The Plough in St Albans

As a resident that has lived there all my life for 50 years, I can see the Plough from my garden! it has really gone down hill since the new owners and I will no longer bother wasting my money there. The price of their drinks is more than anywhere I have found in St Albans, a glass of red wine for example is £15, and no cheaper if you buy a bottle !! The beers are equally expensive and the young bar staff do not have a clue and unwelcoming. The management are missing a trick here, the Plough I remember was packed with people came from all over, nowadays even with their nice beer garden, its just not worth the money with very average overpriced food! In two words, Expensive and disappointing. St Albans is the most pub-populated town in Britain, I have so many choices better than the Plough, my advise is go to the 3 horseshoes across the field, far better value and service.

What a little gem! Garden is fabulous, lots of seating for those sunny afternoons. Food was delicious. It was served quickly by very helpful staff, who met all of my strange dietary requirements. Honestly, they couldn't have been more helpful. Would definitely go again.

Had a great meal at The Plough in Sleapshyde. Really tasty food, the Sunday roast was spot on. Staff were super friendly and made us feel really welcome. Lovely garden area and dog-friendly, which was a bonus. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area!

Under new management food was excellent in a very pleasant location. Staff very attentive would highly recommend it. Try the burgers they are to die for all family were impressed and enjoyed lunch at a reasonable price.

Lovely food,great service and a good atmosphere

Delicious food with fantastic service and a great friendly atmosphere. Unfortunately not local to me but certainly worth the drive and a real asset to St.Albans. Would highly recommend. A++++

The food was great. We had roast beef which was cooked to perfection. The service was great and so was the Guinness. Great family evening out

Change of management…….. not the same place anymore. Very boring menu and basic pub service !!! Not sure ……. Such a shame

Lovely food. Good service, field and tyre swing for kis

Gone back to being a proper pub ....Great.

Food has gone down hill with new owners, but still charging top money for poor food 👎🏻

Lovely pub, beautiful peaceful garden with views across fields, locally brewed beer not crazy expensive, had a lovely evening! I didn't eat on this occasion so can't review the food but I seem to recall it being very nice a couple of years ago when I did!

Great outdoor seating area. A walk away from Albans Way. Lovely food, staff and customers. Keep an eye out for their foodie evening.

Staff are lovely. The service is however extremely slow. We were waiting a very long time for our mains (grilled dishes which should be quick). The sides salad and broccoli were disappointing and somehow arrived even later than the mains. The mains themselves were delicious, just need faster service.

Just spent Mothering Sunday at the plough .. roast was so delicious 😋 atmosphere was great the staff very attentive, and the cocktails.. well !! All I can say is you need to go and give them a try 👍 you won’t be disappointed

Sadly this is my 3rd occasion eating at this establishment and whilst the setting is lovley, I’m afraid to say the quality of the food extremely poor. Highly recommend having a beer in the garden but don’t waste your money on the highly priced, low quality food.

A beautiful, calm pub with superb food and service, good wine and beers, good music. Ordered sea bream and the burger - we absolutely loved both; fish perfectly cooked (and seasoned!) of course and lovely subtle flavours, and crispy broccoli with a sauce that softly brought it all together. All unpretentious. Must try the Allotment Soup next too!!

I popped into the plough the other day and was pleased to see a ploughman’s on the menu. Previously I have been put off by the big plate menus but this was a lovely light meal with all the traditional ingredients. A new owner has taken over and this looks like the return of a traditional pub and local.Carol West

Second time there and same lack of staff. Today there was one waitress only, managing orders, serving and cashing in. Passing by the kitchen I spotted one cook only. Could have been more. So after one hour sitting and drinking we decided to leave. Pity as I remember the first time we went the food was great.

Beware, under new ownership. We've been coming to this pub for years, was our favourite place to come for a celebration dinner, especially because they allow our dog to lie quietly under the table. However, last night we came with two other couples and I am so embarrassed that there was no vegetarian main course on offer at all. She left hungry and I left so embarrassed having told our friends that this place was great. I understand it's under new ownership and maybe it'll settle down but with huge regret, we'll be going elsewhere for the foreseeable

Lovey place and helpfull lovey food and nice clean can you take small dog in garden thanks again

Lovely local pub with delicious food and quick friendly service. Menu is always excellent. Great cosy atmosphere and interior. Highly recommend.

