The Harpenden Arms, Harpenden
+44 1582 461113+ Add websiteImprove this listing
Hours
Sun
12:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Mon
11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Tue
11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Wed
11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Thu
11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Fri
11:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Sat
11:00 AM - 12:00 AM
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Ratings and reviews
4.0
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
Learn More
PRICE RANGE
$12.00 – $31.00
CUISINES
Bar, Pub, Gastropub
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
meals, features
Does this restaurant offer takeout or food to go?
Details
About
An exceptional local in every sense, the Harpenden Arms pub in Harpenden serves the town from a prime spot right on the High Street.
PRICE RANGE
$12.00 – $31.00
CUISINES
Bar, Pub, Gastropub
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Drinks
FEATURES
Reservations, Buffet, Private Dining, Seating, Street Parking, Free off-street parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Digital Payments, Free Wifi, Discover, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service
Contribute
4.0
403 reviews
Excellent
164
Very good
104
Average
55
Poor
41
Terrible
39
Jenny R
St. Albans14 contributions
Feb 2020 • family
Had Sunday lunch with 3 generations of the family. Sunday roast lunch was delicious as were the “mains” which the younger family members had. Portions were very generous-so much so that we couldn’t squeeze in pud! We’ll have to come back another time. Booked on line -easy and efficient, a reminder was also sent which is always helpful.
Written February 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HarpendenArms
Hi Jenny,
Really pleased to read you had such a fab Sunday Lunch with us (less happy to read you couldn't manage any of our great puds!).
Hope to welcome you back at another lunch soon.
All the best,
Dan
Written February 8, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kate N
St. Albans69 contributions
Oct 2020 • family
Visited today and had the best Sunday lunch we have ever had. (And we have had a lot!). Roast pork loin was served for two and was not only enormous, but so beautifully cooked and with plenty of crisp crackling. Veggies were perfectly cooked and really varied. Lashings of gravy and homemade Yorkshires. Truly, it could not be faulted.
Kids’ meals similarly excellent. Service also excellent. Well done Harpenden Arms!
Written October 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HarpendenArms
Hi Kate,
Thank you for your lovely comments! Really pleased you had such an excellent time with us yesterday. Hope we can welcome you back in the near future for more of the same.
All the best,
Dan
Written October 19, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
LJH
Harpenden50 contributions
Aug 2020 • none
Our third visit since the Harpenden Arms has reopened. We visited previously for a drink but decided to have lunch today. Attentive service at the door, automatic hand sanitiser dispenser which is brilliant, details taken for track and trace if you haven’t booked a table. Taken to our seat and everything explained to us.
Good food, great service, pub is really clean, this also applies to the toilets, every table was wiped down once used, drinks and food delivered to the end of the table so you can serve yourself, we really liked the layout of the pub. I just wish people would take a chance. Saw lots of people glancing in but the heading to The George. I get people want ti sit outside but talking from experience, the Harpenden Arms is much friendlier, 100 per cent cleaner and better food,
Written August 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HarpendenArms
Thank you so much for your lovely review, it is fantastic to hear that our hard work regarding re-opening and making the pub safe has been appreciated. With all of us really excited to be back at work we have taken a lot of time and care getting the pub set up in a way that we have been able to improve on food quality and service, which we think are more important than ever at this time, so I'm really pleased you have enjoyed this.
Hope to see you back in many times again.
All the best,
Dan
Written September 16, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jumelle
1 contribution
Sep 2020 • none
We visited the Harpenden Arms for Sunday lunch with the children and I have to say I have never experienced such bad service in Harpenden. We arrived for our 1pm booking on time and were served drinks pretty quickly. However it went downhill from there. An hour and a half after arriving we were still waiting for our mains and, understandably, the children was thoroughly starving and fed up. When the food did arrive my salmon salad (which on the menu is described as 'Blackened Salmon, avocado, heritage tomato & cucumber salad, new potatoes) arrived without new potatoes and loaded with red onions which I dislike. We mentioned to the server that it didn't have new potatoes and please could we have the salad without red onion only to be told that they don't feel obliged to write every ingredient on the menu and that it was our fault as they asked whether we had any dietary requirements at the time of the order. I have never known red onion to be a dietary requirement and how could I have mentioned it when it wasn't on the menu? Other items on the menu do mention red onion as an ingredient. When my main finally did arrive, other family members had finished their meal. It was the complete rudeness of the manager that baffled me. I have been to this pub on numerous occasions and booked it for several events over the years under the old manager who was always friendly and helpful. On this occasion, the manager was rude and sarcastic throughout even telling me it was served 'just the way he liked it'. There is lots of choice in Harpenden so we will not be back.
