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CLOSED: Woody's
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6
Closed
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Vegetarian
Organic vegetarian restaurant. Pleasant space with pine tables and views of the canal. Live music some evenings. Directions: By train, Apsley BT station is just across the road. By car Apsley is on the A4251 either from the magic roundabout in Hemel town centre or on the A4251 from M25, junc. 20. Reported closed, Jan 2019.
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19 Dickinson Quay, Apsley Marina (at Dickinson's Wharf by Grand Union Canal), Hemel Hempstead, England, HP3 9NQ
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- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 07 Jan 2019 by Chris Haynes
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Added by JohnnySensible on 23 May 2008
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14 Reviews
First Review by Jo Kay
Sassyvegan
Points +1674
Lovely interior, average food - Edit
The pancake was quite tasty and I would recommend it. The pizza was alright, but the vegan cheese they use is not very tasty and very sticky, which was disappointing. It's a lovely place though, with a beautiful wooden interior and lots of plants.
Read moreGuest
Connor.S
Points +60
Not great - Edit
Such a shame as I love trying new vegan restaurants. Staff were'nt as helpful as they could have been. The food tasted good though, when it eventually arrived.
Read morePros: Food was nice
Cons: Unhelpful staff
Guest
brucie
Points +29
Strange ideas - Edit
Advertised vegan dishes came with eggy coleslaw etc. When challenged we were told all the dishes had those accompaniments and we had to announce our vegan-ness when ordering. They advertise table service outside but had to go inside to get attention. Bad experience.
Read morePros: They write Vegan against some dishes
Cons: Not vegan when the dishes arrive, Argumentative staff
Guest
LauraSilverstone
Points +94
lovely food - Edit
Quite a basic menu of crepes and pizza with a few specials. The portions were big but for the price would expect it. Vegan cheese would be a good addition to their choices. The freshly made vegan garlic bread was great. The staff were quite unsmiley and got the orders wrong a few times. Nice to have a vegetarian restaurant locally though.
Read morePros: good quality tasty food. location and decor
Cons: price. customer service could be better
Guest
MariaJade
Points +128
Disappointing - Edit
As a vegan, this was the most depressing experience I've had at a vegetarian restaurant. The menu didn't label anything vegan (although the waiter said they were planning on printing a new one) but even so it was dull. The menu consisted of crepes, pizza, soup and a curry on the specials board, of which butter and ice cream could be vegan but there was no vegan cheese at all. Everything seemed covered with eggs or cheese which, as a vegetarian restaurant, was disappointing as you'd expect them to be more inventive with flavour. Even charged extra for the eggs to be substituted with tofu. The experience got off to a bad start anyway as we were ignored by the waiter whilst trying to get seated for a good 10 minutes. Never been so disappointed with a meat free establishment, I certainly won't be going again.
Read morePros: Completely meat free, Nice atmosphere, Many organic and gluten free options
Cons: Terrible for vegans, Uninspiring menu, Disinterested staff
Guest
roguesby
Points +236
Very Disappointing - Edit
We were very excited to try out Woody's, as our local vegetarian cafe. The menu was disappointing, as it only listed one 'vegan optional' item. Upon asking, we found out some more things were vegan and ordered several things to take away. However, it was very clear that they do not want to make their products more vegan and animal-friendly, including non-vegan garlic bread (could just be subbed for vegan margarine rather than butter easily), putting PLAIN tofu instead of cheese on vegan pizza?, and just one of the many cakes was vegan. The servers were not very friendly when we were asking questions and seemed more annoyed that we were vegan rather than trying to answer our questions (even though we were very friendly ourselves!)
Read moreWe confirmed everything would be vegan while ordering. When we got home, we first noticed our large (and rather expensive) salad was very small and very plain. The burger was nice, but to our horror came with a HUGE serving of coleslaw. When we called the cafe, they half-laughed about it and said 'well everything else is vegan!' We were so horrified that a vegetarian cafe which should take the needs of clientèle seriously did not care at all that we, as vegans, were stuck with a whopping serving of dairy-filled coleslaw. Needless to say, we were all shocked and won't be going back to Woody's any time soon!
VEGANS, STAY AWAY!!
Pros: burger was good (but not vegan!!), Nice outdoor seating, one vegan cake
Cons: Very few vegan items, Non-vegan food in our vegan food!!!, Rude staff
Guest
1996corsa
Points +22
A main Is ok as a snack, - Edit
Food is ok not the best vegen food I've had, but hears the problem the size of the meals are very small! U know the sort it looks good but u just need more! On my last visit i was charged £1.50 for 30g of rice. Once i ordered two mains and a desert and still left hungry! I don't mind paying the high prices but u must be full after.
Read morePros: Nice Staff, Location
Cons: Expensive , Very small Meals
Guest
JaredinIsrael
Points +1378
Attractive location, but left unsatisfied - Edit
We are a vegan family of 5, visiting the UK from Israel, and were thrilled when HappyCow directed us to this establishment in an absolutely adorable setting on the canal. The restaurant is extremely attractive, and the waitstaff were very friendly, even offering to seat us despite all the tables being reserved later in the evening. There were a few vegan options among the mainly vegetarian dishes, and we ordered a selection to share with the kids, including the soup of the day, the nut burger, and various crepes. Boy were we disappointed when the food arrived! The soup tasted as if the chef had accidentally spilled the black pepper in it - it was impossible to discern any other flavor and my mouth was on fire. The crepes were dry, tasteless, and only lightly filled with vegetables, despite the fact that we ordered all three vegetable options for each one. Thankfully, the burgers were really tasty, but unbelievably tiny for £9 each. We decided to skip dessert, and probably won't be back again. To be fair, this restaurant has tremendous potential - its heart is clearly in the right place - and we do hope they improve in the future.
