have helped it. Tell people that children running around other people’s tables isn’t acceptable and shouting insults isn’t very kind too. Lack of any control here. Poor food. Just don’t waste your money. Gone totally down hill. What a shame.

Food, views and ambience was fantastic. Service was ridiculously slow and even when they weren’t that busy. Took over an hour for desserts to come (just ice cream!) otherwise a very nice place and would return. Update 2024 as thought I’d try out of covid times. Food very average - service definitely improved.

Food was bland, very busy and loud but staff were good

Had a really lovely meal. Excellent views from the garden .

Food service was OK but long waited for our meal. Food was OK but nothing espectacular just OK.

Popped in because we hadn't been for a while. Won't be going back. Can't sit in the garden anymore. Unless you're eating. Got shouted at, twice. Can I help you??. The lady at meet and greet was very abrupt and loud!!

What a shame , the place looked lovely , our waitress was lovely (didn’t get her name though, think she may have been Italian with white/grey hair ) but the crab linguine didn’t seem to have crab , the dough balls were forgotten and not particularly appetising, drinks got wrong and food had to be asked for when not bought out with others , was offered a free coffee for the lack of crab , bill came to over £400 for 14 of us 10% service charge optional as stated on receipt was added. We didn’t feel that paying £45 was warranted but happy to give tip of £20 when questioned at bill paying time the manager was bought over who then wanted to know why we wasn’t paying the full service charge , when explained and pointed out to him it’s optional and at our discretion I was given the response that the tip goes to all the workers who work hard and it’s to pay them . Sorry do they not get wages! I don’t get tipped for my job and nor do the other 10 working members of my group! He didn’t like it but I stuck to my guns but apparently he was heard by one of the other party to my group saying “I wouldn’t be welcome there again” well shame as I won’t be returning anyway , just be careful when paying the bill and you choose to not pay the additional 10% service charge other than that some of the food was lovely , views were great and our one waitress was nice just let down by the attitude at the end by the manager

Excellent food, good view, and wonderful service from Zay. Possibly the best pizza ever with goats cheese. Thouroughly recommend the restaurant. David London

Had a lovely lunch today. I can't fault the food or the staff. I knocked a star off as not really any meat dishes. Could do with a steak on the menu. However will definitely be back.

This is the first time we are here and decided to book a table for lunch. When we arrived, it was extremely busy and the car park was full (although there is plenty of places to park on the streets nearby). We were greeted and shown to our table with chilled bottle of water. This was a nice touch. We had a shared plate (Piatto Misto) medium which was plenty for 2. This was delicious and then we had Piccante pizza and a Crab Linguine, with a side Tomato and Feta Salad. All of which were recommended by the Zay (our lovely waitress) and all were extremely fresh and delicious. We will come again soon. The place was buzzing and it had a great and friendly atmosphere with perfect views overlooking the beautiful countryside. We will return.

Arrived today with one extra adult, my disabled father. Lady at the front ( possibly manager) does not know how to handle difficulties as a manager should. She became extremely flustered by this and said ‘well you’re going to have to sit on the floor’ which I thought was a very bizarre comment from front of house staff. I understand an extra adult was an inconvenience but she was extremely rude. We rushed to a table at the back of the bar and because I asked for a highchair for my son the waiter ( white male) said to the waitress ( blonde woman) ‘ good luck’. The food is good at most but service is absolutely shocking and possibly racist..

The Manager is one of the most unprofessional people I’ve ever met just downright rude and probably got up on the wrong side of the bed. Expensive food and just okay average. Avoid at all costs!

It is insanely busy here so it's not the place to come if you want a relaxing or romantic meal. The location is amazing though, the food is nice and the service is excellent. My main complaint is there are no disabled parking spaces whatsoever in the car park, this really needs to be sorted out please. There is not always a space nearby in the road so it is really off putting to have no disabled parking

Amazing atmosphere and great food. We sat outside with the great view.

