Anchor Inn in Babergh

Dog Friendly! Lovely location next to the river and leads directly to country walks. Menu includes old favourites and interesting alternatives.

Beautiful inn, but food wasn't the best. I had a cheese burger, and the patty was dry and burnt, and the chips were cold, but lovely decorations

Best gluten free fish and chips i have ever had.

I booked the Anchor Inn for a lunch time meal for my wife's birthday whilst kids were at school, it was surprisingly busy. The food was great, but unfortunately wasn't hungry enough to order multiple courses! Parking available along the road, but also a large parking area before the bridge (a short walk). Look forward to visiting again at some point.

The best Sunday Roast I've had in years :0

We celebrated my husband's 60th Birthday, everything was absolutely perfect from the booking to the service and the meal! Thank you

Visited on a Sunday lunchtime with my parents. We have been plenty of times before, but not for a few years and I was really pleasantly surprised to see so many vegan options on the menu. I live in London and most London pubs don't offer the variety this pub does! I had the tofu 'gammon' roast which was really delicious with all the trimmings. They also had a burger and gnocchi. Not many pubs offer vegan roasts so it was great to be able to indulge in this and not feel left out. But also really nice that they offer the whole menu on Sundays and not just roast dinners. Very impressed ☺️

Stopped for a coffee this time. Perfect

Excellent menu choice, super quality and good portion sizes. Well worth a visit ... you won't be disappointed

fantastic pub/restaurant, extremely friendly warm and cosy. good always excellent, best fish and chips in area and always interesting options on the menu, fair pricing and good selection of beers.

Best Sunday roast in North Essex/South Suffolk! Really well cooked and tasty. Beautiful location and friendly friendly staff.

Lovely pub on a bridge and alongside a stream , tables outside were great in the sun today the inside is traditional good selection of beers menu looked well thought out but could really do with a vegan option on there . Staff were friendly prices were good and you can even rent boats and go on the river. Car park and seating opens out into fields so the view is amazing , we look forward to our next visit . Still fantastic, menu could do with some more Vegan options

Really lovely food, the haddock and chips was gorgeous!

What a place for a meal and a few drinks! A real gem, Great menu, happy to help staff, and the ales and lagers were all on form. Loved this visit ❤️

We paddled down the river from the nearby Rushbanks Farm campsite for lunch at the weekend. We had booked a table for 1:45 but arrived about 1/2 hour early - no problem at all; table was ready and we were seated and served drinks very quickly. Menu was great with the really interesting addition of the bbq option - highly recommended. Pub was extremely busy - there must have been over 50 people that had paddled down the river from the campsite or walked - but the service was super efficient and the team are extremely professional and well drilled. The menu really is first class and we had some interesting and very high quality starters and desserts as well as the BBQ main. Would highly recommend the Anchor but would add a word of caution if you were looking to visit and weren't paddling down the river to arrive - it does get really busy with visitors from the campsite and there are a lot of wet children / dogs around the place.

Lovely summer lunch by the river. We love The Anchor.

We pulled up on our canoe and paddleboard to have a spot of lunch and drink. The food was fresh, delicious and fun. There were dog bowls for water and the best soft serve ice-cream. The young staff were efficient and friendly. Lots of different seating areas to choose from. Highly recommend visiting. Great on hot days as you get a lovely cool breeze off the River Stour

Very nice pud, great garden section looking out onto river. Pricey for drinks but every pub in area is. Portage for those using the river

In an area of outstanding beauty. Excellent food and drink. Had lunch outside beside the river. Only a short drive from Colchester. High quality toilets. Important at my age.

We have not been here for several years but ere tempted to go back as the chef from a restutant where we used to eat regularly now works here. We had a lovely evening - the place has definately gone upmarket since our last visit, much smarter & more professional. The food was lovely & everone was very friendly. Will be comming back.

excellent food and service..worth a drive. A good chef makes all the difference!

Wanted to book for 6.30 but only 5.45 available. As I write this at 7.50pm there have been at least 12 tables empty (mix of 4 to 8 seat) and most of the time more. Considering they couldn’t book us in at 6.30 it took over an hour to get our mains. Reluctantly the children wanted desert so I ordered which also took a long time. Portions very mixed. The small steak was tiny and suppose to be medium but was well done. My fish was suppose to be large yet was medium however you don’t get peas with your fish and chips and have to order separately. They were huge and would do two to three people. The deserts were the same. The children had childrens brownie and ice cream £3.50, I had adult brownie (same desert) for £8.50 and had exactly the same ice cream scoop and double the sized brownie, so effectively they had 2/3rds the same size desert as me for considerably less than half price. Wouldn’t recommend and won’t be back any time soon, unless I’m in no rush to be served and someone else is paying. I will say the food was mainly cooked well except the steak, hence two stars.