Read morePros: Attractive location, Friendly waitstaff, Healthy ingredients
Cons: Not enough vegan options, Small overpriced portions, Not very tasty
Guest
dropscone
Points +158
Pleasant place - Edit
My parents live nearby, so I visit this place fairly often.
Read moreWe normally go for coffee and cake or a light lunch in the daytime, but last visit we went for an evening meal instead. They don't have a separate evening menu but it seems they may add extra or different options to the several 'specials' chalk boards on the wall. I chose one of these, a vegan (and gluten free, though I'm not bothered by gluten) stuffed pancake and salad. The pancake filling was tofu and vegetables in a coconutty Thai-inspired sauce, very mild, but quite fresh tasting and good. The side salads included some tasty red cabbage with a caraway-flavoured dressing, which went reasonably well with the pancake although they're not a classic flavour pairing! My parents shared a vegetarian pizza and large salad. I think they usually get a small salad, and didn't seem to think there was much difference between the sizes so it might be worth starting with a small salad and then ordering another if you feel it isn't big enough.
Woody's always have at least one vegan cake in the display cabinet, which is banana and chocolate. It's good, but I'm not a massive fan of bananas in baked goods, so I'd rather they made a plain chocolate cake once in a while. Last visit I also saw a gluten-free vegan dessert (I think it may have been refined-sugar-free too).
They usually have a good range of interesting drinks, including organic vegan alcohol (stout, cider etc.), and I had a very nice apple and rhubarb drink.
Pros: widest range of vegan options in Herts, Pleasant location, Use local/seasonal ingredients sometimes
Cons: Need more vegan desserts!, Chairs not that comfortable, Some tables a bit cramped
Guest
EP
Points +69
Great dinner experience ! - Edit
Can't recommend this gem of a restaurant enough, its lovely location, friendly service and of course, delightful food.
Read moreFound it the last night of my visit...sorry it was not sooner.
All success to them,
Ethan
Pros: Excellent food, lovely service, nice magazines
Guest
Frankie85
Points +665
It was ok! - Edit
My friend, my partner and I took a late lunch at Woodys recently. My non-vegan friend had a lasgne with garlic bread, my partner had a vegan pizza and I had a vegan savoury crepe with salad.
Read moreThe staff were very helpful, understanding and resourceful. There are however two negative things I'd like to highlight.
1) There were not enough vegan options. It seemed that our options were quite limited, however they did have vegan cake which is always a bonus.
2) They didn't seem to know what to flavour things with if there wasn't cheese in it. Whilst my food was ok, it was quite bland due to lack of flavourings.
I would recommend the place and will return in the future, although I might order something different.
Pros: Vegan cake and ice cream, Reasonable, Good staff
Cons: Not enough vegan options, Food needs to have more flavour
Guest
sullivans
Points +41
Great Vegetarian Restaurant - Edit
I have eaten at Woodies many times. I have always enjoyed it. It's not a chain so don't expect the standardisation of an Ask or a Wagammas standardised experienced - but then that occasional quirkiness is one of the things that makes it special.
Read morePros: Great food, Positive, Good pricing
Cons: Cant think of any
Guest
Artikai
Points +32
Lovely Jubly - Edit
I live near to Woodys and have been there many many times. I love the vibe. The staff are so relaxed, perhaps a little to relaxed a times, but it doesn't really matter. The food is always lovely and they are happy to alter most receipies to vegan if they can. The local cat visiting is always a delight to see by the big windows overlooking the canal.
Read moreOne thing that I see as both good and bad is the chance of getting what you ordered. Whenever I go with a friend or family memeber there is alwyas a lottery between us to see who get something differing to their order. It never matters though as the food is always great.
Definately visit this place if you get the chance.
Pros: Tasty food, House cat, Vegan Friendly
Cons: lax staff at times
Guest
Jo Kay
Points +297
Delicious - Edit
I have been to Woody's many times and the food has always been delicious. The staff are lovely and they always have a good selection of cakes, the chocolate one is especially yummy. Virtually everything on the menu can be veganised. Pizzas are yum, good selection. A plate of salad is scrummy, different flavours and textures, but my sister had the mozzerella salad a while back and it was surprisingly small. They had a good selection of ice creams, really interesting flavours like lavender and chamomile, but they weren't vegan. There are a variety of crepes, both savoury and sweet, including wheat-free and herby.
Read moreI love it there, it's relaxed, friendly, delicious. You can pop in for coffee and cake, pick up an ice cream as you walk along the canal, or go and enjoy the yummy grub.
It's a 3 minute walk from Apsley station, and is right next to a marina and a canal, so lovely to sit outside on a sunny day. Very reasonable prices too.
Pros: Delicious food, Inexpensive, Relaxing atmosphere
Cons: Not many vegan cakes, No vegan ice cream
Guest
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