Mde and my father came across this little pub through Google thought we would go d a try and was amazed by how friendly the staff are and the food was amazing we didn't wait too long for food. I would highly recommend going there. We certainly will be back soon 😀

Very nice meal. Ordered off the chargrill menu. Well looked after by the hosts, too.

Had Christmas lunch with family, fantastic food and great service.

We visited on new year's day (2025) and had a fantastic visit. The food was brilliant and the staff were very welcoming and friendly. I would highly recommend a visit and if you're a fan of sausage and mash I would recommend you try theirs, it was brilliant!

Such a unique location for a pub, the atmosphere had a cosy feel to it. They managed to accommodate last minute booking. The sunday roast and sticky toffee pudding was delicious. Welcoming and friendly staff.

Wonderful food and service as always.

Had a google before coming and saw that it was a Michelin star pub - which was evident on arrival! Had the hake which was divine! I was spoilt for choice for food! Staff friendly and attentive too

A lovely pub with amazing staff - friendly and attentive. Spoilt for choice for food. Had the tranche of hake which was divine!

Roast chicken for two with lots of veg. Tasted superb with lots of flavour. Also had the Cauliflower Cheese which was very tasty. Have been visiting for a while and nice to see it’s just as good. Service was just perfect with very friendly and accomodating staff.

A lovely pub, but had extremely limited vegetarian & vegan options that looked like they would be more ready meals. We decided to leave.

Sue was just incredible! The food is DELICIOUS, the pub itself is super quaint and even dog-friendly.....an absolute must and can't wait to return!

My wife daughter and friend enjoying the sun in the deckchairs in the beer garden. No better place around when the sun shines.

Beautiful pub, perfect for summer outside and also for winter roosts inside

Really high quality, delicious food. Great value overall with good portion sizes too. The staff were friendly and helpful, offering personal food reccomendations and wine suggestions etc. It was a quiet mid week evening and I'd definitely reccomend more people to visit if they are looking for a top notch, cosy pub dinner.

The plough welcomed myself and a group of 64 morning hikers to stop over and take a short break at their establishment, allowing us to use their facilities ie. Toilets even though they were not officially opening for another hour. This was highly appreciated by the whole group as the Plough didn’t have to do so at all, the coffees and teas were fantastic and the general service was exemplary, as the owner of the bar and bar manager treated us with the upmost respect and were lovely and amazing people. I will definitely be visiting the Plough again, not just to say thank you but to also enjoy the atmosphere when it’s busy with the local community.

Stumbled across this beauty this morning with a community hike group. The lady running the place was super friendly and even offered to open slightly early to serve our large group which we were extremely grateful for. Excellent customer service, reasonably priced, a nice clean and tidy aesthetic and great customer service. Win win!!

Very overpriced for the quality and quantity. Sides not inclured with most dishes, Two good dishes, four small and oversalted, plus 12.5% service. Small, limited menu. I would not recommend.

We, local residents in St Albans, visited The Plough for the first time at Sunday lunchtime. The tables were nicely laid, reasonably spaced, and both service and food were very good. The young waiting staff were pleasant, courteous and attentive - which is far from the case in other restaurants and presumably testament to their selection and training. There was no attempt to push over-priced mineral water. The food was all nice, well prepared and served, and served in decent time (no interminable waits between courses). We did need to ask for more gravy for the roast meals (but I recognise that some people would not like too much, and it is obviously easier to add than to subtract) which was brought happily. Condiments such as mustards and ketchup were brought nicely in small pots (mercifully not in messy packets). One odd thing was a chocolate mousse with a dent into which a huge amount of olive oil was poured. The diner had to use a paper napkin to mop up this excess oil which was strange. But that is our only negative comment. The menu choices were good, though perhaps Sunday lunch is not the best time to judge this. Wines covered a fair range of suppliers, countries and prices. With one bottle of their cheaper wine, a lunch for four including the optional/semi-mandatory 12.5% tip was just over £200. We would like to visit again at a different time, maybe in the evening, as the only downside for us was a pack of ill-behaved children running riot. Of course this is a difficult judgement for the restaurant staff, and my suspicion is that Sunday lunch is especially liable to suffer in this way.

