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Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 26th April 2026) with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Mermaid, St Albans Central, St. Albans
St. Albans
AL1 3RL
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Mermaid
A fine old-fashioned boozer, handily located between the city centre and the main line station but on a quieter road than the most direct route. Traditional interior with fairly basic furniture, bare boards and plenty of breweriana. Also has a couple of benches and a rear beer garden. Two banks of three handpumps, offering a solid selection of cask ales from smaller breweries (some local), plus an extensive selection of ciders. With a beer festival on, there were also stillages outside but this had been so successful that all those had sold out, so I went back indoors to get a 3 Brewers IPA (£5.00).
On 25th April 2026
- rating: 8
[User has posted 9119 recommendations about 9119 pubs]
Will Larter left this review about The Mermaid
I wanted to call in here again because the last time I was here a wasp tried to share my beer, and when I raised my glass to my mouth - it was my beer, after all - I received a sting. No such trauma this time, but the three beers on the bar were a little pedestrian, and while the beer festival line up in the garden was a little more interesting, the two beers I tried were unmemorable. I recommend the reviews below instead.
On 16th April 2026
- rating: 6
[User has posted 4733 recommendations about 4337 pubs]
paulof horsham left this review about The Mermaid
The bar curves around as you enter the pub. There's 3 pumps in front of you, a cider one on the corner, then 3 more round to the left. Oakham Citra is represented on both, so that leaves 5 ales as well as a limited craft keg selection and a couple of Czech-ish beers.
There's plenty of seating at various tables; pies are the main food offer. The music is set one level too high in my opinion, but it's all very pleasant and relaxing in here, with a good choice of beers, so I'm more than happy to recommend and consider a repeat visit on any return to St Albans.
On 22nd February 2026
- rating: 8
[User has posted 643 recommendations about 597 pubs]
Ian Mapp left this review about The Mermaid
Sought out to get the Good Beer Guide Tick. Well deserved entry - six unusual real ales and a collection of Belgian bottles.
Traditional blokey pub with keen dartsplayers and football fans.
Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2x7wj5w
On 16th February 2026
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1799 recommendations about 1768 pubs]
Graham Coombs left this review about The Mermaid
An excellent pub on the edge of town with nice wood-panelled rooms decorated with a host of breweriana. It had a good, comfortable atmosphere (aided by bagging the leather armchair!) and was one of those pubs you instinctively feel at home in. There were 6 good ales on handpump (plus ciders and Belgian brews) of which the Nethergate Umbel Magna was in perfect form. We didn't venture into the garden (described as "beertanical") but it hosts regular live music. Definitely worth a visit.
On 3rd August 2025
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3915 recommendations about 3848 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Mermaid
I wasn't originally planning to pay a visit to the Mermaid on this visit to St Albans. However, we started heading towards it with a trip to the Robin Hood. So, we thought we would continue onto the Mermaid.
As luck would have it, we stumbled across a beer festival. With 16 real ales in a tent from the garden and the usual number on the bar indoors, we had a good choice. I did enquire about ciders and the cheerful barman did apologise that ciders were not featuring in the festival. So, there was just the usual range of 13 ciders!
The pub is a good old-fashioned one-room boozer with bare boards and a great traditional atmosphere. I don't ever recall venturing out to the garden before, but there is plenty of further seating there in case the interior gets too busy. We were also informed that a burrito van was setting up in the car park. The burritos weren't quite ready when I tried to purchase some, but the nachos I had from the van were very tasty.
The full cask ale range on offer was Oakham Citra, Stardust WIP 007, Milestone North Rock, Nethergate Growler & Suffolk County, Aylesbury Brewhouse Electric Sharp, Exmoor Ram, Fuzzy Duck Cunning Stunt, Jacaranda Raven's Progress, Magpie Best & Days Like These, Okell's Spring Ram, Rooster's One Horse Town, Thornbridge Brother Rabbit & Cat's Eyes, Beartown Eclipse, Fat Cat Incredible Pale, Growling Dog Raspberry Milk Stout, Nene Valley Release The Chimps, Orkney Puffin & Salopian Jumping The Shark. If you hadn't guessed, this was an animal-themed festival!
Ciders on were Pearson's Medium Dry, Cotswold Cider Company Yellow Hammer & Voodoo Pulp, Rich's Farmhouse Cider & Legbender, Sandford Orchards Slack Ma Girdle & Fanny's Bramble, Snail's Bank Orchard Dry & Appley Dapply, Dorset Nectar Top o'The Hill, Gwynt y Ddraig Ancient Warrior, Lilley's Rhubarb Cider & Abrahall's Ruby Tuesday. Craft beers were Tiny Rebel Clwb Tropical & Mad Squirrel De La Nut.
Needless to say, we stopped here significantly longer than anticipated, enjoying the warm atmosphere where conversation thrives. I've always rated this pub as the best in St Albans. I see no reason to change that. Whilst I'll maintain my rating as a 9/10, this comes close to a very rare 10/10 from me and for me is one of the best 10/20 pubs in the country.
On 5th May 2024
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3459 recommendations about 3457 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
peter ashworth left this review about The Mermaid
Quite liked this one called in around 1 30pm and although very quiet the barman was chatty enough. As mentioned below there was 6 cask beers on show,one of which was a porter which was top notch.
On 29th June 2022
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2457 recommendations about 2408 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about The Mermaid
Called into this 2018 Good Beer Guide pub while on a coach trip in the area. Found it to be a comfortable pub with a good selection of real ales. There were also ciders and bottled Belgian beers available. We chose Atomic H Bomb which was fine. Very busy pub for a variety of events to keep locals happy in the pub with darts, quizzes and music nights, plus events in the garden and beer festivals. Also a cider and perry festival.
On 17th October 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about The Mermaid
The Mermaid is a very nice looking pub that is a short walk from the middle of St Albans.
Once inside the bar faces in an L shaped room that is bare boarded,there is bench seating and chairs and normal tables and chairs for seating.
There were five real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Dowbridge Acris,which went down well,the other real ales noted were Oakham Citra,Listers Limehouse Porter,Slaughterhouse Short & Curly and Green Duck Flake of the West.
The pub was fairly busy on my Saturday afternoon visit.
I thought this was a very pleasant and comfortable pub to have a drink in.
Pub visited 24/6/2017
On 30th September 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Mermaid
Very normal, very probably how you'd expect a pub to look, in a nice way. There is a brick pillar in the middle of the room and some stools at the bar.
Beer quality is ok
On 2nd August 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1598 recommendations about 1575 pubs]