The White Lion in St Albans

It appears this pub may have changed hands again. Was a Big Smoke pub, serving mostly their own beers. But recently they've changed their offering to more usual brands. Cosy pub with a recently refurbished garden area. Last time we ate there we had a lovely meal, very generous portions.

Lovely pub whether for a quiet beer of a larger group with tasty food! Big garden.

I love this pub, great food and fab people. I *do* wish they’d think again very hard about the garden. It was a beautiful English pub garden for years and got the late evening sun in the summer. In the pandemic or just after someone ripped out all the trees (maybe they were a bit big, so maybe fair) and put up a massive tent thing and a load of nasty palm trees that don’t suit the pub or the area and are not well cared for so look poor. There is bare earth under the tent and it looks awful. No more evening sun. Pretty pretty please, put it back how it was and stick to lovely English plants and parasols? It’s the only thing stopping me calling this my favourite pub in St Albans! Sep 24 - added pics of the sad lack of evening sun in the garden…. C’mon guys, sort it out!!!

With so many pubs in St Albans the White Lion offers a good range of beers, and a nice range of indoor seating. The garden has a huge covered area with tables and benches. Only down side is the steps up to the garden. However you can walk down the road, round the corner and enter the garden from the road behind the pub.

Review for The White Lion, St. Albans I recently had the pleasure of visiting The White Lion in St. Albans, and it was an experience worth sharing. From the moment we walked through the door, we were greeted with warmth and genuine hospitality that made us feel right at home. The cozy ambiance, coupled with the friendly atmosphere, set the stage for what would be a delightful afternoon. The food was a highlight – every dish was thoughtfully prepared and bursting with flavor. Whether you’re a fan of traditional pub classics or looking for something with a modern twist, the menu has something for everyone. The ingredients were fresh, and it was clear that a lot of care and attention went into each plate. I highly recommend the pie of the day; it was hearty, rich, and perfectly cooked. A special shoutout must go to Sean and the rest of the staff for their exceptional service. Sean’s friendly demeanor and attention to detail really stood out, and he made sure our visit was memorable from start to finish. The whole team worked seamlessly to provide top-notch service, always attentive without being intrusive. If you’re in St. Albans and looking for a great pub experience, The White Lion is not to be missed. Excellent food, a welcoming atmosphere, and outstanding service make it a place worth returning to again and again. Many thanks The Williams family

Lovely outdoor Garden. Food looked good but some items like the Pork Belly and halloumi were overcooked. Would go back

Lovely lunch out in the garden. Excellent food

Nice local pub, decent beer and had the local Morris dancers, overall a pleasant evening.

Everything was great! Staff very friendly, food delicious and drinks too. We felt very comfortable!

We book a lunch for Saturday the 11th May and made a phone call to them a couple of days before to book. We were told they had a table for 2 at 2pm. We left our home early as we didn’t know how long it would take to get there and park being 30 mins away. Also we don’t know St Albans very well so we had to find it. Anyway eventually we found the pub 10 mins before our table was booked. We walk in and they told us we hadn’t booked! They told us we could sit outside and they could still accommodate us and to find a table which we found one table that didn’t say reserved! Picked what we wanted and my husband we in to order only to be told oh sorry that’s also reserved. So we were send outside to find a table that didn’t exist. The manager or who ever he was, was extremely unhelpful and rude! So we left! Don’t need to be treated that way and do not recommend this awful pub!

Worst Sunday Lunch in a while. Came out cold, sent back. It came back hot at least but rock hard potatoes and generally tasteless. On the upside staff were lovely

I've been coming to this pub for more than 10 years and have never been disappointed. I've seen it change hands multiple times and even then the quality of service, the food and drinks hadn't dropped in it's standards. Having mostly come for drinks with mates, I can confidently say this is a great local pub to socialise come rain or shine with plenty of room both indoor and outdoors. Whilst it still has that traditional pub look and feel, it's not dark and dingy like a lot of other pubs in the local vicinity. It retains a classy look and feel while maintaining the authenticity of a traditional British pub. They have also invested heavily into their beer garden which is the best thing they did as it's much more inviting than it used to be and great even when raining due to having plenty of covered space. The selection of drinks never disappoints and the staff are always friendly and have excellent banter. The food really takes it up a notch for pub grub as they have all the classics, fish and chips, burgers, pies, and a few other unique dishes too all made to an exceptional standard. I honestly couldn't recommend this pub enough and I'm hoping this review will support The White Lion in what is a turbulent time for the hospitality sector where many businesses are struggling to stay afloat. Even with all the other choices of pub in St Albans, I find myself gravitating towards White Lion for the reasons above. You can't go wrong! 2024 Roast Dinner Update: Whilst my review score won't change because the overall experience is still great, what I will say is that the Sunday Roasts are HUGE, but it is more quantity over quality if I'm being brutally honest.

