Harden's survey result
Summary
“Excellent restaurant-quality cooking” – “several notches above typical gastropub standard” – wins fans for this venue on the edge of a common in a “quaint town in leafy Hertfordshire”. Chef and co-owner Matthew Reeder operated a supper club on the premises when it was run as a pub by his father; he later returned with the skills he picked up working in some top-class kitchens (The Typing Room, Galvin Bros, Anglo, where he was head chef), delivering meals that “take some beating”. ‘Steak nights’ do feature, but more characteristic dishes include the likes of Salt Marsh Lamb, Pea à la Française, Black Garlic; or Roasted John Dory, Caper, and Sea Herbs.
Summary
“A top-notch restaurant in a pretty standard pub” – fans feel “the always excellent food deserves a better location” than this venue on the edge of the Common, run by local lads Matthew Reader (chef) and Michael Singleton. “West End-quality cooking and ingredients mark out the tasting menu” or you can go for the ‘Pub Sharing Menu’: “a short list of daily specials and little sharing plates, fairly priced in light of their high quality”. “Staff are knowledgeable and the dining room feels spacious, despite it being quite small”.
Summary
“The best food in the culinary desert that is Harpenden” (including “a really delightful tasting menu” rounded out by “pub dishes – pricey, but beautifully presented and well thought-out”), awaits at local lads Matthew Reader (chef) and Michael Singleton’s “reimagined pub”, on the edge of the Common. Both the “creative menu and friendly service from the young team belong in a more upmarket situation than what is essentially a boozer” (also with four rooms) – impressive for a venue in these ‘burbs.
Summary
It looks like a fairly typical roadside pub (with rooms), but this two-year-old venue beside Harpenden Common from local lads Matthew Reader (chef) and Michael Singleton is a distinct cut above. You get “very good cooking from a local team who are serious about delivering a quality experience in an area not known for the quality of its eateries”.
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at The Silver Cup?
5 St Albans Road, Harpenden, AL5 2JF
Restaurant details
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch | £39.00 | £48.00 |  |
|
 |
Traditional European menu
| Starter | Main | Veggies | Pudding |
|---|---|---|---|
| £29.00 | £40.50 | £0.00 | £9.00 |
| Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £30.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £4.00 |
| Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 12.50% |
5 St Albans Road, Harpenden, AL5 2JF
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 3 pm‑10 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑3:30 pm |
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