The Potting Shed Cafe in St Albans

Absolutely love the Potting Shed!! The staff are so friendly and helpful, and the food is always yummy and good value with generous portions. The specials menu changes regularly and often reflects seasonal produce so if you are a regular visitor (like me!) then you have new options to choose from. On this visit, we had a black bean salad with halloumi and a chicken tikka burger. Both were delicious!! I also like to spend some time having a look around the lovely garden centre afterwards too :)

I was visiting with my friends, we were all very surprised by this cozy restaurant. Food was excellent and Staff was very friendly especially Kasia. Great place I would definitely visit again. I highly recommend this place

I visited The Potting Shed Cafe first time, but certainly not the last. The food was very tasty, the service was smiling and very nice, especially to children. I recommend it.

Excellent food. Excellent service. Shout out to our waitress Hannah. Met with friends for a late breakfast to celebrate a birthday 🥳 Had a great time. All the staff were lovely. Thank you.

Lovely food with fresh produce. Have been a number of times for brunch and lunch and we’ve always enjoyed the meal. We’ve found the staff to be friendly (having visited with a baby to toddler) even though it can get busy at times. The nursery next to it is lovely to visit as well.

7 of us friends had a lovely lunch here on Tuesday 9 April. The food was delicious with a good choice of dishes. Layla, our waitress, enhanced our experience and is a real asset. She was quick and friendly, took time to answer our questions about the dishes and made sure we were happy. We noticed that she dealt with the other customers with the same energy and attention, no mean feat as the café was very busy but she managed all her tables very well.

I visited the Potting Shed for lunch with a party of friends, all in our 70s yesterday. One of my friends who has diabetes and is unable to eat much at one time due to her medication asked if she might order from the children's menu. We explained the circumstances to the waitress who was very charming but categorically refused, explaining that if they allowed everyone to do that they would make no profit. My friend had to order a full plate out of which she only ate a piece of halloumi cheese. We accepted that and I then tried to order a glass of wine. Out of the two choices of white wine on offer, one, the sauvignon blanc, was found to be unavailable. Later on, we asked the waiting staff if they could close the large glass door as we were all cold from the draft coming in and my friend was feeling very unwell. We were kindly told that the waitress herself was also feeling unwell but that they could not cater for our table alone as many other guests had asked for the door to be open. Suffice it to say that we will probably not be choosing this establishment again. Pity!

My friend and I had the best experience here today!! Adriana was lovely and even had a sing song with us :) She was such a lovely waitress and couldn't have asked for better service. Food is also amazing, fresh and high quality, definitely coming back!!

Just a brilliant little spot. Leyla is an absolute highlight for me. She is just filled with joy which she showers on her customers. I visited first with a friend and this time took my mother as the service was so memorable. Great fresh local food, and busy with locals. Worth booking if you can.

Amazing food and great service! The two ladies who served us were very warm and welcoming especially Adriana who was super attentive despite it being so busy. Thank you!

Enjoyable lunch at this attractive niche garden centre and gift shop. Food was very good and the staff were attentative. We were ably looked after by Leyla whose recommendation of the lamb was sound!

I visited the Potting Shed with friends yesterday, had the special lamb flatbread which was delicious. My friends and I were so warmly welcomed by Adrianna. She was professional, attentive and had a smile on her face. Thank you Adrianna for making our experience so enjoyable. We will be back soon!

This is my second time, my friends first.....the food is amazing as was our waitress Leyla she is a valuable asset to the potting shed x

Been for lunch with my friends without booking had to wait for 15 minutes for a table, but lovely garden center to walk around. The lovely hostess call me to let me know my table was ready. Was welcome with a warm reception. The waitress sat us down and prompt took our order for coffees , giving us time to go through the menu and the special menu which was highly recommended. We had lamb flat bread and the Parmesan and salmon special . Adrianna then cleaned our table suggested the sticky toffee, unfortunately we were still full from our delicious lunch but certainly will return for the special dessert. The place was full and with a amazing atmosphere. Lovely service, very tasty food. Worth the wait for a table. That was our second visit and for sure many more to come.

Really impressed, such fresh produce and outstanding flavour. Wonderfully friendly staff and a bubbly relaxed atmosphere. Would recommend to anyone and will absolutely be back again. Special thanks to Layla for her attentive service.