This was our first time in the white lion and definitely won’t be our last visit. Great set up we was welcomed by the sean who was very friendly , he sorted a table initially just for a drinks but the food looked and smelt so good we ate and it didn’t disappoint . Sean was very on the ball keeping everything running smoothly and all the staff were exceptional. Great cosy clean pub with a great outside space .

I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my friends. The staff were exceptionally kind, and the food was absolutely delicious. Although I can't recall the exact name of the dessert, the white chocolate cheesecake was a standout—it was incredibly tasty. I highly recommend trying it out for yourself if you ever get the chance.

Lovely welcome from Peter and his staff, great refurbishment, lovely atmosphere, comfy seating. The food didn't disappoint either, the burger was simply delicious. Would highly recommend

The white lion chicken burger was exceptional, the only part of improvement i could recommend is double cooking the fries

Great little pub with a huge sail canopy covered outdoor garden area at the back. Pet friendly, we were offered a bowl of water and dog biscuits for our puppy - very nice of them!

Thank you for a lovely Mother’s Day Sunday roast with all the trimmings. Great pub grub, Nice cozy traditional pub. Will be back again. Great value, service and excellent food. Fantastic Yorkshire puds Had to be rolled out,

Hate to be the bad guy but have to say it’s a very disappointing Sunday roast. Gravy is bland. Yorkshire pudding, beef and potato unbelievably dry :( . Don’t know how long they have been left in the oven to be this dry. If they were actually kept in oven to stay hot, curious when it’s served it’s barely warm. Nice interior and friendly staff. It’s just food is giving me Sunday depression. Only good thing I could think about is that the portion is good. So you won’t be both depressed and hungry.

Delicious Valentine's meal. One small suggestion, waiter might want to consider using a notebook to take orders. Would save him making 3 plus return trips to customers for clarification on their order 😉

Nice pub, great service, even gave us biscuits for our dog.

Such a good Sunday roast! We come in here all the time since moving here and it’s definitely the best pub in St Albans. The staff are so friendly and welcoming - shout out to Arek, Sean and Adam!

Great night at the White Lion - had a friend visiting from the States and wanted to show her a classic English pub. We both ordered bangers and mash which is newer to the menu this year and it was good to see they had changed it up recently. Service was prompt. I’ve been a couple of times before when service was slower or it was occasionally slightly difficult to draw attention from the waitors, but tonight it was fab, and the pub crew were attentive. The food came out quickly, served hot. The sausages and mash were delicious - would be nice to see a little more variety in the seasonal vegetables though (even though they were cooked well). Presentation is classic and simple - looks classy but still reminds you of classic pub food, which is nice. The wine was delicious - this pub always has a good selection. Good dessert portion sizes and also great recommendations on the food from the waitor. Will come again as I live close by and will recommend to friends!

Stumbled across this little gem, one of those instances you find a talented chef and great front of house staff. Amazing fish with spectacular risotto, the lightest sticky toffee pudding with a sauce to die for all for under £40

Had a couple of lovely meals here. Food is great quality, staff are always friendly and the atmosphere is great.

What a ‘perfect’ pub.. the atmosphere was perfect along with the food.. great flavours. I would highly recommend.. 10 out of 10

Arrived for a late Sunday Lunch at 5:30pm & was advised the chicken was now off the menu, which was fine & also that there were no carrots left, which again we thought well that’s okay, we understand it’s late in the afternoon. So we ordered 1 lamb & 1 beef dinner expecting that they would give us a little more of the veg they did have. When my meal arrived the roast potatoes & Parsnips were practically raw & also I got 2 smallish pieces of roast beef which was sat on top of the roasties to make it look like there was more. I complained to the staff & they brought 1 slice of beef & said they only ever give 2 pieces normally anyway. I really didn’t enjoy the meal one bit - which with a drink each comes to about £50. A real disappointment as I was expecting a lovely meal & a lovely afternoon ☹️ I won’t ever go back there

Visited the pub for some food and beer. The burger and chicken wings were very tasty. Above all, the atmosphere and the services were wonderful which made our dinner very comfortable.I would like to come back again.

