Vincenzo Ferrara dines at Thompson restaurant in St Albans, Hertfordshire. The perfect venue outside of London for your corporate meeting and a relaxed evening.
St Albans is a historic small city that is a hub of business activity. Direct on a train from London, itโs the perfect area to arrange a meeting with those outside of London.
Where do you choose to host your meeting though? After searching the city venues, we decided that one of our favourites wasย ย Thompson, a restaurant situated in the city centreย along a main road, yet once entered transforms your surroundings into a quiet haven for good food and relaxed meeting spaces.
The restaurant hosts a very well stocked bar, complete with an extensive wine list. The bar is the perfect space when waiting for guests to arrive. It sits to the left-hand side of the main doors and is worth several minutes of your time. It can give you a moment of escape before an event starts.
As a guest, the restaurant has multiple rooms you can use depending on the type of event you are trying to host. The main dining room situated to the right of the main doors, is a spacious and relaxing dining experience, almost as if you were dining at a spa, you can get a table for up to six people. Perfect for those informal lunch meetings. With few distractions and very little street noise. The perfect place to impress someone one to one.
As you walk into the restaurant, youโll notice a beam of light straight down from the entrance hallway, this is the beautifully placed Conservatory. As you can expect, this room boasts lots of natural light, especially if you are planning to use the area during the summer. You donโt have to worry about your guests getting too hot, the restaurant is well equipped with air-conditioning and good natural airflow. The conservatory room can hold 28 guests comfortably, we found the sunset from this room really impressive whilst discussing matters of business.
The upstairs area of the restaurant, a large space that can hold 54 guests, is perfect for bigger events. The aesthetic of the room is still in keeping with the rest of the building but feels a little more business formal. This area of the restaurant is shut off from everyone else, as itโs upstairs and would be the perfect place for a staff Christmas party or event.
What about the food I hear you ask? Well, for corporate meetings and events, you have a choice of several menus. All of which boast sophisticated style and taste delicious. The menu is updated regularly and has a good choice of variation.
Exclusive Business Lunch โ We understand the subtleties and etiquette required in hosting a business lunch where you are looking to build a relationship or close a strategic piece of business with a client or thank a member of staff for their work and contribution.ย We will do our best to accommodate any special requirements you may have & ask that these are advised at the point of booking.
Express Lunch โ please advise at point of booking or on arrival and we will guarantee to have you in and out within 45 minutes for a 2-course lunch or dinner.
If you are in the market for a spot outside of London that will serve brilliant and creative food, host your event for small or large groups and you want to impress your client. Then Thompson in St Albans, may be just the place for you.
Find out more about what Thompson can offer your company by visiting their website.
What we ate:
We decided to have the 3 course set-menu.
– Sundried tomato, cheese foam (amuse bouche)
– Large glass of wine
– Seared Yellowfin Tuna (starter)
– Slow Roast Fillet of Dingley Dell Pork (main)
– Duck Fat Roast Potatoes (Side)
– Spiced fruit in a natural yogurt (palate cleanser)
– Bitter Lemon Tart (dessert) with a glass of Port.
(ยฃ40 per head)
Good forโฆ
– Private lunches
– Corporate parties
– Intimate Dinners
– Wine lovers