Lovely setting inside and out, with attentive and friendly staff

This pub was booked as the venue for the wake after my uncle's funeral. They let us have the entire pub for the afternoon, and provided teas and coffees on tap and served at the bar. They laid on a buffet that I was pleased to see wasn't just sandwiches and crisps (not a crisp in sight in fact) and the food was very tasty. The service from the staff was attentive and respectful. When two dogs arrived they provided a little dish of doggie treats for each dog. It was an excellent choice (decision not made by me) and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them, I wish I'd been able to enjoy a visit there under different circumstances.

Love this place, it's been a regular haunt for me and my friend for lunch over the last couple of years when she's in the country and provides a perfect location for good food and catching up x

We visited with family on a Friday afternoon. At first, we were the only patrons, but it got busier later. I was really looking forward to a good pint of English Bitter . Unfortunately, they only had " designer" beers on tap. I informed the server that I liked the bitter type of ales, and she recommended an IPA that wasn't too fruity. Very disappointing!! 2nd beer was a guineas, which was very good. Living in Portugal, I was shocked at the cost of 2 beers and 2 glasses of wine !!! It's not their fault, but I needed to be peeled off the floor !!! I'm so outgoing of touch with prices in the UK. Overall I would say I wouldn't visit again due to the selection of beers. Give me a pint of London pride and I'll be happy

A lovely lovely little spot! Super friendly staff and the food is absolutely delicious, highlyyyy recommend!

Went for a celebratory meal and it certainly didnt disappoint. Lovely food, great atmosphere and fab beer ! Burger was delicious, and the fish was great too! Will definitely be returning !

We are "Sunday Lunch Freaks" and this was far and away the best in the St Albans area. The Roast Chicken meal was amazing, just like home cooked. Fabulous roasties, the best cauliflower cheese ever and OMG the carrots were worth the trip on their own! Brilliant music and excellent service. No need to go anywhere else in our search for the perfect Sunday lunch, thankyou!!

Expensive food, add items to your food that isn't on the menu so if you dont like what is unexpectly added, you are stuck with it. Also quite a few flies inside around the food.

5 stars - although it was slightly pricey for a BH Monday. However the food was excellent and very kind waiters to us and our dog! Good wine options and a few cocktails on offer. Lovely refurbishment since we were last in. Service not that speedy but nice to be able to take our time with lunch… keep it up, we will be back !

Came here for my friends wedding and it we had a fantastic day! The food was absolutely delicious. We had canapés followed by 3 course wedding breakfast. How they managed to serve perfectly cooked steak for that amount of people, I will never know! The service was great and all staff were super friendly. Can't wait to return for a meal again soon! Thank you for making my friends special day so perfect!

We hosted our wedding here in April and it was absolutely bloody brilliant. The pub is stunning, the food insanely good, the cocktails amazing and the staff are the friendliest bunch of hospitality people you'll ever meet. 10/10 a perfect day ❤️

They craft the food themselves, good really excellent. The team there are knowledgeable and understand gluten intolerance, and adapt the menu to your needs.

What a fabulous find! Great service, lovely staff, fabulous food 😊 We stopped for lunch by chance and we are so glad we did.

Great gastro pub. The food was absolutely fabulous with some pub classics plus a lot of other choices. Looked as beautiful as it tasted. Make sure to ask for Sue, she completed the experience with a smile and a laugh.

This is a promising place: great outdoors sitting, an exciting gastro menu, nice drinks selection. Unfortunately it's a promise that failed to deliver the past two times: dishes are often executed subpar, wine is not chilled, service people don't ask once if everything was actually fine. We had the grilled plaice and grilled chicken thighs on our last visit, both served undercooked and still partially raw... Will stick to drinks only next time.

Plant based options very limited Service was ok.

Lovely staff, lovely food, lovely pub.

Absolutely amazing! We were not expecting such a wonderful gastropub food! Soup was outstanding, service and atmosphere is fantastic!

