The Orange Tree in East Hertfordshire

I felt compelled to share my experience at The Orange Tree. The decor is light and calming in this charming, country house, feel restaurant. The staff are attentive and friendly. The food is simply outstanding. This is the best meal I've eaten in a long time. Everything was cooked to perfection. The portion sizes are generous especially with the starters, which was good to see given the price. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough and I'm very much looking forward to my next experience here.

The restuarant looking very tired, Was taken to table and had to sqeeze past pram to sit down, bottle of water and glasses were dirty a, then a customer sat next to us with there dog, the waiter kept serving over my wifes food as he couldn't get past the pram which really ruined her meal. the special off the board was definatley not worth the £22 price tag, will not be going back

Pleasant atmosphere, friendly staff, excellent food.

Extremely limited vegan options…No milk alternatives such as oat milk. The cauliflower steak however, was very good.

The service was extremely slow. No apology, or explanation was given. Suspect they were short of staff, but an explanation would have been good. Courses were served up, but not at the same time, always one person was missing their course.

Staff are all friendly and very attentive. Nice atmosphere and most importantly, amazing food! You won’t regret visiting the Orange Tree! Please never take the Beef Wellington off of your menu. We will return many times.

Been trying to book for over a week! Is this place ever open ? Disappointed as it says open ?

Really lovely food and service, we had a wonderful lunch, lovely homely decor and welcoming. Highly recommended the place!

The staff were welcoming and the space is comfortable, definitely enough space to not feel crammed in. The food though wasn’t as good as we’d been led to understand, it wasn’t bad it just wasn’t good. The sheer volume was a bit overwhelming and there was a mix of food that was lacking in flavour and food that was a bit overpowering. Price was pretty reasonable for 3 courses with drinks though. We’d probably go back but would steer clear of anything deep fried / coated.

We were very disappointed. We were put in a corner on quite shabby backed seats. Menu did look amazing and we went full out. Hubby had the meatballs and said they were OK. I had the lobster bisque and had to sent it back as it wasn't hot. Then Hubby had the fish pie which was more potato than fish and nuclear like it had been heated in the microwave. I had the fillet steak which was OK but not as soft as I would have liked for what we paid. Dessert for me, was a creme brûlée which was nice and hubby had the cheese board which wasn't anything special. For the price they charged we felt was not worth it unfortunately and we waited a long time to go.

Food was good, nice service and place.

Amazing as always. We had the Wellington and lobster risotto, flavours spot on and great portion sizes 😋

We had the best dinner ever! First time visiting. Will 100% be back again. Absolutely beautiful.

Great food, cooked well, service excellent. Prices slightly higher than your average pub/restaurant. But well worth it for quantity and quality.

Small pub tucked away with friendly staff. It's size works against it as we were subjected to a group talking loudly about death for half an hour. 3 meals, 3 drinks, 3 puddings = £157 so not cheap. Gastro pub food that should have wowed me but didn't.

Chateaubriand steak was a nice. Treacle tart was tasty but mostly due to the clotted cream and sauce. The espresso Martini was very nice. Would have scored a 5 out of five if not for the two flies and some worn upholstery. Bill came to less than expected, which is always nice. Recommended. :)

Excellent service and quality fresh cooked food, the rib eye stead was fabulous with no steak knife needed. Our new favourite place and we travelled 40 minutes to get there , well worth it and soon to return. Deserts all sounded lovely but the apple pie and donuts went down very well.

Had a special Bank Holiday pre-wedding lunch for son and fiance. It was a perfect afternoon. The staff set up a special table for us in the annex and service was faultless. We had a selection of different meals and each one was excellent and beautifully presented. Would definitely use again for a special occasion. Big thank you to everyone involved.

Excellent food at this restaurant, as it always is. Very good and varied menu, also a specials board. Attentive staff, nothing is too much trouble. We are regular visitors, wouldn’t have it any other way. Have to say this was a lunchtime visit. There was also a wedding party going on in another room, they all looked as if they were enjoying themselves.

Fantastic food, nice atmosphere and friendly staff. What more could you want…

Great food, always well cooked with good ingredients. Menu could be a little more original and it's on the pricier side - definitely more restaurant than gastro pub. Range of gins also used to be much better, now fairly standard. Always great friendly service. Wish there was more of these kinds of places.