Really good experience, lovely location, clean & tidy throughout... Friendly, attentive, staff, really good service, nothing was too much bother, and most important of all, really great food!

We popped in for a Sunday drink with friends. We have been to the pub before but have never eaten. The staff were so helpful so we ended up having a roast dinner. I could not recommend enough and cannot wait to return and will tell friends as we were really impressed. Well done to all the staff it makes such a difference to eat in a well run pub.

Went on a Monday evening, didn't have food so can't comment - but it was a good place for a chill first date :)

First time visitor with my two kids and in laws, lovely atmosphere in the pub (hate it when you feel you are the only ones there) but also very attentive service. Food was great, buffalo wings to start were great, if slightly small, but the pie of the day was great. Good advice on wine and other dishes. We will be back for sure

Great team working here, always very friendly and welcoming. Good beer selection on tap and food is always good quality. Pub inside and out (there is a big garden to the rear) looks great, clean and is very comfy. Well worth a visit.

Lovely staff and setting. But food incredibly disappointing. Couldn’t eat the veggies as they were so hard and undercooked. Food was only just warm. have since had an lovely apology from the Manager and offer of a meal for four. So I have increased rating and hope to enjoy our meal when we go back. Linda Woodcock

independent beer house? Surely a joke sign. Five of us arrived about 2pm on a Sunday for beer. There was room at the bar and just to the right, but we were told we were not welcome. Headed across the road, where the new management...

Had a really good evening with friends and colleagues when leaving work. Lovely pub with friendly people. I really enjoyed my dinner too.

After going for Christmas Dinner in 2022, which the whole experience was amazing, lovely food and the service was spot on we decided to go again in 2023. Unfortunately, this time round the whole experience was not enjoyable at all. We had to wait a...

Really great service, and lovely food. We went on the 27th and there was still loads on the menu - bonus for all the board games!

We went for Christmas day lunch was amazing every detail thought of and service next level . Food superb special shout out for the hake and miso toffee pudding .

My partner and l had a lovely time on our first visit on Christmas Day. We had a great lunch, it was delicious. Nothing proved too much for the staff who were charming and helpful. I was well aware they were giving up a large...

We had a wonderful Christmas Dinner at the White Lion Pub. The food served was plentiful and delicious, service friendly, welcoming and truly fantastic and atmosphere really lovely. Thank you to all the staff for making our day ☺️

Great friendly pub with a good food menu. It's not huge and can get noisy but it's a great atmosphere.

As a regular in the beautiful snug the outstanding TEAM truly look after the regulars in every respect , really brilliant . The atmosphere & humour is that of a proper local , service is always with a smile & coupled with engaging conversations ,...

The decorations on the tables were very nice and we all had a Christmas cracker. The vegetarian options on the menu were good, but in practice I had a big wedge of French Brie with nothing much to soak up the melted cheese. The festive...

We booked on the website for a Christmas lunch. We arrived and was told they don't do it on a sunday, which is not stated anywhere on the website. We even called up a few days before the booking and they did not mention that we couldnt get the christmas menu. We spoke to the manager and he was very abrupt and unsympathetic, bordering on rude. The female server we had was lovely. We ordered a roast which was disappointing. It looked great, but the vegetables and potatoes were rock hard and flavourless. Won't be going back again.

Уютное место. Просто английский паб. Место популярное. Еле нашли свободное место с двумя стульями.

Service was extremely slow. We understand it was busy but we waited 30 minutes for our drinks to be ordered and they cleared the plates of the tables next to us before they took our order. Then the food came out before our drinks. Food...

Came here on a Friday night for a meal and had a lovely time. The food was so tasty and the staff were very polite and attentive. You can tell a lot of hard work goes towards making this pub run smoothly. Will definitely be...

