http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope <b>The Anchor & Hope</b><br />London, 36 The Cut, SE1 8LP, United Kingdom en http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/trustedplaces.comaPlacePic['name']}.140.jpg http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope/1x8f38
Review by Busi_78

Rating: 3.00
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Went to the A&H for a quick lunch so I didn't have time to eat a full meal (though I had a taste of my companions') I had the snails with leven(sp) bread and duck fat toast. It was hearty, interesting and good value at £7, though it lacked seasoning. My collegue ordered smoked sprats with horseradish, it looked fantastic, wished I'd ordered it as she sent it back for being 'too fishy'.They gracefully took it back (even though she'd poked it!) I had a taste of the terrine served with gherkins which was a great texture and lovely tasting. The salad with goats curd looked a mess and was ok tasting at best. But the service was quick and flawless and I would definately go back with foodie friends and try some of their main course.]]> Sun, 31 Aug 2008 18:17:12 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope/1x8f38193428304 Busi_78 51.503293 -0.106698 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope/1k7ae7
Review by chrisp

Rating: 4.00
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The Anchor and Hope has a lot of good things going for it, but the seating arrangements aren't one of them. There's a no booking policy, so the best places are dealt out on a first-come first-served basis. This means that if you are a couple there's a very good chance that after one of the two (!) tables for two are taken you will be sat antisocially close to good number of complete strangers on a large table by the kitchen while the waiting staff and diners on their way to the toilets periodically elbow you in the back of the head. This is the second time this year I've tried to eat at the Anchor & Hope; last time we could only stand the physical assault for five minutes - just long enough to try the bread and butter - then gave up and scurried off into the night. Still, free bread, can't complain.

This time, things went a great deal better. We had a nice quiet table for two in the corner, the back of our heads remained mercifully elbow-free throughout the evening, and most importantly we felt comfortable enough to stay long enough to sample the food, which turned out to be very good indeed. Just look at this menu:

Snails, tripe, quince, pheasant, partridge, hazelnuts, chestnuts and beetroot. It's a foodie's wet dream of perfectly pitched seasonal dishes, the odd eyebrow-raising unusual ingredient and heartwarming wintery goodness. It's the kind of food that wraps you up in a nice blanket in front of the fire when it's snowy outside. I wanted to try literally everything on this menu, and by the end of the evening it almost felt like I had, but in the end plumped for the pot-roast partridge with cabbage, bacon and chestnuts.

Truth be told the meat on the partridge was a little dry, but the surrounding broth was comforting, and the flavour of the caramelised onions and bacon strong and satisfying. With plenty of stock to smother the partridge meat this plate of food disappeared very quickly. The kind of thing I could eat every day as it felt incredibly hearty and healthy as well as tasty, partridge meat being pretty lean. This could not be said of a companion's lamb and beans dish, which was thick with cream but just as tasty.

Next I ordered the buttermilk pudding, which turned out to be an Anglicised panacotta with an accompaniment of sweet oranges, heady with alcohol. There were quite a few pips in the orange which I suppose would put some people off but I thought it added to the rustic charm of the dish. The buttermilk itself was just right - fluffy and not too sweet. However although tasty a companion's "Flourless chocolate cake" was incredibly dense and it was a bit of a struggle to get through it. Perhaps it was missing an ingredient... something that would lighten it a bit... oh yes, flour.

I know from experience we were lucky to get a comfortable corner table, and a majority of diners here will have to put up with a rather less than perfect environment to eat their food. But if this is the business model at the Anchor and Hope then good luck to them - it's clearly a very successful one, and goes to show that for many Londoners the environment comes secondary to the food. And quite right too.]]> Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:49:58 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope/1k7ae7678315402 chrisp 51.503293 -0.106698 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope/1z49z7
Review by rd1975

Rating: 5.00
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Most people in London have their favourite place they will end up going to every other month - or even more frequently. The Anchor and Hope is my choice.

A wonderful informal buzzy atmosphere that will suit those people who are more bothered by what appears on a plate in front them rather than white linen, overly-attentive service and the spotlessness of the toilets.

Anchor and Hope quite simply does large, rugged, gutsy portions of exceptionally good food. Rather than dwell on one particular meal, here's some regular fayre:

Starters: Crab on toast, Bacon, snail and watercress salad, Beetroot and horseradish salad, Terrine, Artichoke vinaigrette

Mains: Rib of beef (served medium rare) and big chips for two, shoulder of lamb for five-ish - served in a huge earthenware pot to serve yourself - with a large tray of pommes dauphinoises (I would say this is their signature dish), leg of kid "saltimbocca" (wrapped in prosciutto) with minted courgettes, and a wonderful cassoulet.

