Anchor & Hope

I must disagree with the poor ratings given to this wonderfully eccentric and elegant pub. I have dined here many times and have allways managed to get a table, sometimes with a wait but never over half an hour. Anyway who minds waiting when you are sipping an ice chilled campari and blood orange cocktail in good company.

I have never experienced the condecending service other reviewers speak of either and I am a prime candidate for snooty service (a young looking 25 year old woman who is scruffier than a street urchin).

On to the food, faultless in almost every way, crab toast and foie gras with prunes as starters and a pie bigger than me with it seemed every wild animal Briton has to offer inside it.

A winner for me every time but please let me know why this isn't the case for all?
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Alice
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Tried to get a table for the second time in six months. Arrived at 6pm on a Monday evening, restaurant empty. Sneered at when asking if I could have a table. Directed to the bar. Sneered at again ("David will deal with you"). Waited 5 mins. Asked if I could speak to David. Ignored. Waited another 5 mins, asked again, sneered at again. Gave up.

Ate at the Young Vic next door instead. Food there is nothing special, but at least they deign to bring you some dinner, rather than talking to their customers as if they're some kind of annoyance. I have rarely encountered such rudeness, after 30-something years in London...
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niblet239 - View all reviews by this user
0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Thursday, March 04, 2010

The food here may well be great - it certainly is at 32 Great Queen Street, the sister restaurant in Covent Garden, at which I eat all the time - but I couldn't tell you anything about it. And it's not as if I haven't tried. Three times have I been here, full of wallet, empty of belly. Three times have I left unfed.

It's not the wait for a table. I know they don't take bookings. It's not the shabby surroundings - it's the same stuff as 32 Great Queen Street. But the staff are the rudest, most unhelpful bunch of [insert post watershed noun] I have ever had the misfortune of encountering.

With apologies to Billy Bragg, I have had relations with restaurants of many nations, made passes for menus of all classes but this place really stands out for the galactic levels of condescension on display from, let us not forget, people who wait tables.

If you're a masochist, go. You'll have a great time. Otherwise, avoid it like the plague.
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Jolyon - View all reviews by this user
0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Thursday, March 04, 2010

I've had reasonable experience of the sister pub in Covent Garden so went here with some expectation. The first problem here is that this version doesn't know whether it's a pub or a restaurant. If it's a pub then the no-booking policy makes sense. But the rule that you can't just come and sit at a table (like you would in, say, a pub) doesn't. That's more like a restaurant.

So you have to put your name down on the wait list and they won't even start finding you one until all your guests arrive. When they do you are then told how long before a table -- for two in my case -- will be available. What they don't tell you is that this may well be sharing -- on a corner of a table with four strangers in our case. There also seems to be one rule for strangers and regulars as far as the haughty maitre d' is concerned. When we pointed to an empty table for two we were told that was "reserved" for people higher up the list and that we should have said we wanted a table like that. So where were the people higher up the list? We decided (maybe wrongly) to occupy the other table (it's a pub isn't it?) and then a surly waiter hustled over and told us in no uncertain terms that where to go! Upset, we grabbed out coats and left. I can't tell you what the food was like but I doubt it was amazing if its sister establishment is any guide.

This kind of treatment would be almost acceptable if this was one of those fabled establishments where the food is so divine that people will put up with rude staff and willingly sit in the toilets just to taste. But it isn't. It's a pub. And the people that run it should perhaps get their heads out of their backsides!

Of course this won't much difference to them as the place is probably packed everynight -- but you know, nothing lasts for ever and reputations stick. At least two people will never go here or the Queens Street Restaurant ever again.
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Paul Fisher
1 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Thursday, February 18, 2010

i agree with below - this place is my favourite too. I have never had a problem with the service, if you want fish and chips or overcooked meat don't go there as it isn't the place for you, obviously! I have had some of my most memerable meals there, from rabbit legs and radishes to cuttlefish risotto to their ribs of beef, all outstanding. And in my opinion very reasonably priced for both food and wine in comparisson to most other restaurants in London.
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jenny
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Thursday, November 26, 2009

quite simply one of the best restaurants in london. forget the other reviews.

no booking, relaxed staffing, no standing on ceremony, hearty fare.
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MMM
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, October 26, 2009

When I visited the Anchor and Hope I quickly began to find the place objectionable, from the quizzical reaction of the barman that I should have gone to the bar myself for drinks, to the confusingly opposite view taken by one of the waiting staff that the establishment is first and foremost a public house. Make your minds up. In a previous review I notice the chef took umbrage at a request for well-done steaks, presumably in some daffy belief it displays 'passion' or respect for the bits of dead animal he fries for a living. Yes, that sounds about right for this painfully self-aware restaurant. The food was perfectly good, granted, but far too expensive for what is essentially rustic fare. Rustic fare should mean rustic prices in my view. As Jay Rayner recently said, London is a city where people think £14 for a plate of belly pork is great value. You'd pay even more for it here.
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NGJ
4 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 3
Thursday, October 15, 2009

An unforgettable meal - for all the wrong reasons. Two guests wanted steak well done - this was refused "because the chef does not believe steak should be cooked well done." So they ordered fish, assuming it would come with some trimmings. Er, no. Just fish. When they asked for a side order of French fries this was refused "because fries don't come as a side dish, only with some main meals." Let them eat fish. But not fish and chips. I was fortunate that I wanted a steak medium/rare which is how the chef likes to cook it (disregard who is paying) and it came with French fries. Lucky me. However, my request for that incredibly involved side dish - a tomato salad - was refused "because we only do green salads." I recommend this restaurant - as long as you are happy to eat what the chef wants you to and not what you want to eat and pay for. Avoid.
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C. Davies
0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Just eaten here again Saturday with my 2 kids (6&4), partner & mum. Here is our lunch; fromage de tete, asparagus & butter, rabbit soup; roast lamb + fennel ; smoked old spot & veg; greens; pear tart; strawberry ice cream; almond pick-me-ups; great bread; youngs bitter; 1/2 carafe wine; coffee.

Food is excellent quality and prepared wonderfully; fromage de tete meaty and gelatinous; lamb pink perfectly seasoned; old spot was spot on (!); etc etc my kids PLATES WERE CLEAN, and they said it as the best strawbwerry ice cream they ever had (and they know ice cream). I asked the waiter where they got it "we make it here ..." - stupid question. And for beer fans the youngs is always on top form here.

Service is attentive, simple and unpretentious. Some great art on the wall if yu have a few quid spare.

All that for £120 +service. I challenge anyone to show me better value in london. Great place.
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Gary
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Monday, June 08, 2009

We'd tried a number of times to get a table at The Anchor & Hope, but had always given up after waiting more than the length of time it takes to have a drink. Today we were determined to wait for a table and lo and behold, one turned up within 10 minutes. Result! And that's where it all turned bad.

After a number of calamities including being served our mains before the starters, being left for 30 minutes between courses, no plates picked up, no cutlery, courses arriving at different times etc. we were finally asked when paying the bill if we'd enjoyed our meal.

We rather delicately tried to say, 'no, actually, we've had quite a few problems with the service', to which we were told that they would bear that in mind without even asking what was wrong before skulking off. Not until we complained to the manager did we at any point get any sort of apology for the way our lunch turned out. In fact, up until that point we'd been treated as though we were a positive annoyance to actually serve.

I completely understand that sometimes things don't work out as planned on a restaurant floor, but to treat your customers with such contempt as we received today was beyond the pale.

The food? Alright to quite nice. Nowt special.
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3 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 2
Saturday, March 07, 2009