The Prae Wood Arms in St Albans

Although very busy, all tables taken, the service was excellent, quick and friendly. There were several alternatives that we would like to choose from on the extensive menu, and we were both pleased with our choices Food was tender, well prepared and well cooked, serves on hot plates.

Lovely gastro pub, great food,friendly staff, lots of parking

Food was lovely but service was very poor with only 2 staff for a big restaurant

Really fantastic atmosphere. Staff are so friendly and attentive. Would highly recommend.

First visit and very impressed with service and food, despite peak weekend lunchtime. Thank you, we will be back!

Had a lovely meal with the family before Christmas. Been here a few times now. Service was brilliant, nice homely warm atmosphere. One of our meals wasn't quite cooked through but said about this and they changed it with no hesitation. Highly recommended!

Family get together..with dog Great meal good service looking forward to returning

Mary was our server, she was very attentive, efficient and friendly. Food was hot and very tasty. I highly recommend this place…

Great venue and location with friendly staff. Menu is very good and at reasonable prices! Thank you!

The Prae was a brilliant choice for a lovely relaxed evening out with a group of friends. Plenty of choice on the menu and a great selection of wines, the food was delicious and the meal went at our pace. The staff were super friendly and welcomed our dog.

Beautiful surroundings, great ambience, friendly staff, delicious food. Gets 5 stars every visit!

A beautifully restored building. Great garden. Superb menu. Excellent range of drinks. Log fires. All about quality here.

Fantastic setting, food and service - highly recommended!

Lovely staff but very poor choice for vegetarians and way way too hot with fires, radiators and people all aglow!

Another visit to the prae wood arms. I'm sure it won't be the last. It's definitely worth the hour drove to get there. Great setting along with good food and service

Booked the Private Dining room for a family birthday celebration. The ambience , food and staff was all just perfect. Thank you Team The Prae..

Absolutely lovely. Great service, delicious food, wonderful ambience. Highly recommend.

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Great food and service. Lovely proper English pub/restaurant

Nice place. Good quality menu options and I like the style of the food. The decor and building is really good and is country house style which has a nice old feel to the place, log fires etc. The Prae was obviously an old country style house or hotel at one time. Great meal and staff. Friendly staff who are all on the ball. Good evening and experience.

Excellent service and food. Usually very busy and a great atmosphere.

I had a turkey roast here and I was extremely disappointed, I will say that other people seemed to enjoy it, but for the price, I thought it was very poor, bullet like potatoes, tough gristly slabs of turkey, carrot (yes - singular) was the only nice thing.The premises are nice and the staff were lovely if not entirely competent. I'm sorry to say that it is unlikely I will ever go there again. I didn't complain at the time as it's Christmas and didn't want to cause a scene, and as I said some liked it.

Nice, cosy traditional pub. Great team of staff, food is consistently great whether it’s normal pub menu or the roasts on Sundays

Part of the Brunning & Price group with all the goodness that entails. i.e. good food, friendly (though occasionally undertrained) service, lovely decor, reasonable prices, interesting menu (food & wine) and a tractor in the large garden.

Lovely xmas menu Very atmospheric

Sunday lunch- great staff, great food, busy atmosphere. The place has been redone and its really lovely!

Fantastic place nice atmosphere good service food amazing

Very good service. No parsnip on Xmas dinner

Beautiful atmosphere! Nice place! Delicious food! Unfortunately, can't Stay too long as there are people who want to come! A bit pricey!

Decent selection of ales, and great food. A little pricey, but the quality (food and decor) justify the premium. Fantastic gardens in the summer time. Also, just have to add that the Prae Wood has the nicest toilets of any pub that I have ever visited. I don't make a habit of taking photos of men's urinals, but I think that you can tell a lot about a place by the state of their watering facilities so have included a pic 😁

Food was great, lovely staff and great location. Highly recommended 💯

Good .Service slightly Flat.

Nice old pub on the outskirts of town. Dog friendly with lots of parking and big garden.

It only takes 1 noisy group to absolutely destroy the ambiance hear. Service and food were generally good but it is over priced for what is only a good meal.

