The Stanborough Beefeater image

The Stanborough Beefeater

Restaurant Cafe Bar Pub Steak house

One of the Most Reviewed Caves in Welwyn Hatfield


Address

Stanborough Rd, Welwyn Garden City AL8 6DQ, United Kingdom

Website

www.beefeater.co.uk

Contact

+44 1707 391345

Price rating

$$ $$

Rating on Google Maps

4.00 (1.4K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Wednesday: 6:30 am to 10 pm
  • Thursday: 6:30 am to 10 pm
  • Friday: 6:30 am to 10 pm
  • Saturday: 6:30 am to 10 pm
  • Sunday: (Christmas Eve), 6:30 am to 10 pm, Hours might differ
  • Monday: (Christmas Day), 6:30 am to 10 pm, Hours might differ
  • Tuesday: (Boxing Day), 6:30 am to 10 pm, Hours might differ

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: staff (22) good (17) meal (17) service (13) friendly (13) lovely (10) helpful (10) evening (10) menu (10) time (10)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Colin P. 5 months ago on Google
    Friendly and attentive staff. Great selection of good quality breakfast. Excellent value for feeding the family and the kids loved the buffet experience. Easy parking. We will definitely return.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Tracy S. 8 months ago on Google
    Don't usually have any problems but tonight the service was very very slow. Some items were not available. That was before the systems went down in the kitchen and then our waitress completely disappeared. Waited 40 minutes after we had our mains, was not offered any pudding, so decided to get the bill, which took another 20 mins. Got pudding from elsewhere and had at home
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Louise R. 2 years ago on Google
    The staff were lovely as was the food but the restaurant was a bit grubby, the toilets smelt of urine which really is disappointing. Otherwise lovely! Had a fabulous roast dinner and would come back again
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Marc W. 3 months ago on Google New
    We booked a 3 course meal for a group of 28 people, Everyone noted the restaurant staff were proactive and helpful plus we all had an enjoyable evening. The food from the festive menu was amazing and everyone was served food at the same time. We had a few dietary requirement which all were catered for. A massive thank you to Diane and Linda plus all the staff, see you next year!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Keith W. 1 year ago on Google
    We had gone there for lunch & chose their lunchtime menu. My wife had Lasagna which came with garlic bread & I had the gammon. We also ordered a side of onion rings. The garlic bread was served with the base totally burnt. This was brought to the attention if the waiter who arranged a replacement. When that came the base was partially burnt but most of the bread as edible. We did not make a further complaint because my wife was getting close to finishing her meal. The onion rings were very much overdone. I knew I should have complained at the time & had them changed but this would also have interrupted our meal. I did complain after especially when we were over charged for them. The triple cooked chips were not cooked enough either. Then there was the issue of only having one person taking orders and serving albeit there was occasional help from one other person. I have to say this is the first time I have experienced this poor quality & lack of staff. I really hope I do not get similar issues again. I will visit again because I'm hoping this is a 'one off'.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Dave Y. 1 year ago on Google
    Firstly the staff were great. Accommodating, friendly helpful, absolutely nothing wrong on that front. However the food was so hilariously bad for the price it was laughable. Firstly the starter I wanted was unavailable, then my first and second choice mains were not available. I had a pretty tasteless slightly over done steak with lacklustre presentation. Ribs came dry... Just put more sauce on them, it may have helped. A roast was pretty cold, and the sides were not good. One of my kids had sausages which tasted pretty odd so he refused to eat them (def saying something there). The other kids meal steak was probably the only half decent dish. Then the price... If it was cheap I could forgive it but we could have gone somewhere much nicer and got meal deals, for example Cote would probably have been cheaper or the same price and oh so much better.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Anton C. 8 months ago on Google
    Had the morning unlimited breakfast, far superior than a Toby carvery’s breakfast, sausages were amazing, scramblers was lovely and everything was hot and seemed fresh! Sides were great but the coffee was just OK.

