The Orange Tree in North Hertfordshire

Booked a table for a nice evening meal with the expectation of great food as experienced from previous visits. However, myself and my partner decided to go for the specials menu this time and opted for the Fish pie £15.95. Sounds great on the menu but when it arrived and we started to dig in I would say that a Young's fish pie from Icelands has more fish and flavour to it than what we were served and would of paid a fraction of the price. And the veg that came with the pie obviously came out of a steam microwave bag with no character to it and it was just flat. Apart from the let down with post COVID portions I would say that the atmosphere staff and service was great but unfortunately the food standard has declined.

Great food fast service polite staff

Went to a wake but room not set aside ready. Food was mostly spicy and not suitable for all. I could only have a few little sandwiches and a small sausage roll. My brother and family were the same. I would have to say we would not go there again. They let other people just come over and take the food, they were not at the crematorium. Not well organised

Lovely and friendly pub 😀 go back and i would recommend to anyone 😀

Met a friend here and had a relaxing dinner - difficult to rate atmosphere as it was 80% empty but there was no intrusive music so we were able to talk easily. Food is just a bit too carby for me but what I had was nicely cooked and filling. Service was excellent - manager and team members were all really friendly and welcoming. Shame I don't live nearer as it's better than my local Mac's pub!

This place has really gone downhill food wise. I love the atmosphere and decor, but the food was dire. We went for Sunday Lunch for my husbands birthday. I had the roast gammon which was cold, the veg luke warm with a tiny splash of gravy. Is gravy rationed? I can imagine the food was in a row in the kitchen and just slapped onto the plate one by one! No attempt at presentation. Staff were attentive despite the place being full. To top it all when my husbands cake was brought out it was placed in front of me……….They really need a good chef to shape up that kitchen. Such a shame.

Nice choices on menu, nice sized portions, great service

Nice pub I only have a coffee I was driving

Lovely food good price. Great service.

Very disappointed with the food. I asked for Mac Salad which was supposed to have chopped tomatoes, cabbage, spring onions, spinach etc and when the food came, the only thing on my plate were lots of spinach leaves. I complained about this, pointing to the other ingredients on the menu only to be told "That's how it comes" My friend ordered soup of the day and it came in a very small dish (probably half the ladle full). I left my salad, as it wasn't what I had ordered and anticipated, but in the end they charged me for it. They told me to complain 'higher up'.

Really disappointed. Have always recommended Orange Tree but some of our meals were really dry mainly the fish and burgers, we had pre-ordered as requested others were ok. Don’t know why but definitely gone downhill to previous meals.

Had a very nice Sunday roast with my husband for his birthday. Will definately be returning

Went for Sunday roast. Its was very busy and thats a good sign for a start! 1st time eaten in here. Food was very nice , quick and attentive service. Would definately recomend. Would go back there for sure. It's also very good that the the General Manager takes time to read his feedback. Shows he cares.

Orange Tree was recommended by a friend. Pub grub, but was tasty and presented well. Friendly staff.

Such a nice meal! The food was exceptional and so was the service from Michaela. Thank you. My friend and I will be back.x

Popcorn chicken and sticky toffee pudding were great. The roast beef was chewy and had been heated up on a griddle. Roast potatoes weren't crispy, and broccoli was overcooked and yellow.

Food very good, staff very polite but dressed very scuffilly, they should really wear a uniform so they look smart. A very young waiter was getting cutlery and obviously a dirty spoon so decided to wipe it with his thumb and proceeded to take it to a table (lovely, so hygienic). Cutlery should be wrapped with the napkin so there hands don't touch them. Don't think I'm being over fussy. Friday 26th January 2924 at 12.30 ish.

I absolutely love this place. It feels cosy and homely. The food and service is great. I can see the team’s passion and love for this pub and its customers every time I come here. Is one of my favourite place to go when I want to meet up with friends. And plenty of spaces for parking.

I'm afraid to say this is the first time I've ever had to write a negative review for the orange tree. We were here for my husband's birthday, unfortunately my food was cold, stuffing was under cooked, potatoes were undercooked. It was very much a production line roast dinner, shame as we had been there the two weeks prior and the roast was delicious hence why we came back with further family. Granted the place was busy, but we left very disappointed with what was received. I hope this is not a new trend as we love the orange tree and never have really had a bad meal here

Great pub very friendly staff and dog are welcome in the bar area

Really comfy pub, very relaxed cozy atmosphere. Nice to not have a TV on with sport on! Loved my food, delicious salad with my baked potato. And dog friendly too. I love it. Will come again definitely 🥰

The food was ok at best - they ran out of roasts except turkey and gammon and it was only 2pm, so a bit rubbish. Some of the food felt cold and the potatoes were undercooked. Service was good, drinks were lush. Just work at the food and it’s a 5.