First meal out with my new granddaughter and her mum and dad, food was great.

Stunning!!! The roasts are delicious with a wonderful drink menu. The house is gorgeous and historic

Had a delightful lunch today with my daughter and son in law and three year old grandson. Food and drink were delicious! Thank you for being so accommodating in a pub full of much older adults and bringing out the three year old birthday boy's dairy free ice cream with a candle and singing Happy Birthday! I think we have Lee to thank for this? Have already booked again.

From the moment we arrived every single member off staff was polite, friendly and professional, made us feel super welcome and went out of their way to explain the new covid procedures to us. The location is amazing and the wine was nice too. The food let it down a bit though as the starters were really tiny portions and various things with certain dishes like too much batter on the fish, the burger came with different chips to the rest of the meals which were like frozen supermarket chips. But the staff really were exemplary especially dealing with allergies etc and should all get a big pat on the back. Oh also on the menu there was no (v) to indicate vegetarian options next to the dishes so I wasn't sure if any of the dishes were veggie and I'm not sure there was any vegan options which I was surprised at.

My husband and I were so much looking forward to going to a pub after months of lockdown. We managed to book for 7 pm on 12 April. We had had meals at the Prae Wood before and they were okay but yesterday they were extremely poor. The starters were fried squid that were tiny bits of breaded calamari, deep fried but dripping in oil. For my main, I ordered a mushroom pie whose pastry was very soggy, with no firmness or texture and had a strange taste. The inside of the pie was equally disappointing. The greens with it and the potatoes were undercooked. Shockingly bad quality and in hindsight, I should have returned my dish. My husband had a hamburger that was not really very distant from a fast food chain. The chips were the frozen type. The service was pleasant but nothing extraordinary. The location is very pretty but we are never going to come back again.

As covid shutdown comes to an end we decided to treat ourselves to a take-away afternoon tea. It was good to be able to get out of the house and pick-up the afternoon tea from the Prae Wood Arms public house / restaurant, rather than having it delivered.Plus points:- Great location is collect from, with plenty of free parking- Afternoon tea was nicely packaged and included a menu sheet- Slice of Port and Apple sausage roll was nice, and a lot nicer than it first looked- Scones were excellent- Half the price of afternoon tea from local hotels – so very good value for money Non-plus points:- Only on tea bag per person- Lemon Tart was nice, but only once most of the thick pasty on the bottom had been removedThe Prae Wood Arms is accessed via a picturesque drive to the former Garden House building (built for Lady Frances Cooke Grimston in 1838). Upon arriving, and eventually managing to contract a member of staff (by phone), I found that there was a problem with the order. I was offered a hot drink whilst I waited, but I opted for a quick walk around the grounds as the house / grounds looked so nice in the spring sunshine – can’t wait to return and enjoy a pub meal in their grounds (N.B. There are swings for the kids, plenty of room for them to play outside; there is also a bicycle rack by the house for those who prefer to arrive by a green mode of transport).

It’s saddening to see a local institution attempt to bury itself in the ground to the extent that the Prae Wood Arms is. The food is fantastic and the wine selection excellent for the price and the gin menu is impressive. However their staff and company policies are letting them down time and again in lack of perception and judgment. This evening we witnessed two tables of rather quite obviously different households dining together. The staff said they had confirmed they were from single households. We overheard one gentleman on a table of three speaking to the wife of another asking her to come and “pick him up and clean him up”. Two couples left together who were clearly departing to separate households. This activity quite obviously endangers others yet apparently this company has instituted a policy which means that staff cannot challenge an assertion by a table that they are from a single household. In contrast my partner and I were not allowed to order drinks beyond two hours of being seated despite having three courses (and still finishing the third) appare:ntly because the company guidance meant that we couldn’t be served because they were “uncomfortable” because of the regulations based on their company guidance. I want to support local businesses more than ever but we are not going back and they’ve lost literally thousands of pounds of commercial client bookings that we have been supplying them with as a result.

