With its magnificent cathedral, Roman ruins, and cobbled streets, St Albans is one of the UK’s most easy-on-the-eye cities. This ancient settlement, Britain’s first Christian martyr’s final resting place (bit of a complicated claim, that one) is quite rightly popular with tourists, both local and international.
In terms of a food scene, that regular influx of visitors can go one of two ways; either, a city full of tourist traps and chains. Or, a place of genuinely unique, largely independent places to eat. Fortunately, in the case of St Albans, the latter is true.
The city’s restaurant landscape has flourished in recent years, driven by passionate restaurateurs who’ve recognised that St Albans diners demand more than mediocrity. From innovative pizza makers in village outposts to AA Rosette-winning chefs crafting seasonal menus that cherish local ingredients, the cathedral city now offers remarkable dining experiences that draw food lovers from across the Home Counties.
Whether you’re seeking a post-shopping bite near the bustling market or a celebration dinner worthy of the city’s historic grandeur, St Albans delivers. Here are the best restaurants in St Albans, Hertfordshire.
THOMPSON St Albans
Ideal for fine dining that doesn’t take itself too seriously…
Phil Thompson’s restaurant occupies a charming site comprised of four cottages that predate World War II, and the intimate dining rooms still retain that residential feel. Having earned three AA Rosettes in 2017 and retaining them since, THOMPSON St Albans has become the city’s standard-bearer for serious cooking, though you’d never guess it from the relaxed atmosphere.
Thompson’s menu changes with the seasons, reflecting his commitment to working with the finest British produce. The cooking here combines classical technique with modern sensibilities – dishes like the slow-cooked duck leg with fondant potato and cherry jus showcase technical precision without unnecessary flourishes. Thompson’s wine list includes some brilliant lesser-known producers alongside more familiar names, each carefully chosen to complement his food.
The restaurant’s layout creates distinct moods depending on where you sit. The front room feels intimate and conversation-friendly, whilst the conservatory offers a brighter atmosphere with French doors opening onto a Victorian-style courtyard complete with trailing ivy and jasmine. For special occasions, this terrace provides one of St Albans’ most romantic dining settings.
Thompson’s prix fixe menus represent excellent value for cooking of this calibre. The three-course dinner menu at £79 might seem steep, but the quality of ingredients and execution justifies every penny. There are more sprawling tasting menus too, with a 9 course extravaganza clocking in at £159 for those looking for a major blowout.
Service is attentive without being intrusive, with staff who clearly understand – and are infatuated with – both the food and wine on offer.
Website: thompsonstalbans.co.uk
Address: 2 Hatfield Rd, St Albans AL1 3RP
Dylans at The Kings Arms
Ideal for gastropub dining with serious beer credentials…
Sean Hughes and his family have transformed this beautiful 15th-century Tudor building into one of St Albans’ most beloved establishments. Featured in the Good Food Guide for three consecutive years and the winner of Best Front of House Team at the Top 50 Gastropubs awards in 2022, Dylans proves that great food and great beer can coexist beautifully.
The pub’s commitment to craft beer runs deep – they were among St Albans’ first establishments to champion independent breweries, building relationships that allow them to regularly feature limited-edition beers that beer enthusiasts travel specifically to try. Their selection spans everything from sour beers to New England pale ales, with daily updates posted on Untappd for the seriously beer-obsessed.
But the real star here is the food, and the txuleta prime rib, in particular. It’s the restaurant’s signature dish for a reason, arriving finished with rich brown butter gravy and those essential beef fat triple-cooked chips. It’s become something of a local legend, and rightly so – the beef is well aged, the cooking spot-on, and the presentation unfussy yet impressive in its confidence. At £105 for two people to share, it’s not cheap, but when that hefty chop hits the table, the fat yellow and melting, the steak blushing, the gravy glossy, you won’t resent the price. Oh, and the accompanying beef fat chips aren’t half bad, either.
Head chef Josh Searle’s menu extends well beyond that famous rib, with seasonal British dishes that demonstrate genuine skill. They are especially good at seafood here with hand-dived scallops from Orkney often starring on the menu.
The restaurant operates with two distinct areas: a snacking menu available in the front bar, with perfectly pulled pints and all, and a full à la carte service in the back dining room. This flexibility makes Dylans equally suitable for a quick Guinness and bite or a full evening out.
The building itself, with its low ceilings and original Tudor features, creates that genuinely historic atmosphere you can’t fake. Tables are at a premium, particularly on weekends, so booking ahead is wise. The acoustics can get lively when the place is full, but that’s part of the charm – this is a pub that feels genuinely lived-in. And anyway, it can be quite nice to lean into your dining companion from time to time, don’t you think?
