Quick info
About The Potting Shed Cafe
The Potting Shed Cafe is a cafe in St Albans at 106 St. Albans Rd, attached to a garden centre and shop with a gift shop alongside. Its kitchen garden supplies the seasonal vegetables on the menu, grown and harvested by hand on site, and the cafe looks out over open countryside. Breakfast includes a cooked English breakfast, with black pudding available as an extra. The lunch menu includes a lamb flatbread and croquettes as a starter. The kitchen uses local or British produce, much of it grown on the premises. Tables are set with room between them, and a dog friendly section lets visitors bring their dogs. Payment is by card only.
Good to know
- ReservationsAccepts reservations
- ParkingFree parking lot · Free street parking · Parking
- AccessibilityWheelchair: entrance, parking lot, restroom
- Good for kidsGood for kids · High chairs · Kids' menu
- DietaryVegan options · Vegetarian options
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Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention cooked english breakfast, garden centre setting, lamb flatbread and croquettes starter.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention cooked english breakfast, garden centre setting, lamb flatbread and croquettes starter.
Customer Review Summary
Diners most often return for the cooked English breakfast, with black pudding available as an extra, and the full breakfast at brunch is called delicious and beautifully presented. Close behind are the lunches, where the lamb flatbread, with its generous portion, and a roast vegetable salad of beets, squash and crumbled cheese draw specific praise. Reviewers also note that much of the produce is grown on site. Service is repeatedly described as friendly, and spacious seating, garden tables with umbrellas and a dog friendly section come up too, along with the adjacent gift shop. The caveats are modest. One reviewer calls it a tad pricey but says that reflects the quality, another waited a bit for food, and one missed mushrooms on sourdough toast with poached eggs, which is not on the menu. One reviewer says the place is always fully booked, and another plans to book first next time. One hopes the croquette starter becomes a permanent part of the main menu.
Customer Review Summary
Diners most often return for the cooked English breakfast, with black pudding available as an extra, and the full breakfast at brunch is called delicious and beautifully presented. Close behind are the lunches, where the lamb flatbread, with its generous portion, and a roast vegetable salad of beets, squash and crumbled cheese draw specific praise. Reviewers also note that much of the produce is grown on site. Service is repeatedly described as friendly, and spacious seating, garden tables with umbrellas and a dog friendly section come up too, along with the adjacent gift shop. The caveats are modest. One reviewer calls it a tad pricey but says that reflects the quality, another waited a bit for food, and one missed mushrooms on sourdough toast with poached eggs, which is not on the menu. One reviewer says the place is always fully booked, and another plans to book first next time. One hopes the croquette starter becomes a permanent part of the main menu.
Featured reviews
- Brian Hilton
“Calling it a cafe is a bit of a misnomer, my first visit, although my friend had been before. There is the cafe side which is excellent, we went for Lunch, there is a lovely dog friendly section which deserves to be called a restaurant , there is inside and outside seating with large opening glass end to the outside seating. The lunch was superb and probably the best i've ever had in any garden centre, with and excellent choice. Next time however I'll book first to make sure of a table!”
- Lottie Lambert
“We had such a wonderful visit here. Everything tasted incredibly fresh, and the presentation was lovely across every dish we ordered. I was especially impressed by the roast vegetable salad. It was packed with flavor, and the addition of crumbled cheese paired perfectly with the beets and squash. We are already looking forward to our next visit.”
- Grant Shepherd
“I had a lovely lunch at the Potting Shed Cafe. The lamb flatbread was delicious and the portion size was very generous. The service was excellent and the cafe is clean with spacious seating.”
- Andy Chesterton
“Excellent breakfast. The White Horse in Harpenden was our regular breakfast venue, but now they have stopped serving breakfast, we gave The Potting Shed a try. We both had cooked English breakfast which was high quality with lovely friendly service. I was able to order black pudding as an extra which is a real treat! The menu choices is good, although my normal ‘go to’ of mushrooms on sourdough toast with poached eggs is not on the menu I think this would be a great additional option for the menu, and would give vegetarians an additional option. However, as I said, a great breakfast venue, we sat outside in the garden, where there are a few tables with umbrellas to shade from the sun. Well done Carpenters, thank you for a lovely experience.”
- Nick Hazzard
“This place is great. The food is super quality and the staff are extremely nice and friendly. It's really pleasant, welcoming and the prices are pretty good. I look forward to visiting.”
Hours
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Highlights
“With views over open countryside, The Potting Shed Kitchen Garden & Cafe offers a unique dining experience for food lovers living in the St Albans and Hertfordshire area. Open seven days a week, the Potting Shed offers breakfast, brunch, lunch and hot drinks. Using seasonal vegetables grown and harvested on site by hand, we have created a mouth-watering seasonal menu packed with tasty dishes. Please note- We are a CARD ONLY venue.”
- Great coffee
- Great dessert
- Great tea selection
- Popular for breakfast
- Popular for lunch
- Popular for solo dining
Amenities
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
- Accepts reservations
- Outdoor seating
- Dogs allowed
- Dine-in
- Good for kids
Show more amenities
- Vegan options
- Alcohol
- Cozy
- Onsite services
- Beer
- Coffee
- Dining options· 7
- Breakfast
- Brunch
- Lunch
- Catering
- Dessert
- Seating
- Table service
- Atmosphere· 1
- Casual
- Pet-friendly· 2
- Dogs allowed inside
- Dogs allowed outside
- Offerings· 5
- Healthy options
- Quick bite
- Small plates
- Vegetarian options
- Wine
- Crowd· 1
- Groups
- Accessibility· 2
- Wheelchair accessible parking lot
- Wheelchair accessible restroom
- Planning· 2
- Brunch reservations recommended
- Lunch reservations recommended
- Highlights· 2
- Great dessert
- Great tea selection
- Popular for· 1
- Solo dining
- Facilities· 1
- Restroom
- Parking· 3
- Free parking lot
- Free street parking
- Parking
- Family-friendly· 2
- High chairs
- Kids' menu
Location
Cafes near The Potting Shed Cafe
- The Waffle House - St Albans4.54,0032.1 mi
pulled pork waffle, buttermilk fried chicken waffle, gluten-free waffles
- 3.3 mi£10–20Outdoor seatingVegetarian optionsVegan options
fried chicken waffle, hummus avocado waffle, outdoor seating with plants
- Birchwood Café4.52873.7 mi£1–15
omelettes, breakfast, family-run cafe
| Place | Rating | Distance | Price | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Potting Shed CafeOutdoor seating · Vegetarian options · Vegan options | 4.4666 | — | £10–20 | cooked english breakfast, garden centre setting, lamb flatbread |
| The Waffle House - St Albans | 4.54,003 | 2.1 mi | — | pulled pork waffle, buttermilk fried chicken waffle, gluten-free waffles |
| The Waffle House - HarpendenOutdoor seating · Vegetarian options · Vegan options | 4.5177 | 3.3 mi | £10–20 | fried chicken waffle, hummus avocado waffle, outdoor seating with plants |
| Birchwood Café | 4.5287 | 3.7 mi | £1–15 | omelettes, breakfast, family-run cafe |
The 3 nearest cafes by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
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