please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
hi popped in for the bank holiday beer and cider fest, prices and range good ,friendly staff and great thai food,
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went into this pub just before christmas to try the new carvery, the food was so good with so much veg choice and the meat was cooked to perfection,the staff couldnt have been more helpful and welcoming would recommend to all my friends.
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went into this pub just before christmas to try the new carvery, the food was so good with so much veg choice and the meat was cooked to perfection,the staff couldnt have been more helpful and welcoming would recommend to all my friends.
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A tourist haunt were visitors expect to be able to bring in infants and babes in arms as if it were like any branch of McDonalds.
anonymous - 29 Jun 2014 22:02 |
Popped in here late last night as The White Lion, just down the road, had switched its sign light off. Was serving till 1AM. Were playing karaoke for a bit, but mercifully ended. Worth a visit.
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A dreadfully overpriced pub , ridiculous really (r they in central London), God paid less for a beer in the Savoy bar! Awful ripoff of a place. A very lazy pub with idle staff. Shame really as nice location. Have to agree with others i'd stretch myself to beat 0/10, a real ripoff and staff r so poor. Company summer party seeks location??? This place is a big NONO!!
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Eaten in here and had a pint in here over the years.... It certainly not full of pissheads and cokeheads..... Its full of no one. You simply have too much choice in st albans. There are at least 6 perfectly decent pubs in spitting distance. In any other town, this would be packed.
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do you think beer lout people are going to take that comment you wrote seriously!!!! its a disgusting thing to say about this pub have you been barred or something, i take my family to this pub for lunch and have never seen any of that stuff you have said, the staff are very friendly and welcoming, i would never take my children to a pub that i thought there was anything to do with drugs!!!!
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This is a lovely winter pub. Between the bar billiards table, the darts board and board games, my friends and I have been known to spend many hours at a time in this pub. The staff are very friendly and the open fires make it very cosy. Always a lovely atmosphere.
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Full of piss heads & coke heads ... avoid!
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A real find this place. Deceptively large but cosy and welcoming. We called in for one but stayed for a few. Recommended.
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First pub I found in St. Albans that I could park near while passing through the town a week or so ago, but a pleasant surprise. Beer well kept, although I've forgotten what I had. Nice omelette for lunch in the sun-trap garden. Friendly staff and dog. Would seek it out again if passing that way.
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Forgot to rate it...
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I recently (May 2012) spent a couple of nights here. I wasn't expecting much going on previous reviews, but was very pleasantly surprised... The ambience is amazing, you could easily imagine yourself in a Georgette Heyer novel, and would not be surprised to see a highwayman strolling in... The room was clean and comfortable, the breakfast on time and plentiful. The staff could not have been more friendly and helpful, and went out of their way to make my stay pleasant. The natives were definitely friendly. When I expressed a desire to play bar billiards, the barman made it his mission to find me someone to play with, and did so at once - Thank you to him and the girl who gave me a game! There are lots of board games available, and a varied schedule of live entertainment of many kinds. I was sorry not to be around for some of the forthcoming events...
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Not a bad pub, tried to pop in for lunch on a monday, but it was closed. Heard through the grapevine that it has gone to the kids in the evenings. Good beer though
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Good pub
Ok beer
Ok service
Pricey
Recommended(just): 6/10
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promises much but delivers little, not changed for years, food chippy and bar staff moan about topping up the head of your pint...not a place to frequent, why is Doom Bar always on....no variety, simply boring, oh and pricey
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i like the feel of this pub,the nice mix of furniture and areas tv if you want it or a stack of games, good mix of beers/cider etc. very quiet until mid evening .i wish it were possible to open up the middle of the bar so the front bit didnt feel so small and isolated,the landlords a great guy and it would be nice to see him pulling more pints as imo a good chatty landlord/lady does make a pub.
