HOME OF AUTHENTIC ITALIAN FOOD

ONLY THE FINEST FOOD & GREAT SERVICE

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Indulge in only thee finest Italian cousine, where every dish is crafted with passion and served with smile. Join us for an unforgettable dining experience with great food and exceptional service.

Locally sourced ingredients

Extensive wine, beer & cocktail list

Old family recipes by Nonna Lina

Paninis

From classic Italian combinations to creative, mouth-watering specials, our paninis offer a delightful and satisfying culinary experience in every bite. Perfectly grilled and bursting with taste, they are the ideal choice for a quick lunch or a leisurely meal.

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Salads

Our salads feature a variety of crisp greens, seasonal vegetables, and exquisite dressings, offering a perfect blend of flavors and textures. Whether you prefer a light and refreshing option or a hearty and fulfilling meal, our salads are crafted to satisfy every palate.

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Desserts

Our dessert menu offers a delightful array of sweet indulgences, from rich and creamy tiramisu to delicate panna cotta. Each dessert is meticulously crafted to provide a perfect ending to your meal. Savor the sweetness and let each bite transport you to a world of culinary bliss.

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Wine, Beers & Cocktails

Explore our curated wine list showcasing the finest Italian varietals, from crisp Pinot Grigio to bold Barolo. Handcrafted cocktails, featuring Italian classics with a modern twist. Sip on refreshing Aperol Spritz or unwind with a velvety Negroni.

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CULINARY

DELIGHT

Passed down through generations, our recipe bring the heart of Italy to your table. Experience the warmth and comfort of home cooked meals, just like Nonna used to make.

We believe in quality. That’s why we source only the freshest ingredients, ensuring that every byte bursts with flavour. Our tomatoes are vine ripened, our herbs garden fresh, and our cheese perfectly aged.

SAN LORENZO AT OSPREY

The Cozy Oasis

Bring the family, bring your friends, and bring your appetite. At delight Italian food, every meal is a celebration of Itali’s finest flavours. Buon appetito.

San Lorenzo Bistro & Deli place picture

4.6

Based on 52 reviews
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Tessa Arthur profile picture
Tessa Arthur

17:51 01 Mar 26

My husband and I only just discovered this wonderful eatery days ago. Yesterday we went for a second time. The service is wonderful and the staff are very friendly and accommodating. My husband was happy with his wild boar ravioli but I couldn’t taste the crab in my crab ravioli, and I felt the sauce was a bit heavy for crab. Also, it would be nice if they charged more for the tiramisu and offered larger portions – a currently it’s a bit of a sample size. That said, we gave San Lorenzo a 5 overall as we very much enjoy the atmosphere and the service. And I love the superb calamari – best I’ve ever had! We’ll definitely be back.

Tessa Arthur profile picture
Tessa Arthur

17:51 01 Mar 26

My husband and I only just discovered this wonderful eatery days ago. Yesterday we went for a second time. The service is wonderful and the staff are very friendly and accommodating. My husband was happy with his wild boar ravioli but I couldn’t taste the crab in my crab ravioli, and I felt the sauce was a bit heavy for crab. Also, it would be nice if they charged more for the tiramisu and offered larger portions – a currently it’s a bit of a sample size. That said, we gave San Lorenzo a 5 overall as we very much enjoy the atmosphere and the service. And I love the superb calamari – best I’ve ever had! We’ll definitely be back.

Laura Graham profile picture
Laura Graham

12:10 15 Jan 26

lovely little place! delicious food and drinks and friendly staff.

Laura Graham profile picture
Laura Graham

12:10 15 Jan 26

lovely little place! delicious food and drinks and friendly staff.

Ruth Jones profile picture
Ruth Jones

13:19 28 Nov 25

Lovely home cooked Italian food, friendly, kind and helpful service. Went out of their way to accommodate our food needs as we were looking for a low carb lunch. The minestrone soup is the best I have ever had in a restaurant and great value too. A lovely relaxing tasty lunch, we’ll be back!