Visited on a sunny weekday in June. Food was lovely, arrived in good time and was crispy & tasty. The outdoor seating area is a good size and well spaced out.

Lovely setting and very attentive staff. Food is good but overpriced for what it is. The Crown prices but not the same level.

Nice food, Friendly service. Rocked up on a paddleboard and canoe from the Stour. Lovely.

Friendly staff, food delicious, we have fish and chips, chicken wings with chili, grilled beef,

Lovely place to sit by the river when the weather is nice, we only had a drink so cannot rate the food. The interior of the pub was nicely decorated and the service was good, friendly and welcoming.

It was quick and easy while they were busy

Location superb. Varied menu. Never been to a pub where the staff were so well organised. Staff were friendly and welcoming and worked hard to provide an excellent service.

Lovely traditional pub with excellent food in a beautiful setting by the river Sour

We visited on a Wednesday lunch time. The setting is delightful and the building is old, full of charm and Chocolate Box photo worthy. We were greeted warmly and shown to our large table reserved for us. Drinks order taken by the lovely blond girl who looked after us with a smile and calm efficiency. I had the minute steak and frites. The rest of the party enjoyed a lamb/beef burger, beef short rib and a fish n chips. All delivered piping hot and in good time. All of the meals were very tasty. My steak was a little over seasoned for my taste. Just a little too much salt on the fries too. Hence Four, not five stars. But that’s subjective and has not put us off returning and recommending. The bill was reasonable and we gladly added a generous tip for our lovely waitress. I have seen a two star review here saying that the venue is not very accommodating to disabled visitors. I have to say that I think that is a little harsh. It’s a very old (and probably listed) building. Where we sat was more than roomy enough for wheel chairs and the lavatories are on the same floor/level. Access and egress again looked fine for less able bodied guests.

Being able to sit outside by the river was wonderful.

Lovely pub by a river. I didn't eat here but the food looked and smelt nice. Was here mid week and is clearly popular with locals. Staff are welcoming and accommodating. Attended an intimate music event in a room upstairs which was very well organised. Parking is on the other side of the road and down the road a little. I didn't see how big it was.

Not a warm welcome. We had not booked. Outside had to out the brolly up ourselves. No provision of blankets, although June lunchtime it was far from warm. The veggie cauliflower main meal was really not in anyway worth the £17. It would have made a nice starter. I will not go again.

Nice pub at a great location. Staff were very helpful and the prices were reasonable. Unfortunately I found some of the food a bit style over substance, some nice ideas but not as good as I'd hoped.

Great menu with high quality food. Nice location and very polite and helpful staff.

Excellent country pub with a very good menu. Beautiful location, run by very nice people.

Excellent cafe and restaurant. Large terrace on the water.

Great place to stop for lunch whilst out walking right next to the river.

Lovely location, friendly service, good food at reasonable prices for the area. Not your average pub fare.

Visited on a Friday night for dinner. Good menu options including vegan options. Tofu 'fish' burger was really nice and a bit different from the normal 'beef' option. The cauliflower and gnocchi main was tasty but could have been enjoyed more if there was a bit more of it. Pub/bar area busy on a Friday night and fairly loud. Not an issue for us on the other side of the room but if you're visiting with people who are hard of hearing it might cause an issue. Perhaps it's quieter during the week. Doggy friendly and lovely seating outside next to the river. Staff very good. Food on time etc. No issues at all. Would go back and recommend.

Love sitting in the garden alongside the river.

Beautifully appointed country riverside pub with loads of outside space and tables. Perfect for a pint and meal with friends.

Six of us visited on a Friday lunchtime. Pretty busy, so our food took a little while to arrive, but everyone was happy with their choices. Friendly staff, lovely location. We'll be back!

Very busy on a Wednesday night....usually a good sign. The plaice was excellent....vey fresh and well cooked, with herb butter and courgettes plus asparagus....so the Boss was happy. Mine was pie of the day.....steak and stout....pretty good, with good well-cooked vegetables and mash. A good range of beers to go with the pie.....we would go back!

Poor facilities for disabled people. 1 parking space. Dogs more welcome than those with 2 leg issues. No places to sit on offer. A restaurant more than a pub.

Really welcoming - dog friendly - great food and service. One very happy Setter ☺️

Amazing! Really high quality delicious food - had the steak pie which was fantastic. Plenty of outdoor seating with stream views. Highly recommend! Friendly service. (Only negative is no hienz ketchup!)