Website: dylanskingsarms.com
Address: 7 George St, St Albans AL3 4ER
Lussmanns St Albans
Ideal for sustainable dining with views of the cathedral…
Situated next to St Albans Cathedral with lovely views over the Vintry Garden, Lussmanns represents everything admirable about modern British dining. Their commitment to sustainability runs deeper than most – 95% of ingredients are British-grown or produced, all fish carries Marine Stewardship Council approval, and their beef and mutton is organic.
The restaurant occupies three floors of a modern building, creating different moods depending on your preference. The ground floor bustles with energy, the upper floors offer more intimacy, and there’s a private dining area for special occasions. Large windows throughout ensure the cathedral views are maximised, particularly magical during evening service when the ancient stones are illuminated.
Chef Nick McGeown’s menu changes regularly to reflect seasonal availability, but certain dishes have become signatures. The organic mutton kofta with brioche bun and cucumber mint raita showcases British lamb in an unexpected preparation, whilst the fish dishes – perhaps Cornish monkfish with samphire and brown shrimp – demonstrate why their MSC certification matters in terms of quality as well as ethics.
The beer selection showcases four local Hertfordshire brewers: Farrs Brew, Mad Squirrel, Zealous, and Three Brewers. These aren’t token gestures towards localism – each beer is carefully chosen to complement the food, and the Mad Squirrel pilsner pairs brilliantly with their fish dishes. Yes, they love their beer in St Albans.
Lussmanns also embraces St Albans’ jazz heritage with live performances every Wednesday evening. The combination of excellent food, sustainable practices, and live music creates an atmosphere that feels uniquely St Albans – sophisticated but never stuffy, with genuine care for both community and environment.
Wednesday evening jazz sessions require advance booking, as the intimate setting fills quickly with both locals and visitors drawn by the music as much as the food.
Website: lussmanns.com
Address: 14-16 Heritage Close, St Albans AL3 4EB
Gracey’s Pizza
Ideal for discovering why pizza enthusiasts travel from across the country…
James Woodley and Grace Surman’s tiny pizzeria in Chiswell Green has achieved something remarkable: national recognition for a restaurant that barely seats ten people inside. Their New Haven-style pizzas, with their distinctive thin, crispy, and charred crusts, have attracted attention from London food writers and even earned them a spot on Gozney’s international ‘How to Pizza’ YouTube series alongside celebrated pizzaiolos from Brooklyn and Los Angeles.
The operation could hardly be more humble – five small tables inside, a few more outside, and a secondhand pizza oven that Woodley has mastered over years of patient practice. But the pizza that emerges from that oven justifies every bit of hype. The base achieves that perfect New Haven combination of crispy bottom and chewy edges, with the kind of char that speaks to serious high-heat cooking.
Woodley’s background includes time at some of London’s most respected kitchens, including the Camberwell Arms and Brunswick House, and that experience shows in the attention to detail. The dough uses a blend of high-protein bread flour and locally milled flour from Redbournbury Mill, fermented in two stages for optimal flavour development. The tomatoes are the best Italian varieties, milled fresh and topped with herbs post-bake.
Their collaboration approach has become part of Gracey’s story. Recent partnerships with The Boot Cantina (just a couple of paragraphs away) produced a Mexican-inspired special pizza that had St Albans food lovers queuing for tables. It’s this willingness to experiment and collaborate that keeps the menu interesting despite its deliberately narrow focus.
The online ordering system is essential – walk-ins face uncertain waits, and the most popular pizzas often sell out. The restaurant’s popularity has reached the point where devoted customers wake early to secure slots on the click-and-collect system. For a restaurant that opened in 2021, this level of dedication from customers speaks volumes. There is now a second branch in that there London.
Website: graceyspizza.com
Address: 339 Watford Rd, Chiswell Green, St Albans AL2 3DA
The Boot Cantina
Ideal for excellent Mexican food in St Albans’ most historic setting…
The Hughes family have created something genuinely special at The Boot: world-class birria tacos served in a pub where the War of the Roses allegedly began outside the front door. Head chef Lloyd Pell’s passion for Mexican cooking has transformed this medieval Market Place pub into St Albans’ unlikely Mexican food destination.
The birria tacos alone justify the journey, even from further afield than St Albans itself. Made with slow-cooked beef shin rather than the traditional goat, the meat arrives tender and deeply flavoured, served in fried tortillas with the cooking broth alongside for dipping. It’s skilled Mexican technique producing intensely satisfying results – messy eating that delivers powerful, distinctive flavours (and a ruined white t-shirt) with every bite.
Pell’s menu extends well beyond the famous birria, though. The padron peppers arrive properly blistered and generously seasoned, whilst the spiced cauliflower vegan taco comes piled so high it challenges your taco-folding skills. The corn cob brushed with chipotle crema and parmesan has become an Instagram favourite, but more importantly, it tastes brilliant.