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Excellent pub. The food is great and all the staff make a sincere effort to make you welcome. This place has a core of regulars that are friendly and dont dominate the barside - thank God. If your new to SA or are just stopping by; its just the place to get to know folks, or, to be left alone. Location is very convenient as it has two entrances/exits that direct you either in or out of town; so, no going up to get down. Music is top with disco style bands, rock, folk and some very funny unusual acts (im sure the poetry enthusiasts would differ in view).
Can get a bit studenty; however, they are unlikely to sour the experience - after all its SA.
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This pub currently has scaffolding on the outside. But the interior is still very traditional. Plenty of board games are available, alongside other pub games such as darts and bar billiards. The TV was off and there was no music. West Ham football pictures can be seen on the walls. This could be a really nice pub. But it is let down a little by its average drinks range - Wells Bombardier & Eagle IPA, Youngs Gold and St Austell Tribute. Westons Old Rosie is the cider.
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OMG who on earth is the brainless blonde woman who now seems to be running the Goat!????? She really has no clue about looking after customers, knowing what drinks are behind the bar, or even knowing how to serve a drink without smashing the glass the smithereens!!!! I could do better than this! This pub is descending into Hell!!!
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dont really understand the silly comment about the football its not the pubs fault it was rubbish!! me and friends and family go here alot, the staff are lovely and friendly and the food is lovely ( has nobody seen the write up in the paper) food is fresh and all homemade and the staff cant do enough to make you feel welcome, children are very welcome which is nice for us when we go out to eat cant say anything negative about the goat love it.
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I have to say the Football they were showing last night was atrocious,the pub should do something about it. I spent alot of money on beer in there and I get served up clueless one paced football, they could have atleast had a recording of South American team to show us instead of this below mediocre mess, it just gets my Goat up so much.
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Have to agree about the thirtysomethings. Ever since they started showing football I always seem to be surrounded by unsavoury characters who are no longer welcome at the other football pub down the road!
Could be so much better
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Situated slightly further up the road from The White Lion is The Goat, a pub which, externally at least, with its white washed exterior, looks similar in style to that pub.
The pub has a large single bar, but with distinct areas. The small central bar area has old beams, with hops hanging down and several sofas to one side by a large inglenook. The main area on the left looks like it could be an extension to the original building and which, despite the presence of a bar billiards table, dartboard and largish TV, has a rather traditional drawing room feel to it. Notably, there's several old West Ham 1960's team photos and a seriously large collection of board games.
The pub is much larger than it looks from the outside and extends back a long way into a food orientated area, but still with a pleasant and traditional feel.
On my recent lunchtime visit, beers on were Bombardier, Wells Eagle IPA, Youngs London Gold, St Austell Tribute plus Elgoods Snake Slayer - a range which might be considered disappointing by today's standards, but which did at least give me an opportunity to sample Wells IPA, a beer that seems somewhat difficult to find nowadays. It seems to be a beer that divides opinion, but I like it and it was in splendid form . This pub is also a CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular.
I didn't like this pub as much as The White Lion down the road, but it's a fine pub in its own right and, given their close proximity, it seems daft to visit one without at least popping in to the other.
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Not seen the immature thirtysomethings in there.
Good decor and layout, great beer, food ok but doesn't set the world on light.
Find myself keep going back so that says something.
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Ive never seen any Men Behaving Badly in this pub. If they were, I'd be in here every nite! :-)
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a pub for foul mouthed, immature thirtysomethings. Very Men Behaving Badly. Nice pub though!
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Hmm, review of august appears to have created a stir, although was in the other night and I have to say I even saw the target of my comment last time crank a smile , so maybe an off day for her.....so I'm upping my rating....she does appear to have a sense of humour it would appear ...great beer, great food, get on down there..
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Excellent pub, top beer and food, good decor and all that. Definitely worth a visit.
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Charles Wells brewers are taking over here. If they've got any sense they'll keep any changes to a minimum, and let this great pub carry on as it is.
