The Paper Mill in Dacorum

All the food is incredible, location is lovely and they also have a decent selection of beers

We visited Apsley on the last weekend of January to explore a new place. The canal was quaint and a few businesses that operate along the bank were open, though others remained closed. We crossed the lovely modern metal & brick bridge to walk the canal path, but it was so muddy, towpath exploration wasn't very fruitful. The Paper Mill was closed on our walk out but on the way back it was open and it was packed inside. Clearly it's a popular place with the locals. We ordered drinks and with no available tables, were about to go outside (yes in the cold) to have our drinks, but one of the bartenders saw us and kindly ushered us toward a table where customers were leaving and cleaned it for us. They distinguish themselves with this kind of service! But drinks are drinks. We were feeling munchy but the deciding factor to stay and eat here really came down to the menu and the prices. They are definitely London city prices so we had lunch elsewhere. They have the most beautiful location along the canal and with tons of outdoor seating, this must be a jiving place in warmer months!

The Paper Mill hosted my mum's 50th on a busy friday night and the service was excellent! Someone spotted the balloons as we walked in and greeted us straight away, then showed us to our reserved area and told us to let them know if we needed anything. The night went smoothly and the deposit for the reservation was put straight back on my card with no hassle. Many thanks!

I don't think wetherspoons will be losing any sleep over this place. Portion sizes snd sides are very skimpy, quality just average pub standard. Beer absolutely awful. No problem though if you're a lager drinker. No chance of us ever going there again but we would never choose to. Overpriced small portions mains, desserts even worse.

Who would had thought that this place would play hosts to a national networking event for #BusinessBuzz. Lots of local and regional entrepreneurs getting together. Fantastic staff and a beautiful location right near the canal- ideal for a spot of lunch after a busy networking session Looking forward to going back in the spring and summer

Just had Sunday lunch. 4 of family had fish and chips, very good. 2 had beef Sunday roast, disappointing ; beef overcooked, dry and small portion.. Vegetables ok. Plus side Fullers ESB excellent.

We’ve been at this pub many times as we live in the area for over 10 years. The location is lovely and the pub has a nice design and atmosphere and staff is nice too. We haven’t been back for quite some time though, but this time may very well be our last visit as the menu is very limited (no more ribs!), food is average, nothing special at all, but prices are double than in central London! Very disappointed and not on our list anymore. Portions for adults were more like kids size and very average made (especially the burgers), and mac&cheese for £8.5 each were tiny portions. Central London has much better made burgers and bigger for at least £5 less, kids mac&cheese at least £3 overpriced as well. Very disappointed. Good bye paper mill

Excellent location, ambiance, warmth, staff, food. Loved it. Wished I lived this way cos I'd be there on a regular basis!

Good food all day, fast and friendly service. A great place to take clients for quick lunches.. Been visiting here for a few years now and I'm looking forward another summer and enjoying the canal side terrace at lunchtime. Always a bowl of water for my dog, Plenty of parking Child friendly

VERY average roast… and that’s being generous. I went for the 3 meats (beef, pork and chicken). The chicken was a drum stick, and then 1 slice of each of beef and pork. The beef was nice enough, pork was a bit dry and the chicken had been kept warm for a long time. In fact all of it tasted like it was made in the morning and kept warm for hours… so was just quite dry Big Yorkshire but not much gravy to go with it so again it was dry. The cauliflower cheese was very disappointing. You can see my picture how there are two tiny pieces and it felt like they just been waved in a bit of cheese sauce. If you contrast that to the cauliflower cheese that comes with the vegan roast dinner, then the vegan one comes with a full portion. Other vegetables – I got some chopped up cabbage and that was it. My wife had the roast pork and she also got parsnips and carrots. Everyone’s version of roast was different so it wasn’t consistent. Stuffing, although tiny, was very small. No crackling with the 3 roast but it comes with the pork. £23.50 for the meat roast which was a lot for what they actually produced. I know I can cook so much better at home so felt like a waste of money overall. The service was fine, the women that served us were very polite. Bringing out the food was a bit sporadic. Three or four dishes came out and then there was a 10 minute delay until the rest of them came out. Surely if you’re just serving reheated roast dinner, it could all come out at the same time. This used to be my local until I moved away three years ago, it feels like it’s gone downhill since we were there. I won’t rush back.

Visited here for the first time on a date. Really nice setting, lovely interior and the food was very good quality and tasty.