Written September 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HarpendenArms
Thank you for leaving a review and getting in touch with us directly, we always take feedback seriously (good or bad) as it gives us an idea of where we can improve upon areas within our business. We have replied to you personally so as to be able to clear up any misunderstanding that occurred during your visit. I sincerely hope that this occurrence does not stop you from giving us a chance to redeem ourselves and prove that we endeavour to strive for excellence.
Written September 29, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
549ajd
Harpenden21 contributions
Aug 2020 • none
A fantastically well located pub with a first class selection of drinks as well as a very appealing food menu....then the customer service starts!
We ordered one shared starter, five mains and two puddings and in total the dining experience took circa 2 hours. Our delicious starter arrived without enough flat breads to support the three dip dishes (our friends had the same issue the day before). The additional flat breads took 15 mins as apparently the kitchen was too busy. Once the starter was finished we had to wait nearly 45 mins for the mains to arrive and they were superb (burgers and fish & chips). We then ordered the sticky toffee pudding and this turned up cold as they forgot to heat it (they did remove from the bill and apologised for forgetting to heat it)
We spoke to the manager about the overall experience and he informed us it’s the busiest day of the year and we should have expected this as they are having to deal with so many customers.
It’s such a shame that customer service lets down a great pub/restaurant that offers such delicious food and an extensive drinks offer.
We certainly left feeling as if the problem was created by us choosing to dine with them. They have no need to worry in future as we won’t be returning.
Written August 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HarpendenArms
Thank you for your review, I'm pleased to hear you enjoyed your food with us although surprised at your interpretation of the interaction between yourself and I as it seems we have both misunderstood each other. I was of the understanding that a quick comment made as I passed by your table was suggesting we were quiet (as the tables next to you were empty at that time), so I pointed out that we were in fact fully booked with the majority of seated tables being in our dining room upstairs. It feels to me now that you were actually looking to have a conversation about your experience which I would have been happy to make time for had I realised this at the time.
I would like to apologise for the misunderstanding and regret we were not able to talk through this in more detail at the time, as I certainly don't think the problems you may have had would have been created by yourselves.
Hope you and your family keep well at this time, and I hope you will give us another chance in future.
All the best,
Dan
Written August 29, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Helen G
6 contributions
Mar 2022 • family
Really disappointing Sunday lunch - very slow service both in taking the order and delivering it, and just not as good quality as it’s been in the past. I don’t like writing negative reviews in these times but I just think you need to up your game both on the quality of the food and service. It will take some encouragement to return as there are better places for Sunday lunch - the Yorkshire puds were undercooked and flat and the roast beef very fatty. Hopefully we just picked an off day.
Written March 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HarpendenArms
Hi Helen,
Thanks for your feedback from your visit yesterday, I certainly took on board your comments on the day as well as you correctly pointed out the quality was not up to the usual standard. I can only apologise for the speed of service, it was not communicated to you that we had just seated a number of tables at the back along with a very large group in our Orangery, we should have been clear on this when you arrived. I hope you will accept that this was out of the ordinary for our usual standards of service and give us another chance again soon.
All the best,
Dan Pennington
Written March 21, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sue L
Sutton26 contributions
Dec 2022 • none
Our daughter and son-in-law had (weeks prior to our arrival) booked a Christmas meal for six of us, and paid a £60 deposit.
A high table opposite the bar had been reserved for us, but nothing had been done in readiness to make it appear welcoming or Christmas like, although, when we had finished our meal, a man appeared with a box of Christmas crackers, asking “Do you want crackers” and three were put on the table, which by then was a pointless gesture.
After we had been seated for about ten minutes, a young man appeared. He was holding a piece of paper and told us, casually, that we could not have the meal we ordered, and would have to order from the (usual) menu, but as there were not many meals available, he had written down the options, which included a couple of starters, a couple of deserts and main courses of burgers or fish and chips. No apology or gesture of any kind was made.
The establishment knew, in the morning, that they were not able to fulfil their obligation, but no attempt was made to pass on this information, until we were seated at 14:00 hrs expecting the three course Christmas meal which had been booked.