Excellent as always highly recommended 👌

I recently was visiting my friend at Stevenage.. And we found this gem by accident.. What a cosy little place.. Amazing food. Such great and friendly staff.. I have no doubts we will be going back.. Some of the dishes were so good we ordered the same again

Good yummy food. Nice atmosphere and pleasant staff. Been there a few times now. Always good.

When and had Christmas dinner. The table was laid out lovely. The staff are always friendly and very polite enjoyed my meal and evening and would recommend Christmas dinner here

Went for Christmas dinner pub was packed service was excellent food was lovely great atmosphere will definitely be going back!

Very good atmosphere, excellent service as there were some big parties there, friendly staff and good food.

Lovely place . Had family get-together there for our nan passing . And was a buffet put on which was perfect excellent food . Definitely the place to go

Staff had a mare with the service which, in fairness, they put right unprompted. If they hadn’t, this review would’ve had fewer stars. Food was nice enough - nachos were tasty (not soggy!) and lasagne ok

Good job I booked! Dog friendly, gluten free very well catered for,we were served with good food all round. Mozzarella bites are a must and an excellent choice of puddings! Thank you.

Good pub restaurant with nice food. This was a Friday evening visit and the pub was busy. We hadnt booked but they managed to accommodate. I chose the 8oz Rump Steak with Jacket Potatoe and peas £13.75. I chose a Diane Sauce also £1.75 . The presentation was good , cooked just right and tasted delicious. I chose a large glass of the Spearwoid Shiraz £6.75 which complimented the meal well. The service was ok except had to ask for the bill twice.

Cosy, warm place to have a good pub dinner. We will have our Christmas party here, so looking forward to it.

Decor not really to my taste. Pretty much the same as when I visited in 1980's. But service was excellent and the food was at the higher end of quality for this sector. All in all great value for money and we will be returning.

I have given low for food.. fish and chips..so dissapointed..grey fish and not much fish..just batter...made to look big by using a long piece but thin. Cod should be white. Service was OK.. on previous visits it has been much better. I wonder if understaffed on this occasion as a funeral wake was also in progress.

I was pleasantly surprised,I'm not a fan of pub/restaurant chains. But the food and service was very good. My wife felt quite cold though. Sad to see how empty these places are on a Saturday night these days. The Staff (Although not exactly pushed) were excellent

Went here for lunch, food was really tasty and the service was very good. Staff were very friendly and polite, has really improved since I last went here. Will definitely go back.

Great secret meeting place.. but not enough Mogu Mogu. Staff recognise a good board game when they see one - top marks.

Outstanding. Have driven past this pub many times over last 20 years. Today we actually went in. Lovely pub food was amazing and the 2 girls that were working so professional and friendly. Their customer service was second to none. Would definitely recommend and will certainly be back.

Friendly and helpful staff, lovely and cosy inside and brilliant food. Loved the meals and drinks, thank you ! :)

Really nice setting. Staff very pleasant. We had the grill, was gorgeous. Our waiter was really patient with us changing the order of what we wanted and not wanted on our plates. Think his name is Bailie. Well done and thank you

Great Sunday lunch for the price - well cooked, lots of variety of veg, large portions and vegan/vegetarian option + all the meat choices. Will be back

Well managed pub-restaurant. There was a large post-funeral group when we arrived; nevertheless there were enough staff to deal with us promptly and we had a table in a quiet part; the premises are quite large and pleasant. Table staff were sensible and knew their jobs (well done Bailey) and clearing, getting more drinks etc etc were all accomplished professionally. The food was of a high standard. If I have one reservation, the menu is a little quirky. Burgers and steaks, fine, but not much else for me in the carnivorous line. I had fish and chips which was fine. I had pea soup too, the first time I have found a "proper" soup on a pub menu for a long time. Under £100 for four, two courses, drinks and coffee.

We came to see Danny who was the Michael Jackson tribute, it was a great night. Well done to the orange tree for putting this on!. Didn’t eat last night at the orange tree.

I come here once a month for Monday quiz night. Can't comment on the food, but service is good and staff friendly. As a female it can be sometimes daunting coming into new local pubs, but the staff will make you feel at home and it has a nice relaxed atmosphere. Keep it up guys :)

Went there on a Sunday. Good food served in good time and hot. Excellent service and friendly. Recommended.

