please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Only one table in the entire place not reserved for food.
Prime walking, cycling and fishing country too.
Beer is all badger - tanglefoot showing how inflation works - now over £4 since the last review at less than £3.50. Looked good, flat as a pancake.
Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2QXUVrQ
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Beer: Hall & Woodhouse so 3 Badger beers on offer including Tangle Foot and Hopeful Hop. The latter was pleasant although not particularly to my taste (prefer hoppier beers). £3.45 so not bad for Surrey.
For: Pleasant rural location next to canal.
Against: Utterly dismal food, in fact they must try really hard to serve food that bad! Complained but it made no difference.
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Genuine i`d stay at home and cook myself if I was you,two pubs visited and not happy with either.
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I visited this pub with my other half, best friend and his wife. It was busy, always is. We had nearly an hour wait for a table, I can accept this. We ordered food, the girls food was lovely, perfect but my friend and I had ordered two classic burgers, being fussy gits, we asked for egg, bacon, cheese and mushrooms. Overall we waited another 50 minutes for the food, a table next to us arrived after, ordered after and had finished their food before ours even arrived – I questioned this with the waitress bless her and she said it was because we had a complex order and the Chef had to take his time…. The food finally arrived – the burger was a little flat and clearly not gourmet…. My friends burger had no mushrooms but his egg and the other items, my burger had no egg, no cheese, no bacon, no mushrooms so the fact we had to wait longer for additional fillings that never materialised means someone was not doing their job, eventually my food arrived with the fillings at which point the others had finished their food so I refused to accept the plate. Ironically, my friend has now been suffering with food poisoning for 3 days being sick from both ends so all in all an absolutely terrible experience and I shall neither be visiting again or recommend anyone else eats in this place.
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Large rather soulless gastropub in battlefield grey on Wey Navigation. This must have been a nice pub but extensions and ripping out the interior has destroyed any character it once had. That said the beer (Hall & Woodhouse Tanglefoot) was fine. Did not try the food. Visited on a hot afternoon when the extensive outside seating by the canal was packed.
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Went there today (4 of us) and requested a table with a pleasant view and were allocated table 6 which gave us a view of 20 yards of muddy water and not much else. A couple were there with their dog soon to be followed by a couple of elderly ladies and their dogs and we were then joined by a couple with their b....y dog which didnt touch the floor as it was permanently on the woman's lap sniffing and licking the table . A t least 2 of the pooches were fondled by a waitress...how hygienic!
Food was good and the Badger & Tanglefoot bitters were excellent....pity this place has no idea about dogs in restaurants as this occurred in the strictly restaurant part of this otherwise delightful pub.Would have given a 10 but the dog situation let it down badly.
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Four of us visited the Anchor yesterday after a very enjoyable afternnon at the nearby RHS gardens. The pub wasn't busy at 4pm, and the barman was fine. Hall & Woodhouse beers are not my favourite but the two pints I had were OK but not brilliant. Nice and clean inside too.
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been a while since i was last here but boy oh boy this pub has not lost it.. busy buzzing ,,lots of people but fast service lovely staff and great quality pub food , set in a great location, love the new garden,keep it up, and i will be back ,this pub seems to be like marmite ,some hate it and others love it , and i LOVE IT ,, as do loads of others that just keep turning up, keeping this pub SO SO BUSY..
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My comments will be much in line with others that have been posted previously...the pub has some good bits and some bad bits. We had meal here on a Friday evening, having booked the table previously. I ordered the special Veg curry and my partner had the scampi. The food arrived quickly - bit too quick as I get suspicious its just been microwaved. Well firstly the nan bread was placed on top of the poppadoms a la Wetherspoons! I don't know about you but I hate it when the the poppadoms are soggy. The curry itself was disappointing - the veg was not fresh and really could have been from the same caterers as Wetherspoons. This dish was �9 or thereabouts - overpriced in my view when compared to Wetherspoons Curry and a pint for �4.99.
However my partners scampi was an entirely different story - it was excellent. Nice and fresh tasting and crispy. Could not fault it.
The beers were OK for Badger, good condition.
Would I go again? Yes, but I won't be ordering the curry.
Forgot to mention the service, which was very good, absolutely no issues with the staff.
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Having eaten here on a number of occasions I have to say that food, drinks and service can range from good to dreadful. Had really great roasted pumpkin and then the next time ordered same again and it wasn't cooked!! Other mistakes include the time I ordered vege pasta dish only to find chicken in it when it arrived, sent it back and it returned with just plain pasta and nothing else not even a dribble of sauce. We then checked the bill and I'd been charged for chicken not once but twice!! As a vege this really is not on!! But havign said that I've always found service good and beer drinkable. Food in 4 times out of 5 ok but when they get it wrong it really is wrong.