Really friendly staff, great food and atmosphere. A real find so close to a Holiday Inn Express.

Went for an after work drink about 4pm. Most tables reserved despite it being only a quarter full. Found an empty table so sat ourselves down. One hour later we get told we have to move. Apparently someone has reserved the table now. How can they kick people off a table for people that aren’t even there? So we had to leave, as by then all tables had reserved signs on. Ridiculous policy. Good way to lose regular customers

I was at The Paper Mill a few times over Christmas. Never had a bad drink or a bad bite to eat. I was in a party of ten or more and there was no problem accommodating everybody. All ages and genders. We had a blast. It's a good pub and the prices keep the Do as you likeys away.

Pub fair is not great with a limited menu. Sea bass was very small whereas the fish and chip portion very large. Staff were great, nice atmosphere with the two fireplaces. Upstairs dinning room not open on any visit.

Food was not very good, I have had better for less money.

Lovely Gastro Pub! Great food offering that came quickly and for friendly bar and service staff. They had a lovely warm fire on next to our table which helped us warm up from the cold.

Large place in a great location with a good outdoor area.

Inpromtu Sunday lunch, warm welcome on arrival and got a table that wasnt reserved until evening, ordered 2 roasts, wine and beer. Served promptly, hot and really tasty.... our dog was brought over treats too. Really lovely lunch in our local ..... highly appreciated & recommended..... see you soon xx

The duo who played the music had us all on the dance floor. Murdering it! Great, friendly and non discriminatory service. In some joints you get the sense you are not welcome

Went for NYE lunch. Food was lovely. Friendly helpful staff. Definitely recommend

Great place, fantastic location

An English pub with an offering that isn't exactly pub-style, starting with a rather strange selection of beers. Decent food with overall tasty dishes.

Very nice canal side setting. Staff friendly and helpful.

Perfect way to deal with broken down train... random visit to the local pub (just turned out my partner used to be head chef there many years ago) enjoyed quick bar snack of nachos (vegan option) before our lift arrived. Great festive atmosphere

I have to share how wonderful the staff were on the evening of Saturday 16th December 2023. My stepmother collapsed and was unresponsive, which obviously terrified us all. My daughters were crying thinking we had just lost their Nan, and I raced to the bar for help, which was instant from the team. I'm sorry I only picked up on Louis and Jay's names, but there were others working that night who also came together to help. Thankfully my Stepmother came to, and is recovering well. Louis and Jay in particular made a terribly upsetting and frightening situation so much more manageable, and I don't know what we'd have done without them. There was also support and compassion from other customers, particularly one lovely lady who stayed with and reassured my young daughters. Everyone was wonderful; I'm truly, truly touched, and so very grateful to everyone at the Paper Mill xx

This is a great local, food always tasty and consistent, service great and always a great welcome. Just what a local should be.

Ate here two nights in a row as so nice, staff really friendly as well, love the real fire :) 2nd night there was a live band on which was good but too loud to the point it was deafening and you couldn't hear each other even though shouting, we sat outside though which was fine, definitely recommend this place and will be back, thankyou x

Nice place. Lovely Christmas tree and log fire. Friendly staff. Quite expensive. Allows dogs in downstairs.

I had leaving drinks, followed by dinner. Everyone enjoyed their food, which was well presented and tasty. Downstairs was busy and noisy, which is great to see midweek, but when we went upstairs to eat, it was much quieter and great for a large group.

One of the best pubs for miles around. Lovely welcoming atmosphere and friendly staff. Great quiz on a Monday night.

Nice place. Food was OK but the portion sizes are very small.

Nice place, Nice food. Very comfortable.

Pleasant atmosphere, staff attentive however, the vegan options were beyond terrible. Please don't think this is a moaning vegan, its probably best not to offer any plant based options rather than such poor choices. I would far rather a place be honest and say they have nothing than to waste time and money.

A little on the expensive side, but the food was good, and the service was great and so was wheelchair accessibility although there is a bit of an incline when entering and exiting back to the car park. I believe that although I never used it, it has a lift to take you to the next floor, and everybody was very accommodating when letting me get my wheelchair through the pub

The food and service were excellent but very sort of nouvelle, so you don't get much money and it is expensive but worth it. very popular and quite crowded, so I have a book or get there early, but I love the atmosphere inside, especially with the fire going. Plus, for the summer months, it has seating outside overlooking the canal

Lovely canal-side pub. Good food, nice open fire to one area. Nice spot for an outdoor drink by the waterside in warmer weather or an indoor fire-side meal and drink in cold weather before or after a walk along the canal.