Unfortunately we couldn’t take our dog into the cafe either indoor or outdoor, indoor I understand but outdoors really no dogs. Ah well plenty of other garden centres out there like squires, just up the road, where dogs are allowed in the outdoor space.

It was so disappointing to arrive at 4pm and be refused entry when the website says the cafe closes at 4.30pm. I was told they take last orders at 4.00pm. And as it was 4.00pm when I arrived, expected to be served. But no….clearly taking last orders AT 4.00pm means AT 3.59 or something else!

Had a lovely lunch. The food was as always delicious, but what stands out at The Potting Shed for me are the wonderful team…fantastic warm, welcoming, makes all the difference!

We visited this morning and thoroughly enjoyed our veggie breakfasts . Everything we ate was delicious , the tea & coffee fabulous too ! Highly recommend this gem of a restaurant , set within a lovely garden centre . The friendliest of places we’ve visited , the staff are superb , & a big shout out to our server Adriana who is delightful. We shall definitely return..

A pleasant venue on a glorious summer's day sitting outside in the sun and being served good food served by component staff

Been this week with friends, got there earlier and my waitress served me and offered a drink wile I was waiting for my friends the coffee arrived promptly nice and warm. The waitress was very attentive and chatty. When my friends arrived she took the...

11 of us turned up for brunch and were happily accommodated despite it already being quite busy. The food was so good and the service exceptional.

Excellent efficient service for our group of friends. Daisy and Leyla were very helpful and attentive. Brunch was the best we’ve ever had! Highly recommend

Very busy Cafe, but friendly and helpful staff found us a table as soon as possible. The menu was varied and the service was very efficient.

Excellent restaurant and staff- always a pleasure! Great for vegetarian and healthy choices, especially corn fritters when Ian chef add’s specials! Efficient service and management, Love it!

My rating is based on poor staff attitude rather the food. The food was average - not particularly flavourful but ok. We waited a while for it but it was lunchtime and it’s a popular place. As a Coeliac I have had many good food...

Excellent 'Full English' - the sausage was especially good, as were the scrambled eggs. One friend is gluten free and there was plenty for her to choose. Wait staff were very friendly and they accommodated my mobility scooter. Not cheap but not overpriced either. Will...

Layla was our host for my mums birthday on a very last minute walk in service, we were blown away by her incredible service. We didn’t book but they managed to sit us down, give my mum a birthday banner and give us the best...

This is a really lovely cafe, one of my favourites in St Alban's. The atmosphere is cosy yet spacious and the serving staff are amongst the friendliest I've come across. It's not a cheap place for lunch, but the food is always delicious and beautifully...

Great food and Excellent Service, but hey why only 4 stars, simple Dogs - I dont mind them at all - but not inside eating establishments. This is my own personal view of which will obviously disagree with dog lovers

Always great food, service & ambience. On my doorstep so visit here frequently & love their breakfast/brunch. Visited today for a post birthday lunch with friends & was not disappointed. The only gripe I have is that the place is now cashless. Many people may...

Lunch was spoiled when we asked for some hot water to refill our tea pot to be told it would cost us a £1.00. Very Poor.

Fantastic food wonderful staff extremely helpful with my son who is in a wheelchair. Lovely atmosphere, cannot recommend this place highly enough. So nice we go there weekly.

We didn’t book, just turned up on a Saturday lunchtime and they squeezed us in. Brunch menu crossed over with lunch so lots of choice. Pancakes were delicious. No rush to get us out, despite being busy. Lovely shop with lots of gifts. Plenty of...

To whom it may concern, I came today (27/07/23) at the potting shed cafe in St Albans for have a vegetarian Breakfast. The food was delicious and it was a big plate and it was quality value. I was served by a waitress named Leyland...

I arrived at 310pm knowing I was in good time (closes 430pm) for tea and cake. Immediately told “you can only have coffee and cake” by the waitress. At 340 someone else came up to me to ask “do you want another drink because we’re closing the machine down”. Erm no not when you put it like that thanks. My bill was placed on my table at 345pm. I ignored it as I was working & had lots of time but it irritated me being so rushed. At 355 the manager stood over me with her card machine and waited for payment! My stuff was also then all cleared away. The staff then proceeded to clean the floor/mop around the tables! I was by no means the only one in there and several tables were also outside. Why the rush? Fair enough to close the door to new arrivals at a certain point but look after your existing paying customers. Sadly I won’t be back any time soon.