Also someone needs to buy a couple of members of staff some deordourant, I know running around serving makes you hot but still offputting with your dinner
Overall though I'd say this is is not bad pub but does suffer from being in a great location and being just too busy to cope at times.
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Truly awful. Unless you like your fish pie half cooked and with a 5" black hair in it. The staff didn't care a less when I told them abt my Sussex Smokie's short comings which was more like a Lidl fishcake squashed into a dish. The "maitre d'" or front of house must have been trained at the Millwall School of Charm while the boast on the board outside claimed the food was the "best in England" must have Raymond Blanc quaking in his pinny. Such a shame and a wasted opportunity and a great example of the UK catering industries contempt for the customer in favour of bums on seats and profit margins.
flexy - 25 Mar 2011 08:43 |
I visited the Anchor today for lunch with two friends, and I would like to post my opinions of the pub.
Firstly the good stuff; car parking was good, plenty of space and very convenient. On entering I was surprised to be asked immediately what I wanted (do you want a table for lunch!). I was helped to find my friends which was successful on the second attempt. The waitress was attentive, and ordering was very fast. A pint of ale ariived in under five minutes, the meal arrived within about fifteen to twenty minutes which I thought quite quick.
Now for the food and drink: I was not very hungry so I decided to order the 'Meze' starter for two as a main course. When this arrived I was disappointed that there were very small pots of dip (houmous, tzatziki and tom chutney; and a very small pot of olives, accompanied by pitta bread. These I emptied within seconds, and although I was not refused a second pot (I didnt want or eat the chutney) it was still insufficient. The olives were very dull; they were the cheap type you would get in jars in brine in any supermaket. For the price charged I would have expected some nice deli type olives, and a portion enough for two; I have had four times this portion, with better quality at Wetherspoons, and other places.
The pint of ale was flat, and out of condition, which was just about drinkable, but very disappointing.
I am surprised that business was fairly brisk as the food and drink was clearly substandard. I hope the management will improve on this as it is a nice venue, but until they do I will not be returning.
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visited again after a long time away, thought it may have improved ! oh dear, alas not - still using the 'long queue' method to get served !!! lots of very young bar staff around ( it must have been half term ). we eventually ordered a couple of drinks and i ordered the special fish pie cobbler. we didnt wait too long for our food but when it did arrive the fish pie was more like a sample layer only filling about 1/3 of the dish. i returned it straight away asking for more...as sa wthat the manager was at the bar and thought ..'great it will get sorted', but instead he just said that's how it comes!
total lack of customer service, awful way to treat a genuine complaint.
was very unimpressed with his manner...ended up changing order to a cheeseburger cos rather than give me a larger portion, he just said he would replace with another item...total waste of food and very disappointing experience. if it wasnt for the riverside (ducks) location and playpark for my son, we would avoid like the plague
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Ambience: Good
Location: Fab - but not good for the drivers after a couple of drinks
Service: Good (both lunch and dinner)
Beer: Tanglefoot is good. But would appreciate different variety of ale from Badgers or Fullers.
Things need changing:
(1) The bar should be lengthened for the installation of two more cashiers to help shorten the queue.
(2) Further training on teenage staff is absolutely necessary. Each staff should be allocated to specific areas to serve punters at tables.
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Overwhelming numbers of people here despite arriving for Sunday lunch at 11.45am. Picturesque setting ruined by the road and traffic jams all around it. Nightmare venue for anyone with kids under 5 - garden area is not fenced at all so within no time they could either be on the road or in the canal - NOT relaxing! Food tries to be gastro but not great. OK range of beers. Queue system insane. If you want a pretty spot to relax and drink beer in you can do much much better...
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Had I read the reviews first, I wouldn�t have suggested elsewhere, but I have been invited here twice this week, for an evening meal on Tuesday and lunch on Friday.
I enjoyed the vegetarian lasagne, which came with salad and garlic bread. The Tanglefoot was fine and the service ok, but the location is really fantastic. Being as this stratch of the canal and Pyrford lock is on National Trust land, hopefully the character of the area won�t change too much.
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Some of these reviews just don't do the pub justice.
Yes it gets busy - its very popular, avoid 12-2 or just deal with the wait.
It used to be hell getting served as it seemed to be the only pub in the world where you had to Q in 1 long line!!
However the whole place got refurbished and is fantastic, enough staff to sink a boat! The house beer is very nice especially the extra cold type and the food is good pub grub.
The view is great, right next to the canal, loads of seating and parking, and you might even get to see a lorry try and get through the width restrictions over the canal.
All in all I recomend this place 100%, if its busy expect a wait but the food is good, the sandwiches are a particular favourite.
yoshi - 21 Aug 2010 11:18 |
Fabulous location and... that really is the only thing going for this place.
The food was foul - the patty used in their "gourmet burger" was how I'd imagine a budget Iceland burger to taste (or similar to a state school dinner from the 1980's) and my partners scampi was barely warm by the time it reached our table.
