restaurants

Overview

Food/Drink Type:	Italian, Modern European, Takeaway
Facilities:	Disabled access, Disabled toilets, Highchairs
Venue Type:	Restaurant

Contact details

• Business Name:Kashu
• Address:9 Hatfield Road
• Town:St Albans
• County:Herts
• Postcode:AL1 3RR
• Telephone:01727 854436
• Email:Info@kashu.co.uk
• Web:www.kashu.co.uk
• Map: View Map

Recent reviews

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Delicious food, excellent service

I went to Kashu in a large group. Before I entered the restaurant it scored points for not being a chain. Kashu also did not disappoint in the two most important criteria - food and service. I haven't had such a delicious meal (chicken on crushed potatoes) for quite a while, and the rest of my group appeared to enjoy their meals too. Desserts, often something a restaurant feels it can drop its standards on for some reason, were also of high quality. Sadly I was driving so can't comment on the wine. Service was friendly yet seamless. We came out feeling well looked after. The only reason Kashu doesn't get five stars is that I wasn't too sure about the decor as it felt a bit 'stark'. However, this a matter of personal taste and the atmosphere was lively and good-natured. [Jul 11]

by hibercote

great food and service, and baby friendly too

My husband and I went with our 7 month old daughter one Thursday lunchtime and decided to splash out on the full menu rather than the express lunch. It was well worth the money. Three courses of excellent food with wine and coffee came in at just under £40 a head. The service was attentive and friendly without being intrusive and the atmosphere was relaxed. It was lovely to be able to have a really nice meal without worrying about disturbing others by having a small child with us. [May 11]

by S Smith

Great if you're seated in one of the booths

I've been to Kashu on a few occasions and I'm still left undecided on it. The decor inside the venue is welcoming and rich with lots of leather in the semi circular booths and wood elsewhere, The booths are comfy and provide a great dining experience for a group but the other tables can be more cramped and less enticing. On every occasion I've had a good meal at Kashu, the menu has a good amount of variety and the service is generally good. The only thing that lets Kashu down for me is that the owner can be over familiar at times. It's great that he is around and that he welcomes people into his restaurant but his manner has left me feeling that I'm being sold to on occasion. Also addressing me as young man, I'd love to still be in my 20's, but unfortunately I'm not, does not help. Overall If you sit in one of the booths and the owner isn't overly familiar you'll have a good meal in great surrounding and a thoroughly enjoyable evening. [May 11]

by Loki

A Relative Newcomer...

Kashu is a relative newcomer to the St. Albans food scene, but don't discount it for that! I've been several times, and prefer the lunch special--incredible value, incredible service and incredible food! The crab linguine is great... I'd say Kashu outshines Darcy's, and that's really saying something! [Jan 11]

by Karie

Breakfast was great

Recently went to a St Albans Chamber of Commerce breakfast in the marquee. Definitely the best of 2010. [Dec 10]

by MikeG

Very uneven experiences

On our first visit the owner was present and we had a good - if rather expensive - overall experience. Good service, good food. So we returned recently for a special occasion but the owner was not present and it was a disaster - a main course of scallops (not cheap) had 5 or 6 scallops, whereas my choice of lamb steak was cold, on a cold plate (and the reason/excuse from the manager was that and 'our meat is kept chilled'! Then two members of staff cleaned and sorted the cutlery (very noisily) actually in the restaurant. How client friendly is that? The 'owner present' standard was fine - but...! [Sep 10]

by Michael H

Disappointing

The food and prices do not really match the experience. The restaurant looks good and you get a welcome from the manager on arrival but that's about it. Two main issues - very average food and slow service. However also some little things such as paper napkins. No wine waiter to pour the first glass of wine. May sound picky but at £47 per head without desert (admittedly plenty of wine!) it makes a difference. Probably better for a couple but for a large group as we were it was disappointing. [May 10]

by Tozerplan

Expensive but worth a try

We had our first visit to Kashu on Friday night and I really liked the atmosphere and decor of the place. The service was excellent which means a lot to me, and our waitress was very helpful and the Manager also made a point of asking if we had a good time. The menu was rather strange in that there was so much on it. It seemed 50% Italian specialty restaurant and 50% modern European - I guess anyone could get what they wanted, but I just went away not knowing what their specialty was. I enjoyed the food but our bill was quite enormous and the wine though good was expensive for what it was. We had a good time but the overall bill would put me off going again except for a special occasion. [Jan 10]