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Despite a recent change of ownership, this pub is still shy about advertising its strong points, and this is starting to annoy me! Apart from the charming building and very good beer, it's the FOOD which is astonishingly good. Why don't they shout from the rooftops about it? Last night the main board showed some excellent specials (Steak & stilton pie, Pork chops cooked in cider....!!!!) but you'd have to be Sherlock Holmes to deduce that it was also a Mexican food night with some original and brilliant dishes on offer. One shrewd chap had spotted this and was tucking in with relish. Meanwhile in the Gents there was a discreet sign about Fish & chips on Friday evenings for �4.95. Why can't they have all this information in one place? The Goat really does have everything going for it, and is well worth a visit.
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Multi-roomed pub which had four ales on (St Austell Tribute, Crouch Vale, Deuchars and Pedigree) plus a cider (Westons). My Crouch Vale was good and I enjoyed a game of bar billiards in a genteel atmosphere - genteel because it was very quiet indeed. Odd, given the White Lion a few yards up the street was pretty busy and it was high afternoon on sunny Sunday. Also spotted a large selection of board games to choose from, some books and a TV (switched off). The Temperance Ladies in the Gents made me smile. I rather liked it here and will make a beeline for it next time I'm the town.
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What a discovery!
Came in for a pint last night during a crawl with a local friend and fellow ale enthusiast. Staff were very jovial, and one of them had obviously cracked a hilarious joke as we stepped in.
The low-ceilinged, beam-festooned pub offers several discreet, comfy drinking areas and is of great merit internally. A garden and outside smoking area are also provided.
Of the 5 or so ales on last night the one to go for was Crouch Vale Amarillo. This fruity, hoppy and full-flavoured nectar was on its best form and the most delicious beer on our crawl.
The food menu read reasonably well but arriving at 10pm and having eaten earlier meant no food was tasted on this visit.
The games room provides a proper bar billiard table alongside a range of board games, and on the book shelves in the upper level bar look out for a complete Encyclopaedia Britannica!
The Goat is certainly worthy of more visits and I can see many more being made in the future.
Good; 8/10
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Pub comfortable! Beer good! Food hit & miss!
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A mixed bag of reviews below, but I was pretty impressed with this surprisingly large pub in a side street fairly near central St Albans. We visited on Sunday night for the quiz night: unfortunately the quiz was fairly bog standard Redtooth fare, but the rest of the pub impressed. A large boozer with a couple of nice front rooms (albeit one rather dominated by a large collection of board games and various studenty types playing Monopoly etc.) and some larger rooms out the back, which I didn't really explore. There also appeared to be a garden. Beer-wise, there were three or four ales, including one guest: I stuck to the Tribute and had a couple of pints, which were pretty well-served. Always tempted to head up to St Albans to do a crawl, it being the home of CAMRA and all that, and this pub would be on the list were I to do that.
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Still getting better and now doing jazz on Sunday afternoons.
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I like the hop adorned and entwined beams, this is a nice pub. In addition to the Deuchars & Spitfire there was Pot Belly 'Pigs might fly' which was so so. Perhaps the other beers were better but I had to rush....
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Much more welcoming than it used to be. The beers are kept in good nick and the food is wholesome, tasty and plentiful. Plenty of entertainment too, not least the Sunday quiz nights. BUT service can be a bit slow: sometimes the bar is left unattended for several minutes, which really isn't good enough. If they can sort this out, the Goat will be back as one of St Albans's top pubs.
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No, don't close it down. A year or two back this pub was struggling, but it's coming back in leaps and bounds. The beer and food are excellent, although some of the barstaff could be a bit more alert.
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richerthanyou, read your other posts. agree with you .
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CLOSE DOWN THIS PUB!
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by the way...why pay extra for hop adorned and entwined beams??? Who cares?
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Devoid of atmosphere with the same beers on tap at all times, better off moving off down the road to the two other pubs for better value and more choice. TTFN.
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The entrance leads to the bar area, left to another room with a bar billiards table, panelled walls and books on a high shelf, a TV also sits high up in the corner. A large selection of board games are available. Beyond are two further drinking areas off the back of the bar, very comfortable and traditional with hops entwined along the picture rail. A great welcoming pub with a good atmosphere, justifiably busy last night. The traditional looking food menu includes the like of beef stew, pie of the day, gammon egg & chips and a curry, generally around 9 quid.