Service was Carry On film-esque - we were asked three times if we'd like to order our food (after we'd already ordered) and was served by a different confused teenager each time.
If you're thinking of incorporating this place into one of the fantastic nearby walks my suggestion is take your own packed lunch and maybe use this place for a pint or two.
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Top marks for location. Hit and miss visits in the past.
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Nice location as has been mentioned before, right on the Basingstoke Canal looking towards Pyrford lock. Poor service lets it down badly, long line of people waiting to be served food/drinks/desserts. Why not have a separate line for people who want to place food orders. Stayed for one drink, couldn't be bothered to queue up again for another so moved on. Watch yourself on the roads to this place, we were almost run off the road by a bloke in a Ferrari overtaking someone on a blind bend!
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Great location, reasonable beer, food struggling to reach mediocre. Had pea and asparagus penne with lemon butter sauce. Peas over cooked, asparagus large and ropey, sauce non existent. One of the party has a special of chilli prawn pasta. Prawns were like bullets, sauce was a tomato sauce with a few peppers in it. All meals were dry. There are plenty of other pubs on the canal with much better food. Avoid this one.
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This pub is billed as the most Hospitable in England on the board outside. Our experience is not so.
On our visit here 29/01/10 the Host/Manager (a large bald gent) was strutting around seating customers and being rather officious about it. When finally seated after a fairly rude encounter with mine host (who was in full shouty mode) I placed an order at the bar for food. This was duly taken and paid for, then nothing for 45 minutes before a waitress asked if we were waiting for food. 'Er yes' we replied, five minutes later she was back, 'Have you ordered food?'. 'Yes 45 minutes ago'. They it appears had no record of the order but certainly had been all too quick to take my money.
Mine host was well aware there was a problem as kept looking over but at no time did he come over and ask what was going on, smooth over the problem or apologise. In fact he was more intersted in the contents of his beer mug and disappeared off soon after presumably for lunch (Maybe ours!).
Our food did finally appear some minutes later and was actually quite nice but the whole experience has really put me off this pub. This incidently is not my first visit as the rest of the staff are usually great and the food good.
I work as a mystery shopper and know good or bad customer service when I experience it. Come on Anchor, pull your socks up and sort out your Host/Manager. (I noticed also the neighbouring table got the wrong order so not just us)
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Pre-fabricated, bland, designed by venture capitalists whose motive is the investment potential of a prime location. You enter the pub, and you're greeted by someone at the front door who wants to show you to a table - er, hang on, I only wanted a drink, so it's very obvious that the emphasis here is flogging food.
And if you're over a certain age, they suggest you might like a table in the conservatory bit which looks like a geriatric care home. It felt like some kind of pub-apartheid, in which the bright young professional types and their Kath Kidson children were to seen in the main public areas, while the oldies were shunted out of sight.
Staff are like programmed to 'process' their guests - slick, automated and designed to screw them for every cent possible. I decided I'd never visit this place again when I was charged 70p for a slice of casn & carry grade sliced white bread (wot, no Foccacia/Ciabatta?) to accompany my starter. Pity, because the location is still very nice.
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Used to go here quite a bit when I lived in the UK. That was a long time ago and, judging by my last visit to West Byfleet a few years ago the 5.1 rating shown here is probably about right.
Given the location though it has the potential to rate a lot higher. Shame it just doesn't.
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The anchor is in a prime location right by the canal and can get very busy especially on warm days and evenings.. The service is efficient and the beer is good. We thought the food was average with a limited menu and about 20% overpriced. good for a drink but not recommended for food unless you have cash to throw away to pay their inflated prices.
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I have been to this pub quite a few times this year, and to be honest i am quite shocked at some of the comments i have seen on this website. Yes, the pub can get very busy particularly during the summer days and there often is a wait for tables. However surely its obvious popularity means that it is not as bad as everyone seems to be making out it to be. A downside is that during the day you have to order at the bar for both food and drink even if you are wanting one pint, or to order meals for ten you have to que in the same que. However i spoke to a young lady at the bar and she said that the pub is researching ways at how to improve this and are planning to implement handheld tills to make the process quicker. The service is always acceptable and if the person asked did not know the answer they went off to find out what the answer was or someone who could help. I do agree that food quality does seem to vary although most times i have been it has been very good i have had a few experiences that i do not think warrant the quite high prices. Sometimes the wait can be quite lengthy between the starter and the main, however when i have had to check up on my orders they have appeared very quickly with a lot of apologies.
