Hardens Guide to the Best Restaurants in Shenley
Hardens guides have spent 33 years compiling reviews of the best Shenley restaurants. On Hardens.com you'll find details and reviews of 12 restaurants in Shenley and our unique survey based approach to rating and reviewing Shenley restaurants gives you the best insight into the top restaurants in every area and of every type of cuisine.
Featured Shenley Restaurants
1. Savoro
British, Modern restaurant in Barnet
206 High Street - EN5
2021 Review: A former boathouse on the high street, turned hotel and dining room, that remains of note for its “delightful food impeccably served in a not overcrowded restaurant” – though you’ll need to book ahead on weekends, when they also lay on a “good Sunday lunch”.
2. Lussmanns
British, Modern restaurant in St Albans
Waxhouse Gate, High St - AL3
“Long established in St Albans”, and part of a five-strong, sustainability-oriented chain, this glass-roofed outfit by the cathedral continues to please with its “jolly good” bistro cooking (the latter recommended for its “consistent quality” and equally “good value”).
3. Megan's at the Old Bell
British, Modern restaurant in St Albans
22 Chequer Street - AL1
“Fairy lights, greenery and charming decor create a warm and cosy atmosphere” at this still-expanding group, which is most popular as a “reliable and friendly brunch option”. Its Med-inspired tapas is typically rated somewhere between “tasty” and “nothing special” and scores overall are dragged well down by those experiencing “chaotic service” and “food that doesn’t live up to the pretty dining room”.
4. The Rising Sun
Italian restaurant in Mill Hill
137 Marsh Ln - NW7
“A true treasure in the leafy suburbs”, this “small and quirky” 16th-century pub operates as a “restaurant spread over different rooms”, “delivering a consistently high standard of high-quality British/Italian cooking”. “Luca (Delnevo) and the team treat you as part of the extended family”.
5. Dylans Kings Arms
British, Modern restaurant in St Albans
7 George Street - AL3
“One of the best in the area” – this fifteenth-century hostelry in the cathedral quarter (named for the landlord’s dog) only has “a small dining area at the back of the pub”, but provides “a very good menu – it’s limited to a few dishes which is encouraging as they are all very good!”
6. Tabure
Turkish restaurant in St Albans
6 Spencer Street - AL3
2021 Review: This “very good modern Turk” uses high-quality ingredients, including organic meats from Wales, to produce some interesting meals in this under-served town, and it “gets busy and can be very noisy”. There’s a spinoff branch in Berkhamsted.
7. Thompson
British, Modern restaurant in St Albans
2-8 Hatfield Rd - AL1
Phil Thompson has owned this city-centre casual fine-dining spot (offering à la carte or seven-course tasting menus) for over a decade, and oversaw what was another solid performance this year; the dining area “consists of a number of small rooms, which gives a feeling of intimacy” (there’s also a charming Victorian-style courtyard), and Thompson’s classical training alongside the Galvin bros and MPW means “there’s always a good spin on traditional ideas”.
8. St James
British, Modern restaurant in Bushey
30 High St - WD23
“A stalwart in a desert for decent cooking” that’s still recommended after 25 years “under Alfonso La Cava’s friendly eye” and where there’s some “delicious food” to be had (be it light lunches, à la carte dinners or a newer set menu); afternoon tea is served in the recent (by the venue’s standards) Betsy’s Tearoom, which launched in 2018.
9. Kiyoto
restaurant in Borehamwood
31 Shenley Road - WD6
The original in a small family-owned group specialising in sushi that is “always quick and super-fresh, with great presentation and delicious”. Brothers Jason & Adam Balsam launched the business in 2015, hiring Japanese chefs in their mission to bring high-quality sushi at reasonable prices to the north London ’burbs. Branches have followed in West Hampstead, Mill Hill, Cockfosters and most recently Hatch End.
10. The Three Compasses
British, Modern restaurant in Patchetts Green
Pegmire Lane - WD25
“Gourmet cooking at reasonable prices in a delightful village pub” encapsulates the appeal of this five-year-old venture from well-travelled chef James Harkin, whose parents ran the Alpine Restaurant in nearby Bushey for 48 years, and his partner Magda. The menu mixes pub classics with more refined Italian dishes.
11. Gracey's Pizza
restaurant in Chiswell Green
339 Watford Road - AL2
A former lockdown project that has graduated via pop-ups to a permanent site with an enthusiastic social media following. Featured in the Sunday Times for its New Haven-style pizzas, cooked at low temperatures for a light crust and with a concise choice of toppings.
12. Odos
Mediterranean restaurant in Barnet
238-240 High Street - EN5
This “hidden gem in Barnet” has a “fabulous Greek/Mediterranean menu, made ‘posh’ with additions such as ceviche and miso aubergine”. The “food is fresh, tasty and always delicious”, and “they’re so welcoming”. Founder Louis Loizu promoted former apprentice chef Gerry Sands to co-ownership last summer, at the tender age of 21.
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