I love there defrosted cakes and burnt coffee beans . I also love the extra charge for eating in a cramped dirty environment, and my personal favourite pricey drinks for less liquid. you guys sure know how to run a business. I fill abused

Brilliant! We had 2x coffes and we got a salmon and egg baguette on the house. 😁 It is being renovated at tge moment but it is still a comfortable place to meet up with friends.

My favourite sandwich eatery. I believe they are only let down by not offering sizes for some of there hit drinks. Something they had to do for the US market but refuse to offer in the UK.

Newly refurbished Cafe offering delicious soups, snacks and coffee, all prepared by hand with the best ingredients. Found in St.Peters Street in this important and historic, beautiful little city.

Lovely sandwiches, great coffee. A "go to" place to eat in St Albans! Often busy so seating might be a problem.

A wonderful variety of delicious salads. Just the right size for lunch. Quick and efficient. Perfect! My first choice every time.

Usual Pret stuff here. The location is nice, especially if you have a seat next to the street windows. You can feel St. Albans' atmosphere.

Lovely food and coffee. Gets quite busy in the weekends.

I mean... It's a genuine asylum especially during markets in St. Albans. Always clean, sometimes bit too packed but hey... They have toilets... Haha

The food there is delicious and the service is good.

Love Pret a Manger, especially the St.Albans location on St. Peters Street. Consistently good, fresh food and great coffee. Plenty of room to sit down and relax.

I cannot commend the staff here enough. I visited at a time when there just so happened to be a slight argument fuelled by a misunderstanding between a customer and a member of staff which escalated way beyond reason. Despite the customer being incredibly rude on a personal level to the staff, they dealt with the issue in such a composed way. My drink and cookie were delicious, but I am mainly in awe of how the staff didn't let adversity affect their professionalism or their other customers' experience. I hope that the customer in question didn't bother you any further- I couldn't stand to stay and listen to her tirade but you all dealt with it excellently.

The staff are great and the food is Prets high standards, but does the manager need to shout the made drinks out to the entire shop? Maybe keep it to a level that only the people waiting for their drinks can hear... its 7am, it's too early for such volumes!!!

love this place good coffee and many choices of food

This is a great Prett with friendly helpful staff. The store is acutally quite big but you will be lucky I'm normal times to find a seat as it is pram city. All your typical Prett food on offer and conveniently located on the high steet next to boots. So if I am visiting St Albans this is always on my lunch list.

Was here with friends in wheelchair as couldn't have at home , a good time had n coffees and food too

Jasmine B

Great in terms of chain cafe! It doesn't come across as one as much as other and whilst slightly expensive not much more than anything else and the food is a lot better and a wider variety than lots of other cafes. I really recommend for groups with lots of different tastes, pickier eaters and there are lots of delicious healthy and filling options too.

Michele Crovace

Well allocated, lovely place for smart working or meets with friends. Lovely food and coffee. Very professional barista staff. Amazing customer service.

+1

Rosica Tabakova

Good morning. I had the pleasure of being served at Pret a Manger St.Albans yesterday, and I just wanted to share how impressed I was with the outstanding service. The staff member who helped me went above and beyond to ensure I had a great experience. Her friendliness, attention to detail, and efficiency made my visit truly memorable. It's not every day you come across such exceptional customer service, and I will definitely be returning. I managed to read the name of the staff member-Dimitrina. Thank you!!!

Thomas Sachs (Seamless Pink)

Top-tasting brilliant hot chocolate with cream on top of a cappuccino by my top barista Daniel! ☕️☕️👌🏻😋✌🏻 Very nice ambience, however Xmas music is a bit inflational atm! 🎅🏻🎶🤪 hohoho! 🤷🏻‍♂️🫤

AT Bushell

Still the best Cappucino in town - but am sure the cups have got smaller!! The new store refit has more seating now but is still claustrophobicly placed so you can't get into seats close to the wall without moving furniture out of the way. Shame about: the same filthy card payment machines and only 2 toilets for such a large cafe there's always a queue and strong smell of pee. There is a more remote feel to Pret now. Last Saturday 2 teen aged girls with laptops took up a table for 4 whilst consuming their own drinks. Has a nicer atmosphere when it's quieter on a week day.

Kelly Michelle Stanley

Fantastic place to go! Great food and clearly labelled to suit your dietary requirements. Fully recommend :)

Friendly and helpful staff. Plenty of seats. Can't beat the 99p filter coffee.

