Anchor & Hope, Charlton, SE7

Facebook page of Anchor & Hope - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of Anchor & Hope - www.facebook.com

This pub has had the misfortune to have been painted black, a dreadful failure of taste compounded by the fact that it must have been a strikingly unusual but good-looking building with a golden dome atop an apparently purposeless turret. Now it's just a black pub. Inside there's a large room with a bar featuring a number of keg fonts and just two hand pumps hidden away in a corner. The London Pride was running dry as I waited to be served, so we were left with the undistinguished but drinkable house bitter, of unknown provenance. We settled in the small lounge at the far right hand side of the building, the pièce de résistance of this pub, which has beautiful high-quality wood panelling and on the far wall a series of three mirrors with elaborate gold-painted frames

Thames-side pub, somewhat off the beaten track, and with river views that are perhaps best appreciated from the front patio at night-time with the multi-coloured lights on features such as the O2, Emirates Air Line and Thames Barrier. Pleasantly traditional in the 'L'-shaped bar with a small stage in one corner (being used by a singer with backing tracks late on a Sunday afternoon). By contrast, very modern furniture in the Steven Bennett Saloon to one side (which also features an array of nautical pictures). The good news - beer-wise - is that the two handpumps are back in use, albeit with Greene King IPA and the 'house' (no doubt re-badged GK) Best Bitter (£3.90) being the choice. Still, it was all rather better than I was expecting.