Nice place to go on one's own or as a group (as we did). Not a huge choice for plant-based food, but what I had was nice. Good, comfortable atmosphere. Would have been 5 star but for a pub with such a huge area, including garden and car park, no bike rack/safe area? Might seem a minor point but it's an important oversight. The rest, very good.

Lovely pub will go for lunch soon

Service with a smile, excellent customer service and food couldn't fault and pricing 👍

Never seem able to get my drink right

Really splendid little pub with great food, beautiful wood paneling and a decent selection of beers. The beer garden and live music is wonderful, If you're into that sort of thing, but there's also quiet corners as well.

I don't think I've ever been served 5 drinks quicker. The burgers are huge, but there is always room for one their premium quality starters. I would certainly visit again!

Stopped in for lunch at the orange tree. I have been before and it was lovely. Today I had mixed grill which was missing the salad I ordered. My partner's meal was missing the southern fried onion. My gammon and his chicken burger were overcooked. No one asked during our meal or when the plates were collected how it was. I also had to ask for the bill after our plates were taken. I understand they were busy and not the waiting staffs fault about missing items. Just disappointing for the price we paid.

We booked a meal, and when we arrived, We had not been warned that there was a party with disco and children there!! The whole place was noisy and where would normally be the restaurant area was full with a party! Why would they not have warned customers? So, a wasted taxi trip, only to have to try to find somewhere else at the Last minute? Not at all impressed! Will not be returning!!

The beers and wines are nice. We did not eat any foods, just a relaxing drink together.

Quality food and service also well prxed.

I live close to the orange tree for a year now, but this is the first time I went there for dinner. I was really surprised by everything, me and my family(including 2 kids) went there and ordered two kids meals and 2 adults, all of them tasted really good even the kids ones. The price of the food there is not too bad, the service there was really friendly and funny. But the atmosphere is a bit dark in my own thought, but overall it's really good. A good place for family dinner or birthday dinner place.

Very good, reasonably priced food with friendly staff. We’ve driven past many times and always meant to go in, so now we have it’s another pub/restaurant to add to our list. We’ll definitely be going back, thank you

A really nice meal and very reasonably priced. I’ve driven past it so many times and wished I’d popped in. Now we have, we’ll definitely be returning

Visited twice recently with friends , once just for drinks and the other visit was for lunch. Service was very good, promptly welcomed and served. Good menu choices and food was great. Freshly cooked and piping hot. Tables cleared very promptly. Couldn’t fault anything. I think the food had taken a bit of dip a while ago but it seams to have improved tremendously. The young lady who may be the bar manger is a credit to the business, nothing was too much trouble for her. We will be back.

We stopped off at the Orange Tree for dinner on our way home from holiday. This proved to be a great decision. From the moment we arrived, we were made to feel welcome. We'd booked a table online about an hour beforehand and Kris, the Manager, was expecting us. One of our family is coeliac and it was great to have a dedicated gluten free menu. The food was delicious - generous portions and well-presented. The service was also friendly and efficient. As it was a Monday, Kris invited us to stay for the quiz night, which was a lot of fun. Unsurprisingly the place was busy, with lots of people taking part and there was a great atmosphere. We were very impressed - it's just a shame it isn't closer to home!

Place is very clean and staff are amazing the only reason I haven't given this place a 5 star is because I'm a gannet and think that the pudding should be bigger other than that everything was absolutely amazing.

Never order a roast beef dinner here. Food was cold. Potatoes not cooked. Beef in great chunks you could mend your shoes with.

Avocado and king prawn salad. Very poor value for the money. Don't have. Did complain but was told the menu is not set by the Orange Tree . The staff even agreed with me. Was not offered a small discount as a good will gesture. Won't go back there.

Great service. Food was excellent and prepared very fast exactly as ordered. Perfect for a relaxing meal with family. Very enjoyable experience.

Excellent value for money, quality food.

Good Fleetwood Mac tribute today

Staff friendly, and service was excellent. Food cooked perfectly and presented lovely. Not rushed. Value for money

Excellent service and great staff

A lovely place to go and eat, my daughter and I went there for a bite to eat on a Saturday lunchtime, the place is a good place to cone fur food and a chat. The staff are very attentive, friendly and approachable. All in all a lovely place to grab some lunch that's tasty and catch up with friend's or loved ones.

The rump steak is excellent and prepared just right according to preference.