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I have been to this pub quite a few times this year, and to be honest i am quite shocked at some of the comments i have seen on this website. Yes, the pub can get very busy particularly during the summer days and there often is a wait for tables. However surely its obvious popularity means that it is not as bad as everyone seems to be making out it to be. A downside is that during the day you have to order at the bar for both food and drink even if you are wanting one pint, or to order meals for ten you have to que in the same que. However i spoke to a young lady at the bar and she said that the pub is researching ways at how to improve this and are planning to implement handheld tills to make the process quicker. The service is always acceptable and if the person asked did not know the answer they went off to find out what the answer was or someone who could help. I do agree that food quality does seem to vary although most times i have been it has been very good i have had a few experiences that i do not think warrant the quite high prices. Sometimes the wait can be quite lengthy between the starter and the main, however when i have had to check up on my orders they have appeared very quickly with a lot of apologies.
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We had decided to go for a walk along the River Wey, before having lunch at The Anchor. We arrived at 10.30am, only to find the main car park barred with a gate, and the small car park full, except for disabled spaces. When we asked inside if they could open up the car park, we were told rather rudely that the car park would not be open until the pub opens at 11am. How ludicrous! Customers clearly have to time their arrival to the minute, and if you would like to go for a walk first, you had better go somewhere else!
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Nice location, good ales, a little pricey.
Didn't eat here - catering arrangements seemed a carbon carbon of many other similar places. Anyway, this is 'beer in the evening', not 'lunch at the weekend'...
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Went to this pub today for Sunday lunch.
The pub was heaving but there were free tables inside.
The queue for food and/or drink was long (10 mins wait).
We ordered 1 starter to share and two childrens meals to arrive at the same time and four adult main meals. We were advised that we would have to wwait 30 minutes for the food.
55 minutes later we asked a waitress what had happened to our order. She asked us if we had waited long. I pointed out that two other tables had ordered their food after us but they had recieved their meals and had almost finished eating by now. She disappeared and then came back, apologised for the wait and said our food would be with us in 5 mins. Thank goodness we thought as the children were almost chewing the menus. 10 minutes later two adult main meals arrived, another 5 minutes and the other two main meals arrived, 5 mins later the two kids meals were served and eventually the starter arrived (we sent this back and were given a refund).
The food was ok but not great, my daughters celery, carrot and cucumber sticks had seen better days and the humous looked like scrambled egg and tasted like it was made with lentils. I had the grilled tuna but the balsamic and red oniond chutney sauce was tasteless. The Somerset Chicken pie was just a chicken and ham pie. The roasts did indeed have lots of meat but weren't really worth waiting over an hour for. The staff were not particularly friendly nor nearly apologetic enough.
We then ordered 2 teas and 2 coffees which took 20 mins to arrive. 20 mins to boil a kettle and pour it on some tea bags???
As others have said fantastic location, nice small play area (if your children are between 5 and 7 yrs old I would have said), lots of outdoor tables but little playing space if your children are not in the 5-7 age range but I guess thats because it is squished right next to the canal, bar area is tiny and there is no option but to join the long queue even if you just want a couple of drinks.
All in all a nice afternoon cos it was lovely weather and good company and a great place to sit but as for the food, forget it and go to a decent restaurant or eat first.
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15.03.09
I went to the Anchor with my girlfriend on a sunny Sunday afternoon, and we had a couple of lagers, a caesar salad �9, and a roast chicken �10. My gf gave the salad 8/10, the only criticism being that there could have been a little more chicken meat. I'd give my roast chicken 8.5/10. It was a bit strange getting new potatoes AND mashed potatoes on the same plate, but there was plenty of meat, which tasted great. The German lager was also good. The food came in 35 mins, which was ok considering how rammed full the place was. The staff were fine. The location is fantastic, and the pub offers reasonable value for money.
Some of the other reviews seem very harsh to me.
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Fantastic pub is an ever more fantastic location. Nice and peacful, except in the summer, at weekends and every lunchtime. Beer is very good, but often run out of more popular ones. Menu varies depending on whether they can be asked to cook, sorry heat anything for you. Quality varies too - surprising as the sign outside claims they have real food cooked by real chefs. Even worse, someone connected to the pub seems to put good ratings on here about the place and get more trueful comments taken off - just look back at the comments and people placing them - funny that some don't drink anywhere else. Don't bother moaning about the place because firstly they'll ignore you and secondly, there's a dozen more people to take your place and the landlord knows it.
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I fell in love with this pub as soon as I saw it, the location is amazing and on a dull grey afternoon I needed something to lift my spirits and this pub didn�t disappoint. As soon as I arrived I was greeted in a lovely manor and shown to a table in a corner, which made it a very romantic meal for me and my wife. The service was fantastic, the bar staff were friendly and the young lady that was serving us was fantastic. She smiled throughout the whole afternoon as she served us and made us feel at home. The food took a very quick 20mins to be served and me and my wife both loved the dishes, yes it might have been pricey but with service like that in a prime location you can�t really complain. I give it 10/10 Fantastic meal out. Many Thanks to all the staff for an enjoyable afternoon and I hope to be back soon.
xxxTomxxx
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Some of the advertising comments on here say pub full (of course it is its pure and simply the location that does that Der) food was quick ( well microwaves are fast you know Der).
taxanimal let me know when your next going so i can get good sevice as well as on the 3 occasions we have called in it`s been crap and the food second rate and damm expensive.