Brilliant quick service and tasty food

10/10 best vibes in this gorgeous pub by the river. Food was delicious, staff were on the ball and super helpful & we had a gorgeous Sunday lunch in the sun 🌞 Followed by a lovely walk along a track to see some cows 🐄 Book & get down there ASAP!

We'd highly recommend the Anchor. A warm and friendly village pub that has significantly improved under the "new management". The food and atmosphere are excellent and the staff could not be more friendly & helpful. We also love the "Anchor Sessions" music nights - a bit like a Nayland version of Ronnie Scott's with quality internationally renowned performers.

Welcoming pub/restaurant in a pleasant setting. Friendly front of house staff. Good quality, well presented and reasonably priced food that was perfectly cooked and served. Would recommend and we will return.

The staff here are so friendly and helpful and the food is absolutely amazing! Whilst the menu wasn’t huge, there were so many lovely options that I truly struggled to choose what to eat. I ended up with a lamb and winter veg pie, whereas my husband had the burger. We were both so happy with our choices! The portions were generous and price for the meal was definitely reasonable. Look forward to coming back next week!

Great place, the Easter Egg Hunt was great fun!

We went for a family supper and the whole experience was very good. Although the menu was a bit limited; the food was very good. The service was excellent and the price was very fair. We will definitely go back

We looked for pub in area through research, although also asked old friend who lived in Colchester area. He recommended Anchor. Convenient large car park a short walk away got matters off to a good start for 2pm family 5 booking. Shown upstairs to good sized table. Service impeccable and menu not overly long, nor fussy with appropriate list, also not long, of specials. Food was delicious. Adnams beer of the highest order and very well kept. Anchor offered outside seating overlooking River Stour where we had pudding. Staff were a delight. Highly recommended.

Good food at a reasonable price, unfortunately there was a children's party going on upstairs with lots of banging and crashing noises through the ceiling. I think they must have been short staffed as service was patchy (e.g. jug of water brought to table but no glasses). Impossible to catch servers attention, even when they were at the next table, unles they flitted by to see if we wanted to order more drinks and quickly nipped off if we didn't! It has been good on previous visits.

Along overdue revisit and we'll worth it.

This is a place transformed. It always had a lovely position on the River Stour but didn't have the food, staff or atmosphere it deserved. Not any more. The new team deliver friendly service, excellent food (I had the steak frites) and a great beer range with a good value wine list. An added bonus is the Anchor sessions music nights, very high quality acts in their upstairs room which feels like a rural Ronnie Scotts. Worth travelling for.

I highly recommend this gorgeous country pub. The food is absolutely delicious. My favourite is the chargrilled Steak Frites - it is always really really good and the service is excellent. The Anchor is right by the by River Stour with beautiful views and it’s perfect for lunch after a good walk. We are repeat customers and it’s our favourite pub. The log fire is SO lovely and they have a very good wine and beer selection. It couldn’t be nicer and the Anchor Sessions are fantastic. Thank you to everyone at the Anchor for always looking after us so well. We’ll be back soon.

We had a great lunch here, the four of us all chose different meals and they were all delicious. The staff were very friendly and attentive and the pub had a lovely ambiance. We will definitely be returning. Thank you.

Another excellent Anchor Sessions night, this time with the very talented Robbie Cavanagh. A very enjoyable evening- fantastic artist in a lovely venue with friendly staff. Would highly recommend.

What a find! We fairly recently moved to the area and discovered this great pub on our doorstep to our delight! Such a pretty location right on the river and in the summer months a treat to have a drink and enjoy really really good pub grub! Love the fact that we can bring our dog along too. We have eaten here through the winter months and love the cosy friendly atmosphere we get when we arrive. We now have our favourite table by the lovely wood burner - we do have to book as it gets busy. The menu has a really good selection and I can honestly say their local ale battered fish and chips is the best I have ever had. The creamed spinach is to die for! Their apple and rhubarb crumble is so delicious too! The staff couldn’t be more helpful if they tried - always going the extra mile to make sure we have an enjoyable evening. Great food, great beer, great staff and great location. It’s a thumbs up from us!

We recently celebrated a friend’s birthday at the Anchor. The menu was so reasonably priced and the food was delicious. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, the staff friendly and helpful. Looking forward to going again soon to enjoy one of their live music evenings.

Great pub in a lovely, historic village. Good service, great food and a lovely location. Highly recommended.