Just what i like, nice pub styled food, next to a nice warm fire

Decent, but for the price not special. Plentiful roast, well enough cooked, but had declined from best. I was a bit late, but as the price does not reduce, why should I accept quality doing so. As a regular, some staff seem arrogant: assuming you will never change your order. I rarely do, but having worked in the trade, they should ask. Close to being very good, and shortcomings can be put right. Briefly, pretty good, bit over priced, tweak some staff attitudes and will be a four star.

Amazing pub, cozy and warm Great food selection for everyone, staff very friendly,will be back.

Excellent and friendly service. We had the fish and chips and really liked the mint added to the peas!

I love the place, food and service. I will definitely go there again.

We were there for drinks. The place is nice and the guys serving us at the bar were great 👍

It's always a great place to visit. Good service great food and drink.

The pub is great with good food and a good beer selection

Warm and friendly, with diligent staff constantly doing something. Good came out quickly and well cooked. Easy parking (use the tablet) Would go again.

Lovely pub on the canal with parking, we booked a table outside which was really cute on the water. Had to order food at the bar, wish they could have taken orders outside...food was really yummy and good portions, service was really nice too, will def go back. Can take a lovely walk by the canal and lock's to walk off ur meal :)

We had an absolutely lovely lunch here, there were so many plants based options (that turned out to be actually delicious) that i found myself debating between several dishes which doesn't usually happen. I still wish i had tried the celeriac pasta special but i was so happy with my vegan club and the tenderstem tempura was delicious so, no regrets. Clean and pleasant inside. Thumbs up all round.

First visit, sunny October day for lunch. Sat outside by the water watching boats and swans go by. Food and service excellent. Will go again.

Didn't have food but what a gem

Love this pub. The food is great and the staff are really friendly. Highly recommend. Lucky to live nearby so can go there regularly

Absolutely fantastic burgers. The bar staff were fast, efficient, courteous and polite. Wonderful atmosphere, welcoming, pleasant and clean. And did I mention the burgers were amazing? :)

Lovely little pub along the river with great staff, shout out to Louis!

Fantastic location right by the Canal you can sit outside and check out the boats coming & going at the lock while enjoying your food and drink. Dog friendly with doggy beer (water + bowls) & some dog treats available for well behaved 🐕 🐩 mutt's. Nice menu,nice food...A bit on the experience side for my wallet. Fuller's beer on tap at London prices!! 🍺 ☹️ Limited car parking/time (see signs in the pub car park for more information). Wheelchair friendly with disabled toilet (baby 🍼 changing) available with a lift to first floor 🚽 & restaurant.

Lovely pub by the canal. Lots of seating outside and inside. Parking outside, remember to put your reg in the tablet at the bar. Reasonably pub menu, well presented. Starters, mains, puddings, or bar snacks. Good selection of drinks. Service is excellent and friendly. Lively atmosphere, very enjoyable. I had the burger, very tasty.

Have been going here for a long time. Great location, especially in good weather, with seating by the canal and a separate dining room, fireplace inside and pretty relaxed. The drinks have always been expensive (#Fullers) vlbut the food (although fairly pricey) was usually pretty good, went yesterday, and very disappointed with the cheeseburger (looked microwaved, overcooked, cheese only perceptible with some kind of super-sensitive detection equipment). The 8 chips that came with it were beautiful, though. My guest had a steak pie with small and disappointingly wet side vegetables and a poop-emoji of mash The pie looked like it needed another 30 minutes in the Ibiza sun, though, as it was a bit pallid. Staff were great but I got the impression they were a combination of new starters and job-seekers, no shame on them but it gave the place a feeling of not looking after their staff.

Beautiful place and animal friendly aswell

Nice pub, decent service, nice beer (Neck oil) but food was mediocre for the price.

Decent proper musically themed pub withe pool table and good atmosphere.

As it's a Fullers pub I didn't expect it to run out of London Pride.

A perfect pub with excellent service and food too!

Good food, great atmosphere, lovely setting!

Very bad experience to summarize Expiry drink was served and when informed they were not trying to o make it up and just consider it as another day. Very unprofessional attitude and food was very bad as well Can't recommend it and will not go again

Been visiting here for what feels like decades. Special shout out this time to Louis, who helped me and my friends when our table booking went awry to ensure we had a happy and comfortable summer evening out in the garden overlooking the water. My favourite local by far, suits both family Sunday afternoons and Thursday evenings with the girls.

