Brad & Dills "The Park" has cemented itself as a cornerstone of Harpenden life. From outstanding coffee and legendary bagels by day to sourdough pizzas and cocktails by night, it nails the suburban dream with style—but it’s the wonderfully warm team that makes this cafe feel like home.
If you ask anyone in Harpenden where to grab a proper coffee without risking a lukewarm, froth-heavy disappointment, Brad & Dills (affectionately shortened to BAD) will inevitably top the list. What began in 2021 as a single, heroic mobile van rescuing sleep-deprived commuters has expanded at a pace that suggests founders Alex and Olly have tapped into something truly special. With five venues now under their belt, they’ve managed to scale up without losing the quirky, independent charm that made them local icons in the first place.
At its core, BAD nails the fundamentals with relentless consistency. The coffee—their own custom roast, is arguably the most reliable in the district. But it's the bagels that elevate the place from a standard pitstop to a local obsession. These are not the dry, tyre-like bread rings that usually pass for bagels in the supermarket. The menu features a rotating cast of specials, but the true crown jewel is the Pollo Picante. Stuffed with crispy fried chicken and fiery nduja, eating it is a messy, glorious, two-handed affair. (Pro tip: always customize it with a hash brown, because life is short and suburban dietary guilt is temporary).
The Park branch, positioned on the leafy edge of Rothamstead Park, is their flagship glass-and-steel temple. On a sunny Saturday morning, it is a spectacular spot, blessed with all-day sunshine and massive doors that fold back to let the outside in. By day, it serves as a battleground for toddlers brandishing pastries like biological weapons, flanked by an absolute zoo of local dogs—ranging from miniature sausage dogs in bespoke knitwear to massive, damp retrievers looking for dropped bagel crumbs. You’ll also meet a regular contingent of laptop nomads who look intensely focused on spreadsheets but are likely just ordering garden furniture.
When Saturday night rolls around, the vibe shifts gears. Out come the sourdough pizzas, cocktails, and a surprisingly dynamic selection of local English wines and bubbles. I am, by nature, deeply suspicious of the "coffee shop by day, bar by night" transformation—it usually ends up feeling like a dentist’s waiting room that has recently acquired a liquor license. Yet BAD pulls it off with genuine aplomb. The pizzas are excellent, and sitting on the terrace with a punchy cocktail as the sun dips below the Rothamstead canopy is about as close to Ibiza as the St Albans district gets. They’ve even introduced a Sunday roast menu. While the sleek, modern glass structure might not offer the cosy, wood-fired shelter of a 300-year-old tavern on a freezing January afternoon, the sheer quality of the food makes it well worth the trip.
Ultimately, though, a cafe is only as good as the people who run it, and the heartbeat of BAD belongs to the daily crew. While you’ll often spot Olly and Alex keeping a watchful eye on operations, it’s James, Sophia, Holly, Emily, and the rest of the team who make this feel like a community hub rather than a transaction. They remember your order, they ask about your day, and they bring an infectious warmth that can cut through even the greyest Tuesday morning.
For our family, they have literally watched us grow. They fueled my partner through her first pregnancy, culminating in a slightly surreal pitstop on the actual day of delivery. Ordering takeaway coffees and their legendary cornflake brownies (a non-negotiable purchase) while en-route to the labour ward is a memory we cherish—largely for the look of pure, unadulterated panic on James's face when he realized where we were heading. Sophia has known our little one since he was a newborn, charting his growth in bagel crumbs. It's this sort of connection that turns a business into a neighborhood anchor.
You might call us biased, and to be fair, you'd probably be right. But we are also unreasonably picky about our food and caffinations, and BAD has earned its place at the top of our list in spite of our cynicism. Whether you're a Harpenden local, or just passing through for the day, BAD is a must-visit stop any day of the week.
The Brad & Dills Cheat Sheet
- The Bagel Upgrade: Add a hash brown to the Pollo Picante. It turns a sandwich into an event.
- The Sweet Secret: Do not leave without a cornflake brownie. They are sweet, crunchy, and medically proven (by us) to be excellent labor-inducing fuel.
- The Parkside Sunset: Grab a Saturday evening table, order a pizza and an English sparkling wine, and watch the sun set over Rothamstead Park.