Amazing spot for a sunny day lunch. Food was spot on

Used to be a favourite but GONE DOWN hill badley! The food is largely Break brothers, used to be all Good and home made and the Pizza was awesome. It has now been taken over by someone who has ruined it. The staff are awful and rude and lack interpersonal skills. Sad, another one bites the dust. I do hope the owners heed the warning and that they pick things up as it will be too late before they know it unless something changes soon.

Lovely food and amazing location with views across the countryside

We all ordered different Pizzas including Gluten Free and Vegan. Each was over cooked and tasteless. I have eaten a large number of Pizzas in my lifetime but this was by far the worst. The only good thing about the restaurant was the view. We all agreed that we will not return which is a shame. I had this discussion with the Restaurant Manager and told him to pass on my comments to the kitchen so they can rectify the poor quality. Service not great - we were given the wrong bill when it came to paying.

Best countryside pub/restaurant in Northern Hemisphere with amazing views and good service. Pizza pasta fish served.

The food is not even average it is below average had a ceasar salad with poor salad leaves roast chicken abd ceasar dressing! My husband had a very dry chicken Milanese just terrible food. Please AVOID this place!

My aunt and I had a lovely lunch here today, the food was fantastic and the servers were very attentive and friendly. The view outside was amazing. Will definitely be coming back, thank you! :)

Beautiful venue, food was pretty good especially for the price although the bruschetta wasn’t really what I would call a bruschetta and we wish the chicken goujons (that are on the starters) were on the kid’s menu too. Service was a bit mixed, our server wasn’t very friendly but everyone else was and they were great with the kids. Drinks were repeatedly late.

Really disappointing, last time I visited the food and service was really good, this time... bored uninterested staff, a tuna salad that was clearly tinned tuna with very little dressing or care in the preparation and overpriced but hey... a magnificent view.

First time here .We really enjoyed the foods and drinks and the amazing view

For an Italian restaurant not in a busy area, it is extremely popular. The decor is modern and has plenty of seating inside and out with a great view. Waiting staff are very friendly, serving with a relaxed manor able to answer all questions. A good choice of options in a not overwhelming menu. Food is freshly prepared, presented nicely with portions of a generous size. Parking is available onsite but small, so you might find yourself parking on the main road. We will be back.

I was invited there by my friends to celebrate my birthday and I was taken a back with the whole set. So I decided to go back with my family. It was a Sunday, extremely busy and service was slow and food was served without any presentation, it seemed as if you were eating a basic food, we had ordered Pasta with lamb mince, pizza, which was burnt abd dry and salad with 3pieces of meat which were the Suze of chicken nuggets. I was so upset that with 3 drinks and food, I paid £95. In which service charge was added on top. I felt so uncomfortable as my family didn't enjoy the meal, but for my sake, they didn't create a scene abd we ended up getting a takeaway from local place. Onto if that, the young lady attending to us, made us feel that we should Hury up and order food, eat and go. I was very upset and ashamed that I talk so much to my family and impressed that it was great place and that they would live it. It cost me £150 that evening with buy two family meals. Shame. I would NOT GO THERE AGAIN. SAD

What a shame, I loved this place the first time I dined here. Dined here and sat in the garden looking forward to my dinner. The lamb ragu looked like slop and had no taste. The pasta was so overcooked that it was sludgy. So disappointed and wished I had sent it back as it was awful.

Fantastic food as always, fast and efficient service. Will always come back for more!

Excellent experience at Old Guinea. The service was impeccable and the food was delicious. Highly recommended!

Good is decent, not too expensive and views are excellent, highly recommended

A great place to go on a sunny day with the best views in Hertfordshire. Really popular spot so parking is a bit of a problem. Disappointed with the pizza as practically no cheese in it. Beef lasagne was good. Great desserts

Family party over 20 of us, great food, fantastic service all food arrived at the same time. Highly recommended

This is a place to go and have a lovely meal and have countryside views.

