The Olde Leather Bottle in Dacorum

Noisy, crowded bar. Public tend to stand at the small bar even though there's seating.

Superb atmosphere great and attentive staff very polite an all round lovely experience 10 out of 10 for this establishment

First impression as you walk into the pub is its spacious and the seating looks comfortable plus it been nicely done up and they have a fire. I can understand hearing the punter's swear it's part of pub culture but I was not impressed with the barmaids sweating loud. I had a pint of Green King IPA, it was not the best and should have been better, something to improve on. It would be better if TVs were put on for special sport occasions only and not the general rubbish that keeps catching your eye, most people are not interested in it. Most pubs I've come across with the TVs on all the time don't last. The outside front area was a mess and the weeds are growing again plus it's not kept clean, your baskets plants are dead so take them down. All that money spent on renewing and doing the pub up now seems it's being neglected. Hope the back garden is better. If you are running a pub, you have to keep on top of the general appearance to invite punters in, put a critical eye over everything. It’s a pub situated in an ideal place and is not meeting its full potential. If you're new to the pub game ask the brewery for advice.

This is a really friendly place with both good food and excellent local beer. With it also being dog friendly I’m happy to recommend this bar.

We held my father's wake at the Leather Bottle on Wednesday 15th May 2024. The food that was provided was very reasonable priced, and everyone commented on how great it was. There was even enough left over for the locals, who were appreciative. Thank you.

Great, old fashioned pub. Friendly staff, nice outdoor seating with a great view of the cricket pitch. Good ale.

We were a small group there for a wake. Our buffet meal was prompt, plentiful and varied and the staff were kind and attentive. We were given a cosy room at the end of the bar so we could chat and reminisce in comfort.

Great pub, friendly staff and clientele.

Only been there once but was okay

Nice old fashioned local pub, and good prices also. Well worth a visit

Never been anywhere and felt so I welcomed ever. Bar staff constantly starring and regulars too !! It was obvious nobody was welcome unless a regular. We ordered a pink gin and lemonade which was fine and a pint of fosters which I left 3/4 full due to the floating bits in the glass. I cannot stress how horrible this place made me and my wife feel. I would avoid at all costs !!

Lovely old pub with a good selection of beers.

Local pub. Local attitudes. Good beer. Comfortable.

Good selection of well kept beer at reasonable prices and friendly and helpful bar staff

Great pub really clean friendly staff good atmosphere

I always find it has a really nice atmosphere, very friendly.

Went to Bingo on Thursday evening, at The Leather Bottle. What a laugh....Chris and Cilla run the games and the atmosphere is brilliant. Fortunately it is not serious and everyone joins in with the banter. Well done to all concerned.

Great soul night excellent company will definitely be back

Seems really good, went there again recently after a year or so without going. Has been upgraded around the bar and some of the patrons have changed a bit. Friendly staff and a good pint.

Booked this pub for a family get together and was made to feel very unwelcome,no one came to offer us a menu and out elderly parents where by the door and it was a particularly cold windy day so we closed the door only for it to be opened again by the land lady having a hot flush !! When we went up to the bar to ask for menus after half a hour of waiting we was then told that due to a function that evening the menu was limited!! We politely left the pub and found a much friendlier pub just down the road !!

Friendly guys. Lamb jalfrezi spot on , keema naan as good as anywhere. chicken shish also very good as was Lamb Korai

Local pub just like the old days Was made to feel welcomed by the locals Will be going back again and again And yes the beer was good

I reviewed this pub restaurant quite a while back and wasn't very complimentary about it.I received an e-mail from this establishment out of the blue stating that things had changed now,there was a new manager in charge and inviting me to try them again.We did this yesterday once again looking for a sunday lunch,only we were told that today we are having a barbecue(football day)and no other meals were being served.Waste of time and petrol getting to venue

A great local pub with a great atmosphere, the staff are all friendly and welcoming The food is fantastic as to are the portions Great selection of drinks

Four of us popped in for lunch today and enjoyed the food enormously. The sandwiches were generously filled and very tasty. Chips good too! The service was quick and efficient - the prices are very reasonable. Would certainly recommend this newly refurbished village pub.