New restaurant in St Alban's renamed as Pret with a very modern look, better seating. Menu change , quite interesting!

Lovely food, but staff a bit disinterested in their customers, however it's ideally located in the centre of St Alban's, making it s perfect stopping point for a break whilst shopping.

Surprisingly large for a Pret A Manger, this branch has seating and tables to eat in. It is however very popular so may be quite busy.

Staff friendly. Selection of Vegan food. Would be 5 stars but the usual pret prices are toooooo high

Fairy busy coffee shop but good selection of food and drinks, with some seating outside if your into people watching while having a coffee, only downside is the busker right outside playing guitar and singing abit annoying when your trying to talk to friends when having lunch or coffee

Food is normally good and the coffee is surprisingly good too! Service is often a little chaotic.

Nice pret with friendly staff but I, personally, try to avoid at peak times because it's full of kids and buggies. A trip hazard!

A bit crowded, masks were worn but little or no social distancing. Coffee and sandwiches were good however.

Big open pret. Plenty of room for the little one to run about! Food and drinks standard pretty, you know if you like it or not.

The one in St Alban's is very fine. Quick and efficient service, fresh and varied food and a coffee almost as good as nearby Barrissimo. Avoid the pandering yummy mummies and it's a good place for meetings.

Typical Pret, busy and noisy. Food is OK but a bit over priced in my opinion, coffee is fine. Nice location in St Albans

Great staff working very hard. Unfortunately they are not looking as happy as they used to. Maybe it is due to the manager whom I have seen being harsh on her team. Not a good style, especially when done in front of customers.

Pretty standard Pret, like you'd find on just about any street corner in any town, train station, or airport throughout the country. On the downside, nothing terribly outstanding or spectacular. On the upside, you know exactly what to expect before you ever walk in the door. As I said before: pretty standard Pret.

I am not sure if its Pret in general, or just this branch, but the drinks menu was confusing and not in any real order, it wasn't clear what was available with regards to alternatives to milk. Also, it was busy, all the tables were full, yet the middle of the room was empty space. I will stick to Costa.

I love the variety of delicious sandwiches and wraps. Very different from your usual standard selection as seen in other eateries. Very busy places to be expected but always managed to find a place to sit.

Very nice branch of pret, tidy and clean. Staff are very good, didn't have any issues myself. Food and coffee lovely as always.

Good quality food and drink with a relaxed and family friendly atmosphere. It gets very busy at peak times and especially at the weekends which can make finding a seat difficult. There is always a cue for the two toilets in the establishment which can be frustrating, with people waiting awkwardly in the little corridor outside them. One barista I have found to be particularly short with customers there on more than one occasion; he was rude when I asked about my order, as if I was being impatient when I simply didn't want to pick up someone else's order by mistake. But overall the staff are approachable and patient and maintain the cleanliness of the restaurant to a good standard. Like any Pret A Manger, watch out for the steep prices and be prepared to spend anywhere between £20-£30 on lunch for a family of three. But the quality of products is high so you won't be disappointed. My partner loves the coconut latte and she tells me the rest of their hot drinks are just as good. I'm not a coffee drinker myself, however there are plenty of alternatives available including specialty teas and a wide range of unusual soft drinks to help quench your thirst. As for food, there is a selection of fresh sandwiches, wraps and baguettes but hot food also including soups and baked goods. Salads are available also and of course desserts and pastries.

Really nice coffee shop, brand new ! Food amazing, what lets it down is coffee is not made the normal way via the machines done automatically this is a bit more like how costa do it via a manual approach which means wont be spot on 100% each and every time. None the less staff were also great minus one star for the coffee

Kamil Rahman-Blake

Many tables rock on unsteady foundations, but other than that it’s a great coffee shop. Deceptively spacious, coffee’s great too.

Disappointing. Place is gloomy and untidy. Pay extra to eat and drink in, no trays, paper cups: what am I paying extra for? Staff not that helpful

Pistachio and mandarin cake was on the stale side unfortunately. Lemon n ginger infusion nice and strong. Good music

Yeah, so you really don't stay open until 8pm. That's a lie. You're always shut tighter than a barge when I swing by anytime after 19:30...

One of the nicer peers, however expect to struggle to get a seat or have an argument with somebody about a seat. Also a bit icky and in need of a deep clean.

I would like you can make the opening hour longer in summer as I pass by 5:30pm every day and already closed. It is a pity!

