The King William IV

Head down Sandridge Road and you'll find yourself in the kind of pub that actually feels like it belongs to St Albans rather than some corporate chain's idea of one. The King William IV does the fundamentals well—decent ales, a menu that doesn't try too hard, and the sort of atmosphere where locals actually prop up the bar on a Wednesday evening. It's the pub you'd take your mates to without overthinking it, where the food is reliably good and won't break the bank, and where you can actually have a conversation without shouting over manufactured ambience. Ember Inns runs a tight ship here, and it shows in how genuinely welcoming the place feels.