St Austell Tribute, Spitfire, Deuchars IPA and Tring Colleys Dog on offer; tasters offered by the staff. First rate!
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Used to be good - but now frequented by the Caspers and Tarquins of the area not to mention the Susan's and Jessica's, I am an inervted snob of sorts and love to see people pay over the odds for a pint and a chippy plate of grub, still bet the management have not had that many complaints as the customers would'nt want to show themselves up....the selection of ales never change either
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Deserves a fuller review than I am able to provide from yesterday�s visit (hic!), but I enjoyed the Doombar & a joker was declared when Tribute was added to the available selection before we left. Nice large room to rear of central bar with hop adorned beams & good furniture; space was being made for evening music, no idea what style, hopefully we assisted rather than hindered the moving of a heavy table. Had to laugh at the picture, in the gents, of a formidable group of temperance ladies with the annotation that �Lips that touch liquor shall never touch ours!�; couldn�t help but think that this motley collection may want to consider hedging their bets on that, haha!
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I visit this pub when I see an interesting beer on. The last few days have had Crouch Vale Amarillo, which has been superb.
Anybody know why they have some sort of internal porch arrangement which cuts down the interior space at the front door? Would be much better without it - even with winter gales!
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Went here on sunday 4th May, thought the pub to be relatively quite considering the friendly and effecient welcome we received, beer was top quality pulled by a very attentive barmaid, they chef seemed to be very proud of his food, and justly so we had the sunday roast which was lovely all home made including the yorkshires would definitely return, and would not hesitate to recommend this pub to anybody else, well worth a visit, this pub ticks all the boxes
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A great pub, if only for the mountain of board games available to use, and the bar billiads table. The food has always been very good too.
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Used to be a fine back street pub - now relying on staple ales such as the ubiqitous Tribute. Gone rapidly down hill with dirty glasses and shabby around the edges, feels slightly unclean and food is a clear rip offski....have boycotted this and moved down the road.
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It's a long time since I'd been to The Goat as on my last few trips it seemed to have settled irrevocably into mediocrity so I was pleasantly surprised tonight to find it in good nick. My third pint was cloudy but it was swapped without demur for a fresh one which was as good as the previous two, so good I had a subsequent two to be sure. Quite busy for a Tuesday but the service was sharp. Word of warning, there was a dominoes league in and they looked like they could have turned ugly at the drop of a hat.
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I love this place, the building itself has so much character...but can't they vary the beers a little bit? Every time it's bloody Spitfire and Deuchars IPA! Nothing wrong with either really, but come on. Sod it, I'm off to the White Hart Tap
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Had a great evening in the Goat last week. Enjoyed a lovely meal (healthy portions!) and the staff were friendly throughout. Hoping to return soon and will update on whether the new management can keep up the good work!
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Not visited since under new management but went with friends who were keen to go on a nostalgia trip. Was very crowded for a Saturday night - to be expected. Had a meal which was very third rate, not hot or particularly well presented. There are loads of typing errors on the menu - peas are a plural vegetable not pea's! Condiments are in sachets but to give them a little praise, tartare sauce was brought in a dish. However, to be told that there is no chance of a pudding at 9.45 despite having spent over 40 pounds on main meals is not on.
If, The Goat is under new management, it needs to up its game to ensure its place as a destination.
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Okay - wasn't blown away by it, spent a lazy Sunday there a few weeks back. It's a very quiet pub, ideal for chilling out but not the place to go if you want a fun night or are hoping to meet someone!
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Lots of games to play , nice sofas if you are lucky, or go round the back and choose your own nook / cranny. Good pub but needs to find its identity,good selection of beers.