My mum and I had a lovely lunch out at the Potting Shed. Our waitress Danielle was super friendly and lovely. We will definitely be back! x

When to visit the potting shed for breakfast with my family. The food was delicious and came on time. The service was great, we was served by Andria who greeted us with a lovely smile, her bubbly personality was infectious and she made us feel very welcome. Will definitely be returning and recommending it to other people.

My family and I had lunch recently. The cafe was very busy, just about every table was full. We ordered drinks and a meal each. One of my family likes very weak tea and asked if they could have a small jug of hot water. we were told there would be an extra charge for the hot water, we initially thought the waitress was joking, she then looked embarrassed and said they make an additional charge for hot water! We were shocked that the cafe felt the need to charge for hot water especially considering the amount we had spent. We all felt the cafe were being very short sighted and rather greedy in making this charge. Yes, the cost of electricity has increased, but “really” do they feel the need to charge for hot water. The cafe was very busy when we visited so clearly the cafe is “successful”. I will say the food was tasty and the staff very friendly. I would have marked the review much higher had it not been for the cafe making a charge for hot water.

Visited The Potting Shed for breakfast with friends. Busy but not crowded. Tables well spaced. Small menu but a good varied selection to choose from. Had a hotel breakfast room atmosphere. The breakfast was well presented and was delicious. The service was very friendly and attentive. We were served by a young lady called Leyla. She was very funny and made our breakfast a more enjoyable experience. We paid by card and tried to add tip but they only accept tips in cash & as we don’t carry cash any more we were disappointed that we could not leave a tip. We will take cash with us on our next visit which will be very soon. Maybe the management should allow tips to be added to the bill and payable by card. To conclude, we all enjoyed our breakfast and would recommend The Potting Shed as a relaxed breakfast venue Fret eating we also visited the garden centre & farm shop.

Absolutely one of the best place to go for breakfast in St Albans, especially under the beautiful sunshine while sitting at one of the very limited outdoor seatings. Service is second to none, the food quality too! Leyla is the best server I have ever met in St Albans!! She is the super star~ Will definitely come back again and recommend the place to all of my friends !

Amazing food!!! Best brunch I’ve ever had. Lovely staff and even allowed to take my puppy in, think they have tables with a bit more space around them that they use for customers with well behaved dogs. Doggie ice cream even available! Can’t recommend this...

Me and a friend visited the Potting Shed Cafe for the first time and we were absolutely stunned. I chose to have the duck waffle and my friend had one of the daily specials. They were unbelievable, such an amazing mix of flavours!! We were...

I went out for lunch with friends on Sunday. The food was brilliant. The lovely waitress (Adrianna) recommended the peach salad which tasted amazing and very refreshing! The atmosphere was also great, looking forward to going again.

We just had a nice day out with my family at Potting Shed Cafe an we were really impressed with what we found in here: friendly staff, delicious food and very cosy atmosphere. We couldn't chose something nicer for our lunch. And Julie was super...

My friends and I recently visited the Potting Shed and were welcomed by a lovely, smiley lady called Adrianna, she was so pleasant and bubbly. We asked her for suggestions and she recommended the lamb flatbread, we also had corn and courgette fritters and limoncello...

Our first time and a very long wait to be able to order and an even longer wait for the food to come. From the time it took and the price, we were hoping for something special but the food was pretty average. Don’t think...

Was there Saturday with a family member. We ordered a strong tea with an extra teabag and an Americano with some hot water on the side in order to dilute it. To our astonishment we were told that the extra teabag was 50p and the...

I cannot fault the standard of the food. I had confit of tomatoes with feta and my friend had egg’s royale. I would recommend either of these. Both were served with a smile and the waiting staff were attentive and pleasant. Our disappointment was not...

I visited with my elderly mother today. Lovely food, freshly made and nicely presented. Lovely atmosphere. Had to wait 15 minutes for a table but we enjoyed looking around the garden centre so it didn’t matter. Seated at 12.35, lovely friendly waitress, great food, but...

I’ve visited this cafe a few times now and the food is absolutely delicious. The staff are always very friendly and attentive. If you go, and like me you don’t usually carry cash, try to remember to take some with you to tip the staff...

Visited the Potting Shed prior to a visit to St Albans. Four of us each chose something different from the menu and none of us were disappointed. The specials - beef and tacos, and the chocolate/peanut butter tart were delicious, as was the house special...

