The Anchor

6/9/2008 11:28:31 PM, monday, june 09, 2008
Ever changing, but still a creaky old historical kind of place. Food has always been good, standard. For ale variety it’s the nearby Market Porter. For things to gawk at while downing a pint it’s the Anchor. Good view outside as well.

12/28/2007 9:20:55 AM, friday, december 28, 2007
Very lovely place on the banks of Thames. Reasonable prices, lots of people and only two new beers for me (Courage Directors Bitter and Jennings Worlds Biggest Liar).

11/13/2007 2:56:09 PM, tuesday, november 13, 2007
Stopped here when we couldn’t get into The Rake (just too crowded). This place was pretty packed too. Nice enough atmosphere, but the service and condition of the beer left quite a bit to be desired.

10/4/2007 8:09:49 AM, thursday, october 04, 2007
Very crowded, and you risk a long wait for your pint. But the terrace is nice, the old pub has some charm if you ignore all the tourists. The Rake has a better range of beers, and the Founder’s arms in the other direction has a decent Young’s pint with the same wonderful river & St Paul’s view.

7/17/2005 6:39:37 AM, sunday, july 17, 2005
When I first lived in London in the 70’s (OK, I’m an old git) this was superbly atmospheric pub tucked away amongst old Victorian warehouses and the whole area had a distinct Dickensian feel to it. As it is one of the famous historic London pubs you’d get the odd tourist pub walk dropping in but, otherwise, not that many people ventured into this area of town. That was then, this is now. Many of the old warehouses have given way to office developments, the Tate Modern is nearby and the whole area has been tarted up. This means its always buzzing with locals and tourists and the atmosphere is much changed.The pub has been extended and altered but the histioric heart remains. But its invariably packed, especially at weekends, and the beer range isn’t anything to write home about. But its an useful stop if you’re visiting the area anyway (which all tourists should) or doing the South Bank pub crawl (which everyone should). The scotring is a bit problematic - its a great place to stop and contemplate the surroundings if its not too busy, ingfuriating if its packed to the rafters and a struggle to get served or find a seat. The restaurant part is separate from the drinking area, but I’ve never eaten there.

8/13/2004 3:02:44 PM, friday, august 13, 2004 [ Updated friday, august 13, 2004 ]
It’s a large sprawling building with various rooms upstairs and down - but it’s the small section on the corner that is of interest. Even though the rooms are open the bar doesn’t operate in this section, so you have to get your drinks first. It’s a bit like sitting in a museum display! My favourite room is the front ’snug’ with the sliding board to cut off the bar and get some privacy. One guest ale alongside the Courage and Pride.