  • 5/5 Bob E. 8 months ago on Google
    The Staff at Stanborough are all excellent, I and a friend use this restaurant whenever we are in the area, which can sometimes be as many as 5 times in a month. We have always had very good, service and meals cooked to perfection. Thank you to all Bob Evans and Audrey Howard

  • 1/5 Carmel C. 9 months ago on Google
    Arrived 11:48am, was told the kitchen wasn't open til 12pm which was fine. Waited until 12, nobody was around. Kept checking, staff were still preparing tables etc. Stayed til 12:15pm, still nobody around to ask if the kitchen was now open. Decided to leave since we couldn't find anyone to speak to. A simple 'Sorry we're running a bit late" would've been enough but didn't even get that.

  • 4/5 Duncan P. 1 year ago on Google
    Unfortunately the night I recently went must have been extra busy or something went wrong? The service was slow and food wasn't warm. This is not normal for this particular restaurant. I did speak with the manager on the night who handled the complaint very well and compensated me on the night. I don't want this review to put anyone off though as I stated my previous visits have all been fine.

  • 5/5 Claire S. 6 months ago on Google
    My partner and I love coming here for date nights. The food is absolutely phenomenal! We have never had a bad meal here, the food is always fresh, very hot, and the portion sizes are brilliant. The last two occasions we spent our nights here because of the vouchers they have on offer which are incredible value for money. Unfortunately, they were short staffed so we were told there would be a bit of a wait for food BUT this didn’t matter at all to us, as the staff come and have a chat, refill drinks and in all honesty, they never took that long to bring our food out anyway! There are two absolutely fantastic staff members there, one is John (I’m not very good with names!) and he is such a great character! The lady waitress, I cannot remember her name but she was so helpful when I started having hot flushes during my dinner 🙈 she kindly turned the air con on for me, brought me water and checked to make sure I was ok :) the only nit picky thing I found (and it’s just purely a bit pick as I can’t find a fault with the Stanborough!) is that the chairs in the bar area could do with recovering…the leather has worn and cracked and I found that bits of it were stuck to my legs when I stood up….but that is literally the only downside I have ever found. Please go and visit this lovely restaurant, you won’t be disappointed :) and get the churro sundae! Delicious!!

  • 1/5 Edward F. 6 months ago on Google
    Service was shoddy at best. We had prepaid a meal deal a month prior - when we turned up they said the place was packed with people and our booking had been cancelled. Got a takeaway and walked round to eat in the beer garden and looked in the windows - 5 tables full and the rest (15-30) were completely empty. We sat outside with nobody around and a staff member came out and said that because of "allergens" - nobody was there instead of us. 1 star. Absolutely horrendous, would NOT recommend

  • 5/5 Rita G. 7 months ago on Google
    We love coming to Stanborough Beefeater!!! About once a month we have an evening meal in the restaurant. There are two people we want to acknowledge as caring and hardworking!!!!! John and Mel!!! We think they are terrific. No matter how busy they are the pair of them always have time for a friendly and warm greeting. My partner always has a steak and I usually have salmon. Hits the spot every time!!

  • 4/5 Graham B. 7 months ago on Google
    We're regulars here, living near by. Service is normally excellent (shout out to Jon and Mel) and food prepared to a high quality. In recent months there have been a lot of items unavailable. The property is long overdue for a refurb, with the toilet area particularly grim (whoever thought those tiles were a good idea was a comedian, as they mask the regular flooding in the gents!!)

  • 5/5 Jenny H. 6 months ago on Google
    Excellent service from begin to end. Jon our waiter for the evening was attentive and extremely helpful. Nothing was too much trouble and he was friendly making a rare evening out a very enjoyable evening. Will be going back soon all thanks to Jon.

  • 3/5 Alan W. 6 months ago on Google
    The food was cooked well, but if you want a meal under 1400 calories, then it's not the place to eat. It lacks a healthy choice on the menu. The staff were very friendly with excellent customer service. It was very dark in the restaurant, and it was hard to see the menu

  • 4/5 Sallyann L. 6 months ago on Google
    We are regular diners at our local Beefeater in south Wales and as we were staying at the Premier Inn we booked a table for dinner. Being very familiar with the summer menu we were shocked to see that on what I assume is the autumn menu all the starters that come with a sauce, only offer BBQ sauce - yuk, sweet sticky stuff. I fancied having 3 starters as a main but everything I wanted came with BBQ sauce. On the mains - bacon burger, with BBQ sauce, the chicken melt BBQ sauce. If this is the new Autumn menu, somebody really needs a bit more imagination. I finally opted for the beef and ale pie which was surprisingly good. Please can the people who devise the menu take a look at it in its entirety? It really has become very 'samey'

  • 4/5 Louisa R. 6 months ago on Google
    Food OK. We stayed at the Premier Inn next door. We had 2 breakfasts and an evening meal. I have to say that the two ladies who served us a last drink at the bar were so lovely. Overall, it's a friendly, relaxed place.