Great food. Very friendly and efficient staff. Good value for money. We had the bacon baps with chutney and couldnt believe how much bacon in the bap. Lovely setting very clean.

We went today for my Mums 80th birthday- staff were so welcoming and helpful- my Dad is in a wheelchair and they made sure we had the best table possible. Food was lovely. Layla was so friendly and could not have made more effort. Would...

Delicious food, with a very varied menu - something for everyone. The staff are super friendly and accommodating. A lovely relaxed atmosphere. Would thoroughly recommend

Delicious freshly cooked food with a lovely well thought out menu. Great buzzy atmosphere and wonderful warm welcoming and helpful staff.

Excellent service from Laila. Very warm and accommodating atmosphere from the entire team. Amazzinngggg food… Would keep visiting.

I visited today with my granny and my newborn son wanting a nice relaxing lunch. There were very limited vegetarian options on the lunch menu and did not fancy avocado or mushrooms on toast from the brunch menu. I asked the waitress if they were...

Sadly we don’t be coming back to the potting shed again. Whilst the food is still excellent, the management are focusing so heavily on getting customers in and out quickly that it’s no longer a relaxing experience to come here. We felt hurried from the...

The atmosphere and ambience and quality of food and merchandise at the Carpenters Garden Centre is exemplary. Wanted to give a shout out to Danielle, our waitress who had a great vibe and gave us great service. Breakfast - poached eggs with a salsa and...

Lovely food and atmosphere. Only one problem. I don’t carry cash and so can’t tip the waitress. This is unfair to the staff who are courteous and friendly.

Lovely food and great service. We’re local so have been quite a few times and never disappoints. The only disappointing thing is not being able to add service charge to the bill - no-one ever has cash these days so it’s sad the staff don’t...

I was driving past and just thought i'd pop in as I have heard good things about the place. I arrived and was not aware that you had to book a table I was found one but told I had to leave by 1pm as...

Good breakfast and service. Breakfast was good quality but a lot more expensive than its main garden centre competitor at Notcutts, where the quality is also a little better.

We enjoyed lovely fresh bacon rolls and our waitress Lauren was very friendly and attentive. Will definitely be back to try the lunch menu.

Our first visit to the cafe. Staff very friendly and helpful. Dogs allowed in, which was fine by me. (Possibly only allowed, one side of restaurant). Found the cafe a Little bit noisy in there, I’m guessing no soft furnishings to absorb sound. I personally...

Surprised and delighted at the excellent food at this cafe within the garden centre. Staff were helpful and friendly and the menu had some lovely twists - mushrooms, poached egg and whipped goats cheese on sourdough was delicious.

Scones are nice when served warm or if very fresh just as nice cold, they are not nice when they are nuked in the microwave as was ours today. Microwaving scones should be against the law because they are vile. Please stop this as your...

Always excellent, be it for a coffee or for a meal. Service lovely - would be so much better for waiting staff, if we were able to tip by card! Can’t think of another restaurant or cafe that does not allow tipping by card.

Fantastic service!! Our waitress was amazing!! The food was fresh and delicious. Definitely be going back to this wonderful place.

Food is generally good with the exception of the Gluten Free sandwich - which is an absolute rip-off! The 'normal' sandwich is a good size which allows for plenty of filling smoked salmon and cream cheese). It looks yummy and and is great value for...

Fabulous. Staff amazing and so kind. We took in our 2 toddler grandchildren and they gave them Xmas presents and had babyccinos in a child’s cup and saucer. Lovely environment and festive shop with home produce and Christmas decorations. A must visit before xmas

I love this place food is great, really kiddy friendly. However it really irritates me they don’t take tips on card. Who has cash these days. It’s not fair on the staff, who are great. Whoever is in charge, sorry unacceptable.

Had the most amazing apple & blackberry crumble brioche French toast, which was one of the tastiest things I’ve eaten in a while! Highly recommend!!

WOW...... I have to say, we enjoyed every single bite of the breakfast and every second of the atmosphere. Smashed avocado (swapped bacon), sausages, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast, and beans all on one plate and all delicious.... could you ask for anything more in life?...

I went today for the first time to the Potting shed, I was alone and the waitress Anna was so lovely she put me at ease straight away. The lunch was delicious, I will definitely visit again.

I went for brunch with a couple of friends. It was our first visit but the reviews were excellent, so we chose the Potting Shed. We were not disappointed. The staff were friendly & efficient and the coffee was very good. We all chose the...