Generally can't go wrong with Pret. I'm a big fan of the philosophy and the food. But some of drinks served on the last visit were really sub par; I'd expect better.

Look I like Pret but this branch is let down by the '''queuing' system for picking up coffee. On the day I visited it was close to ridiculous, people who ordered coffee after me got theirs first etc. Bins were overflowing with rubbish and the poor staff seemed overwhelmed.

Food is good but there's not much in the way of seating on a reasonably busy Saturday or Sunday. There is also only 2 toilets which is a bit frustrating if you need to go.

A shame that it feels pretty clostrophobic and quite noisy. The staff were unwilling to warm my chocolate croissant. And there's only one size latte

Good collection of food including salads and coffees. Huge sitting arrangement, nice atmosphere, great place to meet friends in the heart of the St Albans town centre near M&s Extra charge for eating in, staff are not friendly.

Great coffee and tasty sandwiches. At least last time I went there a few months ago - since then it is near impossible to get a seat at lunchtime; it seems company policy to encourage people to over-stay (comfy armchairs, free Wi-Fi) and hence they do. In my opinion it is rudeness for one zombie staring at their laptop and occupying a booth that can take 4 people. Come on Pret - change of policy please

Coffee is good but St Albans branch is to crowded with tables. So not as good experience as the Costa next door. That said the food is always great.

St Albans branch of this ubiquitous chain benefit from outdoor seating (more on market days) and a better than average interior. Good place to hang out and I slightly prefer it to the Costa Coffee next door.

Very busy, food was hot and nice, toilets a total mess, it was disgusting, sink was blocked, urine all over the place, and smelled terrible as well.

Adeel Ahmed

I love the variety of delicious sandwiches and wraps from The Pret. Location is great as it is in the high street but i don’t like their sitting area as chairs were not as comfortable as they used to be and they got too many in sitting area so hard to walk. Ordered breakfast but was not provided cutlery . Do t like their trays which look very unprofessional they should change them and provide proper trays.

Coffee has taken a distinct downturn. Watery and bitter. Always served from paper cups when drinking in

Not as good as it use to be, some of the baristas need more training. Haven't had a good coffee there in ages.

The place was cold, lacked atmosphere, serves 'drink in' in takeaway cups and is overpriced. The staff need to check out Costa next door...

Of all the places to eat in St Albans, why would people choose Pret? A clinical and soullese bun fight. I'm sure people have their reasons...which I imagine include buying a baguette to eat at your work desk.

Whilst their coffee is good and their sandwiches tasty the experience is not! If you are going to charge to eat in at least give the customer a plate. And having to ask a barista for a code to go to the loo is embarrassing - felt like a skool boy! If you are going to use a coded lock give customers receipts with the code on, otherwise take the lock off! Sandwiches are expensive for what they are!

Disappointed 😥 Love the atmosphere normally, though today it was just noisy and loud. People couldn't be bothered to tidy up after themselves which turned into a chaotic scene pretty quickly. It's a shame as normally it's a very good place for a catch up and/or a warm drink; with or without snack. 😉

As with all Pret stores, the food and drinks are delicious. Unfortunately the surroundings are less appealing. The seating area is overcrowded and the long bench down the right hand side of the room results in being more-or-less climbed over by people's children as they run about. The toilet requires a code which you have to ask the barista for as they do not give you receipts and the beeping as people enter the code is so loud it's enough to give anyone within 5m a headache. All-in-all it doesn't make for a very nice place to sit and each your lunch/drink your coffee.

Many lines not available with some items looking less than fresh ☹️ The fridge containg the drinks was broken, I reported this to one of the assistants who was excellent, immediately got us some ice, he reported the issue to his manager who sadly did nothing. I hope the warm fruit juices etc, do not cause anyone upset stomachs.

They have a collection area in the pret where its a free for all when it's busy. Anyone can take your drink or take one without paying. Had a an order and when they read out the three drinks that I ordered. I went up to collect them,but someone else thought it was theirs and took a mocha. I had to ask for one,after there weren't anymore coming. Received a 'mocha' but if they call a latte a mocha then I guess I recieved one.

It used to be good value for money, especially the food quality. Now it is overpriced and the food is not great. You better off going to M&S next door and buy your sandwich/salad.

JJ

I have been going into Pret regularly in St Albans since it opened a number of years ago. I went because I liked the "vibe" in the place. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. I visited last Saturday (27th April) and, as regularly happens now, there is this one female worker who bellows out the name of someone's drink at the top of her annoyingly, screeching voice. (I just don't know how her co-workers put up with this all day?). The place has become dirty and many tables need repaired (they are rickety). Most of all, have a quiet word in that employee's ear. People go into Pret for the experience as much as the food. At the prices Pret now charged for their food, the experience is poor. You need to do better Pret.