Quirky old pub, set in quiet countryside, with no traffic and plenty of wildlife. Garden is gorgeous but suited for summer only, inside its cozy with a lovely old bar and fairy lights which just make the place pop!!! We ate the new Tomato salad which was phenomenal - chateau steak cooked to perfection with the most silkiest red wine jus and a wonderfully balanced chicken snitzel full of flavour! The fish and chips was not soggy, crispy batter and most of all without the skin which is a bonus. Really lovely atmosphere, staff clearly love working here and are a good laugh especially the barmen and a lovely young lady on the floor (blonde long hair?) Friendly all around from sitting down to eating and the lady that brought us food was so sweet making sure we had all we needed to enjoy our food. The panna cotta was HEAVENLY!!! They also have an allotment in the back of the pub where they grow their own ingredients and I learned that the strawberries and mint come from that garden! How absolutely delightful! Really lovely place 5*!!!

We had a lovely meal. The service was very good. There was a little problem in the kitchen and our meal was a bit delayed. They brought us delicious bread while we waited. The meal was well worth waiting for. And then a lovely surprise to see they’d only charged us for drinks. What a super kind surprise. Much appreciated. We will be back. Thank you.

We visited the Plough on the 11th May. It was a Saturday evening and although the weather was fine we chose to eat inside. We were with friends that had recommended the Plough as they had been here before. I ordered the Schnitzel. I asked if it came with fries as the server was leaving. He said no. So I ordered a side of fries. What struck me was that if I hadn’t asked…..I would have been served just a schnitzel. The server was not going to ask. Very odd. I was looking forward to the Scotch egg but then found it was off the menu. Then all of a sudden it was back on. Happy days, so I thought. But it was not very nice. Unusual aftertaste. Oh well. Our friends had ordered the Chateau of Dedham vale beef for £70. To share. When this arrived. It was 7 slices of meat. On a single plate. With a small amount of sauce. Ok. We thought. No side plates. Just a plate of steak. To share. When the other dishes arrived. We asked for side plates. Again. Odd. When the side plates arrived, we asked if the Chateau of Dedham vale beef came with sides. The new server said no. No. Just a plate of meat. Maybe the original server thought ordering just the dish like this was normal. Why would he not question they we were ordering food with no sides. We spent most of the meal in disbelief. We did order a side of fries to go with the Chateau of Dedham vale beef and shared other fries from the table whilst these promptly arrived. Our guests were sure that the menu said with fries but did not have the menus to double check. We were charged for the late portion of chips. Which is kinda irrelevant but proved the incompetence of the staff. As the Chateau of Dedham vale beef should indeed come with fries. Amazing. All in all. A very over priced meal that was ruined further by laughable service. Maybe it was a one off. A bad day. We will never know because we will not return. Shame. It is on our doorstep. Ps. The guest that booked the table, did contact the Plough directly to discuss this. The Plough didn’t even respond. Hence my review.

Found by chance and had a wonderful meal. Staff and atmosphere really lovely. Definitely worth coming

Poor value, far too expensive. Small piece of lukewarm halibut, no vegetables, thin 'tartare' sauce, bizarre paper on plate, half a lemon in unnecessary muslin - £22. Only vegetable choice broccoli. Or broccoli. With potatoes side dishes were £9. Other food mediocre, very poor/odd choices on menu. £70 for beef. £70 ! I didn't enquire what delicacies the cow ate to cost that much. That commonly requested choice bone marrow was an option. Sticky toffee pudding £12. Prices ridiculous. They just need to change.

The new menu was very good. This is the food I’ve had for years, at a very good price. In a lovely setting in the garden patio, nice music playing in the back ground. Staff very friendly. First time I’ve visited this pub for thirty years and will definitely return. We had 4 starters/bar snacks £34. Would highly recommend

Had a delicious lunch here on Sunday, the place is very lovely, well kept, and very clean and tidy. I will definitely go back. How ever the service was just lacking, it took 15 minutes for our drinks to arrive, a shandy and a virgin Mary. All the service on the day just seems lacklustre. Nothing seemed urgent, there were plenty of staff, but they were not very attentive.

Beautiful setting. Amazing food

I had lunch here with four friends last week. It was highly recommended by my daughter. She was right, it was all very good. Lovely setting, hidden away in the countryside, nice staff and great food. It will be a regular place to visit in the future for me I’m sure. Well done The Plough 👍🏻

Disappointing experience, food arrived cold and sent it back. No vegetable options. Sticky toffee pudding at £12 I don't think so.