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We've been to this pub many times since refurb (also many times before!) and it's one of our favourites for food & drink. It's almost always full, so you have to give your name and party size to the host, but we've always been called within about 15 mins and once you have a table the food comes really fast. Food is great, lots of chioce and large portions. They welcome children too, and there's a small playground (you need to supervise small children) outside. In the nice weather the location is superb - sit outside and watch the ducks and the canal boats etc. Beer is good too - always at least one great real ale. Can't understand what's causing all these bad reviews!
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Myself and my partner have visited this pub several times and are mainly attracted to it because of its stunning location. The drinks are expensive and the food over-priced but we thought it was worth it because it is right on the river and very attractive. Previously we have had a meal or a snack or just a drink. Today (31st Dec 2008) we went there around lunchtime having driven a considerable distance just to go there. Immediately on our arrival we were confronted by someone who I can only describe as a "bouncer" asking if we intended to eat. We said no, then our attention was drawn to a blackboard which said that no-one can go to a table without seeing the "host" first or they could sit outside (in 1deg!). My partner checked with a waitress whether we could just have a drink and was told we could. My partner went looking for a table and again he was virtually chased by "the bouncer" who pointed us to a table which turned out to be reserved. Needless to say we had our walk by the river and left to go to another pub where we were not told where to sit and were not treated like second class citizens because we had chosen just to have a drink in a pub (its usual purpose) and not a full meal. I can understand why the dining area would be reserved just for those having food, but to discriminate against those just wanting to have a drink in other areas of the pub normally used for drinking (and it is a large pub) seems very unfair. Obviously the Anchor is not as we thought previously a charming pub in a pretty location, but a business without thought for its customers who put it there in the popularity stakes in the first place. I doubt if we will be returning.
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Hi, I have been to this pub many times (mainly in the summer). I love the pub and the location. The food is a little pricey for pub grub, but is of a good standard and i have never had any complaints. I am going again tonight... so may update you tomorrow!
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carussell i note the times you have placed your advert on here and have to ask what does meths taste like? if its not meths it must be something else just as bad to make you imagine that this pub is anything other than a below average place.On our visits the food was Brake Bros value pack range at best, "done" in poss.a very good microwave.
The only reason this place gets people in is its location no other reason.2/10
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Wet november day, Pub full again all day , say no more .
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Timinator
Compliment Timinator (30-06-2008) �����5
I was narrowboating on the Wey River this weekend and a wise local pointed us towards the Anchor. Am I ever glad they did, because it was fantastic.
It�s located right beside the Pyrford Lock and Pyrford Marina, making it a very popular stopping place for boaters. They obviously get a lot of land-based business as well, because they have two large car parks.
The pub is very new, clean and spacious inside. There are a few dozen tables outside on the lawn right beside the river, and the entire place was very nearly full on the sunny Saturday afternoon that we were there. It�s a friendly, fun atmosphere.
The food�s a bit on the pricey side for a pub (�10 for a pie, �9.25 for fish and chips) but everything we had was large, good quality, and excellent. My entire group of 7 boaters loved it all. Most had the fish and chips (with peas in a little bowl, for those who like food segregation). Two of us had the steak and ale pie, which was great. One person had the chicken and ham pie, which she reported to be also wonderful. My wife had the tuna nicoise salad (real grilled, not tinned, tuna). There are a few rarer options too, like slow-roasted pork ribs.
The puddings looked absolutely amazing, but there was no way we could consider eating any more.
Beers were really good, with a couple of Badger ales.
The only bad point is that it�s so popular, and gets so busy, that the queue for the bar to order drinks or food can be really long. There is a counter spot for food orders only that is sometimes open.
Toilets were large and clean.
A nice touch: the baskets of apples and pears with a card inviting you to take one of your five-a-day fruit/veg portions when you leave.
From QYPE website
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After hearing comments from some of the customers in the pub about this site i thought i would check out what people have said and leave a comment myself.
I have been to this pub quite a few times, mainly during the summer, and found the service was helpful and cheerful and of a good standard each time, which for the amount of customers that had to be served on such a small bar, I find realy well done. There was a long wait to order on a couple of ocasions, though there was a sign outside warning of this. A wait of a maximum of 20 minutes for food to come out , which given the amount of customers there were to serve wasn't too bad. Location is realy good next to the River Wey, the small bridge to get there, however, causes some problems for customers as it is a very tight squeeze to get over.
I have also been in a couple of times during the wetter and colder months both this winter and last winter, found that, though the pub is more of a 'summer pub', it is still getting in a lot of trade during these times, have noticed a couple of changes quite recently, including a section of the pub is closed off during quieter periods of the day, which I suppose does help keep all customers togeter.
