
Hertfordshire is a county of two halves. To the south and the west are the leafy Chiltern beech woods, full of food-conscious country pubs and other little gems that are well worth discovering. To the north and east it nuzzles up to the flatlands bordering East Anglia, where new towns give the area a cosmopolitan feel, which is reflected in its eating places. London is within striking distance, and many of the capital's restaurant groups set up outlets in the county if they are seeking to branch out.
The WaggonersSet between pretty houses and cottages in Ayot Green near Welwyn Garden City, The Waggoners is a refurbished 17th century coaching inn serving unique and well presented French cuisine, infused with international influences.
Brickwall Close, Ayot Green, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: French
Alford ArmsSet in the unruffled Hertfordshire hamlet of Frithsden (a short drive from Berkhamsted), the Alford Arms is the original of a group of five enterprising Home Counties' gastro pubs, and it's a hostelry full of surprises.
Frithsden, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Gastro pub
St JamesThis neatly designed modern Bushey restaurant boasts wooden floors, exposed brickwork, red pillars and a big picture window looking out onto the nearby church of St James (who else?).
30 High Street, Bushey, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Modern British
Thai SunsetThai Sunset in Hertfordshire brings a true splash of Eastern flair to the vibrant and prosperous town of Bushey. With a clean and elegant decor of black and white, owner David Krite and his Thai wife, Anotai, have created a modern restaurant that is both sophisticated and friendly.
39 High Street, Bushey, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Thai
The TilburyBilled as a 'village pub and dining room', the Tilbury is the latest offering from Paul Bloxham – a well known figure on the Hertfordshire restaurant scene who puts his faith in local and regional produce.
Watton Road, Datchworth, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Gastro pub
Coltsfoot Country RetreatOnce a working farm, set in 40 acres of Hertfordshire countryside between Welwyn Garden City and Knebworth, Coltsfoot Country Retreat now promises 'the last word in modern luxury'.
Coltsfoot Lane, Datchworth, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: European
The East ElstreeThe East is a contemporary pan-Asian restaurant set within an attractive traditional public house in the sleepy Hertfordshire village of Elstree.
High Street, Elstree, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Chinese
Bricklayers ArmsOriginally a pair of eighteenth-century brick-and-flint cottages down a country lane and later a drinker's den, the Bricklayers Arms at Flaunden is now a fully-fledged pub/restaurant that attracts crowds from far and wide.
Hogpits Bottom, Flaunden, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Gastro pub
West Lodge Park, Mary Beale RestaurantOwned and run by three generations of the Beale family, West Lodge Park has an auspicious history dating back to the time of Elizabeth I.
Cockfosters Road, Hadley Wood, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Modern British
The FoxOn the road between Harpenden and Luton Airport, the Fox is one of a small group of revamped and revitalised Home Counties' pubs with a contemporary attitude towards food and drink.
469 Luton Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Gastro pub
The WinePress RestaurantThe WinePress Restaurant is set in the Harpenden House Hotel, a smart Grade II listed Georgian town house that has been a young ladies school and a convent for the Dominican Sisters in its past life.
Harpenden House Hotel, Harpenden, Hertfordshire - Cuisine:
LussmannsEnjoying the same success as Lussmanns in St Albans, Lussmanns Hertford is the locals' fish & grill restaurant providing freshly prepared, great tasting food, with regionally sourced ingredients from the UK's best artisan suppliers and dedicated to looking after all the family, this modern eating house is set on two floors in the centre of Hertford, with an open kitchen and private dining facilities in the basement.
42 Fore Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Modern British
Redcoats Farmhouse HotelRedcoats Farmhouse Hotel just outside Hitchin, provides guests with the sort of traditional homely English welcome that is rarely found nowadays.
Redcoats Green, Hitchin, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: International
Fox and HoundsThe Fox and Hounds at Hunsdon has established itself as one of Hertfordshire's leading gastropubs, thanks largely to the efforts of chef/proprietor James Rix and his wife Bianca.
2 High Street, Hunsdon, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Gastro pub
Bedford Arms HotelMuch favoured for civil weddings, christenings and conferences, the Bedford Arms in the Chiltern village of Chenies still has the all the charm of a traditional English inn combined with top-notch hotel facilities.