Ruth Jones profile picture
Ruth Jones

13:19 28 Nov 25

Lovely home cooked Italian food, friendly, kind and helpful service. Went out of their way to accommodate our food needs as we were looking for a low carb lunch. The minestrone soup is the best I have ever had in a restaurant and great value too. A lovely relaxing tasty lunch, we’ll be back!

Frana profile picture
Frana

22:27 21 Nov 25

Frana profile picture
Frana

22:27 21 Nov 25

Amy Amy profile picture
Amy Amy

16:04 16 Nov 25

An absolute gem! Food is delicious the service is wonderful. Gorgeous Italian shop and decor – what a find!

Amy Amy profile picture
Amy Amy

16:04 16 Nov 25

An absolute gem! Food is delicious the service is wonderful. Gorgeous Italian shop and decor – what a find!

Keith Saxton profile picture
Keith Saxton

10:52 10 Oct 25

Lovely quiet location, both inside and out. Good menu for brunch and lunch, food freshly prepared. Very friendly, helpful service and now a well stocked deli to enhance the offering. Super dog friendly, it’s our golden retriever’s favourite brunch venue! Highly recommended.

Keith Saxton profile picture
Keith Saxton

10:52 10 Oct 25

Lovely quiet location, both inside and out. Good menu for brunch and lunch, food freshly prepared. Very friendly, helpful service and now a well stocked deli to enhance the offering. Super dog friendly, it’s our golden retriever’s favourite brunch venue! Highly recommended.

Gianpaolo Surfaro profile picture
Gianpaolo Surfaro

19:22 08 Jul 25

One star because I cannot give less.

Unfortunately today we had a bad experience: this was the third chance we gave this place and we won’t go back.

We were two adults and a child, we ordered the following:
– 1 cappuccino
– 2 orange juices (as they had no apple juice, and not for the first time)
– 3 panini.

We ordered panini because it was my lunch break and I had only 1 hour.

We ordered a few minutes after noon, and by 12:50, we still had not received our order.

The kitchen is badly organised and they are very slow, but I cannot believe 3 panini would take under any circumstance almost an hour.

When I raised the fact to the waitress, she answered (and I quote): “this is Italian style”.

As an Italian born and bred I can absolutely say that that is NOT Italian style; maybe it’s some (rude) Italians style, but let’s not generalise. THIS IS NOT OK!

I then switched to speaking Italian and said that we would take the panini to take away as I needed to go back to work. They mumbled an excuse about the toaster being not heated.

At this point they put the panini in a bag and we had to leave. I finished my coffee and one of the orange juices, but the child did not drink theirs.

I went to pay and there wasn’t any apology, and they did not consider even for a second not making us pay for the child drink that they didn’t actually drink.

And then the bill, it amounted to £43.34, an absolute theft.

The panini, even after an hour, were cold and my wife’s “mortadella” looked nothing like mortadella and more like prosciutto. And not a very good one. And they did not give us any side (crisps or anything like that)

And they went straight to the bin after that.

Attached the pictures of these absolutely awful panini, that cost over 10 quid each! Unbelievable.

And to end, a treat worth of the health inspector: the waitress went to get the panini from the freezer or similar, came through the shop holding them in her hands, no gloves or anything and a pen carried underneath it. Beautiful. Apparently they have a food rating of 4, but DO THEY?

Gianpaolo Surfaro profile picture
Gianpaolo Surfaro

19:22 08 Jul 25

One star because I cannot give less.

Unfortunately today we had a bad experience: this was the third chance we gave this place and we won’t go back.

We were two adults and a child, we ordered the following:
– 1 cappuccino
– 2 orange juices (as they had no apple juice, and not for the first time)
– 3 panini.

We ordered panini because it was my lunch break and I had only 1 hour.

We ordered a few minutes after noon, and by 12:50, we still had not received our order.