I haven’t eaten here but it always looks and smells good. They seem to only have 1 ale on at a time but they're always well kept and reasonably priced. They have a wall of craft ale pumps if they floats your boat.

A very comfortable pub, great food and a great find.

Lovely local pub, friendly staff, cosy inside and great food.

One of our favourite places in and around St Albans - the food is really special. I would go so far as to say some of the dishes are Michelin star quality. Some of the starters, in particular, are divine. You can also go more gastro pub if you want a decent fish and chips. Wine and drinks didn’t quite meet the level of the food when they first opened a year or so ago but it’s improved a lot. Staff are always lovely too. My only teeny tiny gripe is the music - could do with a bit more love to match the food, drinks and atmosphere.

Amazing roast dinner, great service, I just wanted more 😋

Great staff, really friendly and helpful. Great venue, food was really top quality and clearly made freshly. No faults! Really good.

Incredible food, excellent service, staff were extremely attentive. Already booked to go again!

We have just had probably the best Sunday lunch at the plough. The staff were all so pleasant and helpful with a warm and inviting atmosphere. The quality of the food was exceptional and generous. We will be returning for dinner very soon.

We have eaten here a few times. The whole family loved it and I have picky eaters. They did amazing gluten free options for myself.

The food is divine. We had the 5 course tasting menu which outshone some of the best London has to offer. The a la carte menu looks more traditional pub but with amazing attention to detail and quality. The service was friendly, fast and efficient. One of the best gastro pub experiences we’ve had. Highly highly recommended.

Really nice pub for food. Great for Sunday roast but also for the a la carte menu. Service always friendly and very welcoming of dogs and families . Well worth a visit 👍🏻

It had very tasty food, that was nicely presented. The staff were very nice and kind. The pub felt very quaint and homely, making the atmosphere and experience quite enjoyable.

Delicious roast and friendly service We were 3 + a baby in pram Waitress was so friendly and accommodating Pub is small and cosy Outside space looks great for summer! Roast potatoes were excellent which is always a sign of a good roast! Fancy presentation and very tasty indeed Puds a bit too pricey but tasty too. Will definitely be back.

I went there with my partner and we got focaccia and a 'nduja scotch egg to start. Both were delicious. I went for the fish and chips for my main course, and it was among the best I've ever enjoyed. The place felt cozy, like a pub in the countryside.

I have been to this pub many times before and always recieved lovely food and service . The service today was terrible the.bar man was rude and arrogant. No.pleae or thank you terrible ... never will return - The fact they never replied ? is testament to lack of care

Great food in a lovely welcoming pub on a Saturday evening. Good selection of beers and gins. Cheerful welcoming service . Thank you Update: excellent all round . Pre Christmas lunch and made to feel very welcome with some delicious food and fine wine.

I haven’t eaten here, staff are great

Came with my son and his partner for lunch after a friend recommended us to try The Plough, we had a very nice day and enjoyed a delicious lunch. We were well looked after and have booked in for dinner before Christmas as after seeing the menu we decided we have to try it!

Had a lovely dinner with my friends for our yearly festive get together, food was interesting and delicious. The staff were also very pleasant to us, there was a slight issue with one of our drinks which was handled really quickly and apologetically, the cocktail was worth the wait I must say. We will for sure be back soon.

We had a very pleasant experience. The food was very good. The staff were pleasant and accommodating. Nice country pub. Would recommend it.

We regularly visit the plough & always enjoy our evenings,warm welcoming atmosphere,helpful friendly staff..but this week we got to enjoy the scrummy Christmas dinner with all the trimmings 🥂enjoyed by all! I certainly recommend a Christmas visit-it won’t disappoint!

We had a so called ploughman’s lunch today that cost £15! Each dish. I slice of sourdough bread cut in half. The 2 small slices of cheese and ham would have made half a sandwich for £15!!! 😂😂😂😂 sorry we did get a small bowl of pickle as well 😂

The Plough has a tiny bar. The local drinkers treat it like a living room, with a small child and baby still in the bar well after last orders. The locals’ belongings are spread across the entire bar, on tables and chairs they have no intention of using (and they don’t move them when someone is looking to sit). The swearing, farting (yes, farting) and general rudeness was awful and not what you’d expect in a gastro pub with a tasting menu at £60 per head/ £17+ for two ordinary drinks. The staff petted/hand fed the dogs in the bar and returned to serving food and drinks without washing their hands. The staff found the regulars hilarious - regularly chiming in with inappropriate comments. The food, service and ambience has always been good but standards have plummeted.

