Anchor & Hope

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
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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Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 2
Saturday, March 07, 2009

I still want to go there from time to time. I love the idea of trying different strange interesting food everyday. They change their menu so frequently that I can enjoy the excitement by only reading the menu! I will go there next time definitely!
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King - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Thursday, February 26, 2009

Maybe its because I am always polite here and they remember faces but I have never waited more then 35 minutes to eat whether with a table of two or six. In fact I have never had to hang around in the bar for that long. They do a lovely non-alcoholic lager and I always get a chilled glass. There are a range of good ciders and the wines are well chosen and the staff know what goes well with the food on offer. The bar staff are on the ball and so are the waiting staff, maybe some of the people who complain about service here want a lot more from waiters than I do. I always have a laugh with them and they know their grub. The food is great, I've eaten so well here, whole crab, razor clams, partridge, snails, rib eye, rack of lamb, I could go on. It's always good and never dissapoints.I suggest you get here early, accept a small wait, enjoy a vibrant bar, eat heartily and tip well. It's a favourite with those that I know (a chef friend of mine and i eat here three times a year at least) and being based in Waterloo means those who like good food at work like this place. I can't imagine falling out with the staff or being dissapointed here. It's my favourite place in London
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Morgan
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Thursday, February 26, 2009

I came here with my mother on a Friday, before going to a concert at the RF Hall. We hadn't booked, but the restaurant was just opening for the evening, so they told us we just needed to have 1 drink in the bar and our table would be ready. Good drinks- hate the glasses though. A Martini served in a shot glass?

Table was ready- they seemed very concerned that we left in time for the concert, and suggested the venison stew for 2, which we had- absolutely delicious. The place filled up quickly while we were there, so we felt lucky to have got a table when we did. The prices were reasonable, and a good atmosphere. I'd definately go again- especially if they got some cocktail glasses to serve their cocktails in!
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Helen - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Thursday, February 12, 2009

My girlfriend took me to the Anchor & Hope for my birthday. I've been for drinks before but have never eaten there.

When we arrived the bar was very busy, as usual. When we spoke to the waitress she said a table for two might be an hour and a half wait. As it turned out the wait was only about 50 minutes, which gave us time to have a drink beforehand.

The potted shrimp with pickled cucumber was excellent and the salmon was perfect. Nice, natural colour and really fresh-tasting. I could have eaten starters all night!

For mains we had the rib of beef for two. It was a fantastic cut of meat cooked perfectly and the flavour was fantastic. The accompanying bearnaise sauce was delicious and the savoy cabbage was crisp and salty. By the time we'd finished that there was no room for pudding unfortunately! We had a bottle of red wine recommended to us and it was, again, excellent.

Yes, the waiting time can be quite long, but the food you get rewarded with makes it more than worth it. The staff were very helpful and prompt, despite being obviously very busy and we had a great time. Will definitely be going back.
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James - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Friday, February 06, 2009

Had a much better meal here than many of the reviewers on this site. Showed up about 7:30 on a Tuesday night and were told we'd wait an hour - but were seated before we were halfway down our carafe of wine. The food was excellent - skate on lentils with herbs was a big chunk of fish with lovely, flavoursome lentils; potato and ardrahan (cheese) pie was also very tasty. Of the puds, the buttermilk pudding was so spectacularly good I've tracked down a recipe for it and will be trying to make it this weekend. The details were also spot on - the bread was delicious and fresh (and not charged extra for!); the salad leaves with the pie were beautifully dressed; and the service was efficient and friendly.

One small moan - the heating was apparently turned off since all the radiators (and so the room itself!) were cold. It may be lovely and warm in the kitchen, guys, but spare a thought for your poor customers shivering at their tables when it's minus several degrees outside!
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- View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Thursday, January 08, 2009

The food here is indeed excellent and well priced. However I won't got back again because I'm really not sure it's worth the hassle.

You WILL have to wait two hours for your table - even if they say one. This happened both times I've been. First time we turned up at 6.30 and were seated at 8.45. The second time was about the same. There was nowhere to sit as the bar area was so busy so we stood. After two hours of standing I was both hungry and grumpy and I wasn't the only one.

The dining room is characterless in a perfectly nice, classically gastropub sort of way, and features very hard chairs (fussy I know but I LIKE being comfy when I eat!)

Service was brusque which I understood as it was incredibly busy, but efficient. And while the food was good it varied in quality. After a delicious – really delicious – squid ink risotto to start, I had quail. It was very good but incredibly dry. One of another group who were seated at the same table had the same: his quail came with a delicious-looking jus which obviously should have been on mine. This is careless. Despite being seated at the same time as us they were served about 20 mins later (sucks for them) so it was too late to ask for any.

Despite the quality of the food there are so many good gastropubs in London, I simply can't be bothered with standing in a bar for two hours just to try it, If you can go for it, otherwise you have been warned, try the Bull & Last instead, which is amazing and reserves some tables for walk ins and others for booking.

I will add that a friend who is a fan says that weekends are much quieter.
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Jane
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, December 17, 2008

This really is a great place to eat - busy even during the week so get there early or be prepared to hang around for some time. Service pleasant and attentive. Menu very interesting. Everyone starters looked great and all were well received - my razor clams were fat and tender. The main of rib of beef between two was perfectly cooked and there was a lot of it. The skate and the venison also looked fantastic. Wine is affordable - it's a proper pub too with three cask ales on. Downsides - you can't book (this may be an upside), the dining room is a squeeze and you may end up sharing a table if that's all they've got.

I'll definitely go back.
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Rex - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Thursday, October 16, 2008

had dinner at the Anchor & Hope last night, took a chef friend of mine who was visiting from Canada, i've eaten there several times but last night was frankly disappointing. the roast wood pigeon we were informed upon ordering would be served rare but this was barely cooked, pigeon is a very underrated meal but last night it lacked any real taste and was ruined by the fact that the meat close to the bone was stone cold and raw, this isnt just poor cooking its downright dangerous. the service at best is rather haphazard and last night was no exception, waiting staff flit about like flies without purpose and have a permanently furrowed brow with an expression that reads 'i'm exteremly busy and dont have time for you', when i ordered a couple of post prandial armagnacs i was served them in arcoroc school tumblers as were additional glasses of wine, pointless exercise in whimsy. the A&H are to be applauded for their good old fashioned English menu but its really time they put the enthusiastic amateur approach to bed and adopt a much more professional manner, i for one wont be in a hurry to part with another £100 for another lacklustre evening.
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steve
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 3
Thursday, August 07, 2008