Though a bit hard to find. Maybe make your signs bigger?! Excellent around and what a view!!!!!

Pretty good food but service was extremely slow especially ordering the second drink. Manager was great but other staff seemed surely and did not apologise for forgetting my drink even though the restaurant is mostly empty. No check back after the starter either. Need to improve customer service…

The views, albeit stunning; a beautiful venue. Service wasn't attentive nor too welcoming, and staff seemed to struggle with a small handful of customers and were very flustered. One of the female managers (who took our booking over the phone) was shouting from inside the kitchen across the restaurant. From a food perspective, it's not authentic, but it's so-so for a standard italian menu. The ice cream sundae had melted before before it arrived to us. Unfortunately the mains arrived burnt, covered up with chips and it was room temperature. Such a shame for a 1st time try. If you want a nice view, and perhaps some snacks or a drink, this might be the place! Hopefully it's better next time.

Delicious, authentic Italian food. Pizza had a super thin crispy crust. Great views of the countryside. Booking essential on sunny days. Highly recommended.

Our family comes all the time and pay bills of £350+ what a shame when we want to take off optional service charge of £30 and tip what we want instead the actual owner of the restraunt argues with us to make us pay it and tells us to go elsewhere “a pub” if we dont...(It already is a pub) Her partner and her who owns 3+ restruants and are millionaires and arguing over £30 because she acctually said infront of her staff that she only pays them minimum wage and that the service charge is responsible for what her staff earn 😱How greedy. Pay your staff more if £30 is the only thing helping them😱.

Use to be good smaller portions higher prices going down hill rapidly

The food is good, tasty. Service ok. It was very busy when we went. Check the bill before payment. Sometimes, mistakes happen😉. Otherwise it's a good place for food and drinks.

Always a fantastic experience at the old Guinea. Waiters are very attentive and recommend great dishes if you're stuck on choice. Food is always fresh and hot. The views are incredible and being away from any major road is a bonus to the small town theme this restaurant fits into so well.

Good quality food. Disappointed with service on this occasion. Was there twice this week. Service was ok but the staff forgot to serve our salad and a drink. The salad was not the same as the previous occasion during the week. Waited five minutes for the starter plates- eventually had to ask the waiter for plates.

We only come here for the view. It is the only breakfast place in the area with a nice view. The view out the deck is so pretty, we forget how bad the food is. Flat white coffee with unnecessary amount of foam, cold earl grey tea, burnt left over bacon, inconsistent poached egg. I believe I thought the food was great because I got side tracked by the view. It's almost like a psychological food scam, it's funny!

More varied and interesting dishes than any other pizza/pasta restaurant I know. They maintain a high-quality level of food and service despite being really busy, even at lunchtime. The numerous tables are well spaced in a large atrium and garden, as well as the original inside areas.

Excellent food, great service,and a lovely view over open countryside .... A perfect lunch venue

Very thin crust which you couldnt even cut with a knife. Food bland. Bread was the same very tough. Chicken pasta was ok but bland. Lovely view but thats about it. Been once will never go again.

Fabulous food and cocktails in a lovely setting with fabulous views 😍. Efficient service and really friendly staff. A special thank you to Sophie who ran after us as were leaving as we had left sunglasses and hat behind. Highly recommend.

Very noisy. Not the restaurant's fault of course but one or two tables of people spoiled our evening somewhat 😕

Service is really good, but slow, had to wait till my drink arrived for kore than 10 minutes and the food could be way better, I was quite disappointed with it. Espresso Martini is really poorly brewed bitter and sour coffee at the same time, in which there was not even a hint of alcohol or anything pleasant? I hope you reconsider your drink menu. Each of your cocktails costs around £10, how can the coffee be so bad? Also got shell in my £19 seafood linguine.. Overall beautiful place, but you need to reconsider what and how you cook.