George Luputiu

Stopped for a coffee and a snack, quite chaotic at the till, no available places, and what I noticed is that several tables occupied by people with nothing on the table or with laptops... Not sure how profitable is for business to have someone buying a coffee and sitting there in front of laptop for hours... Tables where dirty, cups, plates and crumbs... I visited on 1 April 24 as we visited Veraluminium park and the cathedral, and this is my opinion and impression of this Pret a Manger branch... Personal I won't return and don't recommend as I had a bad experience...

Jude Robertson

Quality of food very low, staff could smile more, shop could be cleaner. If you are charging this much for your coffees at least make the experience pleasant. I probably wouldn’t bother much to leave a bad review if friendly staff. Not the type of vibes you need

Paul Cinnamon

One star for nice seating and facilities. One star for nice food and coffee. Lost three stars because I feel ripped off by the pricing - changes every time! Last visit a coffee and smoked salmon breakfast roll £7.50 and I protested without response, today £6.75 - used to be around £4 🤷‍♂️😣 Won’t by stop there again when a (better) coffee and cake in Nero’s is a £5 plus a loyalty scheme ✔️

Eddie Croasdell

Generally OK but not today. Asked for an Americano with two extra shots. Person behind the counter totally confused about what two extra shots meant. Argued with me that there was no such thing, was pretty impolite about it too. Eventually agreed to provide me with a drink containing an extra shot plus another extra shot. Bizarre and embarrassing. Photo of americano with extra shot plus extra shot included to illustrate the complexity of the order 😒

Paid good money for coffee watched the so called 'brista' make a very diluted 2 shots of coffee and then shared it with at least 3 drinks not on!?

Just bought cappuccino here and it wasn't drinkable, its way way too bitter.. can the manager try to taste the coffee and see for themselves? Maybe retrain the barrista?

As a family we love Pret a manger a lot. Sadly the one in St Albans leaves a lot to be desired. Old, tatty in need of refurbishment. For the past 2 years we have mentionned the need to replace a very stained material covered chair. On a number of occasions we have seen staff remove it, only for it to reappear time and time again. It is disgusting and if I was to have to sit on it I would have to put a plastic bag on it first !!!!It really shows up badly for St Albans when other Prets are airy, well maintained and a joy to take a break at

Most of the times they cant make you a Frappé. I dont know why is that.. never give you a reason. Maybe its more hardwork then just pouring a hot drink from a machine. Cancelling my subscription.

I only bought a sandwich worth £4.25 a couple of days ago when I visited St Albans. Only today I looked at the receipt, I discovered that I was charged for a latte too. It made me angry. Be aware!

no rate at all, unfriendly staff.. bloody music is on all day you cant really enjoy your coffee in a nice quiet place and talk !!! the rhythm of that f*** MUSIC who the hell goes to the coffee shop and wants to enjoy stupid tunes over and over again even makes you feel sick !!

St Albans branch - rude, unhelpful manager Karl. Please consider improving your soup recipes to cater for people with allergies such as garlic currently none in the range do!

HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE! Was waiting at the till to collect my toasted sandwich and forgotten to collect my drink and only realised passing in front of the collection point. I asked the head barista what the drink on the counter was to which she replied “Can’t you see?”. She then asked what I’ve ordered and said “take it then” pointing at the drink. Pret’s food is nice and everyone walking in already knows that, however, the difference from other chains is made by the customer service which failed terribly at this branch.

Wow so disappointing… went in for a porridge bowl and when I asked for the small sachet of honey that always comes with the porridge, I was rudely told by Alexandra (proposing as the manager) that Pret don’t give honey. I then queried her as for years I have recieved this, to which she then changed her answer saying they don’t have any because nobody has brought it downstairs. ?? What? How can you refuse a customer honey in their porridge because your staff hasn’t brought it downstairs? So I then asked if she would give me her name as I would like to raise a complaint. She at first refused and argued that I have no authority over her and she does not have to give me her name. I replied that surly if she felt she had acted accordingly then she should have no problem giving a customer her name. She still refused to give me her surname. All I wanted was a silly little sachet of honey! That apparently was upstairs in a box somewhere. FYI Starbucks has no problem giving you as many honey pots as you like, and berries, and seeds. Why did I go to Pret!! Pret A Manger literally means ‘ready to eat’… well my porridge wasn’t.