The kitchen is badly organised and they are very slow, but I cannot believe 3 panini would take under any circumstance almost an hour.

When I raised the fact to the waitress, she answered (and I quote): “this is Italian style”.

As an Italian born and bred I can absolutely say that that is NOT Italian style; maybe it’s some (rude) Italians style, but let’s not generalise. THIS IS NOT OK!

I then switched to speaking Italian and said that we would take the panini to take away as I needed to go back to work. They mumbled an excuse about the toaster being not heated.

At this point they put the panini in a bag and we had to leave. I finished my coffee and one of the orange juices, but the child did not drink theirs.

I went to pay and there wasn’t any apology, and they did not consider even for a second not making us pay for the child drink that they didn’t actually drink.

And then the bill, it amounted to £43.34, an absolute theft.

The panini, even after an hour, were cold and my wife’s “mortadella” looked nothing like mortadella and more like prosciutto. And not a very good one. And they did not give us any side (crisps or anything like that)

And they went straight to the bin after that.

Attached the pictures of these absolutely awful panini, that cost over 10 quid each! Unbelievable.

And to end, a treat worth of the health inspector: the waitress went to get the panini from the freezer or similar, came through the shop holding them in her hands, no gloves or anything and a pen carried underneath it. Beautiful. Apparently they have a food rating of 4, but DO THEY?

Mark Welland profile picture
Mark Welland

09:09 25 May 25

A truly beautiful destination, with delicious food and a wonderfully warm and welcoming Italian family atmosphere. If you want to take some time out of your busy day to relax in this stunning rural location, I can’t think of anywhere better. We were made to feel so welcome and the food is incredible. We can for brunch (and then stayed for some lunch too). A wonderful, hidden gem and an incredible experience.

They’ve also got a deli opening soon which looks like it’s going to be amazing. This will be a regular trip for us.

Mark Welland profile picture
Mark Welland

09:09 25 May 25

A truly beautiful destination, with delicious food and a wonderfully warm and welcoming Italian family atmosphere. If you want to take some time out of your busy day to relax in this stunning rural location, I can’t think of anywhere better. We were made to feel so welcome and the food is incredible. We can for brunch (and then stayed for some lunch too). A wonderful, hidden gem and an incredible experience.

They’ve also got a deli opening soon which looks like it’s going to be amazing. This will be a regular trip for us.

Tony Balsamo profile picture
Tony Balsamo

12:18 05 May 25

The perfect place to visit for traditional Italian food, set in a beautiful old barn with both indoor & outdoor dining. They also have a deli opening soon!

Tony Balsamo profile picture
Tony Balsamo

12:18 05 May 25

The perfect place to visit for traditional Italian food, set in a beautiful old barn with both indoor & outdoor dining. They also have a deli opening soon!

Liz Scotford profile picture
Liz Scotford

20:31 12 Apr 25

Simply the most delicious food!
So fresh and the service is fantastic….looking forward to the deli and hopefully dinner in the evening in the future!

Liz Scotford profile picture
Liz Scotford

20:31 12 Apr 25

Simply the most delicious food!
So fresh and the service is fantastic….looking forward to the deli and hopefully dinner in the evening in the future!

C W profile picture
C W

12:39 20 Mar 25

What a wonderfully warm welcome by the lovely owner and all the staff. We were so lucky to have popped by on a beautiful sunny day so were able to sit and enjoy the courtyard, the staff couldn’t have done more to make us feel welcome, we didn’t want to leave. It is now a firm favourite and we will continue to enjoy not only the pretty countryside setting, but the warm welcome of Sandra and the staff made today’s visit very special. The new owners have brought something very special to this already unique spot. My new favourite place and can’t wait for our next visit. Thank you all for such a relaxed brunch and for meeting such wonderful owners. Wishing you continued success!