Before I write this review I would like to say that we have been to the plough 100’s of times and it has always been a pleasant experience with very good food and service. We pre booked a table at 6.30pm this evening and were seated at the bar area. There were four/five people at the seated bar (not unusual for such such a nice country pub) However, some 2 minutes into our visit we were consumed by a horrendous smell followed by lots of laughing. The customers at the bar (clearly locals) were jaunting about the men “farting” along with the bar staff joining in on the joke. We laughed it off as “merry men” but this continued throughout a 15 minute seating after ordering our food. Bar staff were all joining in with comments such as “ you stinky b*stard there’s something wrong with your guts” followed by lots of laughter from all. All fun and games! However, For £60pp for a taster menu we didn’t really want to sit in that smell! We were unable to converse or sit in comfort and had to ask to move tables. We were then placed in a back room (empty) apart from a family of 10 that we then felt we had to “join”. The whole experience was very below par! We cancelled our meal. Whilst waiting for an Uber (which we had already paid £25 to get to the pub) we were spoken to by a staff member. Again, this particular staff member has always been top tier with service prior to this visit. He seemed frustrated that I told him I would be writing a review ( understandable as him and Hannah always try their upmost to give the best service) and I informed him that although I understand it is difficult from his standing to be able to do anything about this, I feel an honest review on the very “minority” of customers this evening was very disappointing. He did give us a free glass of wine whilst waiting for our Uber to collect us. Such a shame about tonight. As per my previous reviews have always been 5 stars.

Bought my gf here after not visiting for over a month. Always been good (staff and food)before tonight’s visit. Got seated in bar area by loud male drinkers. Burping, farting and generally being rude AF. Ordered food, service good-waitress really friendly and nice. The five people at the bar were disgusting. Burping loudly and farting loudly. Laughing and joking about the smell, and staff playing along too! Put me and my gf off eating completely. Always had a good time at this pub until tonight. Just glad I didn’t bring my in-laws this evening. Thanks for the next week of torture from my gf!

Good food, nice vibe. Highly recommended. Burger was fantastic. Very dog friendly

Highly recommend the Chefs taster menu. 5 course meal of pure pleasure on the taste buds. Each course explained to you by the chef with passion and pleasure

I found the food expensive for what you received. I had a fish main. It was a small slither of fish and white sauce on a huge bowl and a small bowl of French fries. I had to send it back as it was luke warm when it was first served. The saving grace was the date pudding which was a bigger serving than the main and virtually half the price. I won't recommend or return.

What a bobby dazzler of a pub! I went whilst visiting family in St Albans and can say for certain, it's my new favourite pub down there. Beautiful outside and in with helpful, friendly and efficient staff. Our meals were delicious, the sea bream was served with a lovely, delicate sauce and roast beef cooked exactly how I like it, the right side of pink. On the side, some of the best chunky chips I've ever had (no exaggeration). And if you want to be wowed by a cocktail, try the thyme infused margarita...dreamy. I did think twice about writing a rave review in case it gets too busy and I can't book next time Im visiting!

Really poor, there’s one menu in the website and then a really limited one when you get there, which was really disappointing. the cod came out cold and looking like slop, sent it back and they brought it back out after being re-heated, nothing had changed to the look so assuming microwaved 🤢 the burger was undercooked and the sticky rib was like mush and smelt fishy was inedible. The staff were useless and did nothing, or coming over and interrupting us, when we gave them feedback they did nothing. Would absolutely not recommend.

The burger is to die for! And the beer is pretty good too :D

Amazing the food was lovely. Totally going back, think it might be our new favourite place. The burger I had was amazing and the triple fried chips were the best I have had! The burger was also amazing and it was unbelievable how tasty the mushrooms were in the mushroom parfait and sourdough bread! My 2 year old loved his pasta and some of my chips! Planning on going back for the Sunday roast! My wife is already planning on going with her friends next week, sadly without me.