Green Man — Restaurant in St Albans

Update review Jun2023: in the weekdays, the pub offers a range of pizzas. The pizzas are delicious, with a flavour reminiscent of an American-style tomato base, with strong sweet and salt flavours. Beyond the food, the pub continues to serve its regular three real ales and now offers at least three different gins and a modest wine selection (the pinot noir is very strongly flavoured with peppery overtones). The garden is part-patio and part-false-grass, where the patio is fully covered by a marquee. The views westbound into the setting sun remain fanastic as ever.

Additional review Jan2020: previous landlord retired, new landlords settling down nicely, and they have now launched their food service. Sunday lunch was good value and nicely cooked, full of flavour. Sunday lunch served between 12pm to 5pm; pub was packed throughout the mid-afternoon service.

Original review Jun2017: Been a semi regular for nearly a decade. Great real ales, a good line of ciders and the occasional perry, a careful selection of whiskey (inc single malts).

Great "front room" environment. This is a proper locals' pub.

Current landlord and family have run the pub for years.

Food offering is modest, great value pub grub, always very well cooked and...

Never get enough of this pub.

Top bar staff. Great customers. Great owners and hosts a family team.

A pub for family and mates for drinks, chat, comrades, atrad public house, Ale house

A fantastic cellar man, a master of modesty keeps the beer cellar on point. Beer is from the cask and the bar staff leave the small bar counter top to pour from the temprature controlled cellar, on view through the glass doors,

Top atmosphere mid week or weekends,. Beers after work, 100%. Beers on a Friday night, 100 percent, Saturday lunch or evening, 100%. Sundays too good for words, from Autumn through to Summer.

Every season marked by the sunshine and shadows each cast across the fields at the rear. The moon shadows too.

A great tented outdoor seating area and also open space with tables.

A 100 percent dog friendly pub. Cyclists much accomadated and welcome I noted.

The pub has great live music events which draw the village and beyond together with just a simple chalkboard for advertising.

The regular community charity fund raising events are a great credit to all the regulars and the publicians.

The weekly quiz and poker night much valued and supported.

The hosts are modest in their achievement in saving a great pub.

Long live...

Local pub where you don’t have to be local to be treated like one. For circumstances just beyond my control, I didn’t pick up a chicken for a homemade roast dinner, I won’t settle for a chicken from an express so I had to go for the best second option, someone else’s homemade roast dinner. Spoilt for choice in the village, I went where I know it is made with the love of the hosts and wandered into the Greenman. Quick bit of negotiating with Martin the landlord, further negotiations between Martin and Jo, the chef (and landlord) then like an Olympic torch entering the stadium; Jo brings over a plate of happiness to make a wet Sunday better. Rather than describe the food, which was perfect, I’ve added a picture of the way I appreciate it. Half way through and what’s left is the crowd pleasers, roasties, succulent chicken and cauliflower cheese; the veg had done their job setting me up for the big finish and what a finish. Disclaimer: if you don’t get there late into service you don’t have to...