I'm not a very adventurous person when it comes to eating, though there are quite a few items I like off the menu. My favourite item off the menu has to be the steak and ale pie, which has been a very tastey and well presented dish each time I have had it, and the 'Gormet Burger' has always been consistant, a well toasted bun, filled with a juicy beef burger, crispy lettuce, cheddar cheese and crispy bacon.
Not the widest variety of drinks I have seen in a pub, but the choices are excelent, badger beers are very popular with many of the people i go with, though i am myself more of a spirit drinker, which there is a ood selection to choose from.
I have enjoyed all of my visits and am therefore quite surprised to read some of the comments that have been posted. I have recomended this pub to many of my friends and family, and each of them has had a very similar experience to that which I have had, and all said they will go again.
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Great pub still busy in november. loads of regulars.
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This is the first time I have visited this sited and quite frankley can't believe the bad publicity that my favorite pub has been recieving. This pub is always busy, the service is always fast, the staff are always polite and the food is the best i've tasted in a pub before (and believe me i've been in a few). I live in the west midlands and have to travel south around the M25 quiet often but always make sure that i don't miss the opertunity to drop in.
A fantasic pub in a beautiful location and would recommend to any of my friends and family.
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we went here a few weeks ag on a rare sunny day - we were warned about a wait for food but when it did eventually come they'd cooked the wrong pies we then were told we had to wait again so we asked for a refund - no apology and a couldn't care less attitude which was disappointing as the location is pretty perfect, wont bother going back!
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Visited this pub, sorry restaurant, last week. Having ordered drinks, was rudely told in no uncertain terms by what I assume to be the landlord/owner not to stand at the bar unless we were going to eat, in which case we should go and find a table.Quite the rudest and most obnoxious service I have ever encountered. What a shame, the polite efficiency of the cheerful bar staff undermined in one swift blow.
Quite clearly, unless you are eating and planning to spend at least �50, you are not welcome here.
Will not be returning.
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Ok - was out with a few friends burning around Surrey on our bikes so thought i would give this place one more go - see my previous comment - what a mistake!!!! Poor food - in fact down right disgusting - gave my scampi and chips back and asked for a refund! - also mentioned that they may want to check out this website and perhaps address all the bad press they are getting!! Sorry chaps but just spending shed loads of money to refurbish a place isnt all thats needed - get a good cook/chef and improve general customer service!!! I morn the Mucky Duck for bikers!!!! - (the Black Swan) - also now gone all gastro on us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Went in the other day for a drink for the first time since the refurbishment. I was impressed with the quick service, despite it being a sunny evening and getting quite busy. the bar staff were polite and the beer was just right. I haven't tried the food yet, but intend to revisit soon, as the menu looked good. Sitting in the garden by the canal on a sunny evening after cycling on the towpath was bliss!
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A pretty pub, in a beautiful location, however the food is not anything special, and isn�t particularly cheap. The service is extremely rude and poor. Hearing the management talking to the bar staff is bad enough. No wonder most of them struggle with basic manners. How these guys can display a sign offering the �best hospitability in England� (so a sign boasts) is absolutely farcical! I had a similar experience to 'cheers2' and was moved tables during meal when we had more food ordered! The waiter didn�t even offer to help us move, or find us an alternative table. I am (was) a 'local' to this pub, though not anymore. I know of many local people the staff here have upset. Good luck to them when the winter arrives and the seasonal trade disappears. Ill be supporting the Black Swan in Ockham.
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An Anchor burger i`d sooner eat a cow pat mmmmm come to think of it i possibly did.How this can be rated in the top 12 pubs in Surrey heaven only knows service p.poor, beer average at best and food yuck only good feature location and just for that it should not be rated as a top 12 pub.
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A recent visit to this pub with 8 friends was very disappointing. It's a nice location and the food is ok but a bit pricey for what it is. While some of the party were still eating and others had ordered deserts we were asked rather told to move tables. We were directed to 2 smaller tables of 4 and offered no help in moving our meals. When we asked why we were told we should not of sat there, but no one pointed this out when we 1st arrived and even when we ordered and was given ours meals. With this we finished and left, not a place for customer service. A group of 3 chinese people who had visited the local gardens were also moved and soon left wondering about the british customer service. Funny enough we sat on the only table that didn't have reserved on it, and was moved to 2 that did say reserved??? We will give this a place in future.
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The Anchor, Pyrford Lock.....great location, really child friendly but dont bother ordering anything to eat. It seems that after the refurb this place did pretty well and then has gone down hill from there - ordered "Gourmet" burger - eaten and seen better in Burger King - in fact buy a burger King instead and eat it on the river!!! The food is obviously not prepared on-site as my chips that came with the burger were still frozen in the middle!!!!!!! The new batch came back in about 30 seconds flat!!! Always be wary of any pub or restaurant that - when really busy on a beautiful Sunday afternoon - brings out a full order of food for 15 people in under 20 minutes!!!!!! VERY VERY POOR FOOD but great location so eat before you leave and just go there for a relaxing afternoo by the river and a pint!!!!