Lovely pub, better in the summer. Bar staff good, food service poor. I used to love this pub and came fairly regularly but prices keep increasing and what you get is reducing. Almost £18 for haddock and chips and almost £20 for a burger is London prices. Limited menu. Got a platter for 2 today, if selling something for 2 you expect to get multiples of 2, 3 fish fingers why not 4? 5 scamp one in fairness was about the size of a 5p so maybe that was an extra lol 1 portion on chips, 1 sausage in batter but ok can cut in 2. The location saves it and I do hope it gets better again as its lovely watching the boats on the canal. Just won't go as often

Booked the hotel next door and came to this pub for dinner and drinks with friends. The Sausage and mash was fantastic! Great service from the team, especially Jay as always. Highly recommend!

Lovely place for lunch downside for elderly toilets upstairs

I ate here recently for the first time, as my family and I were staying nearby at The Holiday Inn and this was the nearest option for food. Downstairs was like a nightclub, and there was a strong odour of cigarettes, therefore we opted to sit upstairs which we thought would be quieter. There were few diners there however the first table we were ushered to was right next to another family and we simply had no space therefore we requested another table. This was quieter. Approximately five minutes after we had been seated, despite being quiet upstairs, a family with three children under the age of 5 were placed directly behind us. The noise was horrendous and the family kept going in and out of the upstairs terrace, constantly opening and closing the door. The food was very expensive and my mother was gluten free, and given one option of a 'burger' on the menu. My sister ordered a side order of chips and we had to remind the waitress after waiting 45 minutes and nothing had appeared. The service was horrendous, and it was clear that the waitress could not cope. In hindsight I wish we had enquired about the food offered in The Holiday Inn or even driven outside of town. When we came to pay for the meal, the waitress was unable to do this upstairs and so sent us downstairs. It was shambolic from start to finish and extortionately expensive. I do not recommend this place at all.

8.50 kids caeser salad. Iceberg lettuce and egg. Appalling rip off. Equally bad attitude and service. Been going for 5yrs, no more

Used to be great, now they are greedy ripping of their good customer base. Disappointing. Been going for years. Never again

Went here for a quick meal prior to visiting the cinema. Unfortunately this meal never happened as once the order was placed and almost an hour had passed - all we had received were our drinks. After questioning this we were told it could be sometime longer! ... decided to request a refund as we would obviously now miss the film if we waited any longer and then still had to eat it! The pub itself was about 20% full and from ordering we only saw approximately 3 meals leave the kitchen. I suspect the order was misplaced although it may just be the case they are extremely slow in preparing basic pub grub. Certainly worth checking how long you will have to wait before placing your order. Other customers noticed this when I queried and decided not to order and ho elsewhere.

Excellent staff, excellent venue, excellent atmosphere, excellent food.

We went with our children to have lunch and we ordered fish&chips. The fish was smelly and off. We never heard of anything like that before. It seems they used expired and rotted fish and tried to disguise it by battering and firing it.

It's nice place to visit or meet friends for drinks and chatting.

Great Sunday Lunch. First time for a roast and there was 6 of us. It was really lovely, generous portions and delicious. Glad we went and will be back. All the people that served us were also lovely. Thank you as we had friends visiting us so was a gamble to try somewhere new, but it was lovely. Pigs in blanket were also a great side and were a hit. Desserts good too. Will be back 👍🏻

Absolutely terrible customer service, went in for food, asked the guy at the bar, who was very friendly indeed, if they were still serving food, his reply was yes of course, named a several things that they served and asked us if we wanted drinks for of all. I'm partially sighted and my wife is dyslexic, that's why we asked at the bar, anyway we sat down with the menu that we were given and we were deciding what we wanted to order, the same guy that served us told us that the kitchen had decided to close, I was quite taken back, fuming to be honest, he said that he didn't know why they had closed early and would refund our drinks, anyway shortly after that a lady came over asking what was wrong, I explained our situation and she continued to say the times are on the front, bearing in mind we asked a member of staff as we have issues, that I've already explained, she took the bottle of wine away, in front of other customers and was terribly ambarrassing indeed, there were other customers listening and could see what had happened. This is terrible behavior and utterly disgusting customer service indeed.