The food was poor. Staff not up to date with the products. Service very poor and that was a quiet night.

I never write reviews but felt had to for this pub.had 4th lunch here today.got to be the best sandwiches served anywhere in the area and as for there chunky chips..omg! Great food great flavours,stylishly served.Best pub in Hemel for food

It was been a while since eating at this small, or should I say cosy pub, at least 10 years in fact. However, I was happy to see that this pub really have not changed that much. The staff are friendly, drinks and food reasonably priced and of good quality. The service was not really quick, that said when the food did arrive is was piping hot, proving that the food is made from scratch rather than just being from a microwave packet. Want a good meal in a friendly atmosphere? It’s worth giving that place a try.

this pub is a smallish cosy pub with low beams so you tall guys remember to duck , it very popular and has a small carpark it faces the cricket club across the road and is 10 mins from hemel shopping and around 20 mins from st albans.

Went for Pre Xmas meal early December with family members The food was brilliant steak very good all round good Real Ale is good and well kept choices alter so excellent Atmosphere Great and very comfortable all round

Popped in for a pint with a group of us. The real ale tasted like vinegar and the lager like the lines hadn't been cleaned for a while. Unable to pay by card which isn't the end of the world but a little bit annoying. Such a shame!

Looks good from outside,unfortunately although when you go inside,there is a rather large menu choice,if it is a Sunday,the only meal being served is the sunday roast,fine for me,but my husband is not keen on sunday roast,so we tend to go somewhere else,food we have had there has been average,even better than some places we have been to,but when we go out for sunday lunch we would rather have more choice

Went for sunday lunch got there not serving lunch just bar bites RUBBISH not recommened will not be going again

Met a friend for a drink and meeting to discuss matter. Nice location with car park. Drinks reasonable price and feels like a nice local pub.

Nos pasó por este lugar buscando un lugar para tener un buen asado los domingos. Decía en la señal exterior que lo hicieron muy bien los asados del domingo. 2 opciones de carne asada O Rodajas de Pechuga de pollo. Pedimos 3 de las pechugas de pollo, itvwas asqueroso! Parecía que había sido superficial, salsa, como agua. El personal del bar no le importara si te sirve o no. Éramos los únicos para comer en un pub medio vacío. Me pregunto ¿por qué?

We came here just for a few drinks on a sunny afternoon, I walked in and said "good afternoon" to the barman and he just grunted at me? I asked for 3 lagers and all I got in reply was the price for them. No "hello", "anything else", "thank you". So we went outside to sit down, after about 15 mins we decided to go elsewhere, he came outside for a cigarette and just stood near us blowing smoke over our heads, to top it off my partner took our glasses back indoors because she always does, the barman didn't even offer to open the door for her and just followed her in and didn't say thanks.

Siempre me encanta una cena familiar o un almuerzo en el pub encantador local. Justo arriba de la carretera y siempre un gran servicio y nunca tuvimos una mala comida. Las tiendas locales y campo de cricket estupendo enfrente, así que en el verano puede sentarse afuera mirando mientras disfruta de una bebida con la familia.

Damon 125 a man who was given a chance and failed miserably now resorts to bad mouthing the hand that fed him and put a roof over his head. Bow your head in shame you sad little man you were sacked for stealing. Leave this mans business alone.

Publican se levantó al final de la barra toda la noche ladrando órdenes de trabajo en su personal.

I ate here 3 years ago when last visiting 'home' from Australia. Was famous for the best Sunday Roast, but not now. Very ordinary service, food, wine selection and ambience. The only really positive thing I could say is that at least I didn't have to prepare, cook or clear up the food!

I called in for a quick pint on a Saturday evening on the way home from visiting family. On ordering said pint I was amazed that the bar maid wouldn't even begin to pull my drink before I'd paid up. I've never experienced that elsewhere.There was a disco on and the bar seemed crowded. I regretted popping in and finished my drink outside.