Lovely place, the food and service was great. I would highly recommend this place

Really warm , friendly atmosphere great service.

Fabulous food. Quality ingredients & subtle twists on each item that make it feel very special.

Great meal loads of choice something for everyone

Get the Tomahawk. Wow. What a steak perfectly cooked.

Fantastic meal my beef wellington was the best I have ever had. The ribs,skate and linguine were all brilliant Unfortunately we were seated in the back of the restaurant in a booth with now windows and no view of the restaurant We were left by the staff having to in three occasions go to the bay for service We even had to wait 15 minutes for someone to ask us if we required dessert even though the restaurant was pretty empty by now Shame about the service

A hidden gem! Well worth a visit. Food was delicious and the staff were very friendly.

5 of us went for a late leisurely lunch, the food was excellent. Everyone enjoyed their meals, the staff were friendly and efficient, and the menu has plenty of choice. You won't be disappointed.

Decent pricing, good service, very filling food. I would definitely recommend coming here if you're in the area and want to get some good pub food

Wonderful food! Great service, I arrived with a battered cake and they made it look good! Really chilled vibe. Highly recommend.

Had lunch here today, and yes another fanstastic meal and service. My wife and i love eating here. Such friendly and helpful staff team create the best welcoming atmosphere.

Food was lovely. Pleasant attentive staff. Nice setting. A nice privatly managed pub. Have been meaning to visit for a while. Will certainly make a return trip.

Managed to get a table for a business meal on a Tuesday evening, I recommend you book as it was full. This is testament to the quality of the service and food here, it was a sensational meal all round. Fish & chips knock out in particular! Can't wait to go back when next in the area.

As usual a fantastic tasty meal. This is 1 place I would order absolutely any dish off of their menu and be confident that I’d be blown away every time. So lucky to have this place so close by, we enjoyed some lovely gin making after lunch at The only way is spirits a short 5 min walk away.

Lovely pub, in pretty location. Very large portions of amazing food. Good menu. Great for our family gathering. Catered well for our children.

What a nice experience! Fish pie and the chef’s special lobster risotto were exceptional! Really nice environment, outside area is amazing for whenever it’s nice weather. Definitely will be back. Make sure you reserve a table 😉

Really great food. The fish dishes are excellent. Would really recommend it is worth the trip. The food portions are a really good size

1st visit after hearing great things about the place, didn’t disappoint I had the Tomahawk steak wife had Fish pie both thought meals were excellent and will be returning

I just celebrated my 70th birthday here last night. I couldn’t have chosen a better place. The staff were so professional, helpful and went out of their way to make sure things run smoothly. The food was exceptional. There were 10 of us and everyone commented on the quality of the food. So a big thank you to the staff. I would recommend The Orange Tree without hesitation and look forward to visiting again.

The service was slow, however, the servers were polite and attentive. It was my friends birthday and we both ordered tomahawk Pork chop, which we were looking forward to. On arrival I can only describe the pork as a good vet could have revived the ani.al. It was red with blood still running from it, we alerted a member staff,who took the.away to cook them further. On there return they were still pink and we then decided to not have the food. The staff did remove them from our bill but no compensation was offered. We found tbe service was slow and the food arrived itemittently, our friends burger arrived yet tbe chips and onion rings both came out separately.In light of the service and food I would not return or recommend this pub to anyone.

Fantastic place with reasonably priced food very well run with a nice welcoming atmosphere. The staff are very friendly and helpful and it has the best food for miles around. Probably best to book in advance as it doesn't have loads of tables. Well worth a visit.

Had a good evening with friends. A little bit overpriced but food generally good.

Thank you Orange Tree for having the nouse to open your kitchen ALL day. After all some of us like to eat at different times!! So many places in this area pigeon hole us to eat when it suits them , rather than when it suits their clients. The food was really lovely, the staff welcoming and efficient. And Sancerre by the glass! Just Wonderful.

Visited 11/05/2024, lovely atmosphere. Reasonably priced food, the food was average for the area - a bit too much dressing/sauces. The service was excellent and lovely atmosphere.