Managed to get in for a cheeky midweek lunch before lockdown 2.0 and what a treat. The venue itself never fails to impress, a wonderful old country house which has been sympathetically restored over the decades and has had a few reincarnations. It retains the history and grandeur but is well presented, tidy and well maintained meaning it’s a great place to sit and enjoy a meal. The open fires were roaring and welcoming and the tables not to close together, meaning the chatter from other diners was hardly noticeable due to the high ceilings, making it feel like we were having a private dining experience despite the fact it was quite busy. The bar was serving Side Pocket and a decent NZ Sauvignon blanc so that was another couple of ticks. The food more than lived up to expectations, plenty of choice on the menu, seasonal and exciting. Prawns, steak, pheasant all featured on our plates and the quality was simply excellent. The portion sizes were really quite impressive. The service was flawless, attentive but not over fussy. Not cheap but not expensive. Can’t wait to visit again.

Beautiful Restaurant, decorated perfectly and has a great atmosphere! I had a very polite greeting upon arrival, masks were worn by all staff and I was kindly walked to a great table by the window. The food and drink was gorgeous, well presented but still felt like home cooking in a great way. Couldn’t fault this restaurant at all!

Saturday lunch with friends was lovely. I hadn't been here for some time so was really pleased to see the lovely building again. All covid precautions were taken. Food was lovely and service mainly good. Will definitely be back.

This is one of the restaurants I have felt most safe at during COVID times. The staff all wear visors at all times. All restaurant goers are asked to sanitize their hands being entering the restaurant. All menus are printed on paper and thrown away after use. Drinks are placed on the tray by the bar staff and then patrons are asked to take the drinks themselves. Staff are so welcoming and helpful. Couldn't ask for more.The food is good and hearty with a limited but good menu. Lovely and fresh food.

Visited Prae Wood Arms last week for a very long and lazy lunch with 5 other friends who haven't got together in real life for 8 months, only on our weekly quizzes on Zoom! Felt perfectly safe, excellent service at the pace we requested. Food superb and an ideal location for us at a big round table in a corner. An amazing gin menu too!The whole team, led by Stuart, was very conscientious about observing the latest guidelines and handled a slight incident extremely professionally to ensure everyone was safe. Highly recommend, we had an amazing time as did the group of 6 next to us and will be back soon. Thank you Stuart and team!

We had lunch on Sunday with 4 members of our family sitting outside on one of many tables for 6 people. The service was excellent; they made it clear how we ordered by phone which considering age is not on my side worked very well.The food was excellent for the 4 adults as well as a good children's menu. The home made ice cream highly recommended. My wife had Pork belly which was not only very good but also a large portion.A perfect place to eat, we will be going back to this pub especially as it is half way between us and our family.

Beautiful pub with roaring fires, friendly and efficient staff and totally delicious crispy beef salad! We’ll be back!

I'm a loyal customer but I've had two negative experiences here since the COVID rules have been introduced. We were a group of eight on my most recent visit. We all arrived separately having travelled on foot or by car and queued, keeping more than 1 metre apart from each other. We knew we would have to be in two groups of four people for the evening and we had already made the decision we would sit outside. There were two tables of four either side of the heater. However, the server on the door outside said we wouldn't be able to sit anywhere near each other. One group could be by the only heater outside and the other group would have to be at the opposite end of the terrace. So that's what we had to do. A group of four immediately behind us were then given the spare table on the other side of the heater. So it's OK for two random sets of four people to sit near each other? The server then spent the rest of the evening mansplaining as if we were stupid. I think the power of implementing COVID rules has gone to his head.

Arrived to a small queue, virus related, and were taken to our table with all the necessary details. Did have a choice of inside or out but chose inside, almost empty on arrival but soon filled up.Very impressed with all the virus measures, even to the point of the diner taking drinks from the tray, very good.Sunday lunch came as it should, with all the trimmings. Some of the younger family wanted slight changes to the mean and these were catered for without any fuss.We just about had room for dessert, one was shared.The only downside was not all of our mains arrived together, but otherwise an enjoyable first experience.A little on the pricey side, but we would return

Have read a few mixed reviews of late so thought I'd share our experience. Very good Covid19 secure measures being in place. Sat at a lovely table near a roaring fire. Starters were ok, nothing spectacular but the mains of sea bass and fish and chips - delicious! Chocolate brownies and creme brulee lovely too. Quite on the pricey side but nice for a treat.