As this Venue is within walking distance of a very good friend we nearly always pop in when we visit. A good old fashioned pub with good grub. On our last visit we only wanted light food and opted for the wraps which were very good with a bowl of chips just the job. I believe dogs are welcome but for a change we were dog free!! Usual grip no decent smoking area and as the weather was horrendous it was outside quick puff and straight back in!!!

Stopped in for a drink and a light bite to eat at this lovely quaint pub. It has a great ambience with some interesting and humorous quotes dotted around the bar. Our order of 'breaded' mushrooms was more battered but it was freshly made and the Narita enough for the two of us. A great place to drop into

Awful food and the people running it Lord it over all guests. Made to feel like a guest at a Cinema. Drunk landlord told us to leave but we were the most sober in the pub!

We attende a function in the Village hall behind the pub and continued the celebrations in the pub afterwards. Very nice old style English pub with friendly staff, great pub grub and plenty os parking space.

Have been to this venue many times for drinks and food, never have been dissappointed Friendly staff and parking available.

Stopped here for a quick drink with family. Staff were friendly and drinks were reasonably priced. Plenty of seating and nearby parking available.

Having eaten Sunday lunch there, I can say the food is overpriced for what it is. I ordered a beef burger and chips because there wasn't a great deal of choice on the menu, curry (off), roast and chilli. The same from the green man in the same road with superior ingredients will cost you one pound more and in my opinion worth it.The roll is probably I would say as cheap as it comes. I left with a heavily salted taste in my mouth. Taken a while to get rid of and has left me wondering what has been over-salted, my guess is was the beef. If over seasoned then perhaps there is a reason for that.A 'could be nice' pub which I think used to attract people living in Leverstock Green seems now a nice crowd but with an odd male infiltrated their group and tries out a sexist pickup. when you're having lunch with your mother in her 70s, you're generally not looking to 'pull'.

I booked a table for a family lunch, including a small boy, then read the reviews. I wish I hadn't, as they nearly put me off of a very pleasant visit to a charming, genuine olde worlde village pub. The menu is honest, limited, but perfectly adequate (no vegetarian, but I do eat fish). We all enjoyed our food and cleaned our plates.The service was lovely and it was very good value for money. I would definitely go back.

Don't know where to start- have lived in Leverstock Green all my life, but haven't been to the LB since the new owners took over. Went in for lunch with overseas guests as had raved about the lovely stonebaked homemade pizzas they served last year under previous management. I specifically asked the owner, who was sat at the bar, if it was the same pizzas and he said we wouldn't be disappointed. It then began to go drastically downhill. Ordered a sparkling wine from the teenager behind the bar, who asked 'what.s sparkling wine? ( I kid you not). Ordered a Merlot which came complete with bright pink lipstick marks on the glass and was duly sent back. Ordered two bloody mary's which arrived in short orange juice glasses at £6 per glass.We sat at the table by the back, nest to the loo's which unfortunately permeated the smell of poo, due to bad drainage, all over our clothes. We moved but the smell moved with us. And finally the long awaited pizzas! they were NOT home made or stonebaked. They were clearly frozen pizzas ( with that cardboard undercooked base) topped with extra cheese and some Ikea/ Aldi type meatballs. Completely inedible for £10 a pop. Our guests refused to eat it and went outside in disgust. I foolishly asked for them to be boxed while I went to the loo. I gagged at the smell inside and stepping over a used sanitary towel on the floor was the last straw.( I thought. )By the time we got home, the cheese on the pizzas had congealed into a white fatty paste, and were duly binned. Our bill had come to £40 for three drinks and two pizzas.What an absolute disgrace!!! The new management are literally sending our lovely village pub to the toilet. Get rid and let's have a proper village pub back please, with some good homecooked food and somewhere to sit without retching.