Visited The Orange Tree on a Sunday afternoon, was busy as we arrived but as the tables are spaced, never felt noisey. Received a warm welcome from all the three staff, they were professional and relaxed, there was no rush for our meal, nice atmosphere. There is a large menu and special board and all our meals were top quality, I had the Chicken Roast, the potatoes were best I have had in ages and with eight different vegetables, top quality roast dinner. The are no real ales on tap, only in bottles. There is a car park for about 20 cars with lighting for these winter months. There is a farmer market attached to the restaurant. Its not dear for the quality of food and service. Wines start from £22 a bottle. I will recommend a visit.

A spontaneous lunch date with my boy, food and service was outstanding . We will be back soon to sample the rest of the menu . Thank you once again!

My first visit and it will not be my last one. The staff were very welcoming and the menu exciting. The service was great and the cookery was amazing. My party of 4 all really enjoyed our meal Nick Clarke

As soon as we walked in, the atmosphere was lovely and very clean and organised. It was my Mother’s birthday and when we sat down we were greeted with a lovely hand-written card from the staff, which was so incredibly kind of them. We had ordered our starter and the waiting time was very short. The quality of the starters was absolutely amazing! I had never tasted something better. Our mains was even more delicious and portions were very good. There is a range of options of the menu so can satisfy anyone. Desert was most definitely the best part of the meal! My Mum had this desert called caramelised beignet and it was filled with gooey biscoff. It was sweet and filling and would 100% come back. As we were finishing up the staff bring out a plate with chocolate written out on it wishing my Mother a happy birthday. I cannot explain how generous and nice the staff were from start to finish! The toilets were very clean. Staff was amazing. Food was over the moon. My family’s and I experience was the best we have ever had and we are most likely coming back here again! Thank you so much for everything!

Had a fantastic lunch today with my two granddaughters, the menu was extensive with great choices. Food was well presented with excellent servers. A truly memorable day. Derek

Great food for a great price! Will definitely come back again as the menu is quite comprehensive and there’s loads more for us to try! Our infant absolutely loved his meal!

Absolutely amazing food. Very tasty, fantastic value for money and very good service.

Excellent food and service, the best fish pie I've had !

This is a hidden little gem tucked away off the main road. The food was absolutely yummy and the staff was very helpful. The atmosphere is classy and comfortable.

The staff were lovely and cheerful, the food was delicious and were generous portions… definitely get your moneys worth and more.

What is happening Gareth , food has definitely deteriorated . Bouillabaisse on Specials board but not available !!!!! And your restaurant is freezing cold 🥶 . Heating needs sorting . Staff as always excellent ….. Sally and Emily .

Good menu..food is always good and they have a daily specials board.not tge cheapest but always quality food. Vegetarian options and plenty of eating space...you'll need to book ahead which you can do online.

Outstanding restaurant. Excellent food, from a very extensive e menu and specials board. The staff were friendly, efficient and helpful. Will definitely visit again.

Best Roast I've had in a long time. I had a trio of meat roast, Beef, Ham and Belly Pork. Which comes with Roast potatoes (nice crust on outside and mash potato like inside) Large Yorkshire pudding, Gravy (with extra jug) and a bowl full of veg (carrots, broccoli,green beans, cauliflower and more) Great service, very helpful and very polite. Will be back soon. Thanks for a lovely meal.

Came here for our Mum's birthday after hearing great things from locals and reviews online. It's a pub/restaurant serving traditional pub dishes with generous portion sizes to a very good standard, with enough to choose between to want to go back again! Pricewise, it's in keeping with the rest in the area. The only thing I'd change woukd be the position of our table which was right next to the entrance/exit door and by the bar so it felt a bit awkward. Will definitely be back again, thank you!

What a lovely place to spend a friend's Monday lunchtime birthday meal. Great ambience, friendly staff and exceptional food. We had, fish pie, fish risotto and butternut squash risotto. Very generous serving and so well plated. Good selection of gins too. We thought it was quite busy for a Monday, so would recommend booking. Shout out to the chefs, obviously passionate about food and service. Thank you.