Food was good and lively atmosphere

First visit to this place and will 100% be our last. Service was terrible, waited over 25 mins for a drink to be brought to our table. Wasn’t told on being seated which items they had sold out off. We were only told when ordering...

Had booked.Slow to be shown to table. Food overpriced. Drinks very expensive. Did not pay service charge. Very disappointed.

The Paper Mill in Apsley has become a cherished favorite for both my girlfriend and me. We frequently visit this charming establishment after enjoying a leisurely walk by the scenic canal, and it never fails to impress us with its exceptional offerings. First and foremost, the food at The Paper Mill is nothing short of amazing. The menu boasts a delightful array of dishes, each thoughtfully crafted with high-quality ingredients and bursting with flavor. Whether it's their scrumptious burgers, delectable pasta dishes, or mouthwatering salads, every bite leaves us eagerly anticipating our next visit. The service is equally remarkable. The staff at The Paper Mill are attentive, friendly, and go out of their way to ensure a memorable dining experience. They always greet us with a warm smile and are quick to assist with any special requests or dietary preferences. One aspect that truly sets The Paper Mill apart is its dog-friendly atmosphere. As dog lovers, we appreciate the fact that this establishment warmly welcomes our furry companion. It's heartwarming to see them provide water bowls and even some treats for our four-legged friends. The Paper Mill's dedication to creating a pet-friendly environment adds an extra layer of enjoyment to our visits. The ambiance of The Paper Mill is both cozy and inviting. Whether we choose to sit indoors or enjoy the outdoor seating by the canal, we always feel relaxed and comfortable in the restaurant's welcoming surroundings. Overall, The Paper Mill has consistently exceeded our expectations, making it a go-to destination for special outings or simply unwinding after a pleasant walk. We highly recommend this lovely establishment to anyone seeking a fantastic dining experience, outstanding service, and a pet-friendly environment. Kudos to The Paper Mill for continually providing an exceptional place to dine and unwind. We look forward to many more visits in the future!

Great evening, good friendly atmosphere and a great place to bring your pooch along too

Oli & fraser were a great server! Gave me a pocecco for my birthday and didn't flee when my husband and I chatted him up for 5 mins or so. Genuinely a gem and such a polite server he was so kind and lovely to speak to and told me history about the Apsley locks! We would like to give the gratitude and we felt welcome and the honest hospitality made us feel welcome with such a friendly environment. Thank you for making my birthday ♡

Lovely gastro bar on the edge of the canal Suberb fast service. Best to book first. Gets very busy

Was good food drink servic3 and atmosphere

Great pub, fantastic bar staff.

Lovely location. Staff were friendly and helpful. Food was ok and fairly priced. Good range of beers.

Lovely pub, we sat outside by the edge of Aspley Lock in the Sunshine. We only had sandwiches but the food others had looked good.

Beautiful location perfect for the warm summers nice watch the world go by, food was great, decent size portions and reasonably price for the location.

Nice location, beer is okay, bar staff very friendly, nice looking venue.

Great location for a drink.l on the canal. Parking a squeeze, but hot Summer day so was obviously busy. Good service as always. Great range of beers. Recommend.

Really enjoyable evening, im a wheelchair user and the pub/restaurant is fully accessible with lift to the upstairs, and very helpful and polite staff, will go back again for sure

Fantastic meal in a lovely setting. Quality food. We had lamb followed by tiramasu.

Beautiful venue, due to the popularity the service is slow. Drinks very pricey...

Great place for drinks and to meet friends. Great service and friendly staff. Will return to try the food

I went up to the bar a few times and it seemed like I was invisible to couple of serving staff on one occasion I stood opposite the till a particular bar staff just ignored me and served someone who had clearly arrived after me I really hope it not my ethnic background but it was genuine misunderstanding The food severs and manager / mate tre de were amazing if not out this world made up for and covered my disappointment of why I got front of house ie the bar #fullers there some training to be done to get this establishment back to your high standards

Nice pub next to Grand Union Canal, good food and good service.

A very nice place for Sunday lunch with the family. Food was good 👍

Popped in for a quick lunch bit with our dog.. service we couldn't fault food was brought out after our order of burger & scampy .. which was nice & couldn't complain... & whilst we sat eating the waitress brought out some doggy bics .. nice touch too .. Go again for sure .. tick ticked our boxes .

Pricey for portion size but lovely

Far too busy for a family meal, couldn't hear each other speaking. Food overpriced in my opinion, for that price I would expect table service