The White Lion — Restaurant in St Albans

Do not visit this establishment if you have any dietary requirements — you are not welcome here.

As a local resident, it is deeply disappointing that I was made to feel so unwelcome at a venue I once supported.

I had specifically chosen this restaurant for a family lunch, having carefully reviewed their menu and allergen matrix to ensure there were gluten-free options. I also made a clear note on the booking that one of our guests required a gluten-free meal.

Upon arrival, we were informed by the waitress that a significant number of dishes were unavailable due to delivery issues. I then inquired about what remaining items could be made gluten-free. She went to retrieve a gluten-free menu, and instead, the owner appeared — not to assist, but to dismissively tell us that while they usually have steak and trout, neither were in stock. When we asked if anything could be adapted to meet the dietary need, his response was:

"I would suggest you just don't come here."

We were left stunned. I have dined out frequently as someone with dietary requirements and have never been treated with such indifference and hostility. If a restaurant is unwilling to accommodate dietary needs — especially when informed in advance — a courtesy call ahead of our booking would have been the bare minimum. Having an allergen matrix online is meaningless if you're unwilling to serve those with dietary requirements.

We had to search for an alternative venue for seven people and a dog on a busy Sunday afternoon. We ordered drinks while calling around, and only after we had paid were we offered a complimentary drink for the inconvenience — a hollow gesture at best.

I understand the realities and risks of cross-contamination. What I do not accept is the outright refusal to make even the slightest effort to accommodate a guest with a common dietary need. I have never encountered such treatment, especially from a pub with a varied menu.

As the owner suggested, I will not return — a decision I regret, as I was once a loyal customer before the change...

I've been coming to this pub for more than 10 years and have never been disappointed. I've seen it change hands multiple times and even then the quality of service, the food and drinks hadn't dropped in it's standards.

Having mostly come for drinks with mates, I can confidently say this is a great local pub to socialise come rain or shine with plenty of room both indoor and outdoors. Whilst it still has that traditional pub look and feel, it's not dark and dingy like a lot of other pubs in the local vicinity. It retains a classy look and feel while maintaining the authenticity of a traditional British pub. They have also invested heavily into their beer garden which is the best thing they did as it's much more inviting than it used to be and great even when raining due to having plenty of covered space.

The selection of drinks never disappoints and the staff are always friendly and have excellent banter. The food really takes it up a notch for pub grub as they have all the classics, fish and chips, burgers, pies, and a few other unique dishes too all made to an exceptional standard.

I honestly couldn't recommend this pub enough and I'm hoping this review will support The White Lion in what is a turbulent time for the hospitality sector where many businesses are struggling to stay afloat.

Even with all the other choices of pub in St Albans, I find myself gravitating towards White Lion for the reasons above. You can't go wrong!

2024 Roast Dinner Update: Whilst my review score won't change because the overall experience is still great, what I will say is that the Sunday Roasts are HUGE, but it is more quantity over quality if I'm being...

A mixed bag here.

Before I get to the food, the venue is pleasant. A cute old building full of character on a lovely street . The atmosphere was ok… but could’ve been better- there was a small but loud group of people at the bar of which at least some were off duty staff (I could tell by what was said) the conversation was too loud and too crude- I now even know the “vital statistics”of one gent. There was also quite a lot of swearing. I also think I’d loose the dog water bowl that was clearly from a previous customers pet, but sat next to our table for the full meal.

Food. Well it wasn’t a great start being greeted by a list of things they didn’t have (and typically was most of the stuff we’d chosen after looking online) We changed our choices but we’re already disappointed. Starters. Calamari was very good if slightly too salty. Pate was good but maybe you could stretch to a full slice of toast each? Mains. Pie was decent with a lot of mash and nice gravy. Steak- tasted good but poorly presented. Spread out on a plate the whole dish looked lost. A silly little pile of four button mushrooms would be far better replaced with one whole large mushroom for example. Korean chicken burger. While the chicken was nicely done I’m struggling to understand what was Korean about it? It was served with Asian slaw in the bun- this would be better on the side, but otherwise what was Korean about it? It was nice fried chicken but that’s it.

Overall, disappointing. It has potential to be good but as it is now I wouldn’t...