Went there recently with my friends to enjoy a drink accompanied by a pleasurable chat. It is a perfect place... Great selection of brews very friendly and helpful/knowledgeable staff (didn't know which ale/beer/stout/lager to choose) all this with surroundings of traditional English atmosphere :) Definitely recommend if thinking about where to take your friends/family. I choose this pub over commercialised competitors 150 yards down the road.

was very welcoming as soon as you came through the door, hes a lovely young man and is a top pint pourer, the pub is a great place to be on a weekend, Jordan deserves to have a pay rise, joe is a smart sophisticated young man also but didn't give me free salted nuts to try

Lovely Olde English pub. Good selection of beers, standard pub fare cooked promptly and served hot. We were a party of ten with no booking and got looked after very well indeed. There was a very large man in there who frightened me with his boxing stories. But the general vibe was fantastic. The DJ was a Special Needs dude who really tuned the place out.

This is the first review I have written, but felt compelled to ensure other unsuspecting customers are forewarned. On such a glorious day we decided to stop for a 'pub lunch' as wanted to sit outside and enjoy the weather. I had the WORST meal I've ever had in my life - ordered the burger and chips as thought would be London bistro standard...how wrong could I be. The bun was clearly bulk buy cheap white and pre-frozen, the chips were truly awful, some over cooked, random sized, some almost raw. The most disgusting part of the 'meal' was the inedible burger, which I can only assume had been pre-cooked and warmed through - completely tough, hard, and dry. It also smelt awful but let's not go there! Upon complaining we received an apology but one would have thought a refund would have been offered in good faith. Needless to say I will never, ever, return! Pity as I've frequented this pub for over 40 years!

We popped in here for a pint while staying at the Travelodge, it was a warm and friendly pub with a lovely fire. The staff were welcoming and the drinks were a very reasonably priced. The menu looked really good but we didn't have time to stop for a meal, the toilets were clean and I'll definitely go back if I'm in the area!

I went to the Leather Bottle for lunch with my son last week. It was very cold in there and smelt of Bleach. I ordered the Steak and red onion sandwich which was ok but could have been warmer! My son ordered the sausage and mash with onion gravy. The mash was lumpy, the sausages were rock hard and the gravy had no onions in it. I was quite disgusted by this as it was not cheap! I shall not be going there again! I would caution anybody who even thought about eating there!

The Leather Bottle smells like a toilet. That is all I can say. It stinks likes a sewer. The toilets stink out into the bar. It is also Very over priced. £7.30 for 2 drinks.

Decided to come here for dinner with a friend to take advantage of the 241 pizza offer. We both love pizzas and were attracted by the claim of 'stonebaked' and 'homemade'. On driving into the car park my first impressions were that the outside areas were shabby, and inside the tables and menus were sticky and the toilets need a good clean. Was almost put off but decided to stick with it. I had a margarita pizza and my friend ordered a pepperoni. Unfortunately there were only 6 slices of pepperoni on hers! The pizza bases were disgusting. Definitely not stonebaked, more like the cheapest pizza bases you might buy in a supermarket if you wanted to create your own at home. I don't know how they can get away with the claims they make - and the pictures on the website are definitely not pictures of food they are serving. The pizzas were so greasy as overloaded with cheese. I can get over wasting £5 on the 241 deal (and this is the only reason I am giving a 2 rating instead of 1) but at full price of £9.95 for one pizza I can list at least 10 places within a 5 mile radius that do better quality pizzas for the same price. I definitely would not return here for food or drinks. Much better places around so please don't waste your money.

After avoiding this gem of a pub for over a year because of constant disappointment , myself,Husband and son decided to give it another try after noticing it was under new management. We immediately saw a difference on entry , it was spotless inside and out it even smelt fresh andClean.We were welcomed with smiles from the staff and a very smart gentleman wearing a suit and tieWho later introduced himself as the new landlord , very professional.We had drinks while pondering over a very tempting menu of home cooked pub favourites When my husband commented on his pint of Timothy Taylor landlord bitter , stating it was the bestHe has had for quite some time.I opted for the ham eggs and chips where my husband and son had the home made steak and alePie.The food was faultless , presented very well and tasted superb.The staff checked our table regularly and were extremely friendly , the pub was very busy and theAtmosphere was buzzing.All in all our experience was fantastic and we will be back.Thank you for giving us our village pub back and keep up the tremendous work.