Manager so incredibly rude she lacks social skills. Couldn't find our booking then dismissed us rudely with a waiter and said "take them will you...". She was polite to others and took them to their table aswell as telling them the specials for the evening. She also was ride and dismissive to her member of staff! My pizza lacked flavour and the magnum base was so soggy. Only positive thing is the beautiful views.

The place is a shambles What a waste of money the pizzas are bought in I would say frozen disgusting the worst pizza even had uncooked tasteless it was like an Iceland pizza !!!!! The service was terrible no one came over plenty of staff BUT no one was working .. YOUR STAFF NEED MORE TRAINING bought over my bottle of water with no glass !!!! Prawn dish where the prawns !!!! Table and chairs were dirty. Waste of money won’t be returning we was going to have a family gathering there of over 50 people not any more !!!! This place is a joke didn’t want to make a seen I would have asked to seen the manager and not paid the bill !!!! Overall not a place to go and have nice food.

Arrived around 7pm, restaurant half empty, got a table for 2, table was sticky, chair had spilt drinks on it. I just changed the chair. After asking 3 times to place an order for drinks, waited 20 minutes to be served, and then another 15 minutes for only one drink arrive, had to ask 4 other staff where’s the other drink. Rubbish service. Placed order for food, one prawn starter, one calamari. The prawns were non existent, only 2 pieces of small shrimp drowned in a tomato dip, the calamari was burnt. We ordered 2 pizzas, 2 frozen pizzas arrived with hardly no toppings. Soggy underneath and burnt on the edges. Absolutely disgusting. Service and food were both rubbish. Stay away from this place, not worth a penny of your hard earned cash. The only part of the service that was quick, was when I asked for the bill, and they couldn’t take my money fast enough.

Everything was 1st class as usual.

Good Italian food served in a very modern environment. Great views of countryside and a very good outside space.

It's probably the nicest Italian restaurant in the area. The food is amazing. It's definitely the best Italian pizza I've ever tasted in England. The view from the garden is beautiful overlooking some fields. The place gets really busy, and the parking is very limited, but that shouldn't put you off trying the food because it's worth it. I will be back for sure.

Good quality food, with great service

Excellent service and delicious food. We had our 3 year old toddler and they were very accommodating. Their menu is not overwhelming but also has a wide variety. We will definitely be returning again!

Urgently need carpark extension! All the rest is on the top level. Thank you - I had a really amazing time with my friends at this restaurant 😁

Beautiful view and delicious food

Atmosphere is quiet with lovely natural views.

Beautiful view, and good service but would not call it Italian food, rather a British take on Italian cuisine…

Seems I'm the odd one out based on these reviews. I've been here over a dozen times over eight or so years and seen it grow dramatically from a very small pub with a restaurant to what's now a sprawling large venue. The concept has remained the same with reasonably priced food emphasised around pizza and pasta Over the years as it's grown it's understandably become more and more chaotic, I suspect it's virtually impossible to get the number of staff they really need, all seem run off their feet and do as well as can be expected. So service is as good as is possible and to be fair the wait for food was quite reasonable, drinks were a different matter.... We were out in the large conservatory with a wonderful vista over the fields. An added (bonus) was a singer on Friday evening unfortunately in an environment where (at my age) everything was drown out by noise, I would be surprised if most knew there was even a singer in there. The food was very dissapointing, starters could have come from Iceland and my Pizza was so burnt I only ate half of it. We moved out to the bar after mains, not bothering with sweets, to actually hear ourselves. It's a great shame but guess they are aiming at a younger diner now that's in and out. In summary not for me anymore but I can see the attraction for others.

Great night at The Old Guinea, food was good, I had the Mushroom Tortellini very tasty! Service was good even though it was very busy. The view from the restaurant is an added bonus!

Great place for a meal. Good food, service and fabulous rolling country views. Highly recommend.

Decided to dine here for Father’s Day for its spectacular view of the ridge. Staff were all accommodating, friendly and. attentive. Food was great specially the portions, served piping hot as well. I highly recommend for you to try their homemade dishes i.e. meatballs, tiramisu and torta (carrot cake). Definitely will comeback to try their other dishes as well.