A group of 4 of us visited Prae Wood a couple of weekends ago and were able to grab a table outside. The setting is really lovely, away from busy streets and that they have their own car park is a huge bonus.The staff were observing Covid H&S rules which was great to see. Ordering food and drink via personal mobile phones was relatively easy, however, where the pub fell short and lost a star was on account of cancelling one food order under the assumption it had accidentally been ordered twice...without checking with us first.My friends’ order arrived, 10 mins passed and another 10. We questioned where our order was and were told it would arrive soon. We asked again to be told the same thing. 40 minutes later, and with more pressing we were told our order has been cancelled because it was thought it was ordered by mistake. Whilst the staff member was very apologetic, it was frustrating to have to wait an hour after our friends’ food had arrived to wait for our own. I ordered the mezze starter which was really tasty. The chorizo sausages were great too - and you can’t really go wrong with skin on fries.

Food was amazing, service excellent. I chose this venue to propose to my partner and nothing was too much trouble. Tess and the team were hands on and very attentive to our special evening. Set in lovely grounds in a beautiful 1800s historic building. Well done Prae Wood Arms.

We had a lovely lunch outside on a glorious day. The food was excellent and the staff well organised and friendly. It’s a beautiful setting. A bit pricey but well worth it

Children not allowed to walk in the garden, to the point we were told to leave. Not sure this covid rule even makes sense and feels like the pub doesn't want children. The way they spoke to us was terrible, so completely rude. Aside from that the staff are slow and service pretty poor and the food is underwhelming. Honestly save your money and support another local business that doesn't treat its customers so badly.

We went as a family today at the Prae Wood Arms.I had the most expensive dish on my plate and it was so bad! Two tasteless large mushroom with a roasted tomato with a bad piece of meat and few chips(£25). Biggest Joke ever!We were all disappointed! AVOID THIS PLACE

This is the first time I have visited this restaurant since lock down and whilst the food was of a really high quality, the service was not great at all. The first thing that was said to us was that the kitchen was closing soon so we had to order quickly, no welcome or anything like that!!! We then placed our orders to be told that three of the main course dishes were not on the menu, so it was a very limited choice. The service was slow and the staff were not friendly or helpful at all. I understand that there are challenges at the moment, and the food was brilliant, but the service should be worked on.

Went here to take advantage of the eat out £10 offer. Pate was tasty although not with the toast that was advertised - just pieces of ordinary white bread. I had the crispy beef salad but my guest ordered the braised beef and was horrified to find pieces of bacon in it. The waitress went to check as she said it would have been advertised with bacon on the menu description but chef said it was bacon and to be fair they cooked new baconless one. Bit naughty !

We had been recommended The Prae Wood Arms by friends. The setting is lovely and I was really looking forward to a lunch with my family before our boys went back to school after the long COVID break. We had to queue to enter despite booking - and it only being midday ( but fair enough in the current circumstances maybe?) and we were then led in to a small back room with 4 tables. It felt very dated with an odd atmosphere. Both boys ordered the steak - one was so tough it was inedible and was eventually swapped for a burger, the other was so rare and fatty it looked horrible but my son struggled through. Our food - a fish cake for me and a burger for husband was average at best. A chocolate brownie pud was microwaved within an inch of its life - it was running off the plate.Such high hopes- so disappointing.The garden area is lovely, so maybe on a warm day sitting outside with a drink and what can only be described as ‘pub grub expectations’ it might be better. We won’t rush back, if at all, sorry to say as trying to support local business- but you need to up your game.

Took advantage of eat out to help out scheme with family & wasn't disappointed. Second visit in a week & equally as good as dinner last week. Good food & service & Covid19 precautions added to experience & felt very safe. Thoroughly recommend

First visit to this local restaurant. The food lived up to expectations and was delicious with a varied menu to choose from. It was completely let down by the somewhat rushed and sulky service. The waitor clearly wasn't happy in his job and this came through at every interaction.