Visited this local pub on a midweek night as did not fancy cooking, a reasonable cross section on the menu from steak to fish ,I opted for the steak pie home made and very tasty'loads of good quality meat ,no gristle of fat in sight .served with peas,carrots and chips all cooked to perfection and a portion of side salad.The staff checked on our meals to ensure all was fine,my companion had the chilly which was well presented and also very tasty,total bill for a lovely bit of pub grub,and. A superb pint of London Pride 21.00 great food great beer all at the right price visit soon,

It is quite a long time since I ate here during which time it has changed hands. Four of us popped in to try the pub's "buy one get one free" pizza night. Service was good and the pizzas as delicious as almost anything I have experienced in Italy. The new landlord took time to come to our table and introduce himself making us feel very welcome to his pub. His other menu looked inviting and there is no doubt that I will revisit soon to see his promised continuing improvements.

I know what I expect, welcoming faces, innovative ideas reflected in the menu, drinks, decor? The last visit to The Leather bottle, exactly 1 year ago, it was pretty poor and the only reason I went back was because it is a known location that a friend of mine from Spain can find easily! I am going to have to buy him a mapThere was no evidence that the new management were inspired to make their mark on this pub, well certainly not in a positive sense.The menu (lunch) was limited, burger and chips, fish and chips, and 'door step' sandwiches, very uninspiring. I opted for a door step sandwich (fish finger) at £5.25. Now for £5.25 a sandwich needs to be plentiful unfortunately the door step was all bread and the filling was lost somewhere in between two great slices of granary bread, and it wasn't very good granary. The filling of any sandwich should be at least equal to the thickness of one slice of the bread making up the sandwich and it just wasn't.Can anyone recommend a good pub in or around Hemel Hempstead, please!

Just been to eat at this pub for the first time. Two pizzas for £9.95 on Thursdays so went there with 3 friends and ordered 4. When we ordered at 8.15 we were told there was 'a bit of a wait' and we thought fair enough as it was really busy. We waited a total of 1 hour 40 minutes for these pizzas :( not even slightly exaggerating. We went in once to check on the food and then again to ask for them in takeaway boxes because it was getting so late and found the staff to only be mildly apologetic. Don't get me wrong, it was really busy there, but in an restaurant, pub, cafe when you're told there's a bit of a wait you never expect an hour and 40 mins. At no point did anyone come over to apologise or keep us updated with how much longer it would be. There was one member of staff who was friendly and apologised when she brought the pizzas out to us, but when we looked inside the boxes they looked seriously unappetising. We'd ordered 3 goat cheese, olive and caramelised onion pizzas and the cheese looked really greasy and fatty and there were no caramelised onions - this was the final straw. We went in to complain and ask for a refund and were instantly surrounded by 5 or 6 staff who were so rude we were literally shocked beyond belief. A small dark haired woman snatched the boxes from us including the 4th pizza which had different toppings that the girl who'd ordered it was perfectly happy with. We had to argue to get this one pizza back while the staff got more and more rude, loud and aggressive towards us. We'd paid £20 for these 4 pizzas so were expecting a refund of £15 as we were giving 3 back but when they eventually handed over the pizza we still wanted they told us we were only being refunded £10 because of the 241 deal! There was no apology at all, it was disgusting. Their excuses were that 1. they'd warned us there would be a wait and 2. 'we're not a restaurant'. I understand they're not a restaurant and I couldn't be less of a snob but this poor excuse for service wouldn't even be acceptable at a burger van. NEVER GOING BACK!!! May as well add while I'm here that while we were waiting to place our order the girl behind the bar went to serve a guy who'd just walked up even though she'd clearly seen us waiting there for about 5 minutes. Also while we were paying a man walked up to give his pint back because it apparently tasted awful. Basically this pub is terrible all round.