Desserts: Flourless chocolate cake Queen of Puddings, various home-made ice-creams and a generous cheese-plate.

All of the above served by knowledgeable, humourous, friendly staff who, yes, occasionally may forget the odd order (happened maybe twice in about 15 visits) but the food is the main attraction in any case. The place is always full, always buzzing and is an absolute bloody joy that I couldn't give anything other than 5 stars. No reservations allowed (even to Kevin Spacey performing up the road at the Old Vic) so get there at 6pm to guarantee a seat. Get a sharing meal for 6 of you at should typically set you back around £40 a head.

Enjoy !]]> Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:42:16 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope/1z49z71924115457 rd1975 51.503293 -0.106698 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope/1e47h7
Review by gastro1

Rating: 5.00
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There are few destination Gastro pubs in Britain. Some of us are lucky enough to have some near our homes.

Apart from The Eagle on Farringdon Road where on some days you can get a beautifully cooked "Onglet" with a red wine and shallott reduction , I would normally not cross town for a Gastro Pub meal. However I'm now finding I need a fix at least once a week.

It's a place where you can enjoy "world class" bourgeois cooking like , Cassoulet , Ox Cheek stew with Dumplings , Slow cooked Tamworth ( along with Gloucsester Old Spot the only edible pork in Britain) with sauerkraut , Lanchashire Hot Pot , great soups and decent deserts. Go in a group and share some of the dishes for 4 or 3 that come in rustic looking pipping hot Le Creuset cookware !

The people who run the place have excellent backgrounds at The Eagle and the St John.



]]> Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:22:40 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope/1e47h71991507593 gastro1 51.503293 -0.106698 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope/1g94c7
Review by Venetian

Rating: 5.00
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Fantastic place. What a gastropub should be. A great restaurant with a menu with a difference. Many unusual dishes are served.

The food is great and seems reasonably priced considering. Excellent wine list too. As the Guardian put it:
"Ham and figs; cockles; chorizo and chard broth; terrine; monks' cheeks, clams and bacon; beetroot, watercress and horseradish salad; Bath chap and pickled onion; smoked herring and lentils; pumpkin risotto; leg of lamb and flageolet beans; tripe and chips; smoked Old Spot chop and prunes; devilled kidneys and potato cake; plaice, leeks and herbs; grouse; braised venison and red cabbage; cassoulet (for four); green salad; duck fat potato cake; lentils; lemon cake; crème caramel; cheese. I make no apology for quoting the entire menu of the Anchor & Hope.."
Highly recommended.]]> Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:10:36 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope/1g94c7422891113 Venetian 51.503293 -0.106698 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope/1e44y8
Review by Browners

Rating: 5.00
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I've been gagging to go to the Anchor and Hope for bloody ages. It hasn't helped that Oli who sits opposite me at work has now been twice and reminds me of it as often as he forgets to make me tea! So this week the perfect excuse to go came up. Mum rang out of the blue and asked if Cowie and I wanted to go to the theatre on Friday night at the Old Vic... and would we like to go for an early supper as well.

Now the thing everyone always says about the Anchor and Hope is, get there early and be prepared to queue. So we arranged to meet at 6 in order to be able to scoff down two courses and a slurp some wine before doing battle with an obscure Spanish play full of transexuals and transvestites!

Typically I arrived late because of a marathon, delayed conference call, to find everyone already assembled and ready to order on my behalf! I soon put an end to that and opted for potted crab on toast followed by roast Middlewhite pork with crackling... although in my haste I had meant to say pot roasted pigeon! It's weird what comes out of your mouth under pressure sometimes. But the thing with their menu is that you could have accidentally ordered anything on it and come up trumps.

The dining room is literally curtained off from the rest of the pun a bit like the scene in Hamlet where Polonius gets stabbed, or the division on planes between business class and thrift. I guess it makes it easy to open the whole venue out of necessary and also gives the room a nice relaxed texture. Tables are plain wood and chipboard and I don't think any of the chairs match. It's just how I like things. I think the Japanese have an expression for it called "Wabi Sabi"... which is a celebration of the imperfect. It makes you feel at ease with your surroundings, happy to be wearing trainers, late, in a rush and keen to enjoy some gorgeous food.

We loved the mini school glasses for wine. They must be so much easier to dish wash and are almost unbreakable. Practical. That's the word for this place. Practical. Very British.