Have visited this pub twice during the recent Hot weather. It’s a lovely pub set in beautiful grounds with a stately home feel. The food has been consistently good . The fish and chips and burgers are particularly good and my elderly mum a fussy eater raved about it. All aspects of Covid are strictly adhered to and staff wear appropriate masks or visors.

Slow service and we were also kept waiting for ages. My chair was old, uncomfortable and sagging, so I had to change it.The water jug and glasses were old, badly scratched and need replacing. There were bits floating in the water so we did not even want to touch it. Everything looked tatty, and even the ceiling was badly stained.I could not find a single chunk of fish in the fish cake! It was more like salty fish stock flavoured mashed potato rolled in breadcrumbs. There was no sign of any salmon! The salad comprised of just one slice of tomato and a few pieces of spring onion, plus a few raw onion slices! Totally different from the online photograph! £10.95The squid starter was soft and not very appetising. £5.95The tiny portion of Mezze was composed of; 4 tiny fingers of untoasted pitta, one piece of courgette, one piece of aubergine, 2 tiny pieces of lettuce, a tablespoon of hummus, a couple of olives, a tiny onion and that was about it! £6.75 The lamb shank was accompanied with what seemed to be two tiny squashed potatoes...no veg! £18.95 Our bill came to £25 as we took advantage of Rishi's August offer.How can Prae Arms justify this as being a nearly £50 meal for two? The quality was really poor and the quantity was a joke!Also dogs should not be allowed in the restaurant, especially when the owner could not control its barking!We left feeling hungry and disgusted with the place. We did not want to waste any more money there on such tiny portions and food not up to standard! We then had to go home and cook lunch!!!It is our first and probably the last time that we will visit Prae Arms!!!

The food has really gone downhill. We have been coming here for years and the food used to be great. The majority of the meals ordered by our table today were tasteless. All veggie main options had zero flavour. The beef roast was tough and almost had a lamb flavour. The roast potatoes tasted like they were either from a packet or had been microwaved multiple times. Overall, I wouldn't come back anytime soon. Its a shame as the venue itself is great with a great garden

Popped in about midday, place fairly busy. Plotted up outside in the garden where tables were readily available. They have a bar outside to prevent garden ‘guests’ entering. Ordered some pretty expensive drinks 6.95 for a glass of Prosecco. We had three children with us, two twins of two years old. The twins had strayed to explore the outer edges of the garden, not crossing paths with any other guests. We were then informed by the local jobsworth that children had to sit at the table. Ludicrous and we promptly left after and won’t be returning. Shame on you!

Very disappointed in todays visit, came on Friday 21/08/20 around half 4, it wasn’t busy. Me and my husband are a regular customers of this place, however after today don’t feel like coming here any time soon. We had to ask for a menu from 3 waiters and they only brought it 20 minutes later. Then we’ve been waiting to order for another 30 minutes while waitresses were chatting and not even coming to check on us. They were passing through us to other tables but didn’t look at us. So we had to give up and leave without eating. Very upsetting cos we love this place and travel specially there to eat. Clearly some of the staff needs more training.

All four of us had a great evening here, no problems with booking a table, service was good if not a little frustrating when asking the waiter questions he didn’t know the answer to, prawn cocktail actually had prawns in it unlike many other restaurants that just chuck a couple in to keep you content.After dinner we had a fantastic selection of wines to try in the bar area.Unfortunately it was raining so couldn’t enjoy the garden but maybe wouldn’t have if the weather was better as there was a dog barking out there most of the time.All in all a nice return to eating out.

