The Fox at Willian

Finally came here for a Sunday roast after reading about this place for many years. Very good food and on the pricey side. Went for the lamb for my wife’s birthday, which is what she loves and it happens to be on their Sunday menu on their website. To my surprise when I got there the lamb was gone. Service was slow and disorganized. Ten plus minutes to get a menu. We asked someone who said “today they put me on glasses so I can’t give you the menu” - continued waiting. Once the food got to us everything was good. Asked for chips as an appetizer and it was delivered at the same time as the rest of the food. Asked for the desert menu twice and after 15 minutes when we finally got it, we were ready to leave. Overall a good experience but I was expecting a lot more given the prices.

I had the pleasure of staying at The Fox in Willian, and it was an experience I won’t forget anytime soon. From the moment I arrived, the charm of the place was evident – a perfect blend of countryside elegance and modern comfort. The hotel itself is beautifully maintained, with cozy yet stylish rooms that feel both luxurious and welcoming. Every detail, from the high-quality linens to the thoughtful amenities, was clearly designed with comfort in mind. But what truly sets The Fox apart is the restaurant. The food is simply outstanding – locally sourced, expertly prepared, and full of flavour. Whether you’re in the mood for a classic British dish or something a little more contemporary, the menu offers something for everyone. The staff were friendly, attentive, and genuinely passionate about what they do, which made the dining experience even more enjoyable. The setting in the village of Willian adds to the overall charm – peaceful, scenic, and the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle. I highly recommend The Fox to anyone looking for a relaxing stay with top-notch food and service. It’s a place you’ll want to return to – I know I will!

I visited here for an evening meal for a date. The service at the bar was fabulous, very attentive, helpful and friendly bar staff for pre-meal drinks. The dining team were also welcoming, friendly and helpful, the food was fabulously presented and the flavours were sublime. Can't fault the experience, thanks to all the teams for a great experience! Worth stating I don't know anyone who works there and this was my first visit, a genuine review from someone who genuinely had a great evening meal.

We have just returned from staying at The Fox in Willian this weekend visiting our son and daughter in law who have just purchased a house in hitchin. It was fabulous. The room was immaculate and cozy with an outdoor private patio. The girls who came to replenish and clean our room - Natalia and Rosie were the best and so friendly and willing to help. I have never stayed anywhere where the staff were outstanding from Kate who seems to run the place to the bar, restaurant, reception and waiting staff - exceptional and so friendly no miserable faces in this estabishment. The Food: Well the Sunday lunch was exceptional my pork best ever. Also family had beef and lamb again excellent. We ate there also on the Friday evening and had fish (haddock) really well cooked and presented. Great Chefs! There is a little grocery shop next door for provisions and again met the lovely Julie there a joy to chat to. Lovely village very relaxed and really great atmosphere in The Fox. Yes we will be back on a regular basis. Oh and I love dogs so this is doggy heaven!! loads of lovely walks for humans too.

We had an amazing meal, lamb cutlets and sea bream followed by chocolate mousse. The staff were fantastic especially our waiter, he’d only worked there for about 4 weeks, he was friendly, efficient and interested in his customers. We felt valued and as though we were ‘family’. All we can say is thank you, thank you, thank you!!

I absolutely loved my stay at Fox Hotel. It’s one of the best options in the area—clean, cozy, and with delicious food for both breakfast and dinner. I highly recommend trying the Egg Royale for breakfast and definitely having dinner at their restaurant. The hotel is perfect for a short stay (up to 3 nights), especially for solo travellers, for business travel, or couples without kids. It’s affordable, has a lovely view, and the staff are kind and welcoming. The only downside was the poor Wi-Fi connection, but everything else made up for it.

We used this pub as a rest stop on a country walk. The drinks were perfect as was the service. It's a great location and seems to always be busy, mostly with people eating, though I can't comment on the food. The drinks are reasonably priced; competitive with other pubs in the area.

Really lovely rooms and food. Staff were friendly and helpful. Some difficulty in communication before our booking, and as a big group we did have a long wait for food.

Great pub to drink and socialize - we had a blast there and made two new friends! The whole little village there (Willian) and the church next door, is quaint and beautiful. It fancies itself as a gastro-pub but like a couple of others that experienced on this trip we were somewhat disappointed with the food, the menu etc somewhat pretentious, they try too hard and end up with no stellar result to validate the term gastropub in my opinion. That said - I will be back for drinks on my next visit to the UK

The Fox is an up market restaurant/pub set in the beautiful village of Willian, near Hitchin. Their food is absolutely amazing, and the service is great to. This is my favourite place to eat! It's quite pricey, but very worth it for a special occasion. They specialise in fish dishes, but their non-fish dishes are fab too. The only down side to their menu is the fact that they tend to only have one vegetarian option, so I don't think it's the best place to eat at for vegetarians.

Just on the edge of Letchworth, Willian is a pretty little village. The Fox combines a pub and restaurant next to the village pond, specialising in seafood brought in fresh from Norfolk, and meat from the farm next door. This is a restaurant that takes full advantage of the freshest, seasonal ingredients, and the service is good too. I haven't tried their fish and chips yet, but they won the award for the best fish and chips in the country at the Great British Pub Food Awards 2010. I'll be trying it soon! As a bonus, in a little building at the back, you will find a farm shop, containing fresh fruit and vegetables, wine and an excellent fishmonger. I'm a regular visitor, picking up Cromer crab, sacks full of mussels, plaice, monkfish, mackerel, or whatever else came in fresh that morning.

This is a top class restaurant and gastro pub in the lovely little village of Willian. It's run by the same people who own the White Horse restaurant in North Norfolk which some people may know. It's a regular entrant in the 'Good Food Guide' and other restaurant review books and rightly so. The food is lovely, beautifully cooked and presented. The wine and beer list are extensive too. The atmosphere is congenial, not at all snooty and the staff are attentive and friendly. But cheap it is not - in fact it's quite pricey. I wish I had the cash to eat here more often but for me it's definitely a special occasion type of place I go to maybe twice a year. Maybe when I win the lottery I'll go more often ...

Love this pub!!! Every time I visit my sister we will always come here. The food and atmosphere is great, the pub is clean, the staff is amazing !!! Just love it .

Excellent country pub with a restaurant. Food is to a high standard and bar area is also great.

Amazing food and a great choice of drinks. So many wines by the glass. You can choose between the restaurant bit or the more laid back bar. They also do great one off events and the menu is always seasonal. A great place to reward yourself after a walk around the arboretum! Or just a walk from the car!

Lovely mealinteresting menu and the food was well prepared and quality high. The service was good, but a bit confused at the bar. We ate in the lovely garden, a good setting for lunch. Food was £20-25 per person for lunch, two courses.

Been there for lunch a couple of times, it is a lovely gastro pub, that serves wonderful food... im sure ill be back again!

In over twenty visits, we've encountered close to 100% consistent delivery of professionally cooked and presented food. Service has been variable, but has been OK to excellent, never poor. And we come for the food, mainly. The menu changes often enough to give an idea of the kitchen's range. It is, at times, staid, but this may sadly!! reflect clientele's taste. Quality of produce (meat, fish, vegetables) is pretty consistently first-rate. In the past year we've tasted excellent, and excellently cooked and presented, pork, venison, oysters, beef, and lamb here. It is probably worth noting that it is fairly unusual for a good restaurant, even a 'gastropub', to offer such generous portions. There are also, as a 'starter' rather interesting slices of bread. These are all well and good, but our only (extremely slight) complaint would stem from the (apparently recent) drive to use 'British' rapeseed oil where good old olive oil (or British butter!) would have done better.