Lovely gastro pub. Fabulous food with a varied main menu and specials board. Friendly staff and lovely ambience. Tasty well presented food, everyone enjoyed their choice.

We had lunch here with our son, daughter and new granddaughter. All of the food was superb but a special mention from me for the fish pie, the best I've ever had in a pub (and I've had more than a few!). The lunchtime meal deal - 2 courses for £25 - is brilliant value for money but everything was well priced for food of this quality.

Excellent service 👏 and food. I'm gluten free and I have never had such a good choice of food. The menu was great. I would really recommend The Orange Tree.

Wow wow !!! We had the best roast dinner my daughter treated me for mothers day all fresh food !! meat was amazing !!!! Great service very attentive staff thankyou for making my mothers day xtra special .

The food was delicious, the service was perfect and the atmosphere in our case was romantic. I will go back for more

Exceptional restaurant, set in a lovely country out set. Hospitality is outstanding, and no words can express the menu wide variety. Chefs cook and present the food to another level. Highly recommended Regards Smart cleans

We visited for lunch after a gin making experience nearby. This topped off an already fab day. As always the food is top notch and the staff are so welcoming and friendly. We came a few weeks ago after a gap for 4 years and I’ve booked a third visit in 4 weeks, it’s that good. The weekday deal is very good value and there are always great specials.

Excellent high quality food, large portions. Highly advised to book or you may not get a table. Food locally sourced. The only reason I didn't give it a five, was they had no hand pulled real ale and we had hoped to samplea local brew. The Cauliflower cheese is to die for!

Great food great atmosphere great service

Amazing hearty food at a great price!! Lovely service in a quiet country road! The atmosphere is lovely and authentic cottage feel.

Excellent food, very good menu, lots of choice, the chef should consider a Michelin star. The staff are impeccable as always, and the atmosphere is very pleasant.

Incredible pub experience! Food that would not be out of place in a fine dinning room. Cosy pub without any sort of pretentiousness. Quirky glassware, serious menu including meat sourced from a famous Smithfield Butcher (Tom Hixon). Very pleased with the engagement of the staff and warm welcome on arrival. Epic specials board means you can come back time and time again. I think we'll have to move closer.

We returned for a family lunch over Christmas. Not as impressive as the first time. The Wagyu Lasagne had way too much cheese and was swimming in oil as a result. The duck was expertly cooked but the quality of the meat wasn't enough to warrant the price. The coffee was watery and sub-standard and when we mentioned the issue with the lasagne the reaction regarding the feedback was apathetic. I did also write a direct message to the owners when emailed to provide feedback but I never received a reply. I got the impression that either the owners were away on a well deserved break after xmas week or there may have been a change of management. In either case I doubt very much we will return.

We enjoyed a magnificent seafood linguine, a generous hunter's chicken and a mouthwatering calves' liver followed by delicious lemon tart. The atmosphere was cosy and family friendly and the service was excellent. The pub itself has an old world feel and has a welcoming ambience. The prices of the mains, which are mainly in the low to mid-twenties, do not reflect the very high quality of both the food and its presentation. This was my first, but most definitely not my last visit. But I advise you to book.

A spectacular lunch out! Is up there with the higher end of dinning. Can't fault it in anyway. Check it out.

Excellent food, portions, friendliness and vibe

Amazing food and service. Generous courses. Couldn't fault it at all.

Extensive menu, wide range of food. Enjoyable meal, friendly staff, nice venue. Would recommend.

A McMullens tenancy being really well operated. Staff super helpful, friendly and efficient....thank you. This is really a restaurant not a pub. The menu was one of those that you read and then think it all looks great. Not only does it read well, the food was delicious and sensibly priced. Portion size is generous. Car parking is on site. We really liked it and will definitely return. Thanks for a nice lunch experience.

Food was ok but it took a long time to get starters and then the mains came too soon after.

A superb lunch at The Orange Tree. Two of our party were struggling to make the 2:00pm booking so we shifted that to 2:30pm which was no problem for the restaurant. The menu is wonderful with something for everyone and the portions are generous. We were in unanimous agreement that we were too full for dessert but when presented with the menu, all 8 of us had a dessert. Standouts were the roast dinners, a great selection of veg to accompany the roasts, the half chicken, the burger and the treacle tart. Service was excellent too. Will return very soon for sure.

