The Oval Cafe in St Albans

The oval cafe tucked away in a lovely corner its very beautiful but only 1/3 of the magic there a bunch of incredible places like the church which me and my school trip visited I would definitely recommend any other school to visit

We used to like this café because of lovely location and easy-going service. No longer! Our particular gripe was being chucked out of the seating area one hour before the café closed with a abrupt two minutes notice, along with some other customers. Our annoyance was compounded by a failure to take either cash or debit card when ordering an additional item that was below £1 . Talk about unhelpful service! Another problem the café needs to get on top of is that most of the available tables were occupied “long-term” by sixth formers using the free electricity and free Wi-Fi but buying very little. More generally the service was unfriendly . The fact that the café is part of a Christian Centre makes all this worse.

There was a lovely atmosphere, friendly staff and even an art gallery. Will visit again if we get the chance.

Friendly atmosphere. We really enjoyed the coffee and cake, especially the chocolate and courgette cake. They serve a limited but adequate range of other drinks and food. Dogs not allowed inside, but they are outside, where there are a few tables. We walk our dog on this lovely site, annual permit available for a fee from the office.

Great cafe, friendly atmosphere easy to park. Hot and cold snacks, tasty coffee, separate children's play room with tables for the parents and grandparents. Perfect place for a casual unhurried snack or lunch

Nice family friendly cafe, friendly staff. Good coffee and good food. Lovely outdoor seating and surrounding area.

I took my elderly parents for coffee and cake. As my mum needs a wheel chair the parking was great. Set in a nice open area unfortunately it was not good weather and there were a lot of groups with young children. The noise mad it hard to have a conversation.The coffee was nice but not the selection of cakes I had read about.Worth trying again great for families.

Gorgeous cafe, perfect for relaxing or, in my case, to work. Will be recommending to friends and family. Brilliant ambiance, decorated beautifully and the coffee was lovely. Playlist tops it off. Great resources, such as good wifi and lots of power sockets! 10/10

So I frequent this when I think to because I sometimes walk the dog in the woods at the oval without having paid for the dog permit. Friendly staff. Free wifi. Fee parking. Little kinda crèche bit.

There is such a wonderful atmosphere as soon as you enter the room. The staff are very welcoming and have great customer service, there's a great area for children to play and is a beautiful place to bring friends and family. It also has a beautiful rustic theme.

Came in with the young ones , really nice for them to ride bikes and play around and nice cafe with good choice of snacks.

Just lovely , nothing else to say a super friendly and always a lovely choice of cakes on offer , great setting for children and families to spend a chilled out afternoon.

They serve a very good cup If tea. You can walk in the grounds before or and after visiting the cafe. They have sandwiches, crisps, cakes and all sorts of hot and cold soft drinks. Pleasant atmosphere.

A fantastic place,staff are very friendly and welcoming. Coffee is super. Lovely atmosphere.

It has recently been redecorated. Friendly staff, most agreeable atmosphere with good coffee and reasonable tasty sandwiches, homemade cakes and snacks.

Un hermoso espacio con personal que no puedo hacer más por ti. He estado sentado en el banco de trabajo, con cómodos asientos y una vista maravillosa sobre el césped. El café es brillante, y el paninis son simple y deliciosa. Es un refugio maravilloso para mí mientras mi abuela está en el Hospital de aguja al lado.

Viajaba a algunos lugares en el REINO UNIDO en este último año, buscando un Chai Latte que podría competir con éste. Nunca sucedió!

La Oval Café es situado en el edificio principal de lo que antiguamente era el National Children's Home EN Harpenden (hogar para 200 niños hasta 1985, pero ahora es la oficina principal de la Juventud con una Misión, una organización internacional cristiana misionera).

Fuimos allí en las vacaciones escolares. Una encantadora joya escondida. Las habitaciones son grandes y bonitas ventilado. Hay una habitación con una pequeña zona de juegos para niños pequeños. El capuchino y brownies estaban bien.

El Oval se ha convertido en un favorito de playdates o un café con los amigos y natter para mí.

A hidden gem. V reasonably priced. Easy to park and excellent kids corner so u can really take a break if u have children with u HOWEVER there's another child free room too so best of both worlds ! Absolutely delicious cakes too.

Very friendly atmosphere, with a peaceful vibe. Good espresso and fun employees. Latte was on point but was disappointed at lack of bagels.

Iv been here a few times the staff are always friendly and the food is nice as well as the coffee I would recommend this place

Perfect place to relax, hang out with friends and have a great coffee! Really friendly staff, with a whole selection of freshly baked goods!

The Oval Café in Harpenden is excellent. There are two rooms (both with settees and comfortable chairs) to enjoy ones refreshments. The main room is where the counter is, then there is a second room (with a door) which is geared up for children (toys, small chairs, high chairs). There is also plenty of room to park a buggy between the two rooms.The coffee, service, cakes were excellent and very good value for money. My cappuccino was well made and served at a nice temperature; banana cake (£1 a slice) was good and the piece of fudge was excellent.Outside there is the Oval: a large grassed area with only residential traffic around its edge – great for a toddler to get some exercise after visiting the café.Opening hours are 9 to 5 during the week and 11 to 4 on Saturday (closed on Bank Holidays).I found the Oval Café a friendly and relaxing place and thus would highly recommend it.

With free WiFi, great coffee and easy 'free' parking, why wouldn't you want to use this cafe? It is staffed and run by Youth With A Mission, also known as YWAM, a global Christian organisation that trains young people to serve as evangelists throughout the world. When you stop in for coffee, you could be served, as I was by a young volunteer from an interesting country. The coffee is good too.

This great cafe is run by an outstanding Christian organisation and provides a peaceful place to stop for good quality coffee in a very pleasant environment. Youth With A Mission (YWAM) also run a Christian bookshop, which is worth a visit too.Run by young people from different parts of the world so there's a good chance to meet people from other cultures but with a shared faith.Easy parking so more convenient than trying to get into a Costa or Starbucks, better value too. Plus FREE WIFI so good for solo visits to work quietly or business meetings or even to study.

I love this place! The staff are always friendly, and they remember my favorite drink! There are 2 rooms-one where children are very welcome, and one that is a quieter space, so it is nice to have the option. Delicious paninis from the Harpenden Sandwich Company, as well as yummy baked treats. Highly recommended!

the oval cafe is a friendly coffee shop and has alot of space outside in their garden to have a cuppa and then go for a walk. recommend for a hangout with friends.

It's lovely to be served by such smiley, happy staff and sit in a cosy cafe for a hot chocolate that is to die for! Yum! A great place to bring children and feel welcomed rather than feel like they are causing a nuisance to other cafe goers. It has a lovely family living room feel. Thanks guys!