The potting shed used to do the best yoghurt and granola breakfast for miles but someone thought it would be a great idea to change this to a pink awful concoction only eaten in the USA Yuk!! Btw your bubble and squeak is not! What...

Lovely, friendly and efficient service. Even though they were fully booked, we were fitted in in 20 minutes. Now that’s good service!

Haven't been to the Potting Shed for while! We were greeted by Julie and Becky this morning who were genuinely friendly and efficient. Lauren took our order promptly and kindly brought water for our spaniel Ginny (great H&S gloves in). Drinks arrived quickly (nice flat...

Sadly not all garden centre eateries rank equal, but our visit was a real success from start to finish. Service from very friendly staff was excellent, food was good to excellent and it was well worth the effort to find it! We will definitely go...

I discovered The Potting Shed Cafe, while pottering round Carpenters Garden Centre with Senior Jack Russel, Rocket. It was my first time there & my experience was so good, that I went back with a friend a few days later. The place is spotless &...

Had the most wonderful Sunday breakfast at the potting shed where it isn’t just the food that is 5*- it is the service that tops it! Big thanks to Lauren, the lovely waitress and of course Danielle who looks after us every time- they were...

Arrived for lunch with 2 autistic children. It was 1315. There was a table available until 2pm. Manager claimed we could not be seated and that there were ‘other people’ on ‘a list’ in front of you. When I explained that it was best to...

Fab food and etremely kind patient staff who work effortlessly to help, Service was quick and you couldn't get friendlier staff. However, the lady in front of us was so rude and entitled with an expectation to be seated for 5 of them and who's...

We visited the Potting Shed on a friend’s recommendation and found the food first class. The service from Danielle and her team was also excellent

The Potting Shed Cafe just on the outskirts of St albans. situated inside Carpenders Nursery. Plenty of parking. Not a huge choice of food. Service was very good Prices a bit steep. Dogs allowed .

An enjoyable breakfast bacon roll but not much bacon in a roll that cost £6. Come on you are being tight. Bacon cost about 80p and a roll 50p. Thats too much of a markup.

We took my 94 year old Uncle here for lunch. We are from Canada & were in the business for 30 years. All 3 of us really enjoyed our meal. Excellent. Service was amazing. My Uncle has lived in St. Albans for over 50 years...

Visiting area. Went on recommendation; we weren't disappointed. Prompt service. Ordered two full English breakfasts, which were excellent, both in terms of quality and cost. Our coffees were also very good. The staff with whom we interacted were all friendly. This is definitely a place...

Fantastic brunch at the Potting Shed yesterday. Slick, clean setting with a lovely table outside under the pergola and beautiful planting around us. Every member of staff was friendly, professional, welcoming and very well turned out. Plus our breakfast was delicious; we feared the menu...

We went there for lunch on Sunday to celebrate a birthday. The food was excellent and so was the service. We will be back again soon . Thank you

Tip- you can’t book a table for breakfast so try and arrive early as it gets very busy Tucked away at the back of the garden centre, the potting shed is a nice place to eat, offering outside dining if the weather is good. We...

We had a fabulous lunch yesterday (27th) for my husband’s birthday. We were greeted very warmly by the maitre de and taken to a lovely table under the gazebo overlooking the meadow. We had fish and chips and katsu chicken and can highly recommend the...

We decided to treat ourselves and book a picnic in the Meadow at The Potting Shed Cafe last week. Booking in advance is essential and having let them know we would need vegetarian, this was no issue and two days beforehand, the lovely Liam rang...

visited for lunch today, the food was great and the service by Danielle was amazing, food came really quickly. I will be returning again

My husband and I have been here for breakfast a few times now. We really enjoy the variety, and quality of food on the menu. The staff are always friendly, and service good. Our favourite place for a decent breakfast!

Distinctly underwhelmed on recent visit for lunch with friends,service very slow, very hot noisey environment, no outside seating in the shade , food very average, cold food served on warm plates, hard to understand it’s popularity.

This was a great place for Sunday lunch, the food is homemade, delicious and good value, the people that work there are so polite and friendly, we had great customer service. We will definitely visit again.

Third visit to The Potting Shed and really lovely. Food is delicious, tasty and fresh. Good atmosphere and the service is always excellent. Friendly and welcoming. So refreshing these days to get such good service!