Many changes of managers recently has not been good for this venue. However the latest manager who started in August seems to understand how to keep his beer and has reopened the beer cellar so we should be able to have an excellent pint there in the near future, and hopefully some good food.

Went here for lunch i had steak and sweet potato fries food very nice reasonable value, but portions quite small unless u go for a sharing platter. Some staff friendly some not. Would return.

Visited this ph on a Sat afternoon as we were told it had the football on the tv.The pub is an old establishment with low beams on the doorways and a bar come eating area at the front and a tv room to the rear in the beer garden area.The beer was cold and refreshing and some of our party ordered food but it took an age to arrive and it was mainly sandwiches.Some dishes were not on the main menu such as liver and bacon ? but the food when it arrived was tasty, hopefully still hungry by then.Worth a visit.

Being new to the area I wanted to go into the local pubs and this one looked brilliant.... Went with a for a few drinks with a friend to see what it's like hoping it'll be my new local. I should have kept walking, the greeting I received was far from warm (which looking like a olde village pub would be exactly what I got), there was a child running about screaming with no shoes on and the "parent" not really caring and the bar staff sitting on the customer side of the bar with there friends drinking and the conversation was foul and obscene. We continued anyway hoping the beer would make the visit better unfortunately that didn't go to plan a few of the taps where "off" or broken so we couldn't have what we wanted and what we did receive was pints in the wrong glasses and the beer tasting dirty. The "pub" also need A LOT of TLC! The tables are sticky, chairs turned into recliners as soon as I say on it and I'm not a heavy man and the place just had a horrid smell of dirty grease. Safe to say I won't be returning thankfully Leverstock Green has a couple of other very stunning friendly pubs to enjoy.

It is February the clue that this pub is neglected and not cared for was outside before entering with Santa Claus still on a board. The pub is tired, tatty, sticky menus, sticky dirty tables, threadbare carpet and chairs. Couldn't believe that the menu could really be offering tasty food based on first impressions, not a budget value restaurant menu either. A 5 hygiene rating on the door I believe is possibly misleading because if you can't get the public areas right how can the kitchens be getting it right - didn't take a chance, walked back out?

Popped into the olde leather bottle last week as i had seen there was a new chef on there twitter page. New chef Jan come out and introduced himself (what a lovely man) we looked at the menu to a wide range off different foods and as Jan told us he was Italian one of us decided to try the pizza and wow the food has completely change it was incredible and credit where credit is due the bar staff were very helpful and smiley! the pub really has turned around i would recommend anyone to go there and ill defo be going back! yummy food= happy girl x

Thought I would visit the The Olde Leather Bottle again in the hope that it had improved since my last visit, when the customers all seemed to be the landlord's mates. Shouldn't have bothered; it was cold and unwelcoming. Even the bar girl had her coat on. No curtains at the windows; the usual odd assortment of chairs and tables, but this was 'shabby chic' gone too far - it just felt shabby. The gents toilet really smelt of stale urine and the urinal was leaking. One real ale on offer. Had one drink and left, will give it a year before I visit again.

I recently visited with friends at lunch time and was unimpressed by the food. One friends' meal was cold. Another ordered the Natcho Guacamole stack. As it was served we were informed there was no guacamole (which this friend liked and ordered the meal for). She was given what looked as if someone had emptied a packet of Natcho's into a bowl and dribbled white sauce over and told she could have some salsa. As we were all still hungry we went to order a dessert, there was a choice of four. The couple at the next table advised us not to have the crumble, so we tried to order, only to be told there was only crumble left. As we'd arrived at midday and no one else was eating this surprised us.Beautiful pub, what a shame no one there seems able to cook.

Guided by earlier favourable reviews, I took a friend who had only just moved to Hemel Hempstead and wanted to find a reliable eatery.The signs outside boasted "Food Served All Day". They can be taken down.Arriving at 8.30pm we were told abruptly "Sorry, everything has now been switched off in the kitchen, for the night". 8.30pm !!We ended up at "The Midland" on Adeyfield Road, with friendly bar staff who guided us through their selection of beautiful Thai curries. Yummy .We'll be back ........... but not to The Olde Leather Bottle.

