Looking for somewhere to have a decent sit-down meal in Watford, or perhaps a bit of pub grub before the football match? Here are six great restaurants that cater to various tastes and preferences in the centre of Watford.
Bill’s during the day (Photo: courtesy of Bill’s)
So, you’ve just spent the day in heaven, or rather the Harry Potter lot at Leavesden Studios, and all that magic has been a blast, but it hasn’t solved one simple human compulsion: hunger. Or maybe you’ve just seen Watford Football Club demolish some Premier League competition at Vicarage Road and you’re looking for a good pub that serves food to celebrate. Head for the town centre, High Street in particular, and you will have plenty of options.
Watford’s downtown area is sandwiched between Watford High Street station to the south and Watford Junction station to the north. It is just to the northeast of Vicarage Road. It is in this region that you will find the highest concentration of pubs and restaurants, as well as the best diversity in food that is available. Here are six of the best restaurants in Watford.
Bill’s Watford Restaurant
Originally a produce store and café of a greengrocer, Bill’s is now a rapidly growing chain of restaurants serving British fare with an elegant twist, like duck pie or prawn cocktails to start. The menu represents one of the best, most equal balances of meat-centric, vegetarian and vegan dishes of any restaurant out there, meaning whatever your dietary preferences, you’ll have plenty of choice. For example, Bill’s Wellington, which is made with cashew nuts, mushroom and carrots, served with a butter bean mash. The restaurant serves breakfast through dinner, and has a special tea time menu.
107 High St.
Middletons Steak and Grill
A veritable meat feast at Middletons (Photo: courtesy of Middletons)
For the confessed carnivores there’s Middletons, a steakhouse and grill serving up rib-eye, fillet and sirloin steaks, among other prime cuts. There are some good vegetarian options on the menu available too, like the veg and halloumi skewers, but the focus is very much on the grilled meats, with surf & turf, sticky ribs, piri piri chicken and even whole or half lobster on offer. From Monday to Friday until 6pm and Saturday until 5pm there is an excellent value set menu available.
Unit 4, 9 King St.
The Horns
The Horns has a very different vibe to the other restaurants on this list, being first and foremost a pub with live music. But when the amps are turned off during the daytime, the ovens are on. Weekday lunches are available with homemade dishes and daily specials on the board, but the main culinary event of the week is on Sunday with the roast dinner from noon to 3.45pm. There are also lighter lunch options like sandwiches available for those looking for a quicker snack on the go.
1 Hempstead Road
The Horns’ entrance sign (Photo: courtesy of The Horns)
Hanako
Extremely popular, Hanako is a family-run Japanese restaurant with a simple interior where top quality food is a priority. The authenticity is a huge draw here, with dishes like prawn tempura, chicken teriyaki and tonkatsu all finding their way onto the menu, alongside sashimi and both rolled sushi and nigiri sushi (where the meat is placed on top of the rice). There are also some good udon and yakisoba noodle dishes, and a few vegetarian options too.
4 Faircross House, 116 High St.
L’Artista
Pizza and pasta are the stars of the show at this Italian restaurant. The aim of L’Artista is to provide a contemporary dining experience regarding the ambience and furnishings, while maintaining tradition with the food, which was long ago honed to perfection in Italy. Therefore expect granite-topped tables and marble tile floors inside the restaurant, with timeless dishes served from the kitchen. The range of options is huge, with exhaustive pizza and pasta menus and an additional mains menu providing things like grilled salmon, fried squid and breaded chicken breast, among many others.
60-62 High St.
The One Crown
Doorway to The One Crown (Photo: courtesy of The One Crown)
The name sounds like something out of a JRR Tolkien novel, but the recent face-lift and new kitchen at The One Crown has updated the décor without losing the cosy living room vibe that has been cultivated at this public house. Expect a decent mix of mostly British meals, like bangers and mash, fish and chips, and a full fried breakfast, as well as Sunday roasts and sandwiches. They also serve up good sharing plates like the bucket of nachos.
156 High St.
By Paul Stafford