Great Pizzas and a lovely garden outside with good views of the fields we also returned and came to Breakfast, which was absolutely perfect, I would highly recommend this place to come and enjoy

Wanderful view, good service, bad food. Pizza was less than average, baked in tray, oily, unfermeted dough, bland. Starters, haloimi fries and calamari, and sea bass filets were very good.

A countryside Italian spot with amazing views paired with some good quality food. The pizzas are good but even better when you order the larger crispier base. They call this the Magnum base. The mushroom tortelloni is the stand out pasta dish, it looks like a small portion but its deceiving in its looks as it’s heavy and very filling.

We went for my son 18th birthday anniversary. Everything was amazing..food,service,staff and atmosphere.Thank you.

Amazing find of a Pub. Gorgeous location and absolutely delicious food. Everything was freshly made to order including pizza for kids, the fish casserole, or my dish, the best burrata salad I’ve had in a very long time. You can tell it’s good as it was a Saturday 8pm and people were queuing to get a table. Free parking available on premises.

The food was lovely, it was very busy and very noisy, but the food made up for it. Staff seemed to be struggling to cope with the amount of diners.

Waiting so long for food, not the experience

Obviously a very popular place as it was very overbooked. They were moving tables inside to accommodate the extra people making it very overcrowded, loud and difficult to manoeuvre on crutches!! The food and drinks were really good though!

We dropped in on a Monday afternoon around 2pm for lunch. Everything was as good as we expected (from previous reviews) and our food was simply delicious. We took our time to enjoy our meal and gaze at the view. Highly recommend - note coming from the M25 junction 23 is easier than alternatives.

Great Pizza place with attentive staff and a great atmosphere...

What a lovely place to eat. The setting, the food, the staff, the atmosphere were all excellent. A real jewel in the countryside. The staff were exceptional.

Went for brunch. Great food, views and service

Great food and lovely seeing the fresh wheat growing in the field.The staff were very professional and friendly. We have been cooking for years and have gone through the changes and each time the changes to the place is better. I bring all my friends there. It was so good to bring my friends and my grandson. He's 16 months and he loved the food, restaurant and the lovely garden. Brilliant place.

What is going on?? The reputation of this place was built of top quality pizza, been going ever since the place changed to a pizza restaurant years ago. The Magnum pizza base tonight, seemed more like a soggy flat bread with sparse topping!! Such a shame. I would not rush back!

I go here quite often as I like the setting and the outdoor terrace. In the last few years though the good has changed. On my many occasions my pizza was so floppy and wet that I stopped having pizza here all together. Theree was definitely inconsistencies that hopefyll they will resolve.

I cannot believe the reviews for this place. The beautiful scenery clearly takes over for the food side of things. The food is terrible!! Overcooked pasta, overcooked chicken, RAW pizza dough. They pre cook the pasta before service so much so that it is is completely overcooked when it arrives to your table (a bit like tinned spaghetti hoops) I would avoid for food, beautiful setting for a drink and the service was great. In urgent need of some new chefs!!

Can only sit where the nice view is if you have a meal. Abit protencious.

This restaurant is really lovely. Outstanding views across the fields. The food was lovely and nothing was too much to ask. The waitress was attentive and very kind towards my little one! Places like this really are amazing. We went breakfast time was lovely and quiet and was such a warm feel. Can’t wait to return! X

Should have something on website to say that dogs are not welcome in the restaurant!

What a shame that Connie the manager has totally ruined our lovely local Resturant - I will not be returning while the manager is so rude and creates such a chaotic manic environment- the waiting staff really need a better leader as they seem to be good and trying to cope however this lady is the rudest manager of hospitality I have ever met -our waiter Niro was so nice and really tried to run a tight ship maybe he should be manager !!! pizza used to be a lot better

Nice outdoor space. It’s sad the food is not very good. It could be a very good place to go all the time.