When our family went to the bar to complain that what was on offer was not acceptable, a member of staff became aggressive and said he was not happy that they were “insulting our food”, and rudely stated that there was nothing that could be done to make the situation a little more palatable for our party.
It was too late to book somewhere else and we had no option but to order. One burger was sent back to the kitchen because it was so unpalatable, but the other meals were eaten/part eaten as we were all extremely hungry but the burgers were poor quality , as was the fish. The portions of chips portions of chips were small and, clearly, any opportunity to make additional effort for us, had been overlooked.
After the meal, a further complaint was made, and this time a manager came and made a suitable gesture. This came far too late and, because none of the available options were made to attempt to acknowledge and compensate for the blatant failure to fulfil their obligation to existing customers, who had paid a deposit in good faith, I would advise that no one books a ‘special’ meal at The Harpenden Arms in the future.
Written December 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sue D
1 contribution
Dec 2021 • none
Family meal on Xmas day meal was below average standard. The sophisticated titles on the menu promising something special but not so...payment and choices had to be made in advance but a disappointing experience never to be repeated. The Staff were pleasant and friendly...its not their fault what comes out of the kitchen and we were polite enough just to try to enjoy our Xmas day but wanted to leave as soon as possible.
Written January 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HarpendenArms
Hi,
Sorry to read you didn't enjoy your experience with us, I don't believe we were made aware of this on the day but it's always heart-wrenching to know we've let someone down on Christmas Day so I can understand if you didn't feel comfortable talking to us about this then. I'd be grateful if you could contact me directly at harpendenarms.manager@fullers.co.uk so we can discuss the experience and help us learn from this in future.
All the best,
Dan
Written January 23, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Opmenu10
57 contributions
Jun 2021 • family
Really disappointed. We went for a late Sunday lunch at 4pm. There were only 4 tables in the whole pub occupied. And yet the service was really poor. We ordered starters, mains and desserts and all 3 orders were missing/incorrect when delivered. I really don’t understand how you get orders wrong when the place is so quiet? Getting the basics right in the service industry is key if you want people to return.
The food was average at best and not as good as our previous visit a year ago. New chef perhaps?
The London Pride was okay but tasted watered down. The Rioja red wine was nice.
All of they above for £116. Not good value at all. My friends said they had brilliant Sunday roasts at the Silver Cup 100metres up the road. That will be where we go next time.
Traditionally, I love the Harpenden Arms which is why we were so looking forward to going . But this visit I’m afraid was sub standard in every way. I wouldn’t have minded so much if the place was rammed but it was so quiet and so I can’t understand why you can’t get the basics right in these circumstances…
Written July 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HarpendenArms
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and collating your feedback for us.
I am sorry to hear about your experience, I will look into the issues with the mistakes on your order as soon as possible. We are in the process of training new staff at present and so we may need to address the accuracy of orders with them.
I'm perplexed to hear your comments on the Pride, as casks come to us as a sealed product and are conditioned in our cellar, there is no point in the process at which watering down could occur.
Should you wish to discuss any issues in particular or pick up on my investigation into these matters, you are welcome to contact me directly at harpendenarms.manager@fullers.co.uk
Kind regards,
Dan
Written July 7, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kelly C
Harpenden4 contributions
Jan 2022 • couples
Booked a table for Sunday dinner and this was the best Sunday pub roast I have had to date, the potatoes were good and the beef not tough or chewy, lots of tasty veg and even came with extra gravy on the side without having to request for more. We have also eaten here in the week for a snack we had the squid and spicy buffalo wings from the starter menue and the food is really excellent quality. The staff in this pub are really friendly and go above and beyond to make sure your visit is an enjoyable one, happy to help with any questions and recommendations, looking forward to my next visit.
Written January 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HarpendenArms
Thanks for a great review, Kelly! Looking forward to welcoming you back soon,
All the best,
Dan
Written January 24, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
loulou01582
Harpenden21 contributions
Mar 2022 • family
My sons booked lunch here as a Mother’s Day treat for our family of four. Aside from a pleasant welcome and fast drinks’ service, our entire experience was so disappointing. We pre-ordered our food as requested by the pub. Starters took an age to arrive, and what should have been crispy chickpea fritters were soft and cooling. The main course took over an hour to arrive and was warmish. Two desserts took almost another hour to arrive and were tepid. The other two desserts arrived 20 minutes later. It felt like we were on an invisible table as other people were being served fine. We received no apology, no explanation aside from a mumbled “food will be here soon.” Harpenden Arms - you need to sort your act. Your service and food delivery are a disgrace.