Chenies, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Anglo French
The GateOld and new sit happily together at the Gate, which has been sympathetically updated with a contemporary extension plus grassy expanses for al fresco meals.
Rickmansworth Road, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Gastro pub
Goose Fat & GarlicThe richly appetising name 'Goose Fat & Garlic' might conjure up juicy thoughts of provincial France, but this popular restaurant/wine bar inhabits another world - in this case the pretty Hertfordshire village of Sawbridgeworth.
52 Bell Street, Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Modern European
Straw Hat OrientalInnovative Asian cuisine in a 500-year-old thatched cottage some 30 miles from London is the unusual deal at this Hertfordshire newcomer.
London Road, Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Asian
LussmannsEnjoying the same success as Lussmanns in Hertford, Lussmanns St Albans is the locals' fish & grill restaurant providing freshly prepared, great tasting food, with regionally sourced ingredients from the UK's best artisan suppliers and dedicated to looking after all the family.
Waxhouse Gate (off High Street), St Albans, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Modern British
Sopwell HouseOnce the Georgian country seat of Lord Mountbatten, Sopwell House is now an auspicious hotel, business venue and spa set in 12 acres of delightful gardens not far from St Albans.
Cottonmill Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Modern British
AsiaOnce the old post office, now a self-styled 'Pan Asian Dining Room', Asia brings a touch of ethnic chic to St Albans.
The Old Post Office, St Albans, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Asian
Mumtaj Tandoori RestaurantOne of the longest serving and most consistent Indian restaurants in a town with more than its fair share of creditable curry houses, the Mumtaj is a short walk from St Albans' main drag opposite the Old Cinema Hall.
115 London Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Indian
SukiyakiAn immensely likeable Japanese restaurant tucked away just off St Albans' market place, Sukiyaki might almost be mistaken for a casual teahouse, with its carefully arranged plants, calligraphy on the walls and soothing koto music in the background.
6 Spencer Street, St Albans, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Japanese
The Black Lion RestaurantIn the historic St Michael's quarter of St Albans, not far from the park, lakes and the world-famous Abbey, the eighteenth-century, brick-built Black Lion Inn now operates as a traditional hostelry-with-rooms.
198 Fishpool Street, St Albans, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Modern British
The Blue AnchorThe Blue Anchor in St Albans is a destination known for its delicious food and welcoming service. Building on the reputation the team have achieved at award-winning The Tilbury in Datchworth, The Blue Anchor serves fresh, seasonal and rustic British dishes with a twist using quality local British produce for which the Chefs here have become passionate advocates.
145 Fishpool Street, St Albans, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Gastro pub
Jacoby'sTimber-framed Churchgate House lays claim to being the second oldest building in Ware and – since the sixteenth century – it has served as a pub, bakery, maltings and - more recently - a motorcycle repair shop.
Churchgate House, Ware, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Modern European
Marriott Hanbury Manor, Zodiac RestaurantSet in 220 acres of Hertfordshire parkland only 25 miles north of London, Hanbury Manor and Zodiac Restaurant near Ware once served as a convent school, although it's now a fully fledged, luxurious hotel complete with a PGA championship golf course, spa and country club.
Thundridge, Ware, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Modern European
George and DragonFor more than 400 years, the George and Dragon has been at the hub of local life in the charming Hertfordshire village of Watton at Stone.
High Street, Watton at Stone, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Gastro pub
Auberge du LacSet in the lavish 543-acre estate that surrounds Brocket Hall, a former eighteenth-century country retreat turned swish upper crust hotel and conference centre/golf complex, the Auberge du Lac restaurant is certainly not intimidated by its auspicious surroundings.
Brocket Hall, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Modern French
The East StanboroughThe East is a contemporary pan-Asian restaurant set within an attractive old public house in the Hertfordshire village of Stanborough (just outside Welwyn Garden City).
Great North Road, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Chinese
The FoxA serious contemporary makeover has revitalised The Fox, a one-time local 'boozer' opposite Willian's village pond. Inside it's been given a fresh, almost continental look with clean lines, bare floors, light wood furnishings and modern art on the walls.
, Willian, Hertfordshire - Cuisine: Gastro pub