please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
A good pub which seemed to be concentrating on the food side of the business on our visit, usual collection of shep beers which were well kept and the pub was spotlessly clean inside and had some tables out front which were good to catch the sun and watch the world go by, a pleasant place to pass an hour or so.
Some very easy on the eye bar staff added to the attraction of the pub too!
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I am amazed at the low score this pub has. Three of us called in today at lunchtime. Raining outside but a nice enough welcome inside. I was told that the place had had a recent refurbishment and the main bar looked just right, my sort of taste. Lots of wood everywhere. There seemed to be little rooms everywhere and the loos were immaculate. The pint of Masterbrew was the best I'd tried in a long time but the star was Bishop's Finger on draught, a rarity and truly scrumptious. For a lunchtime snack I had a salt beef & horse radish doorstep sandwich which was just brilliant, accompanied by triple fried chips, that's triple fried in duck fat, piping hot and the best chips I'd ever tasted in my life! What a find and a shame I'd passed the pub by in the past. 10/10.
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This was once one of Roger Protz's best 25 pubs in the country.
Somebody in the pub knew how to keep real ale then...
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Mmm. A definite improvement. Excellent food and at a very good price. A pub worth searching out near the Creeks
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Recently re-opened after refurbishment with new owners. They certainly look keen to impress. Nice wood burning fires and ambience
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Planned to have lunch here today but sadly, after making our way through the smokers in the porch and avoiding a large dog roaming around in the bar, we found no-one to serve us and, having waited two or three minutes, we left.
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As an addendum to my earlier review, I recently sampled the wares of the Anchor's fish-led restaurant, the nattily-named 'Crabshack' and found the food to be absolutely spot-on. Having eschewed the nearby Phoenix which I felt flattered to deceive with its pseudish gastro leanings and unfriendly feel, this proved a most appealing alternative. My option of pea soup with Parmesan croutons followed by truly perfect tuna steak with caper sauce were hugely enjoyable. Really, tuna is so often badly-cooked but they got it dead on here. Service was smart and matched the quality of the food and drink. Ignore its poncier peers and head for the Shack! You shan't be disappointed.
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I'm a new regular at The Anchor and I can't praise the pub highly enough. I didn't know the previous landlord but in my experience the current one is friendly, congenial and always up for a chat. Plus the pub now serves excellent food.
Sunday night music nights can be super busy, so a wait at the bar is sometimes inevitable...
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I hear a scruffy, dirty chef called Ian works here, I won't be going there then
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There is one astoundingly rude lady who works here, but only infrequently. I find it friendly enough, but agree that Sundays you can wait up to half an hour for a drink when (pretty poor) live music is playing. Incredible medieval garden is worth a look, though.
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Totally agree with Melanie, we miss David and to be honest just don't go anymore.
Sad to lose my favourite local but don't feel welcome anymore :(
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A lovely pub, great staff, always friendly and welcoming and it has the perfect garden for little ones, lots of space! Perfect for a pint before or after a walk around the area and along the river. Food is great too!
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The anchor used to be a favourite of mine to visit with family in the day time and friends in the evening. Not anymore. Since the last landlord Dave has left, I have been hugely dissapointed. What used to be a warm welcome and friendly service from experienced staff has now been replaced with rude and slow students who cannot hold a conversation with an adult. I have visited twice in the last year on a sunday evening when live music is held, and both times have waited a ridiculous amount of time to be served a drink, I have heard this from many other friends too.
After a few weekend visits with my family, I have not been back again for some time, we were not made to feel welcome, the glasses were grubby and overall the pub has lost the charming atmosphere I once loved.
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Gone downhill in the last year. One to miss!!
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A charming and spacious hostelry at the end of Abbey Street, which perhaps isn't as well-heeled as one might imagine on first impressions. However, that is of little consequence. The pub has various drinking/eating areas; grub appears to be reasonable value, and up to 4 ales can be found (albeit not anything of special note to cask connoisseurs - Sheps' 4-4-2 being the most interesting offering on my last visit). Some modest outdoor seating provides a great sun-trap in sunny weather. Note the awkwardly-named "Crab Shack" next door... Overall, perfectly satisfactory. Just not one to write home about.
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I went to this pub last weekend, and it was plain awful. The beer was warm, staff unfriendly. Food appalling. The weather was nice though.
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Possibly one of the most unwelcoming pubs I've visited this year. It could be so much better with a little more customer care. The beer wasn't kept well - surprising, since their brewery is only 400 meters away. Under new management, this could be a fantastic boozer.
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This pub is in a nice location for catching the afternoon sun. The beer (as with all Shepherd Neame pubs) is good. One major negative was the rude landlady who doesn't like to make new customers welcome, and ignored us over the locals. The pub food was poor, but if you brought your own food, you could have a nice picnic on the benches outside the front of the pub.
