The Anchor & Hope, Southwark, SE1

Busy,gloomy,square shaped uninteresting bar.Very noisy.One side given over for dining.Doom,Trib and Youngs bitter continued the uninteresting theme.Let me out of here!

Awful foodie pretentious place. I was glared at for surveying the pumps rather than the menu!

Randomness Guide to London - Anchor And Hope entry

Randomness Guide to London - Anchor And Hope entry

Anyone with an immediate aversion to Gastropubs won’t be particularly enamoured by the Anchor & Hope despite it being widely considered and often voted as the best Gastropub in London (and in some cases, Britain). The ghastly pretentious exterior is matched by an equally dour and bleak interior with minimal lighting and simple furnishings. It has a continental bar feel to it with its floor to ceiling windows that fully open to the street. About half the pub is retained for drinkers with the main dining area to the left hidden behind a wall and curtain but peeking through, it seemed as dingy to me as the drinking side. The small tables make it more suited for small parties and couples rather than large groups. On the beer front, there were 3 Ales available on my visit - Summer Lightning, Bombardier and Youngs with prices that I would consider very reasonable for such a place and certainly in line with the area. Despite being obviously popular (it was packed on my visit) it doesn’t really possess any general appeal and is certainly more aimed at the restaurant crowds. From a drinkers prospective it is perhaps worth a quick pint out of curiosity for completists rather than somewhere to while away an evening.