The Best Restaurants In St Albans, UK

This small, easy-to-miss restaurant is located near the bandstand in The Maltings Shopping Centre. Serving up the best coffee in the area and fantastic hand-made sandwiches, Hatch is a great stop for brunch or lunch on a nice summer day. The breakfast baps are served all day, but the pulled ham hock bap is an easy favourite. The menu changes seasonally and is highly selective. Take yours to-go from the main takeaway location or enjoy a meal with table service in the Canteen.

Lussmanns is the place to go for ethical, sustainable fine dining in St Albans. The food is cooked with attention to detail and made from only the highest quality produce. Located off the High Street next to the St Albans Cathedral and Abbey Church, this bright, spacious restaurant is perfect for a special occasion. Try the excellent steaks, particularly the organic, dry-aged ribeye, or one of the fresh fish options, such as the homemade fishcake with baby spinach, parsnip, and beurre blanc.

Located in a restored historic building, Craft and Cleaver is an industrial-style pub and smokehouse. Preparing their signature dishes with a low and slow smoked barbecue technique using an American-imported smoker, the restaurant brings real flavour to its dishes. The extensive menu includes grilled dishes, ribs, brisket, and fried chicken as well as burgers and a surprising amount of vegetarian options. Enjoy your meal with a British craft beer in the beer garden or in the rustic interior.

Waffles are an increasingly popular item in the UK, and The Waffle House, set in a 16th-century watermill, has a great range of this versatile dish with savoury and sweet options and regularly changing specials. Every dish includes a choice of wholewheat, white and spelt flours, which are organically grown and stoneground just a couple of miles away. Savory options include a ratatouille waffle and a hummus and avocado waffle, and the sweet waffles come with toppings such as pecan nuts and butterscotch or hot Dutch apple.

The oldest pub in St Albans, and one of the oldest in the country, Ye Olde Fighting Cocks dates back to the 8th century, although its current half-timbered building is from the 11th century. Today it’s an atmospheric place to enjoy a meal under the exposed beam ceilings or out on the spacious patio. Head in for a Sunday roast dinner or choose an option from the hearty everyday menu, such as the beer battered fresh hake or the 28-day-matured Scotch rump steak.

Explore the tastes of Turkish tapas at Tabure. The restaurant has a warm and friendly atmosphere, and guests are able to watch their meals being prepared with benched seating around the grill. Tapas are ideally consumed with a group of friends, where dishes can be ordered (around three or four dishes are recommended per person), passed around, and enjoyed in a relaxed setting with a glass of wine. Try traditional dishes such as the stuffed courgette flower, made with ricotta and herbs and lightly battered, the grilled bildircin marinated with rose petals and nar eksisi (quail with pomegranate molasses), or the dusbere manti in saffron and tomato broth (homemade dumplings filled with beef mince and shallots).

The Breakfast Club is a spot that’s always filled with locals around brunch time. A rustic-looking café, it has an extensive breakfast menu with classic dishes like The Full English and All American. Explore other more unique options though such as the rarebit menu, The Nap (sausage, bacon, burger, bubble and squeak, baked beans, potatoes, tomato, fried egg, and bread) or The Sting (spicy potato and pepper frittata with fresh chilies and spices) and you won’t be disappointed.

This authentic Italian restaurant and pizzeria is an award-winning restaurant in St. Albans. The service is professional and warm, serving Italian cuisine at its finest. Made with high-quality ingredients sourced from Italian suppliers, L’Italiana’s pizzas are made fresh every day with soft, 100% mozzarella. Start with the sauté de cozze, or mussels sautéed in white wine, garlic, and parsley, and for your entrée choose from one of the many excellent pasta or meat dishes.

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