12 of us for a Christmas meal Friday night. Very helpful service, decent food and a wonderful atmosphere as always. Cheesecake was cracking. Thanks to all the team at White Lion

Nice, friendly and welcoming and warm pub. Food was delicious and good value. Only quibble was the amount of meat on our plates. We had vegetables galore but the amount of meat served was a little meagre for a Sunday roast! Fabulous fruit crumble for...

Visited for a Sunday roast - it's a super cozy pub vibe, open fire, warm...you get the gist! Friendly and quick service. The roast itself was huge! I had the beef which was cooked to perfection - lovely and pink. Roast potatoes were a little...

Had lunch here and would not come back. Cullen Skink was sour either the cream or the fish were off. Served with burnt toast, no butter. They kindly replaced with whitebait. Tartar sauce with this was bitter. Rest of the meal was ok. Nothing special....

Nice ambience, although exuberant noise came from the gaming table area of the pub. Food was nicely presented, portions were decent and was good. Menu was fairly restricted - not a wide range of choice. Excellent choice of beers on tap and my wife was...

Perfect afternoon with friends, amazing Sunday lunch, great service and lovely atmosphere. The White Lion never lets us down!

We had high hopes for the White Lion as there were good reviews, the menu offered vegan options and it’s a lovely old pub. But we were really disappointed in the cleanliness and the food. The hygiene rating for the pub is only 4 out...

4.5 stars. I don't know how. Maybe a previous management? We came in for a drink and then maybe some food. We were served by a team of very young people with, it seems, no sense of guidance. They all seem too preoccupied with chatting amongst themselves and their friends than serving customers. We gave it the benefit of the doubt and after seeing some of the food coming out we decided to stay for some food. This was a mistake. Although it looked very good, well done to the chef for making it look nice, it was bland and empty. When I spoke to my server after too long a wait for a check back they suggested some spicy sauce on it. The garden is the big draw for this place, in the summer I can imagine that it will be very busy. But the way things are going this will disappear into the realm of pubs that cater for the 20's. We visited a while ago and was very happy, the name cropped up again recently so we tried it again with new people. It's sad to say that the heart and soul of the place is not there. Sad.

Have been here several times. Friendly staff, we had a great evening with good food. Nice atmosphere

Our first visit, we don’t live in the area and wanted to try somewhere different - we were not disappointed. The burgers were delicious. We hadn’t booked but a table was arranged for us and the service was excellent. The waitress was full of smiles...

Service et ambiance superbes. Me lasserai jamais du pub anglais

We went for a famlily lunch and all had a roats. The food was great and service excellent. Would definitely recommend.

The food, service and ambience was excellent. We would come again. Our only niggle was that the dining area was very noisy; other diners seemed to be shouting over each other and the acoustics did not help. However, it is an old terraced building so...

Lovely meal and really friendly service. Relaxed atmosphere and dog friendly. Nice outside/ garden space as well. Thanks!

Great pub! exactly what a pub should be. Popped in for a drink place was buzzing,.Great wines and ale. Ended up having a meal - felt like a fine dining restaurant… pub is clean, nice atmosphere. The chef popped out and said hello and looked...

Stopped for a quick drink on a Monday evening and sat in the garden. Really great garden space, which I suspect unless you know the pub, you wouldn't expect. Cosy nooks & crannies inside too.

Awesome local pub serving a great range of beers and delicious food. Try the Dirty Fries!

Great little pub! The inside area is really cute, very trendy, but old school decor. Really good selection of draft beers. The stand out part of this pub is the outside area. Under a huge canvas cover, it's a beautifully lit area, lovely but away from the road.

The White Lion were really helpful when I recently had a wake to organise. Nothing was too much trouble and they accommodated our last minute changes and requests with no issues. Great garden area, food was lovely and staff brilliant. Will def be back

We had a very tasty and reasonably-priced lunch. I had the pork belly, which was delicious; other people in our group had burgers and fish and enjoyed it too. I had a pint of real ale, which was well-kept. The staff members who served us...

People there are nice. Good atmosphere. I had a nice time with friends. Food here it excellent. We shall Continue to come here again and again. 👍

Really friendly staff with excellent service. Well kept beer and food was excellent. Thoroughly recommend.

great food, excellent service - would recommend it for a Sunday Roast or any other meal. Service was excellent

There was dog poo next to our table where all kids were playing. Staff did come and clean when told but still I don't think anyone would like to sit next smelly poo.