We visited the Leather bottle on 16th November 2013. As there were hardly any people in there we were expecting fairly decent service but waited ages for the meals. My soup was cold and the doorstep bread was two soft rolls out of the freezer with the crust broken off whilst frozen. The tacos turned up with out any of the salas etc and it was served like a chilli con carne on top as you would with rice. The other meal 'pie of the day' was passable but not particularly hot. We did get a refund for two meals but the comments by the door come hungry leave happy was definately not true to form.

Fantastic again, great food and 1st class service I think I will have my company party here, love Lilly she is great, tall bloke needs a bit more training but was very polite

In the summer we ate here and was very satisfied..... However, as the months have gone on things have gone really down hill .......... 9 of us went for a meal last night. Food was horrific! They definitely need a new chef who can cook more than a mixed grill! The soup was very thick and lumpy! Lasagne only had one layer and the top was very burnt Fish was hard. Mash potato was very, very stiff Pie had been microwaved and was soggy! Sausages were burned Liver was disgusting.......We only paid for 1 meal and our drinks. Very disappointing for a 21st birthday celebration meal. Avoid eating here at all costs !The only positive was the waitress was lovely !!

Visited The Olde Leather Bottle for lunch with family, can definitely say we aren't pleased with the service or the food! We were in a party of 4 on a Friday (which wasn't terribly busy at 1.30pm) so were expecting a rather good service. Firstly, we had to wait a fair amount of time to be served the food we ordered, which wasn't that bad considering they've clearly got one chef, but being a small pub, you'd expect fairly prompt service.Secondly, the food arrived and we were shocked at the quality - on our table we had ordered 3 BBQ chicken stack meals and a burger meal - the chicken was bland and so grossly overcooked you could knock on it and hear a wood-like sound! One member of our party found a large, sharp bone in his chicken, which could have killed someone! The burger meal (which I had) was bland and cheaply made despite the fact they charge you £9.95 for it! I'd expect to pay no more than £5 for such bad quality food. To be honest I could make it better myself!Thirdly, when (after we had finished) we told the waitress about the bone and generally overpriced food, we were told we "should have said" sooner. The waitress then mumbled about telling the chef about the bad food. When she returned to collect our remaining plates she did not offer us any further apologies and slammed things around. We got the impression she couldn't be bothered which is not acceptable.Needless to say, we will not be returning or wasting any more money here and I would implore everyone reading to do the same!

One of many visits as it's our local pub. Very friendly, good food (especially pizza night on Thursday). Highly recommended!

We were passing through on our way to London.Happened upon this gem of a pub for some food. The food was incredible. All homemade pizzas, perfectly topped in a realistic and filling portion size.All friendly staff and a charming atmosphere.Will be visiting again as soon as I can

We were a party of 3 who ate here on Tuesday of this week. The food, service, and value for money was all excellent. We will return on our next trip to Hemel.

If you havent already visited this family run pub, you must! I recently popped in for a 'few' drinks after work with a couple of friends. I was greeted by two friendly members of staff and told about the specials. We wasnt planning on eating but after seeing the food and checking out the menu we couldnt resist!!! The food was made to order and the chef had obviously took time and pride in his/her work. It was delicious. After finishing our dinner we had a few more drinks and ended up staying for the whole evening. The disco was lively and everyone was in really good spirits. Its obviously a locals pub as everyone knew everyone but as an outsider i felt very welcome and comfortable.The bar staff were more than happy to answer any questions and also looked like they were enjoying their job! Great to see!! All in all a very success visit!!

Wow - what a charming pub. Under new management since 2011, they have made great improvements.Quite a varied menu, but could do with a better Chef. Some food is excellent; some is not.Pretty, but air-headed bar staff though. Knowledge of wines is awful. Often they have no wine at all!But lovely atmosphere and its getting better all the time.

