The Anchor Inn
Restaurant & Drinking Establishment
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Coffee morning, Fridays during term, from 9am. Majorly refurbished in March 2006, the newly non-smoking Anchor is open til 11pm daily (except Sun, 10.30pm), and children are welcome until 7.30pm. Lunch and supper are available daily, and they even do cream teas on the weekend! £7.50 lunch offer gets you a bar snack and glass of house wine/beer. South facing patio with umbrellas. |
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2 Hayfield Road, Ads by Daily Info:
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We have been eating at the Anchor ever since it launched its restaurant and it is always first class for food, service and atmosphere. The prices are great and kids very welcome too. Members of my local WI, Walton Manor, go every month for a supper before the meeting In St Margarets Institute and we all love it. Jane F, 29/07/08 Wholly fantastic. Everything about The Anchor is as close to perfect as is humanly possible. We returned for our second visit with a sense of mild trepidation; the first time I ate there, I declared it the best meal I’d had all year, so I had high hopes and would have been crushed had they not been delivered. Fortunately, it was just as good, if not better. The General Manager is polite, efficient and incredibly friendly. A great example of someone doing a job they enjoy, well, and with a smile on their face. The menu is competently thought out and incredibly tempting. So much so, that this time, unable to restrain my covetousness nature, I ordered two starters (seriously toying with the possibility of a third!). On a previous visit, about two months ago, I sampled their Local Asparagus with a Free Range Poached Egg, Truffle Oil and Shavings of Pecorino. It was absolutely divine; the Egg and Asparagus were cooked to perfection with the Truffle Oil providing a pleasant change to a popular summer dish. My partner ordered a Duck and Black Pudding Terrine, which he thoroughly enjoyed. On this occasion, spoilt for choice, I eventually settled on Devilled Lamb’s Kidneys and Scallops with a Pea and Bacon Risotto. The Kidneys were an absolute joy, rendering me close to tears. I wish that were a lie… Beautifully pink in the middle, they arrived nestled on toasted Ciabatta style bread, swimming in meaty gravy. The Scallops were a splendid sight; two plump Scallops nestled atop of their platonic ideal of Pea and Bacon Risotto. In the ultimate act of love, I sacrificed one of the Scallops to my partner and we were in total agreement that the dish was fantastic. Not wanting to ruin my appetite for my main, I allowed him to devour the remaining Risotto, which he did, with pleasure, having only ordered a Goat’s Cheese Salad himself. In order to remain fair and write a balanced review, he was vaguely disappointed with his starter, claiming the Goat’s Cheese to be too mild and not ripe enough. On to the main course; Hake was offered as a special which deflected me from my original choice of Belly of Pork. This I did on the reasoning that we would certainly be back and the Belly of Pork would still be on the menu, but as a special, there may be no second chance to try the Hake. Mildly woeful, I can’t help wondering if their specials menu will ever be less tempting than their main menu, so there is a chance that I might never get to try the Belly… However, the Hake was certainly worth it. Well seasoned, accompanied by crunchy beans and fabulous roasted tomatoes it was the epitome of summer dining. Our friend ordered Bangers and Mash and didn’t really say much once his food was in front of him. That should be taken as a good sign. My partner ordered a steak, as usual, but stealing a mouthful I can say, as steak goes, it was pretty bloody good… *wince*. The accompanying chips were crisp, salty and skin-on. Need I say more? Absolutely sated, I passed on dessert, opting instead for a very good Irish coffee, as did my friend. My partner went for his usual pudding at The Anchor and literally had to fight us off when it arrived. Risking life and limb to sample it, I can tell you that I would now order desert there, however full I was; the Ginger Ice Cream is just incredible. Last time we visited I devoured their cheese board, which, along with the usual suspects, offers an ever changing special cheese. I choose a rather lovely Ewe’s milk cheese, if I recall correctly. The prices are reasonable, particularly when you consider the quality of the ingredients, the sheer talent of the kitchen and the impeccable service. Dining at The Anchor is a pleasure indeed. Dr Mukti, 23/07/08 I went for a meal at the Anchor after reading good reviews both here and in the Oxford Times. The menu was interesting and the food was excellent, particularly the treacle tart and chocolate brownie pudding. My only criticism would be that the prices are a little high - £11.95 for fish and chips for example. Vickers, 26/05/08 Easily my favourite pub for both a quiet drink or a fabulous meal. The bar staff and proprietors are extremely friendly and helpful and the food is second to none. The rare grilled bavette steak and the Cornish mussels are the best I've had. As a mum of 4 under 7, I don't relish taking my brood out to restaurants that often, but we regularly go for Sunday lunch at the Anchor. Children are very welcome, but if you're after a peaceful evening drink, this pub is also excellent. In the couple of years since it's been under new management, the place has become a meeting place for the locals and a much-treasured part of the community. jerichogirl, 08/05/08 Pretty fantastic grub really. The chaps in the kitchen did a fantastic job and the food was second to none - I recommend the risotto or steak and the chips were great. Bar area is spacious which is more than pleasant. I can't recommend the Anchor enough. Top spot! TCH, 06/09/07 The thing about this pub is that is IS a local. People often seem to know each other, the food is often to die for, (risotto when it is on - a great test of a real cook!) good wine, interesting beers and people who genuinely seem interested in whether you are having a good time. Sometimes heaving which they seem to be able to cope with, children, young people and the oldies all happily mingling about, and sometimes quiet, when you can read the newspaper, have a cup of coffee and a light lunch and go back to work feeling restored. Fireside in winter, outside eating and walks by the canal in summer. Could do with a bit more of colour and sense of place indoors - it's a bit bland in spite of the lovely old bar. diddle, 27/08/07 Great meal tonight. Much quieter than we expected, but it is August. Terrific fresh scallops, seriously good mustard sauce surrounding a nice piece of pork and wonderful, wonderful, wonderful ginger custard with treacle tart. Oh and a really nice cheese platter. The Anchor continues to impress, with really good food and an unusal, but always good wine list. Good service makes you feel comfortable. And the surroundings are hard to beat. j.t, 07/08/07 Had a lovely May Morning here with great breakfast and Eynsham and Headington Morris Men singing all around. They were doing bacon sandwiches but I had the croissant, unsalted butter and strawberry jam, and coffee. And I got one of the few available seats. Nice to find a pub which goes out of its way to fit in with local funny habits. whitelady, 30/04/07 Go EAT HERE!!! Lovely surroundings and decor, very friendly and professional service and the food is simply to die for. Be sure to go for the chocolate brownie pudding, which - despite it's somewhat hefty £5.50 price tag, is like heaven in a plate. You have to at least try it once! c.s., 27/04/07 Friendly, quiet local vibe. Good for kids, they never seem to gripe about toddlers running around. Could tend their ales better - it's often a bit fuggy - Heineken is the only safe bet from the tap. Quality of food varies - think they must alternate chefs - but usually OK to good. If you're into woodcraft, take a look at the original bar and fittings. Place is a joy compared to the shifty den of partition walls and furtive ratzo glances from attendant yoof a few years back, but still struggling for an identity. the howler, 17/07/06
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