Willian Restaurant Guide

2023 Review: This village pub-with-rooms just off the A1 offers “attractively presented food” on a menu which is “a cut above standard gastropub fare” – best enjoyed in the “new outside dining area, which in summer evokes a lovely Mediterranean feel”.

2021 Review: This former ballroom gains most praise for its “great breakfast/brunch” that makes “a brilliant way to start the weekend, with lots of free top-up coffee and newspapers to read”. In addition to “the best brews, home bakes and bagels”, there’s also a full dinner menu featuring sustainable local produce.

The “beautiful, charming setting” and “smart atmosphere” of this farmhouse hotel less than half an hour from London win general applause, and “in an area which is something of a desert in respect of ‘fine dining’, it provides cooking that’s a notch above the usual gastropub fare”. “On a warm summer’s day, a table in the garden is ideal for a long, relaxed lunch”.

2023 Review: “This lovely country pub” run by brothers Tom (a self-taught cook) and James Bainbridge (a former Fat Duck manager) wins consistent ratings for its high-quality cooking using “good-quality meat and fresh, tasty ingredients”. There’s a “lovely ambience and service to match”, all at “amazing value-for-money prices”.

“The food in this small and atmospheric pub is unabashedly French – tasty, interesting and reasonably priced” with “just the right amount of an English touch”. “Splendid service from host Laurent (Brydniak) and his team, who pay a lot of attention to getting the details right”, adds to the appeal of a venue that is “often busy by midday as a walkers’ reward” after strolling around the neighbouring Brocket Hall estate.

“Not yet back to its old self” seems to be the frustrating verdict on this former hunting lodge, scenically located with a large terrace by the lake of the luxurious Brocket Hall estate. In the early 2000s it was a national name under chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, but has since had its ups and downs. After a hiatus, “its re-opening has been long awaited and eagerly anticipated locally with the pop-ups fully booked”. Early feedback suggests “it still seems to be a work in progress. Menu, food and cooking have been very good, suitably refined and up to the standard expected. However, service can be poor, with staff unable to cope and long waits to order. The general decor is also very dated and doesn’t appear to have changed much during the past three years of closure. Hopefully, it will find its feet but it is taking longer than expected!”

2021 Review: Afternoon tea is “a real treat” in the “wonderful and friendly surroundings” of this country house hotel and spa, whose claim to fame is that it appeared in ‘Four Weddings’. Reports of more substantial meals here are more up-and-down.

2022 Review: Popular with walkers, this attractive eighteenth-century boozer is “very cosy inside and out” (the latter courtesy of a “godsend” of an outdoor tipi). On the culinary front, it's “a cut above pub grub, with surprisingly well-cooked and presented food, especially the fish dishes, and good veggie options too”. “Their own beer (Farr Brew) is also very fresh and tasty.”

“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.

Bedfordshire-born Steven Barringer opened this popular restaurant alongside wife Amy seven years after starring on the 2011 season of MasterChef: The Professionals. The “great taster menu” (coming in five- or seven-course versions that change monthly) and “knowledgeable staff” have contributed to its local success – so do think to book in advance.