I have been visiting Pret in St Albans for over 10 years. The cafe has been refurbished and it feels less comfortable than the previous fit out. One of the most aggravating things is that the cool groove music has been replaced by some awful electronic cacophony. I don't know where the music was being streamed from but it was less than enjoyable. One main reason that I am likely to find another cafe is that Pret have installed a coded door to access the toilets. Not only is this unnecessary (Who are they keeping out? I am not sure that there are many non-customers visiting the loos but if it helps a few people .......) but the coded door has the most annoying beeping sound to that everyone at the back of the cafe knows that the right code has been input. The beeping is almost non-stop given that people regularly go to the loo. Also, mother's with babies juggle as they push the coded panel and tackle the door ..... The whole atmosphere in the cafe has gone from cool, comfy and chilled to hard chairs and electronic white noise. Also, as an aside, on one occasion I had to wait to be served whilst the manager had an extended and inappropriate whinge to her staff about the nature of the universe. The previous manager was fab. I think that she may have been having a bad hair week. I visited Pret a few times and Nero's down the road is a lot more relaxed ..... as well as the upstairs cafe at Waterstones ..... and Cafe Roma .... Costa Coffee next to Pret is a lost cause (across the country) unless you like cheap coffee, laminex and plastic chairs .... lift your game Pret you used to be a great cafe. Costa? You need a cafe personality overhaul ......

Went in today for a coffee and sandwich..I am 76 and have a back problem. there was a que of 6 people standing waiting for their coffee so I went into the empty part of the cafe I sat on my own 10 metres away from the que.first one rude individual told me I couldn't sit down..when I refused to stand up he got a 20 st bully to tell me if I didn't stand with the rest of the customers he would throw me out..wonderful customer service. I will never set foot in a Pret a manger ever again..disgraceful behaviour

R V

I asked if they could remake my Chai Latte as it was so sweet! The gentleman just rolled his eyes and the lady blamed me for not telling the lady at the front beforehand. I have never had such bad service. This is what you get when you franchise a business and don't get the right training/staff

iConic Vinyl

I’ve been a huge fan of Pret, until I went to St Albans. I bought a sandwich and a latte to have in. Sandwich lovely as usual. I got served my latte in a paper cup. I expressed that I was eating in and would like a proper cup. They then just dumped the coffee from the paper cup into the china cup, spilling it all over the sides of the cup and walked off. All the tables and chairs were all over the place, and some of the empty tables had not been wiped down. Very disappointed!

Carlo leonetti

I never had a disgusting matcha in my life, im thinking the powder is old or very low quality!I’m drinking matcha for years now and i had a brilliant idea to go to pret! Never again! I don’t know how people spend their money every day in places like this!

Kiran bhanu

Tooooooo much wait , and the staff is not telling how much you have to wait more. Today morning , just now I went to collect the order a girl on counter said me wait one minute? After that I waited 10 minutes then I asked her how much more wait, she said 5 to 10 minutes more . She is not giving the value to our time she should tell earlier how long it will take more time. After that I left without collecting order I would not recommend NEVER EVER TOO MUCH BAD BEHAVIOUR 👎

E Kalibala

For nearly £5 I’d have hoped for my wrap to not be missing a third hidden behind the label. The guy shouting orders out across the room every 20s seconds is an interesting touch.

Melanie Hughes

Really disappointing visit today Are you aware that they charge at least 25% more if you eat in ?!!!!! I was shocked that my lunch came to £12 !!! When i queried this was told its the eat in surcharge. I never been so lost for words. The macaroni cheese inflates in price from £5.67 to £7.09 Just because you're eating in on a dirty table that you have to remove the previous occupants leftovers and crumbs from, plus the luxury added bonus of a wooden fork to eat with. There's no waiter service and the food is not cooked fresh as you order. This is very poor given restaurants in St Albans offer set lunch menus for £8. I even took my crisps and cake back to work with me, despite having been charged extra to eat those in too. The macaroni cheese wasn't even enjoyable, I suspect sitting in the heated cabinet had made the pasta rubbery and the cheese was all congealed. I shall not be visiting again on this basis.

Jarule Ortega

I love their coffee usually but this time they gave me a coffee that was cold and wasn't a flat white anymore. I drink flat white for years and i know that this coffee was laying around for a few good minutes at least. Disgusting.