  • 1/5 Brooke C. 6 months ago on Google
    The woman who had served us and the manager were amazing but unfortunately the barmaid who made my 9 year old daughter a “mocktail” didn’t read the order correctly and gave her a vodka cocktail, which wasn’t realised until the very end when the bill came with alcohol on it. Very apologetic and food bill was wiped, maybe need different glasses or garnishes to distinguish a normal cocktail from a non alcoholic one.

  • 5/5 Tim E. 3 months ago on Google New
    Our daughter just had her birthday meal here. The staff were really great, helpful and friendly. The food was good quality and great value. A fantastic place for family meals out.

  • 5/5 Tony E. 4 months ago on Google
    Good food and friendly staff, lovely roasts and lunch menu.

  • 5/5 Mike K. 4 months ago on Google
    The restaurant has really turned it around since our last visit 3-4 months ago. We had a fantastic waitress (Mel) and together with Jon, they're two of the best in the business I swear. The food has also improved by a couple of notches, everything was cooked to perfection with my mixed grill and the wife likewise with the sirloin steak she ordered. Long may it continue!

  • 5/5 Nova B. 4 months ago on Google
    Tasty food, as always. My rib eye steak was very thin and came out well done instead of rare, but it was still totally edible. Our waitress, Mel, was excellent and sang "happy birthday" to my mum as she served her a chocolate brownie complete with candle! We hope to be served by Mel again :-)

  • 5/5 Lena C. 3 months ago on Google New
    We had our Christmas meal. Like always, it was a great evening. Staff and kitchen staff, food was brilliant. Thank you, we enjoyed X

  • 3/5 Graham H. 1 year ago on Google
    Food was fine (evening meal) and also plentiful at breakfast despite being very busy. Staff too were all really good BUT the thing reason for the 3 star review is entirely down to the shabby state of the toilets. Seats cracked and generally dirty feeling. The carpets were also stained badly.

  • 3/5 Sally T. 1 year ago on Google
    Yesterday12 30 arrived without booking table it wasn't busy. Toilets dirty. No toilet roll in three if cubicles most of it on floor. Had to wait over an hour for our meal.,even with toddler with us. Finally got our food which was lovely. Then ask three time for bill and card machine.

  • 4/5 Terry H. 2 years ago on Google
    Food excellent. Good service. Well worth going too for an enjoyable evening at a very good price.

  • 5/5 Raccoon 3. 2 years ago on Google
    Staff really friendly and helpful both at dinner and breakfast. Number of items were not available for dinner, which was disappointing but, I completely understand that this is down to supply issues. Churros sundae for dessert was absolutely fantastic! Breakfast buffet had a good range with lots of drink options too. Would definitely use again.

  • 5/5 Christine J. 1 year ago on Google
    I do enjoy popping in here after a walk around Stanborough Park just a few hundred yards away. They have the usual Beefeater menu that caters for children. We have always managed to get a table (around 4pm) without booking. They have quite a few benches outside too

  • 3/5 steven c. 2 years ago on Google
    It's an ok place to go but the food is very hit and miss. Last time I went my starter was burned and dry. My main burger was good but my chips were undercooked and the second batch was dry.

  • 5/5 Ildiko V. 1 year ago on Google
    I have been here a couple of times and as i ask the staff about their names i can tell you that Will who's name I'm probably not spelling right is always so amazing, talkative and welcoming this evening though he was off but Kathy with her amazing vibe and attitude looked after the people who was dining at the bar area. Rebekah not sure about the spelling again is so hands on, running around, informing guests about different things. She is superfast! I want to say thank you so much for everything you do.You are awesome!! Did i not mention the food??? Go for ribs!! DELICIOUS!! Well done chefs!! Keep up the good work and be proud!