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The best pub in Faversham. Nice mix of people - locals, visitors, fishermen, crafts people and families. Usually quite a few dogs who all seem quite at home! The beer is very well kept - this from someone who is not a fan of the watery horrors brewed up by Sheps. The landlord hosts special events, such as Burns Night suppers and also has live music on Sunday evenings and they are not restricted to "diddly diddly" clog clumping bands either. Hats off to him for giving some of the younger bands a chance to do their thing. Food is served in a separate area and often features something unusual on the meno. Big garden at the back. If you can get in (pub can be soooo busy) come and visit, you will not be disappointed. Only thing stopping this pub getting a rip roaring 10 is that one of the younger barmaids needs to lose the attitude and learn from her other, incredibly friendly, colleagues -or go and work somewhere else. LOVE THIS PUB
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By some margin the best pub on our all day crawl around Faversham. Shep's well kept, super bar staff made us most welcome as did the locals. Regretted leaving to walk all the way to the other end of town to a disappointing pint in the Elephnt - should have stayed here.
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a good pub to talk to local fisherman, open late but poor beer
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New Tenants,new Anchor!, I think not,a 'foodie' pub and I will give this one a miss for a while
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last night was a dream top food top drink TOP PUB!!!!!!!
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We returned to The Anchor on Sunday, Mother's Day. We were not disappointed. The Masterbrew was one of the tastiest pints I have had, it was really well cared for (It only has to travel about 200 yards!). The food was lovely. What you saw was what you got. The prices were good for the offerings. I had the chicken liver pate. It was superb, accompanied by a lovely salad garnish and very fresh bread. My WIfe had crawfish and prawn cocktail. That was a real winner. Roast chicken, pork and beef was all good. The potatoes were divine. Thanks for a great lunch.
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I visited with friends on Sunday for a pre-prandial drink. The town looked lovely as we drove through. The buildings got older and older as we drove down Abbey St. They were charming. Lots of parking at the end. We walked along the river first and saw some amazing Thames Barges. Lots of local trades going on. The surroundings and sun whetted our thirsts. We were not disappointed. The Sheperds was great. Sadly, I was driving and stopped at a half. The menu looked good and I will return with the family for a proper lunch.
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GREAT food GREAT beer but female staff a bit on the ugly side.
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Fantastic!! Great pub.
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Nothing is very far from the centre in Faversham, as it isn't very big! Go and have some Kent's Best in the garden behind this pub and then go and look at the boats on the creek. Food was ok if unadventurous - maybe adventurous isn't what they want to be. It certainly satisified.
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Went to this pub for lunch 12th May 2008 and found the manager and his wife very friendly - nothing too much trouble. The place was in the process of being redecorated inside, something that was being done in stages when the pub was closed - they'd just finished the undercoat at the time of our visit - so there was no backgound music which was nice. Had some excellent home made soup and nice spiced rock salmon all washed down with a pint of Master Brew. Only possible 'complaint' was that they don't heat the plates so the soup and the food cooled rather more wuickly than we might have liked. Absolutely no complaint about the ale though! Nice place.
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Only a long way from the centre in comparison to the cluster of pubs around the central point - took me all of 3 minutes from the Bear ! Decent atmospheric Sheps bar in attractive part of town - beer OK-good.
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Beer tends to be OK rather than excellent. A long way from the town but well worth walk.
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Worth the stroll. Good pint of Kent's best.
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Out of Faversham town centre, near the Creek, this feels like an abandoned pub. It seemed to have been taken over by a folksy, scruffy-bohemian, babba-cool crowd who welcome the scruffy-bohemian faded wood feel of the place. Drenched in church wax and incense with softly played AOR, this is a pub I warmed to the longer I remained. The four Sheps cask ales were in exceptional condition. A warm, atmospheric, scruffy pub. I loved it.
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Visited 02 Oct 05. Apparently this is one of the original Shepherd Neame pubs. As such it is extremely quaint. The bar is tiny, and popular. The full range of real ale was available. We had Late Red, a seasonal brew, which was excellent.
The two chaps working the bar were very polite and efficient. One of them went out of his way to make sure that we got food, even though it was past serving time. A big thanks, and very much something of a plus. On balance we thought the food was good.
Go there.
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Also if the Scouse chap at the bar would like to continue the friendly conversation he was having with us then call Lee on 07759 849617
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This pub is an absolute gem. I visited last night with a friend as part of a Faversham crawl, and was amazed by the friendliness of both staff and locals alike, who made an effort to make conversation with us and make us feel welcome.
The whole range of Shepherd Neame's beers are available, and the food is exquisite. I recommend the salmon pasta (which I had) and the beef & mushroom stroganoff which looked superb - was my first choice but the girl on the table next to us was eating the last one!
Go there - you will not be disappointed!
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