Hitchin Restaurants: Spoilt for Choice

Hitchin benefits from a wealth of

restaurants, but which are the best? 

Here are five I think deserve a mention.

Doughty’s Brasserie on Bancroft

is a great place to eat with an atmosphere to match.  Their well thought-out menu has much variety and

champions local produce such as roasted local pheasant, and “21 day aged”

Bedfordshire farmed sirloin steak.  Since

opening in 2006, Doughty’s has built a reputation for great food and service

prompting customer reviews such as, “I can genuinely say the atmosphere and

delicious food more than lived up to expectation,” and, “the food is out of

this world and the service is fantastic.”

The Radcliffe Arms on Walsworth

Road reopened in June 2009 following a major refurbishment and extension, with

the aim of making their menu the star of the show.  Open from 8am every day, serving Breakfast,

Lunch and Dinner, it has become a great place to eat whatever the time.  Embracing the approaching winter months, The

Radcliffe Arms has just launched its new ‘Winter Warmer Deal’ of two main

courses and a bottle of wine for £30. 

Just 32 is a well established bistro

situated on Sun Street. This venue is a hit with couples wanting to share a

romantic evening, as well as theatre-goers looking for a pre-show meal.  Their understated service, attention to detail

and relaxing atmosphere make for an enjoyable evening whatever the

occasion.  Like many great eateries, Just

32 prides itself on its customers’ enjoyment and I am sure they would not feel

like they had failed with reviews such as, “wowed by the quality of the food,”

and, “could not recommend it more.” 

Also situated on Sun Street is La

Bella Vita, a family run hotel and restaurant offering the magic of Italy in

the centre of Hitchin. With quality of ingredients top priority, La Bella Vita

has built a reputation for delicious fresh fish and shellfish, sourced from Billingsgate

every morning.  The service here is

fantastic, with staff who will go out of their way to make your visit

enjoyable, combined with delicious food and the relaxing atmosphere all make for

a great meal out.

People who avoid chain restaurants

should give Prezzo in Hitchin a chance. 

Unlike some of its sister restaurants it is small scale and well laid

out.  The service is very pleasant with knowledgeable

and polite waiting staff.  The decor has

a great contemporary feel to it with the added extra of being able to see into

the flaming pizza oven in the centre of the restaurant.  Their menu has a fantastic range of

reasonably-priced Italian cuisine, with a good selection of wines to

match.  It is worth looking on their

website as they often have printable offers, making this a great place for families

who don’t want to spend a small fortune on dining out.

With so many places to choose

from, picking the best five was an enjoyable challenge.  For a restaurant to be a great place to eat,

it needs to have the basics spot on – great food, good service, a wonderful atmosphere

and a way of making the diner feel looked-after and special, but is that

all? 

What are your experiences of

eating out in Hitchin?  Is there a gem of

a restaurant I have missed off this list? Do you think having so many restaurants

in Hitchin has driven-up the quality?