  • 1/5 anand m. 1 year ago on Google
    One of the worst food I have tried in a pub in Welwyn… cocktails were equally bad. Never again

  • 2/5 Sandra G. 1 year ago on Google
    Went tonight for father's day meal.. been here few times over the years and tonight was the worst, we won't go back. Very disappointed understand perfectly that they were very busy, but father's day.. my daughter treated her dad..we waited ages for our food....service was poor but staff very helpful and polite...our food was given to the table next to us, taken away and then brought back out a few minutes later. The toilets weren't clean.

  • 4/5 Nicole S. 1 year ago on Google
    We eat here quite regularly and can say the food and service has improved so much. Mel & John are fantastic. Always on point and so polite and helpful. The food is much better. The roast dinners are lush!

  • 4/5 Philip H. 2 years ago on Google
    Good food, friendly efficient service and value for money

  • 5/5 Wayne H. 8 months ago on Google
    Food was very good with quick service. The service buy Mel and John was excellent. Nothing was to much trouble for them.were made to feel very welcome and at home.keep up the good work guys.would definitely recommend.

  • 4/5 Joanna G. 1 year ago on Google
    Love these adjoined to the Premier Inn hotels. Meal deals are spot on, with a burger stack being delicious and served hot. Breakfast wasn't hot but think it was due to timing & the food being in the hotplates too long. Otherwise, a good place to eat and relax and staff more than helpful and friendly.

  • 5/5 Ivor W. 1 year ago on Google
    Lived nearby but haven't eaten here in years. Lovely reasonably priced food. Very friendly and attentive staff.

  • 5/5 Stephanie G. 1 year ago on Google
    Attentive and friendly staff make this a great place for family dining. Lots of space for a pram and highchair. Food arrived quickly, generous portions and lots of choice. Our daughter really took to our server, Mel, so thank you to her and the rest of the staff for making her so happy too!

  • 4/5 Ian T. 1 year ago on Google
    We had a lovely meal here this week, and in particular outstanding service from one of the staff (Kathy)

  • 3/5 Baz & Kaz on T. 1 year ago on Google
    Food was ok. Staff are amazing and some of the nicest helpful people i have met. Biggest problem was the toilets. On a scale of 1 to 10 they where a 2 at best. My wife held it till we got home. Shame really because if it was not for the toilets it would have been a solid 4 stars nearly 5.

  • 4/5 Irene S. 1 year ago on Google
    Had a lovely time with friends at our Christmas meal. Staff were very nice and even kept food warm for one of us who was late. My only complaint was that my beef wellington didn't come with any of the lovely looking crispy roast potatoes that my friend had.

  • 5/5 Richard L. 7 months ago on Google
    Went here at the weekend for breakfast and what a treat. The waitress who greeted us was utterly excellent. Toni I believe her name was and she made our experience brilliant. A very good breakfast, well worth the money for what you get plus excellent customer service!! What more could you wish for? We'll definitely go back.

  • 5/5 Tony 1 year ago on Google
    Superb, I’ve been going to this Beefeater for over 20 years now. Two of the staff have been there for the same length of time and they are still as pleasant and friendly as the first time I walked in as a student! Great location, good parking and reliable food.

  • 5/5 Joy M. 8 months ago on Google
    The lady that showed us to our table was very polite and welcoming, took our drinks order straight away, food was very quick coming out hot and was delicious. Couldn’t fault it one bit. Waiter very polite if our glass was empty asked if we wanted another, very attentive, overall experience was excellent.


Call +44 1707 391345 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Parking
    • ✓️ Free parking lot
    • ✓️ Plenty of parking
    • ✓️ Free of charge street parking
  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Spirits
    • ✓️ Cocktails
    • ✓️ Quick bite
    • ✓️ Braille menu
    • ✓️ Late-night food
    • ✓️ Vegetarian options
  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible toilet
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible seating
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible car park
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible entrance
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Brunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Dessert
    • ✓️ Seating
    • ✓️ Catering
    • ✓️ Breakfast
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✗ Delivery
    • ✗ Takeaway
    • ✓️ Kerbside pickup
    • ✓️ Outdoor seating

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