The best restaurants in St Albans East of England

I visited Bean Central on a lovely sunny morning, so was able to take advantage of the south facing area outside the shop to sit and enjoy my coffee. The coffee was very good. There was a small selection of snacks and cookies available (for those, like me, who cannot resist a cake or cookie with a decent cup of tea or coffee). Bean Central is a tiny coffee bar in what used to part of Arif Gardner’s photographic studios (which still occupies most of the building). It was Arif who told me to give this coffee shop a try, but it took we a while to do so as Bean Central is only open on weekday mornings (and has even shorter opening hours during school holidays). Well recommend it you are passing (PS Arif is also a great photographer if you are ever in need of a professional photographer).

Lovely food, huge portion and super tasty. We went on a Thursday that currently has BYOB which we thought was great! Staff super helpful and attentive. Would highly recommend this hidden gem in St Albans!

A beautiful setting by the water on a sunny evening, 1st was the house red wine which was delicious followed by an amazing 3 courses, The organic beef short rib which was a delightful & one of the best starters I have ever tasted ( please make this a main course) I then went for the rump of lamb which was cooked to perfection & then finished with a knickerbocker glory! What a treat!!! Our waiter Daniel was excellent & very attentive & knowledgeable about the dishes he also kept our wine topped up, we will certainly return so we can sample more of this superb menu, thanks for making our Saturday evening a memorable one.

Cannot remember a better pizza - ever! Dough base perfect - just the right thickness, soft & yummy. All toppings tasty and fresh. We had Adam & his van at our office today - absolutely brilliant. Needs a restaurant - for sure. 10/10 and food gold star . Bravo and thank you so much

Really good food. PLACE NOW DOESN'T EXIST.

We pre-ordered for two to sit in. Preordering was super easy and we specified our arrival time. The pizzas were delicious - we had the Bufala and Papa Jim. Roquito peppers were added to the Bufala as an extra, which was definitely worth it. The Papa Jim was upgraded to 16”… huge! The Bufala came out 10ish mins later than the Papa Jim which did mean that one of us ended up finishing our pizza ‘alone’. The service was friendly which softened the blow of this. Gracey’s is clearly a super popular spot locally. It’s very cosy so you must preorder if you want to secure a table. They accommodated walk-ins as best they could but I wouldn’t suggest leaving it to chance.

Get coffee here 3-5 times a week. Superb product and great service. A wonderful local business.

Been coming here for 10+ years, best Italian Delhi in Hertfordshire

Lovely cafe, excellent food and brilliant staff. Very cosy!

Lovely place to have coffee and cake and friendly staff 😊

had my first coffee from here this morning!!! absoloutely amazing coffee and served by the loveliest lady! made my day!!!!!

Delicious food, the best chai I have ever had together with excellent and friendly service. Offers veggie, vegan and meatboptiond. Can highly recommend this venue.

Was choking on meal and just watched would not go again.

Toast St Albans – A Gem with Fantastic Service Every Time! Toast St Albans has become my go-to spot, whether I’m grabbing a coffee, enjoying brunch, catching up with friends and family, or even having a casual business meeting. The service is consistently fantastic—friendly, attentive, and welcoming every single time. The team genuinely cares about creating a great experience, making sure everything is just right. The coffee is always spot on, and the brunch menu never disappoints, with fresh, delicious options to suit any craving. The atmosphere is warm and relaxed, perfect for both social and work meet-ups. It’s rare to find a place that gets it right every time, but Toast St Albans certainly does. Highly recommend!

One of our favourite coffee shops in St Albans but sadly is closed everytime we’ve visited recently. Hope all is ok with the team