Cowie's crayfish arrived looking like beasts out of hell... dangerous little claws and deep, blood red in colour. She must have had half a dozen of the little devils on her plate alongside her small glass of garlicy mayonaise... I managed to steal one of them, purely for reporting purposes of course, and can reveal that they were far less sweet and saline than langoustines... more earthy and really juicy. I remember reading an article about them saying that they are impostors from America an are decimating our native versions. If this is right then good on the Anchor and Hope for perpetuating the cull... if not, well they're tasty little lobsters!

My crab on warm buttered brown toast was exquisite. Slurpy, salthy, sweet, well textured and plenty of it. You'd have to go a long way to better it. The only times I have had better crab have never been in this format. My crab at the Riverside in Dorset was stunningly fresh and showstoppingly good, as was wok steamed crab with ginger, chilli and black bean sauce on Lamma Island off Hong Kong. But this was the best potted crab on toast that I've eaten... Yum.

Mum had terrine which she said was OK and Suz had a salad that almost filled the entire table which kept her quiet for 10 minutes so it must have been good!

The next door table ordered a leg of kid. It arrived looking slighly smaller than a leg of lamb and was greeted with great reverence by the table of four men keen to devour their meat. A chap in a red jumper did such a bad job of carving that Dad was tempted to offer his assistance but instead declared that it made him ill to even watch someone carve that badly! He was carving with the grain, giving his mates vast hunks of meat rather than Dad's slender chunks! Schoolboy! If you're going to order a whole leg of goat you'd better practice your public carving skills in advance!

Cowie and Suz shared an enormous fish soup from a communual couldron that could have been a prop in Macbeth. The vast pot was chock full with gunard, mussels, scallops and all sorts of other goodies and probably made from the stock of Cowie's crayfish!

Mum and Dad tucked into their Dover Soles with equal enthusiasm. Two each seemed excessive but neither complained. They looked beautifully cooked and judging by the lack of commentary from Dad must have met with his approval. His laparotamy on both fish was perfect so they must have been cooked perfectly.

My pork arrived to a small sqeal from Cowie when she realised that it wasn't a dish for two. I valiantly tucked into my enormous mound of swine savouring every forkfull of juicy, tender white meat and light crunchy crackling. It's hard to do the crackling justice using words alone. It was as light as a wafer, warm, crisp and simply divine. I'll never forget it. Simply spectacular.

This was British cooking at its most authentic. Top quality ingredients. No mucking around and posh French names. Just good, solid, brilliantly cooked food in a charming, low key setting.

I simply can't wait to go back so we can spend more time enjoying it... and to do some carving! Luckily Mum and Dad enjoyed it so they are keen too!]]> Mon, 03 Sep 2007 12:08:06 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope/1e44y8824143986 Browners 51.503293 -0.106698 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope/1293l7
Review by lenalouise

Rating: 5.00
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One of my favourite restaurants in London because it's all about the food and nothing else although service is also excellent.

It's all about healthy portioned British food, basically what's in season. Simple, well-done dishes with excellent quality produce. I love their casseroles and any dishes for 3 or more people.

The only annoying thing is that a lot of people know about this place now and you can't book (apart from Sunday lunches) so be prepared to wait a couple of hours if you miss the first sitting. In my opinion, it's definately worth the wait :D]]> Wed, 13 Jun 2007 12:33:45 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope/1293l71730465116 lenalouise 51.503293 -0.106698 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope/1y82m7
Review by LuluMcC

Rating: 4.00
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Food here is hearty and homey. Fish pies to share, lamb shank - that kind of thing.

Plus you can take (well behaved and small)dogs in!

This may be a turn off to most but a god send to dog owners who don't want to be parted from their pets over dinner...]]> Fri, 08 Jun 2007 09:24:34 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope/1y82m71533474727 LuluMcC 51.503293 -0.106698 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope/1792c7
Review by wyahaw

Rating: 2.00
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Here's the thing. This gets rave reviews yet I have had three meals there now, and the food was very ordinary at best. Once I could put down to bad luck, but three times and I start to feel like one of those characters in Invasion of the Bodysnatchers. Everyone around me looks normal, but something is not quite right. I just don't understand why people find the food good here. Sorry.]]> Sat, 21 Apr 2007 00:20:50 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope/1792c71152781905 wyahaw 51.503293 -0.106698 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope/1760n8
Review by tomhick

Rating: 5.00
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Award winning gastro pub with some of the best service and food in London. Very laid back atmosphere]]> Thu, 17 Aug 2006 15:49:26 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n82a8u/the-anchor-and-hope/1760n81361248481 tomhick 51.503293 -0.106698