Written March 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HarpendenArms
Hi Lou,
First of all let me apologise for your experience on Sunday, as well as letting you down our kitchen let all of us down in a big way. I completely agree that the food delivery was well below par for some tables, including yours. We should have offered you free drinks and an explanation between courses and I'm sorry that you were also missed for this.
We have just appointed a new Head Chef who, along with myself, will be taking decisive action to get the expected standards back up to scratch as soon as possible. The problems encountered on Sunday have been investigated and action plans agreed with individual chefs to ensure the mistakes made will not happen in future.
By way of an apology and a display of our commitment to improving food standards and service, I would like to invite you and your family back at some point in the future, with main meals on us, perhaps following the launch of our new menu in mid-April? If you would like to take us up on this please email harpendenarms.manager@fullers.co.uk from your original booking email and we will arrange this with you.
If you have any further thoughts or feedback please let me know, this is very valuable to us in terms of improving in the future.
All the best,
Dan Pennington I General Manager
Written March 29, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ErRuW
Harpenden131 contributions
Aug 2020 • family
Visited with my wife and toddler son. Food was awful and overpriced. Staff were innatentive and got our order wrong. Took ages to get our bill. The eat out to help out meant we wasted less of our money
Written September 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HarpendenArms
Hi,
Sorry to hear about your experience. It is very different from much of the feedback we got during August when the EotHO scheme was on when we had recently reopened, and we would have been very keen to act on these issues immediately with a view to helping get the pub back up and running in this new situation for us all. Hopefully we could still get in contact with you for some more detailed feedback and work out what went wrong on this occasion, giving you a reason to return to us in the future? Please give us an email at harpendenarms.manager@fullers.co.uk to let us know the date and time of your visit and a little more about the experience you had.
All the best,
Dan
Written October 5, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
HertsGolfers
Harpenden32 contributions
Jan 2020 • friends
I held my birthday dinner at The Harpenden Arms yesterday evening. There were 32 of us in the upstairs room, which is excellent - has its own bar and sound system, and nice lighting. Clean and warm!
Food and service were super too - lots of positive comments about the set menu. All high quality and very well presented.
The Deputy Manager Mark was so helpful during the planning and on the night; he really cares about customer service, and worked very hard to make sure all went smoothly which it did. 😄. Highly recommended!
Written January 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HarpendenArms
Hi,
I have passed your kind words on to Marc already and I'm really pleased to read that you had such a perfect time in the Pullman Room! Hope you had a wonderful birthday and that we will see you back at the Arms very soon!
All the best,
Dan
Written January 26, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Egreen853
Harpenden17 contributions
Oct 2020 • couples
Re-opened later than other pubs but with great Covid measures in place. They have excelled at table service with friendly staff and a lovely selection of drinks & cocktails. Food seems to have taken a big jump in quality since re-opening too, we have eaten here multiple times and loved it week in week out. One word of advice is to book at the weekend, we have been caught out recently on Fridays or Saturdays when they are busy (no standing drinks of course).
Written October 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HarpendenArms
Thank you for your lovely comments, I'm glad you have enjoyed your trips to us and hope we will welcome you back for many more to come.
All the best,
Dan
Written October 12, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Brian S
94 contributions
Feb 2020 • none
Very popular pub serving good beer and food, Good range of real ales , its a Fullers pub, and excellent bar snacks and a good range of main courses/desserts .
The pub has been extensively refurbished some time ago and is stylish with hsopotable staff and good service. Good atmosphere
Alas the main and only downside is that, unlike previously, it now allows children into the bar. They ar noisy and very off putting especially when there are children in the reaturant at the same time!
Written February 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HarpendenArms
Hi Brian,
Thanks for your review, glad you are a fan of the place and the drinks choice of which we are especially proud. We do pride ourselves on being a family venue with well behaved children welcome during the day.
Hope to welcome you at the Arms again soon.
All the best,
Dqn
Written March 8, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
…
Showing results 1-15 of 398
Best moderately priced restaurants
See all
Best nearby
We rank these hotels, restaurants, and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Best nearby hotels
See all 
Best nearby restaurants
See all 
Is This Your Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Free Listing