Molens Cafe — Restaurant in St Albans

I visited recently for breakfast and was really disappointed with the service. As an athlete I try to keep my meals as healthy as possible. I asked if I could swap the fried bread from the special breakfast for an extra egg, and I was more than happy to pay the price difference (about 60p). The waitress refused and said the only option was to remove the fried bread entirely but still pay full price, or order an egg separately which would cost me even more. I then asked her to speak with the manager, but he also refused the simple swap. Instead, they gave me plain toast that I didn’t want or eat – which felt like a waste of food and money.

The bacon was extremely salty and the eggs were low quality, which didn’t help the experience. On the positive side, the café itself looks lovely inside and the coffee was nice. Unfortunately, the inflexible attitude toward customers really let...

Update Jun2025: still as superb as ever.

Visited numerous times 2023 and later.

Related to the Molens in Loughton and Finsbury Park.

A superb and busy cafe in the middle of small suburban arcade, lots of local's footfall.

Very broad menu, from sandwiches, to cooked breakfasts to main courses, plus desserts, good range of coffees, syrups and teas.

Signature dishes are i) salt beef sandwich, packed with sweet pickles (cucumber) and mustard; and ii) a fried chicken escalope served in a granary bap, with salad, mayo, seasoning and lots of lemon juice. Always done to perfection, just the right portion size for lunchtime.

Beware the New York burger. It is the size of New York. The state, that is, not just the city. Astonishing value, a glorious...

Ordered a takeaway omlette. Waited 20mins. Asked if they had started as I was in a hurry. Clearly they did not want to say no. Waited another 10mins and left empty handed. I paid. No offer of returning money. Quite simply could have said “no, we’ve not started would you like to complete the order” or upon ordering a takeaway be advised there was a significant wait to there being high orders prior to mine. Neither of these happened so I leave frustrated and empty handed. In hospitality quality is of the utmost importance but staff should be trained in how to provide a level of service representing basic good quality service. My advice ultimately; if you are in a hurry dont...