The Crooked Chimney

Had a lovely dinner this evening. Staff were very welcoming and gave some good recommendations on what to have. Even treated myself to a brownie for dessert. Would highly recommend to anyone passing by

Getting a booking for 9 people for lunch around Christmas is never easy. Although we had to settle for an off peak time, The Crooked Chimney were able to accommodate us. It was then a shame when not all 9 turned up. The staff were keen to take our drinks order on arrival, however it took a good 30 mins before any food was ordered and then a further 45 mins wait before our starters had even arrived. Safe to say our late lunch had ventured into dinner. However, i'm not sure if it as our ravishing bellies or the quality of food but the starters where definitely the stand out moment of the meal. The cheesy garlic bread was consumed down to the last crumb, the calamari was crispy and succulent and well, turns out the camembert to share was no match for our elderly Grandad.

As the meal progressed the quality inversely matched the fullness of our stomachs. The mains had both low and high points, fish seemed over crooked but the roast dinners were delightful although the quality of roasts potatoes did vary across the various dishes. Lets not forget the kitchen domestic that spilt out into the restaurant.

As evening approach, the staff rotas switched and the arrival of a new cohort of waiters was much needed. Service time hastened and things got done much quicker, lets not forget the sub 1 min bill collection! As we retired to the comfort of the lounge chairs for hot drinks, it was interesting to see the waitress take the design of the menu into her own hands. She decided that the aesthetic of our hot chocolate would look particularly good when spilt over the saucer.
All in all an enjoyable lunch/dinner, not always for the right reasons and a venue that I would recommend for anyone looking to eat during ramadan.

One of the good things about working outside of London is that you get to visit all sorts of places you wouldn't normally go to. This lovely, cozy pub is one of them.
You open the creaking door and immediately the rich smell of wood slowly burning and warm, yummy food hits you .....

I've posted a picture of just one of the fireplaces...they have two. The interior is made up of several of rooms centered around a bar, with typical wood and leather decor which give it a very 'olde inn' type feel. Staff are very friendly, and they usually have a decent few ales on tap. (although tonight they happened to be out of both Doom Bar and Youngs Bitter...boo!)

The food was way better than I expected, as to be honest there are a number of pubs in the area masquerading as decent places to eat and drink. To start with, there are several fish dishes on the menu which is great for us pesca-tarians sick of being stuck with the 'fish and chips' options at pubs. I ordered the fish pie which was absolutely lovely: had enough fish and not overpowered by cheese, served in a pretty nice sized portion. My friends each chose the burger and rump steak, each was happy with their dishes. Although not a meat eater, I must admit both plates looked really good.

Don't expect trendy and hip here, do expect honest, good food and drink. It's definitely a charmer.

I wish I could give you more stars, Crooked Chimney. I really do. I like your name, your coziness, your English charm...but you blew it! I think it was waiting over an hour for food that did it. Or the food arriving cold. Perhaps the overpricing. Anyhow, I left unsatisfied and not impressed. Maybe we'll give it a try another time. Maybe.

This is a lovely pub which is situated close to brocket hall. It's easy to get to and is out of the way enough not to be full of drunken rowdies on a friday night.


For a quiet drink it is certainly somewhere I would recommend, there is a nice homely atmosphere created by the comfy chairs and sofas. They food is good and reasonably priced too. They do a nice sunday lunch. This isn't fine dining, but it is a step up from the brewers fayre type pubs.

Nice atmosphere with a low ceiling.


This is a nice traditional pub (though it is run by a chain) which has a good selection of food and regular specials. Real ales served on pumps and good selection of wines.


Only negative point is the location - it is fairly remote.

This is a lovely pub to go to outside of welwyn if you want to catch up with friends for a chat. They have a great menu and the food is reasonably priced. Outside is a garden area which is great for the summer

Thanks to the loss of electricity in our village a little while ago we spent quite a few meals out. One of the places we decided to check out was this one. We keep passing it on the way home from work but have never stopped. I've always been attracted to, wait for it, the crooked chimney! I thought this lent a bit of charm to the place. The pub inside is quite nice. Modern with lots of comfy sofas scattered about. We headed straight to the back room and settled on a nice big table, one side with chairs the other with booth-type seating. The view out the window was great, the pub backs onto fields so very nice. We decided to go for burgers and chips. It wasn't the best gourmet burger but perfectly fine for a gathering where conversation is more important than special seeded-buns and organic free-range mayoThe table, cutlery etcwas all clean and tidy and the waiter who brought us our food (though you must order it at the bar) and the waitress who brought out all the dips and sauces were both very nice. Recommended for a chilled-out gathering or family lunch.

Lunch here was the poorest paid dining experience I have ever had. We waited nearly an hour for our food to arrive and when it did it was thoroughly disappointing. They were not even that busy. The garlic bread was charred and clearly a budget offering from Iceland. The actual pasta dish consisted of shrivelled canned mushrooms, badly overcooked, dry chicken breast and a vomit coloured sauce drenched over soft tagliatele. They probably think Al Dente is one of their regulars at the bar as there was no sign of any culinary aptitude at all in this place. Maybe an OK pub but do yourself a favour and steer clear of lunch.

Went there for a birthday celebration. The food was atrocious. Badly cooked, small portions, had to wait ages for it and the orders were cold and muddled. I would not recomend this restaurant to anyone. Money was deducted from the bill and we were given a bottle of champagne to make amends....but we would have preferred to have had a competently cooked and served meal after all it's their job. I will never go there again.