The Anchor - Colchester

The food at this pub was good, but the service left much to be desired. The landlord insisted that our family of 7 sit at separate tables of 5 and 2, as they claimed they could not accommodate a group larger than 6. Despite the restaurant being empty, we were not allowed to sit together. We were made to order our food separately, with two of us having to place our orders in advance. We had to pay separate bills for each table. Additionally, the room was freezing cold and we had to keep our coats on, despite it being a garden room in November. When we asked for the radiators to be turned on, we were told they were on a thermostat, which seemed to be set to come on at minus 2 degrees. I may consider returning in the summer to sit outside by the river, but I will not be coming back in the winter.

Came here twice a couple of weeks ago. Great Ham, eggs chips proper ham with Colman 's mustard) but i could have done without the added salad. Second time we both had the Fish and Chips, a decent size portion on offer at £8.95 as good as it gets. Regret they lost a star because of the lack of real ale

Used to come to this pub for the great views,good food and a great selection of Shephard and Neame real ales…..Two of those things have gone.I’ll let you guess what stayed the same!I did have a lovely fish and chips,my partner had Chicken wrapped in Parma ham,but unfortunately the carrots were only partly cooked(couldn’t stick your fork in it)!the cabbage wasn’t seasoned,the mash was only thing that tasted ok,The kids sausage and chips meal was ok but sausages were dry and not succulent,and to top it’s all no real ale!!The boss sits at the bar with his Guinness,not everyone likes stout.Gone down a slippery slope,shame.

We had a fantastic dinner with friends at The Anchor on Saturday evening, overlooking the River Colne. The four of us were impressed by the fantastic quality of our starters and mains. The homemade food exceeded our expectations of typical pub grub. My fish cakes were absolutely delicious, and the Pork Belly main was the best I've ever had. The crackling was so crispy that even a Michelin chef would be proud, and the pork melted in a rich gravy. We all savored every bite of our meals and were amazed by the quality and flavors. The staff was excellent, friendly, and helpful, and the draft Guinness was just as good as the black stuff in Dublin. Thank you to The Anchor for a wonderful dining experience - we'll definitely be back!

PERFECTION everything about the Anchor is truly amazing. Our friends were over from Suffolk so we decided to come here after eating once before. The menu changes regularly and this time I really struggled to chose from the lovely choices. Every dish each of us had was stunning. I personally had the Coley fishcakes, and the chicken wrapped in Parma ham with mushroom and goats cheese