Josh Searle – Head chef at Dylans Front of House Winner
What got you into cooking? My mum had a big influence on me growing up. She is a great home…
ABOUT
Dylans at The Kings Arms is a Top 100 Gastro Pub 2023 ( jumping 22 places in this year’s list to number 72) that is also featured in the Good Food Guide – housed in a beautiful 15th Tudor Century building on George Street in the Cathedral Quarter of St Albans.
For hundreds of years, it was a pub ‘The Old King’s Arms’ which sadly closed in the late 1990s. In more recent years it was a French restaurant and when the freehold became available in 2014, Dylans at The Kings Arms was created. A local pub and restaurant to rival some of the most exceptional pubs and restaurants in London.
Owner, Sean Hughes and his family run the pub closely with their team, not only to ensure that everyone enjoys their visit but as a key community asset and somewhere for neighbours and visitors to meet.
A neighbourhood gem, Dylans at The Kings Arms is loved locally for its award-winning food, service (winner of Best Front of House Team in the UK – Top50 Gastropubs) and extensive range of craft beer, specialist wines and spirits.
The kitchen is headed up by Josh Searle who has been with Dylans for 6 years and Head Chef for the past 2 years, developing his own style of cooking whilst staying true to the Dylans ethos of simplicity and quality.
Adapting the menu to make the most of the season’s best produce and with a focus on quality produce from small, local, and family suppliers, Josh cooks the kind of food we all love to eat. Specialities include Dairy Cow Rib and fresh Cornish fish cooked to perfection.
With a snacking menu available in the front bar room and an a la carte restaurant in the back, Dylans offers unpretentious but high-quality dining in a casual pub environment.
And who is Dylan? Well, Dylan was Sean’s dog, a naughty chocolate Labrador. Sadly, Dylan passed on in 2019 but his legend lives on!
NEWS
Read More →
We’ve climbed 22 places in Top 100 Gastro Pubs List!
For the second year running, we’re proud to announce that Dylans at The Kings Arms has been included in the Estrella Damm Top 100,…
We are Hiring
We’re on the look out for passionate and dynamic people to join our award-winning team. We are an independent company with…
OUR TEAM
JOSH SEARLE
HEAD CHEF
Happy 5-year Dylans anniversary to our brilliant head chef Josh Searle! There’s lots that goes on behind the scenes to create the flavours and textures that make our dishes taste the way they do and leading our kitchen team and our menu development is Josh. Josh has developed his talent in our kitchens after joining us in 2018, exploring his own culinary interests and passions whilst also remaining true to the Dylans ethos of simplicity. We’re so proud of his journey from sous chef to head chef and our recent achievements that he’s been instrumental to (Good Food Guide, Top 50 Gastro Pubs) and look forward to the years ahead!
LEXI
FRONT OF HOUSE MANAGER
Lexi’s favourite cocktail is an Espresso Martini (made with decaf coffee - because its key ingredient keeps her awake, but it doesn't wake her up!) Our wonderful and naturally energetic front of house manager has been with us for over 7 years now and ensures that customers have a great experience from moment they walk through the door. A true people person, she loves being part of the community and spending time at the heart of it. Over the years, customers have become friends and colleagues have become family. Hospitable, professional (and exceptionally stylish), we couldn’t be without her!
G
TAPS
Happiest behind the bar - particularly one end of it - chatting to our regulars, G used to work at @madsquirrelstalbans before joining the team at Dylans two and a half years ago. Now in charge of taps and our all important craft beer offering, G is studying the lists to get the freshest beers on to our wall. G is a Gin specialist too, which is lucky as we have over 30 Gins on the bar. Her favourite serve is the Spanish Nordés with a light tonic and a slice of lemon (a true classic). What else can we, say aside from we absolutely love having G as a part of our team.
LATEST ON INSTAGRAM
It’s Sunday Roast season!
If you think we do a great one here at Dylans at The Kings Arms, please give us your vote in The Good Food Guide’s Best Sunday Roast competition. It takes just a couple of minutes and you will be entered into a prize draw to win a restaurant voucher worth £250.
Still haven’t tried one of our legendary roasts? Bookings for Sundays are open three months in advance and tables go fast, so be sure to book ahead.
To vote and to book see link in bio
@goodfoodguideuk #bestroast #stalbansroast #sundayroast
Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Soup, Poached Egg, Garlic Croutons. Early Autumn vibes on the September Mid-Week Lunch Menu 🍂
Two courses for £25 Three courses for £29
#midweekmenu #autumnfood #soup #stalbans
Pub in the Park is in full swing! If you’ve got tickets, make sure you stop by our stand and see what’s on the menu.
Together with @bootcantina we’re serving a delicious menu of British Pub Classic Inspired Tacos this weekend 🌮
#pubinthepark #pitp #enjoystalbans #tacos
Grilled Mackerel Escabeche is back on our Mid-Week Lunch menu.
Head Chef Josh creates this version by pickling the vegetables in a mixture of vinegar, sugar, spices, and herbs to cut through the richness of the fresh mackerel, which we get direct from our supplier Kernow Fish in Cornwall.
The perfect starter to enjoy as part of your two or three-course lunch.
Two courses £25
Three courses £29
#midweeklunch #enjoystalbans #top50gastropubs
Bookings for December go live tomorrow (Thursday) at 9am!
We’ll be offering a delicious three-course, set-price seasonal menu created by our head chef @joshhsearle throughout the whole month.
Priced at £56 pp for a choice of three courses, our menu is ideal for large or small groups and will be available during lunch and dinner service.
Time to start planning your get-togethers.
Set a reminder and book tomorrow via the link in bio or through the website.
Our Mid-Week Lunch Menu for September launches this week.
Enjoy dishes such as
* Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Soup, Poached Egg, Garlic Croutons
* Roast Duck Leg, Creamed Corn, Rose Harissa, Shallot Salad
* Steamed Mussels, Garlic Butter, Shoestring Fries
Available throughout the month, there are three choices per course, so you can come back and try them all.
Two courses - £25 Three courses - £29
Walk-ins welcome, booking advisable.
This menu sits alongside our a la carte menu in the restaurant and our snacking menu in the bar.
#top50gastropubs #midweeklunch #septembermenu #enjoystalbans
We’ll be opening up December bookings this week!
As ever, we’ll be offering a delicious three-course set-price seasonal menu created by our head chef @joshhsearle throughout the whole of December
A special December Snacking Menu will also be available in the bar for walk-ins only.
Reservations fill up quickly, but newsletter subscribers will get early access, so to get a head start, make sure you are signed up to our mailing list via the link in our bio.
#decembermenu #stalbans #christmasbookings
August bank holiday Champagne & Seafood Festival was a huge success - thank you to all who made it down!
To gain early booking access to all of our future events and supper clubs please sign up to our newsletter, link in bio
🥂🦪🦐
#top50gastropubs
Excited about our new range of outstanding natural wines.
‘L’Equinox - Keep it Loose’ is an approachable Orange wine from the Swartland region of South Africa, clean and soft with a beautiful texture there’s more to this bottle than a funky label.
#naturalwines
#stalbans
Isle of Wight tomato salad.
Chargrilled Broccoli, English Pecorino Sauce, Beef Fat Crumb.
Ratte Potato, Red Miso, Lime Butter.
Sides matter…
#gastropub #alacarte #stalbans #top50gastropubs