Welwyn Garden City Restaurant Guide

This “French gem” in a “pleasant little pub tucked away in a corner of Ayot Green” serves “good food at sensible prices” in an atmosphere that’s “refined without being daunting”. Patron Laurent Brydniak has “run the place well” for 15 years, and does a good trade at lunchtime feeding walkers visiting the nearby Brocket Hall Estate.

“At last, the Auberge has found its feet again and is now up and running smoothly” following its reopening in May 2023, after a three-year hiatus. While the “beautiful setting” in a hunting lodge on the Brocket Hall Estate remains unchanged, these days chef John Barber (ex-of London’s Mandarin Oriental) is at the helm, his “confident and assured” cooking more modern British than during the venue’s Gallic heyday under Jean-Christophe Novelli – and more democratic too (particularly the “good-value fixed-price lunch”). As ever, “the decor could still do with a refresh but, on a sunny day, a table out on the terrace by the lake is unbeatable”.

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”.

In the safe hands of Phil Thompson (whose CV includes becoming Head Chef at the Auberge du Lac at age 24), this decade-old venture continues to do the casual fine-dining thing with aplomb. Reporters “like that there are a number of small rooms” in which to dine (upstairs is the main restaurant, and there’s also an airy conservatory opening onto the Victorian-style courtyard), while the “imaginative cooking” is “creative and beautifully presented” too, whether you opt for the set menus (£55 or £69 per person for two or three courses) or fancier tasting menu (£95 or £115 per person for five or seven courses).

This “good neighbourhood Turkish restaurant” – which serves a “nice variety of interesting dishes” using “fresh and high-quality ingredients” – celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. It now has spinoffs in Berkhamsted and Harpenden – the latter “attracting a younger crowd than usual for Harpenden, which gives it the sort of buzz which is rare in these parts”.

A “buzzy” atmosphere and “welcoming service” are the strong suits of this “expanding group”, with 16 branches in London and another handful nearby. While nobody disputes that they’re “lovely to sit in” and offer “value for money”, the “Middle-Eastern-inspired cooking” divides opinion, with some reporters “pleasantly surprised by the tasty food” and others bemoaning “underwhelming” dishes that “sound better than they taste”.

“Another local winner from Lussmanns” – “a small independent group of restaurants in Hertfordshire” (and, as of late, London’s leafy Highgate) “with an emphasis on sustainability”. This “always reliable” outpost is “convenient for the Abbey but off the main tourist trail” and occupies an “interesting and well-decorated” building with a glass roof (“unusual for the group”, which favours more historic surrounds) plus a “courtyard when the weather is kind”.

This small but perfectly formed venue (there’s a small dining area behind the boozer) in the Cathedral Quarter leapt 22 places this year in Estrella Damm’s ‘Top 100 Gastropubs’ list, coming in at a very respectable no. 72. The 15th-century building was taken over by Sean Hughes and family a decade ago, with John Searle overseeing the expertly sourced pub grub featuring specialities such as dairy cow rib and fresh Cornish fish.

This “very comfortable” 15th-century farmhouse half an hour from London makes an ideal setting for a hotel restaurant with a “lively, vibrant atmosphere”‚ “keen and attentive staff” and “plenty of traditional dishes” on its menu. A meal here is usually “enjoyable”, if not gastronomically distinguished.

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.

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”.

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.

This “trendy Turkish restaurant in Cockfosters” has given the Anatolian grill a smart makeover over the past decade, and now “has the vibe of a West End restaurant, with a DJ at the weekend” and “faultless service”. According to its biggest fans, “Cockfosters is becoming a destination thanks to restaurants like Skewd!”

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”.

“Locals and visitors” beat a path to this “lovely pub with top-notch food” from chef James Rix and his wife Bianca, who have transformed it into an “Interesting and exceptionally busy venue” over the past 20 years. Top Menu Tip – “dessert on a whole different level: Paris Brest, choux pastry, praline cream, hot chocolate sauce & toasted nuts of exceptional taste and quality”.

“Excellent-quality food at a reasonable price” is behind the 24-year success of Austrian-born chef Julius Oberegger’s Whetstone bistro. The cuisine is “mostly modern European but with an eye on pan-Asian flavours” – which makes it “an oasis” in a part of north London where the standard dining options are Greek, Turkish or pizza.

This “large, well-decorated gastropub” overlooking the village pond in Totteridge, on London’s northern fringe, serves a broad menu that majors in steaks, burgers, seafood and pizza. The odd blip is noted in reports foodwise, but it‘s nominated by a number of locals as their top pub.

A real “neighbourhood gem”, this “fun” and “quirky” 16th-century pub in Mill Hill serves “what must be some of the best pub food in North London”. It’s presided over in fine style by brothers Luca and Matteo Delnevo, presenting a modern, British-Italian menu.

“It might not be for a true aficionado of Asian food, but the welcome is genuine, the food is always meticulously cooked and presented, service standards are high, and it has pleased us for many years” – one report neatly encapsulates the strong virtues of this rather “glamorous”, “good-but-pricey” Chinese group: a family-owned chain with branches in Knightsbridge, Mill Hill, Wandsworth Common and Esher. “Why not save yourself the trip to Chinatown and enjoy a meal without the crowds, bad service, and soulless dining rooms!”