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Looking at the last 3 people to comment on this pub i have to say i would go by italiastar comments as he use`s more that one pub.
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Went in last night had a great burger , italistar in the anchor the other day you said you refused to pay �10 for a great pie but a burger is �10.25, but good value.I think as you sound an expert on burgers you should stop trying to convince your self that you are a non burger eater . Yesterday was wet the pub was full,a great atmosphere ,The fish and chip also looked great , real fish unlike most pubs . As you said to the manager you will never go back italiastar to your favorite pub in the uk . you are mad .
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Had to register for the first time as i had listen to this man throw his toys out of his pram ,acting like a spoilt child because "HE WANTED A BURGER".and threatern to slate the Anchor on this site . Manager handled it all very well, Even when this old man started to trying to complain about everything ,
Some great comments from lots of other customers when this "gent" left . can't print some but burger king and big mac where both mentioned ,
Anyway great pub , great food , will be back to try a burger .Must be really good if it is worth having a tantrum about when you cant have one .
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This place used to be awful, but was taken over and refurbished about a year ago and now excellent. Went in for lunch the other day and it was packed. Good value and a pint or two of the Hopping Hare goes down a treat with the steak and ale pie.
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gave this pub a 7. GREAT LOCATION and I love going there for a pint. The food is ok (normal) they claim it to be better than it is but at the end of the day a burger is burger and I will eat it. Potatoe skins loaded with everything.
wiated over 20 minutes for a drink which is a bit annoying but lovely place to visit on a sunday afternoon.
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Putting a sign up in the road saying "turn in here for the best hospitality in the country" is always going to be a hostage to fortune unless you've got a Michelin star or three,or you are my mum. Making out there are 'real chefs' in the kitchen is only going to compound the misery.
A BLT sandwich is a simple classic. A doddle to do well but just as easy to ruin. If there were any real chefs in this place they wouldn't microwave the bacon until the fat is barely set, slather the stale bread in industrial quantities of factory fresh mayonnaise and send it out with a plateful of undressed salad. However a sixteen year old kid who probably thinks bacon is a kind of fish, because that's what the catering pack bacon tastes of, would have no difficulty churning out this stuff. And Hall and Woodhouse have no problem rushing you a fiver for it.
Beer is usual Badger range, but no ordinary bitter yesterday lunchtime, which is a pain if you're driving. I just can't believe they had run out on a Saturday morning. I can believe, given that there was no member of staff aged over twenty around, that there was no-one who knew how to change it, or could be bothered to even if they did.
This was our first visit to the Anchor since the refurb, and I didn't want to be too hard on it considering what went before, but I'm afraid it's still relying on the gorgeous location within half an hours drive of about three million people. If you piss off a few punters, what the hell, there are plenty more where they come from.
Inside, by the way, it is standard faux gastropub, indistinguishable from thousands of others.
It is of course, because of the location, a lovely spot to while away a sunny afternoon, or a stop for a pint on a walk along the canal. Just don't expect the finest hospitality in the land.
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Went here for a friends birthday evening last weekend, I was very disappointed in the menu (obviously thought of by some suit in head office) most of the food we ordered looked like frozen pre prepared rubbish, the friers needed cleaning as all the chips etc were manky. and I'm sorry but "confit duck" on a pub grub menu?? like the chefs through the back preparing it?? I don't think. Most of us left at least half of our meals. Pub lovely & in a beautifull setting. We go here for drinks quite often as we cycle there with the kids, but would never eat here again.
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Excellent meal. Good service. Comfortable environ. Tanglefoot beer was good; the Hoffbrau (HB) was excellent! (4%.. 4.3%.. or 5%) Just upped my rating to 8/10. TJ
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Do not confuse this pub with the other 'Anchor' pub in Ripley high street, not far away...!! (I wonder who thought that up..??!!) TJ
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We open all day, every day. We serve food from 12.00 through to 9.30 and on Sundays until 9.00. The pub is a child friendly - family restaurant and one of the few pubs on the river that welcomes dogs in a small area inside.
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Country pub opening times apply! They close around 3pm and open again around 6pm, or something like that. Just be aware, if you're walking 5 miles across country and are gasping for a drink..!!
Lovely setting for a pub, right by the River Wey canal. Lots of narrow boats, and river activity. On a sunny day you can't beat it!