A summer’s day, we turned up for lunch, had a table in the garden. The heavens opened so we wanted to go inside, only to be told there were no tables free inside - we were standing in the doorway of a large room with 4 of its 5 tables empty, yet the ‘bookings manager’ insisted all indoors tables would be taken “within the next few minutes”. That was at 12:45. As our food was already cooked and ready at their garden bbq tent, and we had no intention of eating it outside during a heavy thunderstorm whilst so many tables indoors were free, we went indoors anyway. By the time we had finished our meal and left, 1pm, not only where the same 4 tables in that room still free, as we walked out we saw many more empty tables in other rooms. Use some common sense, guys.The burger at The Prae is normally ok, but this time it has been cooked on the barbecue in the garden, and instead of being better it was no good. The beetroot burger was ok but the bun was cold, as if it has only just been taken out of the fridge.We’ve been here a number of times before, but only the second time early in the week - seems like Mondays are to be avoided if you want the better chef.What also has been noticeable before, is that the female staff tend to be very good, but the young men are lacking in decorum and basic manners. Respect for customers is often missing in the way the younger men talk to you, as is putting the customer first. On a previous visit, close to kitchen closing time, I asked the young lady at the bar if I could still get a soup. One of her young male colleagues standing idle behind the bar butted in, stating the kitchen was closed. The friendly young lady, however, did bring me the soup without a problem.

This restaurant/pub was selected online as a stop off place to eat an evening meal midway along a 250 mile trip. So there being no time for discussions our table was offered to us, by the most friendly & helpful staff. That was excellent. However, we order the fish pie and the chicken/ham & leek pie as our main course, followed by two desserts which were good. Moreover, my chicken/ham & leek pie was MOST disappointing. Why, well understanding it was a bought in pie, hence not made by the in-house chef, it was close to being inedible & most certainly it came with very little chicken & ham inside it. The pastry that created the pie's size & shape was somewhat disappointing as it had clearly been over cooked twice which made the pastry extremely brittle and very hard to cut and eat. In fact the pastry case totally gave the wrong impression of what to expect inside the pie in regard to the amount of chicken & ham that barely existed. It was most disappointing and needs reviewing by those who purchases the pies.As for the restaurant's staff, EXCELLENT.

Went here for a birthday meal recently. Covid measures are in place but a little confusing regarding the one way system in place. Nice old building with both indoor and outdoor dining options. If its warm out I would suggest getting a table on the terrace as we found it pretty noisy inside - old building, acoustics, etc.Food was, on the whole, very good but you would expect this in this price range. Service was friendly and polite - despite the face shield our waitress had to wear. To say this place was 'pet friendly' would be an understatement. We counted four dogs at one point, two of which started fighting at one point. Dogs in a restaurant - really!!? Why do people think others would enjoy the company of their pet during a meal?

Food was really bad. The burger wasn’t homemade or handmade, it was more like a football ground burger but triple the price.Eat out to help out softened the blow.Beers were very nice.Loads of outside seating & outside bar, which was great. Went back a week later to try the food again (hoping it was a one off) and beers in the garden, to be told you can’t book ANY outside tables...so I turned up as a walk in at 20:30, with ALL picnic tables empty and restaurant 1/4 full (tables already SD), to be told there’s no availability all evening and no service on the picnic tables, nor could I order drinks/food from the bar.Everywhere else has managed to put screens up at bars to take orders.What an absolute shambles. A couple & three women were also turned away in the two minutes I was there waiting.No wonder the industry is struggling with management so shambolic & mixed messages from one day to another.

It was a hot day and the service was exceptional, attentive and friendly. Having to run a restaurant in the current situation with COVID is a challenge. The food was delicious too and we will be returning. Thank you to the team and management

Well done to the management & staff for being spot on with their covid precautions. We had an evening meal (first since lockdown) and a lunch in the garden. Both times the staff were great, explaining the procedures (which if everyone follows are great) & asking if we were happy with the experience. Drinks are served on a tray & you take them yourselves to minimise contact, when you arrive the staff are wearing visors, there is hand sanitiser before you enter & when you leave. Cutlery arrives in a tankard. The management are doing everything they can to make it a safe experience for everyone.

Very disappointed that this seems to have gone down hill, first roast out since lockdown and it was awful, the roast potatoes had clearly been cooked for hours and heated up, the beef was rubbery and had no taste, the service was slow. This used to be a favourite choice for a roast but we won’t be returning any time soon.