Pub quiz is ridiculously and inexplainably over-subscribed on Sunday. As far as I am concerned the jury is still out over the new management but they are definitely an improvement over previous owners ( but that wasnt hard was it! )
This could be a brilliant brilliant pub but at the mo there is plenty of room for improvement.
anonymous - 29 May 2007 15:51 |
This place has new management who we can hope will improve it some more - With other great pubs nearby, competition is intense, so the new managers have a job on their hands. It's an OK pub at the moment although the real ales are not as fresh as they might be, and it does feel a bit of a sprawling mess at the moment. The building and history are lovely. Staff pleasant. Sunday pub quiz attracts a large crowd of largely non-drinkers who sit in teams of 10 hoping to grab the 50 quid prize money. They should award beer tokens instead of money. That would sort the wheat from the chaff! :)
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Has definitely improved since changing hands recently. I�ll give it a cautious 6/10 and hope that the new management continue their good work.
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Not been in since they changed management in the last 2 months. So how have things 'changed'? Or have they?
Well, beer selection is (was when we went) 3 on draft, plus the usual lagers and 1 cider - on hand pull. The Spitfire and Broadside on fine form, but alas the Tribute (cornish) shown, but no on. Told due to my husband has not changed the barrel yet!
Had food (bangers and mash, mixed seafood etc.) which was certainly to the quality level the Goat was known for. The frying on the chips at a 'just done' level with the same for the folio pastry. MOST impressed.
Tried then for a Tribute, after which followed some frantic activity and 10 minutes later we had a fresh (and RATHER nice) pint delivered to our table! What you want from a 'local' bozzer.
Flipside, there are still areas that (as others have said) need a decent lick of paint, along with it would be nice if both the cold and HOT tap worked in the loos.
Expect to be going back, but still needs some work to move to the next level. Staff enthused, just need the rest to follow.
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Had lunch on Saturday - was a bit worried as a few months ago the food was totally inedible. Friendly Barmaid convinced me with 'We've got a new chef'. Excellent! Home made pie (not one of those with a crust from the freezer stuck on a bowl of gruel) A PROPER PIE! plus fresh veges. This is even better than it was years ago. Washed down with Deuchars - heaven. I hope the new management dont lose the ambience with 'modernisation' its almost perfect as it is (ok - there's a few damp patches that you could sort with a bit of paint if you have to).
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Good looking bar area although it probably gets a bit clogged when busy, chesterfield style sofas in room to the left and seems to open up to the rear with lots more room, possibly for eating. The St.Austell Tribute swings it for me though, it was first rate.
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Having written the review below, yesterday, I saw in the local rag tonight that The Goat is under new management. The new land lady says she intends to give the place a paint when the smoking ban comes in and are going to keep the board games. I look forward to a revival.
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Used to be my favorite pub and I was drinking here back when it was "The Goth Pub". Previously this would have got an 8 from me as it was a comfortable pub, particularly for a Sunday afternoon. It has gone down hill a bit, and is looking tired, ripped furniture, broken chairs, pealing wallpaper etc. Still enjoy the selection of board games. The Sunday night pub quiz is till one of the best around and regularly packs the place out. On a normal night though, given the choice go to the White Lion or White Hart Tap instead.
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The pub has really gone downhill of late. You will be very lucky to get a clean glass with your beer. The food is now usually cold, the microwave must be broken.
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Characterful pub of great age. A large fireplace dominates the right-hand room, although the fire is primed by gas. The left-hand room is nicely furnished and houses a skittle billiard table and you can choose from a large selection of board games. More attractive drinking areas are to the rear. On the beer front, four quality cask ales are in keeping with this fine pub.
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I really like the feel of this place, with its dark wood, hidden corners, and well-fed pub cat (bright yellow and very friendly). It's similar in feel to some of the studenty hangouts in Cambridge, with some tremendous ales (including the dark and hefty Adnams Broadside). The staff are friendly and casual, and the leather sofas are very comfy indeed. Seek out The Goat, you won't be disappointed!
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The Goat's a good pub for a drink, it's got a couple of lovely rooms, decent selection of beers, fair wine list and a pleasant little garden. The bar staff are nice enough and the atmosphere is always pleasant and relaxed even allowing for the occasional braying, rugger type. The food has declined badly in the last couple of years though, a house specialty seems to be an overcooked chunk of meat on top of a mound of glutinous mash sculpted into the shape of Ayers Rock.
