Bar Espresso

Absolutely one of the best Italian restaurants in St Albans. The food is lovely and the employees are delightful. We had a fairly large group of eight and were accommodated quite easily and with no trouble at all. We had appetisers, mains, desert and coffee. The food arrived on time, hot and was absolutely delicious. The wait staff were super friendly, relaxed and really appeared to enjoy their jobs. The restaurant and restrooms were clean and tidy. Absolutely no complaints. Five star service and food. Will most definitely visit here again and highly recommend Bar Espresso to anyone wanting a really nice meal and good service. Thank you Bar Espresso.

Third time eating here and again, the food and service was wonderful. Staff are really friendly and the prices are very reasonable. Four of us had three courses each (two of the main meals were beautifully cooked fillet steaks), a bottle of house wine and three beers... Total bill was £35 per head. You can't eat at a Beefeater for that money and have the same quality of food and service. Make sure you book a table as they're always busy. Tonight was a full house from start to finish.

Looks from the outside like a lunchtime sandwich place - but it's actually a really great little Italian restaurant run with a lovely, fun, friendly Italian family. Great food at great prices. Don't expect silver service and if their local suppliers didn't stock it it'll be off the menu. Relax and enjoy.

A nice friendly restaurant serving hot and cold sandwiches early in the day and authentic Italian dishes in the afternoon and evening. The atmosphere is warm and friendly and the small restaurant area often bustling with customers. Be sure to book ahead if you are planning to go during dinner time. The venue is clean and pleasant. It is not wheelchair accessible due not only to the step up into the restaurant but also toilet facilities are down a flight of stairs.

So when having a conversation with my Italian hairdresser about the lack of Italian restaurants with proper homecooked Italian food with fresh ingredients and that Italian love poured into the cooking that is missing from our world of franchised 'Italian' restaurants, he told me about Bar Espresso... I always thought is was a coffee and sandwich bar, but no it isn't just that... Go and check this place out one evening - it is seriously good food... Ask them about their ingredients and you may find that they have been to Sicily in the week to pick up some seasonal fruit and veg! Now that's how you do proper Italian! Their food is the best Italian food I've had in St. Albans in the last 10 years I've lived here. The seafood dishes are astounding, the service is very homely, and the prices are very good. The only thing is its quite small, and I do hope this recommendation doesn't make them so busy that I can't get a table there myself! Oh, and if you can, try to leave a lot of room for their rediculously delicious cheesecakes...

Sat at home catching up on emails, fridge empty. Decided to pop in here having seen some good reviews and walked past it countless times on the way back from the station. It was a Tuesday night but a few people in there, manager at front of house was very welcoming, felt like a proper independent restaurant. I ordered the Seabass and it was delicious, good sized portion, well seasoned with plenty of well cooked veg on the side. Will definitely be back.