Very nice place! Good food & drinks

Great space for a gathering! Lovely friendly team. Easy to book and really great communication from the team.

Really friendly and buzzing pub - but not too loud that we couldn't chat. Good pub grub and great range of beers.

I booked the garden at The White Lion for my 50th at the end of July. Amazingly, it rained all day - but this didn't matter at all and everyone had a great time. The huge canopy made it feel like a festival tent. The...

First time in since the new landlords were installed a few months ago and have to say a great first impression. Service was quick (on a busy Friday night too), staff were cheerful and helpful and the food (ranging from a very nice piece of fish to a jackfruit burger to a chicken burger) was all well cooked and went down very well. The beer selection is decent too (two bitters on tap plus a good selection of ales and even lucky saint on tap). All in all, really nice to see the white lion re emerge after the unpleasant actions of the brewery chain after COVID. Will be going again!

Lovely local pub.... Great food. Attentive and helpful staff. Good variety of ales. Very busy on a Saturday evening

Very underwhelmed. My ‘white lion burger’ was exceptionally average, the beef brisket was cold and for the price (£15.95) the quality of beef was poor. We also had the nachos which where the same standard as those the are served in Vue cinema and were also cold. Wouldn’t return.

New owners have refurbished it nicely. Garden is great for this weather.

Very reasonable prices. Good choices for vegetarians and vegans. Food was lovely.

Served 14 of us for a birthday dinner and drinks on a Friday night. Very accomodating, communicative, and the food was fab. Lovely beer garden too. Many thanks.

The food here was delicious! All four of us enjoyed our selections; I wish we could have returned for another visit, but our time in England was limited. The young lady behind the bar was very nice and patient with us first timers to a pub.

The food is delicious, table service friendly and professional, would definitely benefit from more staff behind the bar, but overall a lovely place to go especially on a sunny day as the garden is great!

I came to this pub with my partner last week for the first time. We had a wonderful evening. The food was delicious (mushroom chilli), the atmosphere was great and the staff were friendly. Look forward to coming again soon

Great food and friendly staff, very attentive and a very dog friendly pub evening for evening dinner. Great wine list & will be returning!!

Nice staff, only one toilet working.

Great food, good beer list, friendly service. What more could you want?

Very friendly, great food, dogs are welcome

Great pub tucked away in Sopwell Lane. Eat there yesterday .4 of us. Served by Caitlin a happy, smiling young lady who looked after us excellently. Food to die for. Beautifully presented, excellently cooked and very flavorsome. Large range of their own beers,cider and lagers. We will definitely be back. Well done.

Loved this pub. Great selection of beers, food & a weekly quiz night. TV's with sport but volume down except for one area so you can watch & still hear yourself talk. Brilliant!

Lovely pub. It is best to reserve a table if dining . Good beers. Friendly staff and patrons.

Nice old fashioned pub. Serves Big Smoke craft beer and has a decent food menu. The core of the building is very old. There is a large beer garden for the summer months. Staff are friendly.

This pub used to have a good choice of real dark beers in draught. Very disappointed as there used to be a decent choice to quaff here. There's no real ale leaflets and no news on future events like there was in the past. Another disappointment. Good clean place and toilets are okay.

Lovely pub, whether for an evening pint or an afternoon dinner with the kids

Very nice food and very friendly staff, will come back soon again.

Great pub with food. Stick with the beer as your included drink on steak night...wine wasn't great, although good wines available to buy separately. Service usually good. Big garden in summer/ dry days

Nice roast but we arrived to find that was all that was on the menu, a beef option and a veggie one. The meal was nice and the service good but the limited Sunday menu was not clear on the website so worth checking ahead. May well be due to Covid but the kids were not happy to find they had no chance of an ice cream!

why this Pub charged a service charge for putting mine and wife's drinks 20ft for us to pick up and then charged for paying by card,is beyond me ! Won't be going here again

So glad the White Lion is back open. Pandering to all the CV-19 carry on if that’s your thing, but otherwise just glad to get a decent pint of Proper Job again. Thanks!