Food was delicious, nice place for dinner with family and friends. The lamb was absolutely gorgeous. Thanks 👍

Very nice location serving good food .

Wonderful Sunday lunch with lots of options. Fantastic staff too. We will be back.

I have been planning to come here for years and had to cancel because of illness twice so really excited to finally get here. First off the pluses decor lovely staff nice and a good wine list. we ordered a sharing platter of seafood. There was a dish of prawns in garlic butter and a huge mound of fried seafood. You couldn’t taste which was which and had to guess from the shape what it was supposed to be . In the prawns there’s was a little bit of lobster previously frozen sitting in the garlic butter . Main course calves liver cooked nicely sauce overpowering and despite asking for no mash but chips got both. My scallops in cheese sauce overcooked still had muscle bits in and so much mashed potatoes the sauce was completely lost . The salad that accompanied it had a pre made salad dressing with sweetener in . It takes 1 min to shake together some oil, vinegar and mustard so why put that on ? I know the industry has problems but I don’t want to pay £110 for 2 courses that I could cook better at home . Really disappointed but there are better gastro pubs in the same village that I will go back to instead

Very good food. Had the plaice. Very good Gastro pub. Another meal Ribs. Very nice . Make sure you book a table.

Portions great, quality of food faultless. My cod and chips was as good as I've ever had in a restaurant. The other dishes that my party had were all superb visually and were thoroughly enjoyed. Desserts lovely. Nice size portions, couldn't fault this place and I intend to visit again soon.

A little out of our way from Cambridge to South London but it was well worth the journey. Service was attentive without being intrusive. Interesting Sunday Lunch menu. My Hake Kiev was excellent and my wife said her Pie of the Day (chicken) was very good, with superb pastry. Desserts were good too. Not the cheapest of establishments, however, well worth the money paid.

Indeed great and fresh food, amazing customer service and cozy atmosphere.

Excellent food Excellent service Will be back very soon.

Excellent food on a weeknight. Tomahawk steak in the pic, perfectly cooked to request. The pie and mash was also excellent!

The Orange Tree is amazing!!! The food was absolutely fantastic, the service was prompt and efficient and the warmth of the staff was fantastic. Nothing was too much trouble. The wonderful menu caters for all tastes and there is an extensive drinks menu and cocktail list. The decor inside the pub is beautiful. We had an amazing lunch and we absolutely cannot wait to return. This is the nicest Gastro pub that we have visited in a long time. Very highly recommended.

Staff friendly and attentive. Food really amazing. Highly recommend

This place has been on our list to try for a while now, hubby and I found ourselves child free on a much needed day off from work so decided to go! On arrival we were greeted by a very friendly gentleman. He took us to our table, gave us some menu’s, so much choice, it was hard to decide but in the end we went for bread with oil/butter to start and steak and ale pie and monkfish, king prawn and lobster curry. The bread was lovely, served warm with olive oil and balsamic and utterly delicious flavoured butter. When our mains come up we couldn’t believe how big they were, both beautifully presented. My pie, mash and veg was delicious, real shortcrust pastry, rich gravy, chunks of beef and creamy mash, the best pie I have tasted. My hubbys curry smelt divine, he said it was delicious! We had planned on having dessert but was too full but will definitely be having dessert next time. 100% will return!!

very cute restaurant! clean and tidy, pretty too. nice service, had baked camembert + bailey's crème brûlée and it was amazing!!

Our first visit here was amazing. Fantastic food and service. Will definitely be returning.

A delightful venue with excellent food. Plenty of parking in a beautiful rural setting.

Delicious food, with a fantastic service. Staff were friendly, polite and attentive. The food was superb. We visited during the 30 degree heatwave. The building has no air con, so it was incredible warm inside but there is an outdoor area which is charming for cooling down and eating outside. Plenty of parking. Would absolutely visit again and recommend!

Absolutely fantastic from start to finish. We had the outdoor room for private dining and it was just perfect. We arrived and had plenty of time for a pre dinner drink and the brilliant waitresses kept us updated with timings etc for when to move...