Crown & Anchor, Brixham

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

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

I was mildly surprised to encounter a true locals pub on the busy harbour front in Brixham. The Crown & Anchor offers sandwiches and hot drinks, but no hot food. There's a lager-led selection on the bar, with Madri and Korev prominent. 2 ales are available - the house ale and, on this occasion, Shipwreck Amber, served with no discernible head, but of reasonable quality. No airs and graces about the Crown and Anchor, but at least there's seats to be had.

This is a traditional harbour-front pub that seems to strike the right balance between providing for its locals as well as the influx of tourists. The narrow bar can only accommodate a limited number of tables and, as you would expect, the decoration mostly has a nautical theme. There are also a few tables out on the pavement, and food is offered. Three real ales on handpump: Tribute, Otter Ale and the 'house' Brixham Best brewed by Bays of Torquay. After taking a look around the other pubs in the lower part of the town, we came back to this one which was easily the most appealing on a busy bank holiday weekend.