I am astonished ....The Leather Bottle, #19 of 76 restaurants in Hemel Hempstead? surely not!May I first say that I met a good friend for lunch because The Leather Bottle was convenient. Business was slack, it was a Monday and yet despite it being a lovely sunny day there were only a handful of people in the place throughout our visit, 12.30 - 3.30pmThe doorstep sandwiches were ample, I chose the ham & mustard and the ham will make or break a good sandwich and on this occasion it was very good.To give you an idea of a couple of prices .....Honey & Mustard glazed ham with 2 free range eggs and hand cut chips - £7.95Home cooked lasagne, salad and garlic bread - £9.95Chilli Con Carne, home cooked & served with rice - £9.25BUT! and this is where it all unravelled for me. The one member of staff behind the bar was polite but lacking in any kind of engaging conversation, lacked any kind of enthusiasm for her job and as soon as our order was taken took up residence at a table on this side of the bar with what looked to be her younger sister, very under-age who was enthralled by a computer game.Whilst we still had beer on the table a young man from the kitchen came into the bar and sprayed the wooden tables liberally with Mr Sheen, a sure fire way to ruin a good pint, and it was a good pint 'Doom Bar' until we got the overpowering waft of Mr Sheen!Would I go back? No if this is #19 it doesn't bode well for the other 57, Next time I'll go down the road to Bovingdon,

Met up with friends for something to eat & catch up. The food was delicious, plenty and freshly made. I found the staff very accommodating & friendly. We stayed until late dancing the rest of the night away to the disco playing both current and music from the past! I will definitely go again ....

Had a fan-dab-e-do-so time at the Leather Bottle the other night. Bar staff very friendly and by my fifth drink I was 95% sure that the vodka hadn't been watered down. RESULT!

I ordered fish and chips, the fish was lovely but the chips were so heavily salted they were inedible. Shame because the fish was lovely. Nice setting and nice inside.

Fresh pizzas and pulled pork is all very well but if a pub can't even serve a pint of decent beer (London Pride, Landlord, Doombar all supposedly available but all off when requested, leaving lager as the only alternative) what's the point of it being a pub?My grandparents ran this pub years go. They'll be turning in their graves.

Always welcoming and friendly village pub. Called in recently and tried the new menu loved the pulled pork and popcorn shrimp, great for both quick bites and more hearty meals.

Popped in recently with a few work friends. Only intended on grabbing a pint but ended up ordering some of the small plates to share like the chilli pork hammers and popcorn shrimp. They went down a treat and stayed until the disco late into the evening!

The olde leather bottle Is a great family pub and all staff are very welcoming, and will do anything to help. When i went there for my first time felt very welcomed and i have been back since with friends, and i would tell anyone to go and try out there new menu because the food is great value of money and it was all freshly made. I would happily say to anyone to go and try the food and go to the pub and you will see how well you will get looked after and see how much you will enjoy your meal.

Came in here for the first time today after being recommended by a friend of mine and was not disappointed. They had just introduced their new American style menu and i had the pulled pork sandwich. It was absolutely amazing. Slightly spicy, delicious soft pork, sweet barbecue sauce served in sourdough bun with coleslaw. The food was truly great and the service was good. staff were friendly, accommodating and knowledgeable about the menu. The prices are very reasonable on both drinks and food.I will definitely come back as there are still many things on that American style menu that I am going to have to sample and I have already recommended it to some of my friends!!

Just had the best chilli con carne ever!! I would highly recommend the food and the atmosphere was nice, well done.

The first time I came to this I was not impressed. The music was too loud and the staff seemed to be too preoccupied with other things rather than welcome an unknown customer. I would not have gone back except it was in a very convenient position to meet and have a quick snack with a colleague. On this occassion things were very different. Service came with a welcome and a smile, the food was very fresh and the portions more than generous. In spite of the sticky tables which would benefit from a strip and polish I have now been here a number of times and would recommend it as a worthwhile place to drop in and have a good pub meal. The beer is kept well and I am sure the family running the pub would be able to make further improvements if more casual visitors dropped in and put money in the till.They cook to order all day and the last time I had fish and chips the plate was so full that I nearly couldn't get through it.