Megan's at the old Bell Restaurant (St. Albans) — Restaurant in St Albans

We had chosen Megan's St Albans for a special Mother's Day meal, expecting a pleasant dining experience. Unfortunately, our visit turned out to be anything but enjoyable due to a series of alarming incidents that occurred during our time at your establishment.

Firstly, when we initially ordered the Open Chicken Kebab, we made it clear that my mother has a severe allergy to coriander. Regrettably, the dish was served with coriander, prompting us to request a replacement. Astonishingly, within less than three minutes, a seemingly "new" Open Chicken Kebab was brought to our table. The speed at which the replacement dish was provided raised concerns about the thoroughness of the kitchen's food preparation process.

Upon tasting the second Open Chicken Kebab, we were immediately alarmed as the chicken appeared undercooked and tasted raw. Despite the busy atmosphere in the restaurant, we brought this to the attention of the staff. Unfortunately, it was challenging to get the waiters' attention as they seemed preoccupied with conversations among themselves at the hot food counter. Frustrated and concerned, we opted to pay the bill and leave.

Subsequently, my mother began feeling unwell and experienced weakness and sickness. The severity of her condition prompted us to seek medical attention at the Accident and Emergency department, where it was diagnosed as food poisoning. This incident has not only ruined our Mother's Day celebration but also posed a serious health risk to my mother.

I find it highly unacceptable that a renowned establishment like Megan's St Albans would serve undercooked and potentially harmful food, especially on a special occasion like Mother's Day. The lack of attention to dietary requirements, coupled with the haste in providing a replacement dish and the subsequent health implications, reflects a serious lapse in your restaurant's standards.

Furthermore, the observation of staff congregating at the hot food counter, seemingly neglecting their duties, raises concerns about the overall professionalism and hygiene practices within your establishment. Customer safety and satisfaction should always be top priorities, and this experience has left us deeply disappointed.

As a result of this unpleasant incident, we feel compelled to share our dissatisfaction with others. Unfortunately, we cannot recommend Megan's St Albans to our friends and family based on this negative experience, especially on a day meant for celebration.

I urge you to conduct a thorough investigation into the events that transpired on Mother's Day and take immediate corrective action to ensure the safety and well-being of your patrons. It is my hope that this letter serves as a catalyst for improvement and that others do not have to endure such a distressing experience at your...

I am posting here because I have received no response to my original Email.

My husband and I visited Megan’s in St Albans on Wednesday evening along with our daughter and her boyfriend. We were celebrating our daughter’s birthday and had been very much looking forward to our first visit.

On arrival we were impressed with the decor etc and we were seated promptly- the restaurant was fairly quiet with only a few other tables occupied.

We were very quickly asked if we were ready to order some drinks. We asked for a couple of minutes as we had only just sat down. After ordering our drinks we were then asked 3 times within the space of less than 10 minutes, whether we were ready to order our food. We felt as though we were being rushed and not being given a chance to look at the menu properly.

When the server brought our drinks over she leant across me to place my daughter’s drink on the table, spilling it on my hands and on the food menu that I was holding. She apologised and returned with more napkins.

We were very impressed with the food when it arrived and we all enjoyed our meals. When the same server came to clear away, she again leant across the table and managed to drop a bowl which hit my daughter’s wrist and some of the food spattered my daughter’s white jeans and her jacket. To make matters worse the waitress didn’t apologise she just said “fck, fck”. We all just looked at each other in surprise as this is not the quality of service you expect when you go out for a meal.

My husband and I didn’t want to make a fuss and ruin our daughter’s birthday meal so we didn’t say anything at the time but I think you should be made aware that the service we received was totally unprofessional and very disappointing - it ruined what should have been a lovely evening.

I had also mentioned on the booking form that it was my daughter’s birthday but this wasn’t acknowledged at all.

All in all a disappointing experience. The food was great but the staff were just going through the motions and not enjoying their work. It felt as though we were not valued as customers and we will not be returning as there are a number of great restaurants in St Albans which provide great food and most importantly professional and...

My partner and I have visited Megan's at the Old Bell three times over the past three months. We find the restaurant to be the best value in all categories where we live in St. Albans. The creatively crafted mains we've had are always amazing and artful, with delicious spices and fresh ingredients. The shakshuka dishes are incredible. The prices are fair and a good value for the portion sizes (note that in our "per person" amounts listed below, we also had a bottle of wine with dinner - the food items we chose came to £16 per person). Specifically for our visit yesterday, we were hosted and served by Loreta who cheerfully accommodated our seating location request and went above and beyond ensuring that we were comfortable. She treated us as if we were her special guests, bringing water for the table without being asked for it and making insightfully accurate and very honest main course recommendations based on our inquiries. Our interaction with her topped any we've had with other dining experiences in St. Albans OR in London over the past six months. In particular regarding one of the mains she recommended: the "Open Plant Based ‘Lamb’ Kebab" was delightful and the best vegan dish I've had anywhere - further, if I hadn't known it was plant-based I would have bet real money that it was not. I cannot recommend this dish highly enough. Similarly, the brunch meals I've had on other occasions feel curated, with delicious flavors and thoughtful presentation and the right amounts of everything, and I highly recommend them, also. On the Neighbours Nights menu, the small plates don't quite reach the heights that the mains do - instead, I recommend the dessert for the second choice along with the main entrée, versus a starter/small plate. Note that ALL of the service we have received at Megan's has been of a similar, refreshing standard; everyone clearly cares about their patrons' experience, and it shows in every interaction. We are so delighted a restaurant of this caliber exists in St. Albans and cannot wait for...