Having had really good food at the Prae Wood Arms a couple of years ago we chose to come back for a pub lunch on a sunny day. Meals were normal St Albans prices - my veggie curry was £13.95 and my partner ordered a chicken pie for £14.95. The pub had a good system going with hand sanitiser, food and drink booking via a QR code, etc. So we placed our order online from our table and then my partner went to the loo. First sign of trouble was that the food arrived before he came back and only a quick glance at the food made it clear it had been microwaved. My curry portion was very small and seemingly featured no spinach despite this being listed as a main ingredient on the menu, and my partner’s mash was clearly made from a packet. There are plenty of places in St Albans where you can get a freshly-cooked meal in the same sort of price bracket, so we won’t be returning for a meal here again. I’ve had better from Wetherspoons!Two stars because of nice garden and good COVID-19 protection measures in place. Drinks were fine.

Visited the Prae Wood Arms for Sunday lunch. The good and service of the highest standard. Good garden area to enjoy a drink in the sun after lunch.

Our first meal out since the start of lockdown was to celebrate our wedding anniversary, the (teenage) children were nervous about going to a restaurant or pub as they'd seen pictures of drinkers not distancing at other pubs when lockdown was lifted. We didn't book as we wanted to sit in the garden and the outside tables aren't bookable. We arrived following the new Covid one way system and were seated on the terrace. Unluckily, although not forecast, it poured with rain but the table's umbrella covered all 5 of us and we stayed dry. Service under the new regulations was fantastic, as others have already said, we felt safe and well looked after and the staff were very friendly and really put us at ease, explaining the new procedures to us and were attentive and obliging despite having to serve us in the rain. Although they have a large garden and play areas, children are currently not allowed to use them and must stay with their family at the table. Our children are older but it's worth bearing in mind if you have little ones. Tables are all distanced from each other and the same inside with a smaller capacity than before. Despite the lower numbers it was pleasantly busy considering it was a rainy Monday night so there was still a good atmosphere. Our previously nervous children relaxed quickly once they realised that the pub had gone to so much trouble to ensure they were as safe as possible and we had a really enjoyable evening.Food delicious, even better than before lockdown in my opinion they have upped their game in all respects. Well done Prae Wood Arms!

Went for lunch today for first time. The perfect COVID-safe pub with switched on staff, good distancing/health measures and a building and garden big enough to do it all safely. Add on that the place is amazing and such a nice place to be, and this must be one of the best pubs in the country for new normal dining out. I'm not big into writing reviews (like never) but this is def a business that deserves to keep going while others may not, hence me taking the time to say good job guys, top place.

Feeling nervous of going out after the lockdown for COVID-19, I can honestly say that the staff made sure we felt comfortable. Clear signage showed the way in with ample hand sanitising stations - staff ensures everyone used the sanitiser before moving either into the garden or inside. Drinks and our meals were served on trays to limit close contact. The food was, as usual, excellent. Thank you for the care taken, we will be back and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

Pleasant staff, lovely building and decor but poor food. Greasy, tasteless, worst excuse for Thai red fish curry I’ve ever had. Husband’s battered fish came with reconstituted potato chips (not chips cut from a whole potato). Thai red fish curry was close to £18 - I could have had a fish pie at J Sheekey in the West End for £18.50. Very, very disappointing.

Very good dinner here. Bit pricey but you get what you pay for here. I had as a starter the teriyaki prawns and then sirloin steak cooked just how I asked. Then chocolate brownie for desert. No complaints.You can see money has been invested and well worth the trip. You won’t be disappointed

I and a group of friends have been coming here every Tuesday evening for over a year. It’s comfy, warm and friendly and without fail, service has been great. In summer, the garden is lovely. Unfortunately I can’t comment on the food because we just pop in for a pint or 2.

Driving down the M1, we called in (on recommendation) to the Prae Wood Arms for lunch (before driving on to Heathrow) - what a great place to break a journey. A beautiful setting, open fires, great ambience, tasteful decoration inside. We had to look for a table, but were rewarded and soon ordered drinks and food served by friendly and attentive staff.Tucked away in an almost 'rural' location, we found it easily in the day time - a very popular choice judging by the car park and so near to St Albans too..Recommended!