The pub setting actually enhances rather than detracts from the Mexican food. Low ceilings create that warm, convivial atmosphere that makes tacos taste even better, whilst the historic surroundings provide conversational fodder between courses. The beer selection includes some excellent choices – Harvey’s Sussex Best pairs surprisingly well with spicy food – and the background music tends towards classics (Blur and Pulp during our visit).
Monthly vinyl nights with special one-off tacos show the restaurant’s commitment to being more than just a food destination. This is community dining at its best, with the Hughes family creating a space that works equally well for casual drinks or serious taco consumption.
The combination of historic setting, excellent beer, and genuinely skilled Mexican cooking makes The Boot genuinely unique. It’s one of our favourites places to eat in St Albans, no question.
Website: bootcantina.com
Address: 4 Market Place, St Albans AL3 5DG
Read: The best Mexican restaurants in London
The Waffle House
Ideal for breakfast in a 16th-century watermill setting…
Housed within the Grade II listed Kingsbury Watermill overlooking the River Ver, The Waffle House has been feeding St Albans since 1978. The location alone makes this worth visiting – a working watermill in the tranquil Conservation Area of St Michael’s village, just a ten-minute walk from the city centre but feeling utterly rural and very tranquil indeed.
The family business specialises in Belgian waffles made with organically grown flour from the 1000-year-old Redbournbury Mill, creating a local supply chain that stretches back centuries. Both sweet and savoury options cater to different appetites, with daily specials ensuring regular customers never get bored.
The savoury waffles deserve particular attention. Options like ratatouille with goat’s cheese or hummus with avocado transform the waffle from dessert into a substantial meal. The fried chicken waffle brings big New York energy, whilst the daily specials might include anything from smoked salmon to full cooked breakfast ingredients.
Sweet options follow Belgian traditions but with regional, seasonal touches where possible. The banoffee waffle remains their most Instagrammed dish, arriving with rich toffee sauce and fresh banana that hasn’t been allowed to go brown. Seasonal fruit features heavily in summer specials, making the most of Hertfordshire’s excellent fruit farms.
The dining room occupies the original mill building, with the water wheel still turning daily to maintain the historic atmosphere. Tables by the windows offer lovely views over the River Ver, whilst the outdoor seating area provides al fresco dining when weather permits.
The Waffle House operates primarily on a first-come, first-served basis, though they do accept reservations for Friday and Saturday evenings from 5pm for tables of 4 or more. This can mean queues at weekend brunch times for walk-ins. However, the wait rarely exceeds 20 minutes, and the chance to watch the water wheel turn while you wait adds to the fun.
Website: wafflehouse.co.uk
Address: Kingsbury Watermill, St Michael’s Street, St Albans AL3 4SJ
Hatch St Albans
Ideal for weekend brunch that’s worth queuing for…
Chris Evans’ all-day dining spot at Christopher Place has quickly established itself as St Albans’ premier brunch destination (when, perhaps, the waffle place is full, to be fair). The industrial-chic interior with its polished concrete floors and exposed brick provides an urban backdrop for seriously accomplished cooking that elevates familiar brunch dishes into something special.
The menu plays with expectations in all the right ways. Mushrooms on toast might sound modest, but arrives as punchy pickled mushrooms on sourdough with a poached egg, truffle oil, and a delicate puff of goat’s cheese mousse that transforms the entire dish. It’s the kind of technical skill that makes simple dishes memorable.
The waffle game (they love beer and waffles in St Albans – it should be called St AlBelgium, perhaps?) here deserves particular recognition. Made from a traditional Belgian batter and cooked to order, these arrive crisp outside and fluffy within. The weekend special waffles change seasonally – recent highlights included versions with honey-roasted Spanish figs and dark chocolate ganache, or macerated Mirabelle plums with beetroot Eton mess and strawberry crisps. These aren’t confused as they sound – they’re vivid expressions of British seasonality in brunch form.
For those preferring savoury options, the burgers have earned devoted followers, whilst the loaded hash browns provide proper indulgence. Basically, there’s something on this menu to suit even the most fickle members of the squad.
The coffee here takes things seriously, with beans sourced from quality roasters and baristas who understand extraction. This isn’t afterthought coffee – it’s the kind of espresso and flat white that London coffee shops charge premium prices for.
Weekend queues are becoming standard, but the team manages waits efficiently and the food justifies any delay. The atmosphere remains relaxed despite the popularity, with dog-friendly policies adding to the neighbourhood feel.
Website: hatchstalbans.com
Address: 7-8 Christopher Place, St Albans AL3 5DQ
Just up the road, we’re off to Berkhamsted for another feast next. Care to join us?