Love the orange tree, never had a bad meal so far, Sunday lunch is always lovely , nice pub, lovely staff and dog friendly

Overall lovely place to eat, good food and welcoming helpful staff

Disappointed with new menu. Previously the smaller battered fish was enjoyable and good value for the price. Today the "light battered fish fillet" was an extremely odd shape..looked like a narrow slice cut down off a fillet. Small and dry. No usual lovely thick flakes of fish. My friend's steak pie from the Specials menu looked dry and the small portion of mashed potato and peas left half the plate empty ...nothing "special" about it. It looked like a school dinner. Used to love going to the Orange Tree. Not keen now. The quality of food had been lowered. Service was fine.

Had a birthday meal with our neighbour and a couple of friends. Very friendly staff great atmosphere. The food was very good and reasonably priced. Very good portion size as well. Well done all at the pub. It was a very nice evening 😀 👍

My daughter and I dropped in for lunch on Saturday and both had Fish & Chips- the food was tasty and enjoyable. The staff were really nice and friendly - a lovely place to go for a ketchup (okay a bad pun). Go try the menu for yourself, good honest pub grub 😊

Three of us had a very nice light lunch here. It was a bit of a miserable day weather wise so we sat indoors but they have a good sized garden so it's a great place to go when the sun is out. I had the cluckless goujons with a side of skin on fries and coleslaw, both very good. If you see my review of the Beefeater you'll see that I moan about their limp fries. Why can't they do better when so many other places, this one included do it so well

Rather disappointed initially bread on sandwiches rather hard. Lovely friendly staff tried to correct this but sandwiches came back with no ham.! This was also corrected. lovely friendly pub but food very different from when I last visited. Nothing special. May come back for the entertainment as looks fun.

Super friendly and efficient staff and lovely food. Decent value too. Pub classics menu really, but done to a good standard. What more do you need?

Our favourite place for the last 5 years. A big thank you to the staff, which is amazing.

Beautiful pub, very welcoming great service xx

The service was good, polite the food was lovely and reasonably priced for 6 of us so overall very good.

The food was tasty and well prepared, good pub grub, (don't expect fine dining), we weren't disappointed. Reasonably priced. 16 of us were accommodated without a problem. Everyone had something different to eat and there were no complaints from anyone. Can't say fairer than that.

Lovely pub, great food and service. Sophie was very patient with our group of four ladies that were chatting so much we kept forgetting to be ready to order when she came to our table! Thank you for putting up with us!

Lovely place food was great staff were very welcoming.

Having left a review back in April and your response that my comments would be taken on board, we were looking forward to trying your new Lunch Menu. What is going on in the kitchen? The ham and cheese toastie was not even toastie brown, just a sandwich, (see photo of just one of the two toasties) and the jacket potatoes are clearly pre-cooked and then microwaved on order. Chewy, dry, unappetising, no crispy skin and so tiny. We've been coming to the Orange Tree for years but it seems now that food is not as important as possibly entertainment. Some people must have low expectations reading some reviews.

It was a weds considering the atmosphere but apart that everting else was great. I ordered a light feed just before kitchen closed and bar staff still made sure my order was processed. Guinness is very nice also. Local pub for me in the beautiful Hitchin.

Food was good, Service was on point and overall just an enjoyable atmosphere can recommend.

Very nice meal in a nice atmosphere. Can highly recommend!

Best hunters chicken for miles. The service can be slow but a nice pub overall.

A great place to chill out and unwind. A great menu well priced. Well presented and tasty. They have live acts to keep you entertained.

The best roast I've ever had. Lovely beer garden too.

Lovely, welcoming venue. We ate late afternoon on Sunday so unfortunately not all the roasts were available so I had the chilli burger instead, which was delicious! Great staff, good choice of food at very reasonable prices!

Nice pub just outside town, with a good selection of drinks and a great food menu

We attended Orange Tree on Friday 2nd June for a friend's 40th birthday. The staff were very friendly and quick with our orders. We had a tribute to Michael Jackson that evening which was a great giggle. The food was good I had fish chips and peas with a kinder Bueno sundae for dessert which went down quite well with a couple of Kopperberg summer berries 😁

Well organised, friendly service. Generous portions of good food.

Most wonderful meal , food amazing and the staff could not do enough , highly recommended

Fantastic Sunday lunch as always and great service. I wouldn't go anywhere else locally now.

Super young man behind the bar, the bar bundles were so tasty, just maybe a little more care with the BLT sandwich.

Went for a car meet,ordered lunch and very quick service,food was ok.