C W profile picture
C W

12:39 20 Mar 25

What a wonderfully warm welcome by the lovely owner and all the staff. We were so lucky to have popped by on a beautiful sunny day so were able to sit and enjoy the courtyard, the staff couldn’t have done more to make us feel welcome, we didn’t want to leave. It is now a firm favourite and we will continue to enjoy not only the pretty countryside setting, but the warm welcome of Sandra and the staff made today’s visit very special. The new owners have brought something very special to this already unique spot. My new favourite place and can’t wait for our next visit. Thank you all for such a relaxed brunch and for meeting such wonderful owners. Wishing you continued success!

Alessandra De Lucia profile picture
Alessandra De Lucia

19:55 12 Nov 24

Had a wonderful brunch with my girlfriends!
amazing fresh golden eggs on sliced avo , the crispy pancetta on top was delicious!
can’t wait to go back !
you must try this place out!
family run which in my opinion is the way forward!

Alessandra De Lucia profile picture
Alessandra De Lucia

19:55 12 Nov 24

Had a wonderful brunch with my girlfriends!
amazing fresh golden eggs on sliced avo , the crispy pancetta on top was delicious!
can’t wait to go back !
you must try this place out!
family run which in my opinion is the way forward!

lindsay whelan profile picture
lindsay whelan

14:25 12 Nov 24

lindsay whelan profile picture
lindsay whelan

14:25 12 Nov 24

victor smith profile picture
victor smith

13:55 12 Nov 24

One of the best bistro, A hidden gem. Wow,
Fresh and authentic Italian, Just what I wanted.

victor smith profile picture
victor smith

13:55 12 Nov 24

One of the best bistro, A hidden gem. Wow,
Fresh and authentic Italian, Just what I wanted.

Andy Slate profile picture
Andy Slate

17:00 30 Oct 24

I had lunch here recently and it was good. As someone who appreciates authentic Italian food, I can say this café delivered good flavors. The cozy rustic décor was welcoming. Our server made good recommendations and she checked in on us making sure everything was ok. I went with the homemade lasagna and my partner had wild boar ravoli which was equally delicious. A good place for anyone looking to have good Italian lunch in St. Albans.

Andy Slate profile picture
Andy Slate

17:00 30 Oct 24

I had lunch here recently and it was good. As someone who appreciates authentic Italian food, I can say this café delivered good flavors. The cozy rustic décor was welcoming. Our server made good recommendations and she checked in on us making sure everything was ok. I went with the homemade lasagna and my partner had wild boar ravoli which was equally delicious. A good place for anyone looking to have good Italian lunch in St. Albans.

Rory Naylor profile picture
Rory Naylor

15:16 11 Oct 24

We were looking in the area for well-priced good food and cannot recommend San Lorenzo enough. They kindly opened up the restaurant for us (we were a little late) and we had two of the best panninis I have had. Proper Italian ingredients served in a sun-filled courtyard. We will definitely be back to try their pasta and sample a bit more of their pastry selection. Go here if you’re in the area and want a great lunch!

Rory Naylor profile picture
Rory Naylor

15:16 11 Oct 24

We were looking in the area for well-priced good food and cannot recommend San Lorenzo enough. They kindly opened up the restaurant for us (we were a little late) and we had two of the best panninis I have had. Proper Italian ingredients served in a sun-filled courtyard. We will definitely be back to try their pasta and sample a bit more of their pastry selection. Go here if you’re in the area and want a great lunch!

katie karayannis profile picture
katie karayannis

14:30 04 Oct 24

Amazing afternoon at San lornenzo in the sunshine. I tried the ‘Sfogliatella’ pastry, and it was incredible. Have had the pasta before, which was also delicious! The staff are always so friendly and welcoming, and I can’t wait to come back.

katie karayannis profile picture
katie karayannis

14:30 04 Oct 24

Amazing afternoon at San lornenzo in the sunshine. I tried the ‘Sfogliatella’ pastry, and it was incredible. Have had the pasta before, which was also delicious! The staff are always so friendly and welcoming, and I can’t wait to come back.

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