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The ales are still good (Spitfire, Deuchars and Adnams Broadside), and this is a fine old pub. But - and I feel bad saying this - some of the barstaff really couldn't give a monkey's. They're either doing the dusting somewhere, or having lurid discussions with their friends about violent films. Overall, not very welcoming.
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I'm getting quite frustrated with The Goat; I was in on a Friday night recently with Miss Jones and again had occasion to rue my decision to eat there. The upside of waiting an hour for food is that you get a chance to sample the well-kept ales. Still an hour is a long time and, sensing Miss Jones' growing impatience, I asked the bar staff what was happening. They then explained to me - in the style of a teacher addressing a particularly dim pupil - that the wait was due to the pub being busy. On a Friday? Who knew? My advice would be to go early in the week and eat elsewhere.
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Quality of beer is increasingly variable. Barstaff seem generally indifferent to the ultimate source of their wages. Worth popping in to see how old the Spitfire is on a given night but have a half first!
This pub is slipping.
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This used to be the best teenage-goth pub in St. Albans. Dingy and amazing. Now it's very brightly lit and looks like the front room of an elderly person. Still quite nice. Good ales. Occasionally the staff are really nasty, but often they are lovely. Maybe it's just one particular mean bartender. Good ciders.
anonymous - 14 Oct 2005 14:29 |
Welcoming and well-appointed. The Goat has a games area, a couple of large rooms with spacious seating, and a sheltered if somewhat plain beer garden out back. It's not on the trail of the noisy teenagers who take over St Albans on a Friday/Saturday night.
anonymous - 19 Jun 2005 11:46 |
This is my local, even though I pass another 4 pubs on the way to it from my house! Kronenbourg on tap amongst others and a fantastic Sunday roast. Sunday night quiz's are great fun although as someone's already put - you have to get there before 8.30pm to get a seat. Food from the main menu is nothing special - could do with a complete re-haul to make the food as good as the ambience and location. Having the board games is a nice touch and many an afternoon has been spent arguing over trivial pursuit answers.
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Good sausages let down by Instant mashed potato!!! Didn't know they still made it - ugh
Jackie - 9 May 2004 08:46 |
Excellent place, one of my favourites, seems massive, I get lost on the way back from the toilets, or am I really that drunk?
dpiom - 11 Mar 2004 20:15 |
Really is quite pleasent here and if your feeling flush check out the whiskey selection, saturday nights in there are sometimes manic but all in all a chilled place to hang out
kevin - 9 Feb 2004 16:53 |
Pretty good place togo just before Christmas
Cornelius - 24 Jan 2004 19:53 |
This is one of my favourite pubs in St. Albans. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, there is a beer garden which is nice in the summer and they have an open fire in the winter. Some nice ales are also on tap. Sunday night is quiz night which is very popular and a real challenge. If you don't get there before half past eight don't bet on getting a seat..
anonymous - 29 Dec 2003 17:25 |
Really lovely place. Good but kinda pricey food, excellent beer, relaxed, quiet with friendly staff. It's the anti-Vintry.
mackie - 22 Nov 2003 01:38 |
What a gem of a pub, located down a narrow residential lane, the unassuming exterior just does not prepare you for the delights inside. There are around six different seating areas plus a large and well- furnished patio outside. The interior is a mass of oak beams, pillars and exposed brickwork, and the furnishings add to the authentic feel. It could have been an old coaching inn many years ago. Food is available from a rather pricey menu and there is a selection of board games available behind the bar. Serving Adnams bitter plus Spitfire and Goldings from Shepherd Neame when I visited. In this world full of All-Bar-One's and Pitcher & Piano's it is comforting to know that proper pubs like this are still around and flourishing.
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a real OLDE pub, wonderful decor, can get busy, cool jazz on a sunday afternoon, good ales, excellent food, mixed crowd....go there at least once before you die., its wonderful.
chris - 9 Apr 2003 12:09 |