Been here a few times now - so good the first time that we have revisited twice more. The menu has a great choice & the food is fantastic. The lamb shoulder is a particular favourite but all the meals that we have had have been exceptional. Would certainly recommend to family & friends.

Ate at Prae Wood last night and loved it. The ambiance the food the service all great. I would highly recommend. But, arrived at 8pm and the restaurant is on an unlit road and their sign is not illuminated. Literally could not find/see the turning despite the sat nav going mental! There’s a long drive way, again unlit, down to the house. Please get some lights to give us all a chance!!!

My wife and I were taken here for lunch by a very dear friend and her family. What a fantastic setting this old house is in. In the summer it must be great to sit outside and look across the view. The inside is also very interesting, I chose the lamb suet pudding which was delicious and my wife the shoulder of lamb also delightful, the service was first class, i Just wish we lived nearer

A lovely Sunday afternoon lunch, well staffed, delicious roasts and burgers, good service and reasonably priced.

I can only say how lovely this brasserie / pub style restaurant is. Had a family occassion and we had the 1st floor room with a round table to seat 12. Personal waiter Max was great.

Lovely setting and friendly staff plus dogs welcome lots of lovely walks from here. Great food and cozy log fires.

This was my second visit and it didn’t disappoint. I visited with a large group of friends, the majority opted for the Sunday roast which I must say looked amazing, I opted for the gfree cod and chips with mushy peas and it was fab. Great dessert options and everyone cleared their plates. Will definately be coming again.

staff were very helpful and the food was good the fact that there was plenty of parking space was also good

Faint whiff of hipster here, but basically a good pub/restaurant with friendly service, lots of options for seating, a good sized garden and plenty of parking. Food is well cooked and presented, with both every day and “treat” options.

The Prae Wood Arms is a great restaurant for a family Sunday lunch.

I visited restaurant with four friends to celebrate my birthday. We were warmly welcomed and able to sample a beer before purchasing. There was an excellent choice of beers and drinks. We were given a menu to view before our table time.

Visited with 7 friends and we had a private room which was nice. Staff friendly but a bit rushed and forgot drinks on 3 occasions. Food good, several different dishes ordered and all seemed good. The food was good but something in the service and food quality lacked, so I’d say it’s a nice standard but not excellent.

Love the staff here. Always get a warm welcome from staff who seem to care. Good range of ales. The interior is lovely and in the summer the garden is brilliant for those with families or dogs. The food is always good - however as a vegan I’d love to see a separate vegetarian and vegan menu. The venue doesn’t differentiate between vegan and vegetarian on the menu (which could be fixed by simply using a V or Ve on the menu rather tacan both being V and you having to ask staff) - this would be so much better so you can see at a glance what’s on offer. You can tell the venues that really care for all customers irrespective of dietary requirements as other go over and above to cater for all and this is a fast growing market. It is 2020 after all and this market is only going to grow.

We have been to the Praewood Arms on several occasions with my brother and his wife. I do cook at home and can be disappointed with a roast dinner in other restaurants. Here the meal is very good, the service is very good too. We always feel very welcome the staff are friendly and courteous. We really enjoyed it as we always do.

We had an excellent time at the Prae Wood arms who managed to cope with 27 family members for lunch over Christmas, 10 of then being under 11! The food was great, every one was happy from the kids to the vegans - they have something for every one. The service was excellent - the staff were great. The sea bass was highly praised as was the kids pasta. The kids loved the out side play area.

Visited on Boxing Day. Group of 5 with 2 vegetarians. Building beautifully decorated for Christmas. Food and service all superb. I have booked to return again in a few weeks

Very disappointing. The Prae is a restaurant we use constantly throughout the year, and is very good. We accept the service is a little slow, but the standard of fare is high. However, they just cannot cope with the Xmas period! One meal was uncooked, two meals cold, and one didn’t show up. Some drinks also didn’t arrive.