Hitchin - eating places around the station

[Leedsvisitor]

Hello. Making a quick visit to Hitchin tomorrow going by train from Edinburgh (long journey).
It's for a specific purpose and time is tight so need to find somewhere very near Hitchin station to have a (preferably hot) meal.
Any suggestions?

How tight? Sadly the station isn't near the town centre. There's a Mcdonalds right next to it, then a few pubs within 10 mins walk. How long do you have?

Radcliffe Arms - pub about 5/10 mins walk from the station.

Otherwise Macdonalds.

Actual town centre is quite a walk from the station, particularly if you're pushed for time.

Another local, I always find it interesting working out who lives where There are two pubs down Cambridge Road way towards Letchworth but I think they might be further away?

very tight. get in at at 1.05pm on Monday for a 2pm appointment (about 6 min walk from station) which might last about 1.5 hours then leave on 4.19 train.
Am with 10 yo dd and although we will be armed with bagels, snacks etc, it would be nice for her to have something warm (jacket potato, pasta) since we don't get home until close to 10pm

how long would it take to get into town by cab? would only consider this if I was going to a specific place to eat rather than go and have to wander around.

Where's the appt? Can you give a rough address? I think there are some cafe-type places on the way from town to the station that might do, if you let us know which way you'll be heading. You can get a taxi which would only take a few minutes. If the appt is near the town centre then it might be ok to get some hot food after the appt and get a cab to the station.

Benslow lane

OK. Well, Hitchin isn't that big and you could walk into town within 10 minutes for somewhere like Pizza Express, which is at the top of Sun Street and Market Place if you have a bit more time.

If you have slightly less time, you can walk from Benslow Lane to Hermitage Road which has a pretty standard cafe called the Hitchin Cafe, the kind of place you could get a jacket potato etc and be done within half an hour.

Even less time and apparently there is somewhere on the Walsworth Road between Benslow Lane and the station called Hitchin Kitchen, I've walked past it I think and it is a very small cafe but I imagine it would do hot food. The Radcliffe Arms doesn't seem to do food at about 3-4pm.

It's 10 minutes at most to walk from Benslow Lane to Hermitage Road, and maybe 20 minutes back? You might be able to get a taxi but as Hitchin is small the taxis tend to be in ranks it would take you just as long to walk to and then cab to the station as it would to walk to the station.

If you do feel close for time i.e. appt finishes at 3.30, I'd say it is safest all around to walk back to the station and go to the McDonalds opposite (it's sort of tucked around the corner so you might need to ask someone, but it'll be on Google Maps) - it's not tempting but is probably the safest for time.

Ok, sounds like we'll manage it. As long as we can get something warm at some point before or after the appointment.