by BWBW

My Favourite Restaurant in St Albans

I have lived in St Albans for 19 years now and have visited most, if not all the restaurants in our city! It is great to have a restaurant like Kashu on our door step when we have so many 'chains' and mediocre offerings. I love the building and the decor and the fresh contemporary feel the restaurant has. But a restaurant is nothing if the food and service do not match the decor? and it does here. I love the way the old favourites stay on the menu like my fave - penne arrabiate - but if you want something different then there is the seasonal specials menu. So my husband can have his steak and carpaccio and I can have what I like - he is married to a vegetarian, so he needs his 'fix' occasionally. True, it is not the cheapest restaurant in St Albans but I believe you get what you pay for! Plus a great wine list and cocktails! I have introduced a number of friends to Kashu and have always had a great evening there. I have just arranged a Christmas party there and prefer to support our local businesses. I think the whole team there are lovely and friendly and do their best to make you feel welcome and that your business is appreciated. I look forward to my next visit there. [Oct 09]

by chianti

A real disappointment

Good location and fantastic decor - loving the red leather seating. However shame the food isn't up to much. A massive menu (always a bad sign!) and all of it rather mediocre. Expensive too. Yes the owner/manager (?) is extremely effusive but this can't cover the passable but not much more quality of the dishes. Sorry Kashu but after 2 disappointing visits, we won't be back again. [Oct 09]

by vwh

Had a fab time

My boyfriend and I went to Kashu on a Friday evening. The service was exceptional, I also noted most customers were spoken to by the manager enquiring re-their evening and for us making an excellent wine selection which I think was a nice touch. I thought that the seasonal menu had an excellent selection providing for most tastes. My boyfriend's lamb was cooked to perfection. We will definately come back again, and recommend this restaurant to our friends. [Aug 09]

by Foodie28

disappointingly average

We were really looking forward to this restaurant opening and went as a 4 in the first couple of weeks. We thought the food was fine, but not noticeably better than somewhere much cheaper like Prezzo's. The service was hopeless, we were surprised that for a new place nobody seemed interested. And there is something about the acoustics that make it really loud so you have to raise your voice (and everyone else is doing the same, so it gets quite noisy). We go out a lot to eat in St Albans, but hadn't been back till some other friends really wanted to try it a few weeks ago.

The same experience I'm afraid, and even more off-hand service. For example, one friend asked if his dish shouldn't have cheese, and the waiter said no but he could have it extra if he really wanted it - we checked the menu ourselves at the end and it did say and 'with cheese'. Very difficult to get the bill or your coats, and nobody around to see us out. We just didn't feel we were made welcome like we feel at Freddies, or Marrakech, or Villadina, or even a chain like Prezzo's, and it was more expensive than any of those. We'll try it again if friends want to go, but probably won't go ourselves. [Apr 09]

by k&c

good for a group, not great for a couple

We have been to Kashu twice, with two different experiences. We loved the decor - a stylish, contemporary use of an interesting old building that had been underused for years. Our first visit was the two of us one evening soon after opening. Frosty welcome and shown to one of the tables for two along the long bank of seats. We could hardly squeeze between the tables to sit down - and we are pretty skinny. The place was packed and the proximity to our neighbouring diners meant that we could not really hold a conversation. The food was very good, but we left before dessert and coffee to go elsewhere. We felt if they had not crowded us in, we may have stayed longer and spent more money. Second time I went with friends and sat in a booth which was far nicer - great space. Food also very good again - and good value. So, good place to go if you can get a booth, but until they take out a few small tables to make more space, not a place for couples. [Mar 09]

by localgirl

Good food let down by poor service

Arriving at Kashu for a weekday lunch, we were the only diners - two more tables were filled by the time we left. The welcome was polite but not warm and there was no offer of a children's menu or a highchair for our toddler, although we spotted a stack of them while changing him on the floor in the disabled toilet just before we left (there are no baby changing facilities).

We fared better with the food. A shared starter of game terrine with gooseberry chutney and chargrilled bread was flavoursome, if a little dry. Our dishes from the reasonably priced main Italian menu were all good: light gnocchi in a well made spinach, gorgonzola and cream sauce; authentic spaghetti carbonara with pork belly, egg and cream; tasty pumpkin tortelloni in a sage butter sauce and a crispy-based pizza, which unfortunately arrived 5 minutes later than the other three main courses. Flavours were subtle and the seasoning restrained, but we adjusted our dishes to taste and enjoyed them.

It was the lack of atmosphere and poor service that really let Kashu down for us. After we paid, leaving a modest tip, we were abandoned by the waiter, collected our own coats and left without any acknowledgement or thanks for our visit. Although Kashu's website promises 'something for all the family', we did not feel that young children (or adults!) were particularly welcome and so are unlikely to return when there are so many other options for more relaxed family dining in St Albans. [Dec 08]

by south-sider

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