Large restaurant area with tables inside, and outside on terrace. Lots of kids & dogs at weekends, so not ideal for a 'quiet drink', and not much 'bar' area for chatting, hanging around, or drinking. But pleasant enough. 7/10 TJ
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This pub is a bright, clean and airy restaurant rather than a pub. The beer is good quality mediocrity at best. There were children everywhere on a Saturday lunchtime but you may read that as child-friendly. A reliable place to go for good quality pub grub and a pint. Not so good for real ales and truly hopeless for real cider. Surprisingly effective hand-driers though!
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My first trip in many years after hearing about the rennovation and I was not disappointed. I gave up going to the pub a few years ago after many poor experiences - mainly the fact that it was always so badly run and disorganised.
However, all credit to Hall & Woodhouse. They've done a superb job with the interior and exterior. The staffing levels seem appropriate for a busy pub in a superb canalside location, and everything just seems so efficient without being intrusive.
The food is reasonably priced and of a good quality, and it came fairly quickly given that the pub was so busy. Badger beers are not to everyone's taste but the Badger bitter I had was good and well kept.
There's even a small children's play area hidden along the canalside towards the disabled car park.
As has been said previously, this shows other pubs what is possible. We will be returning.
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Terrific renovation. Some nice touches too like the firepit in the patio by the river. Much better value than the Black Swan - prices okay, food good and service excellent. It was always a prime location next to the river and just down from the RHS gardens. Hope they can maintain it as it shows just how lazy most other pubs are in the area.
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Visiting this pub for the first time recently I can give opinion without bias from previous experience and I like it! I live about 30 miles away and never knew it existed. It's bright, clean and very inviting.
We ordered three meals and all were excelent, so was the beer. I had the Stinger, a Hall and W. organic beer made with nettles!
The view from our table was of the lock and the long-boats negotiating it. I'll be coming back f'sure!
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This pub is now owned by Hall & Woodhouse and is undergoing a �1M restoration. It will be closed until May 2007. I'm hoping for a big improvement on the old Anchor as this pub is a short walk from home for me.
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I have to agree with the above reviews. Great outside in the summer with just a pint and the paper. Not so good for anything else. However, I drove past it yesterday (25/01/07), and it was closed and undergoing one very serious refurb. I didn't notice whether ownership had changed, but maybe we're in for something better. I certainly hope so.
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Very poor on previous visit. Shame considering its lovely location 3/10
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I can only imagine that the reason this pub makes money is the superb location by the canal, and that the many punters who come to sit outside on summer afternoons tolerate the shameful mediocrity that they are offered within. The first thing that greets you is an odour of stale fat combined with staler cigarette smoke. Then you notice the sticky tables and full ashtrays, and the scabby dog allowed to run around after its ball thrown by similarly scabby owner. Clearly eating here is out of the question if you desire a long life. Drinking is problematical too. Badger related beers, should be fine but the pint I had was tired, flat and far too cold. And they don't sell something as basic as orange juice. The guy before me at the bar was offered some luminous bottle of chemicals of the Sunny Delight persuasion, which he sensibly declined. I hate to say it but this would be better if it were a Vintage Inn. At least they do mediocre well. The management here clearly don't give a shit, relying on the ready made trade generated by the location.
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dissapointing... whilst we were there lots of food being taken back to kitchen, staff seem totally hacked off. This pub has a God given location.... come on guys, buck up!!
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It's a shame about this pub. It has a great location by the canal and a lock, very picturesque, especially on a warm sunny day, however those of you expecting decent food will be very dissapointed, very, very dissapointed. Today (21/9/06) was a warm and sunny September day, my baby son and I drove down there from London. I've been past this pub a few times and never stopped for lunch for one reason or another, now I wish I hadn't bothered. My "Gourmet" burger couldn't be further from that description. It was a dried out, over-cooked pattie between what I presume was a foccacia bread. It was filled with shredded cheddar, some salsa and a couple of sliced tomatoes. The chips were ok, but just. Thank god they couldn't f**k up the beer or else there really would be no reason to go there at all. Somebody please buy this pub and turn it into a decent one. Sorry, rant over! As I say, don't bother if you're looking to eat, but if you want to watch the odd canal boat go by from the garden then it may be worth a visit. I was being adventurous and thought I would branch out from my regular stop at The Albany in Hampton Court, now this is a pub (well it was a pub, now its gastro!), that can do food well, has a nice garden over looking the Thames and Hampton Court Palace opposite.
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Really nice place for a pub right on the water side service isn't that great nor is the atmosphere but it's nice for an evening out.
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Great setting but shame about the staff.
Friday lunch time on a hot day (30th June); despite the 'we serve food all day', no service until noon - food fine when available.
Bar staff totally uninterested, no ice but what can you expect in a G&T.
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Lovely charming old pub. Friendly and some fantastic Thai food (alongside your traditional English pub grub). Sadly bitter is never kept well and after many visits have rarely got a good pint, Guinness is a safe option bitter best avoided.
anonymous - 9 Mar 2005 17:06 |