The best pub roast I’ve had, 10/10

Excellent fresh fish & lovely fresh menu choices, excellent service & fab desserts .A great find

I went to a gig at the Anchor where I was verbally sworn at, bullied and intimidated by a man I had never seen before or met. A total stranger. I am Chinese. As I was the only person of colour in the room, sat by myself minding my own business, I can only assume that his actions were racist. I complained immediately to both the Manager of the Anchor and the music organiser. Initially both men expressed the view that they would ban the stranger from future gigs. Unfortunately they changed their minds and decided that as I was a customer, they had no duty of care towards me because I was not a staff member. Legally, they are totally wrong in this. They made a choice not to support me. As a woman being sworn at and intimidated in a public place, The Anchor showed me - no support, no duty of care, no conscience or moral compass to me as a customer., Unbelievable in this day and age. I will never recommend the Anchor to anyone, I will never eat there or step into that pub again. Hurtful, disappointing, toxic, demeaning.

I was lucky enough to visit the Anchor recently for a Sunday roast and I have to say it was the best roast I have ever had. Despite it being busy the staff could not have been more attentive. A special mention to your chef Daryn, his cooking is to die for! He is clearly very passionate about what he does, a credit to your restaurant. The food has come on so much compared to when I was there a couple of years ago.

Excellent food and excellent service from grace a good selection on the menu with lots of gluten-free available can highly recommend want hesitate to go back

So disappointed! My children booked as Mother’s Day surprise and also because it states gluten free. I ordered roast beef and you would have thought I would have Yorkshire puddings like everyone else but no and only one choice for the sweet. My husband order fish which was full of bones. We came out hungry and had stop off on the way back to Suffolk to eat.

What an amazing experience. Thank you to the whole of the Anchor team for an incredible evening. Food was out of this world (I had the Ravioli from the specials and it blew me away) not to add the very delicious cheese selection to finish. And what a way to finish the evening with an exceptional live performance from Mike Mayfield. Very grateful to have got my tickets considering it was fully booked two nights in a row and I completely understand why. No doubt I will be back.

Nice pub classics with modern twist and daily specials. Friendly service, well priced

What a lovely time we had. We often dine at the sister restaurant The Angel and although this is much more casual dining the food is outstanding. We were so impressed. The service was very good too! We will be returning.

I can only echo other people’s comments and say that we had stunning food and service. The atmosphere was set with real candlelight - which is barely seen these days - so it was unexpected and lovely that have. The staff were perfect and looked after us wonderfully. The food was outstanding and priced excellently too. My partner had a beautiful celeriac dish and when my partner commented on the great choice for vegetarians and how lovely it was - the waitress told us that the chef was vegetarian. I had a large steak and frites. That was cooked brilliantly - soft and soooo tasty!! We will be going back very soon!

Incredibly attentive service, great food and fabulous wine tasting by @mrwheelerwines. Will definitely be back to the Anchor. Thank you

Really lovely venue, friendly staff, great food, clean and well stocked loos. Thank you xx

Really enjoyable food and excellent service by all members of staff

Very nice place and lovely staff, we ate buffet as I was there for a funeral. Well catered for ❤️

Exceptional. We booked a table of six for the Saturday before Christmas, so were expecting it to be a noisy, crowded affair. Imagine our surprise when we were given a room entirely to ourselves. Despite being upstairs the Staff were highly attentive and we never felt neglected. The food was sensational. Starters we fresh and light and really tasty. My wife described her Burger as the best she's ever had (and we've eaten in a lot of London "gourmet" burger places). My Steak Frite's were beautifully cooked and the rest of table loved their meals. The desserts were great as well. All of the staff we friendly, conversational and happy. We feel like we have found an absolute gem in the Anchor and will be sure to return again soon. Highly recommend!!!

Great Gastro pub, super location, nice interior. Staff, friendly and welcoming, excellent service. Tasty food and decent prices.

Food was excellent and the staff very friendly, would highly recommend

Held our annual Christmas Lunch at The Anchor today, food and service superb

Very poor customer service. Visited on 29th November and after purchasing a drink and snack, I kindly asked the bar staff to phone a taxi as I had been in the local area and had failed to catch a bus out of the village to nearby Colchester. The staff member explained that they couldn't make the phone call and went onto explain that they couldn't make the call as they didn't have any taxi numbers. The staff member appeared to have a complete lack of interest in helping a customer of the business.

New head chef Darren up here is fantastic!! Amazing new specials food is GREAT, lovely pub with super friendly service.

Had the 3 small plate fish dishes, stunning. All our dishes were generous in size and very tasty. Attentive efficient and friendly waitress. Wish I had asked her name, deserves a special mention. We sat just left of the entrance and the only negative was the furniture upstairs being moved around. Very noisy.

Popped in after a quick walk along the river there for a quick pint and a pub lunch. Staff were super friendly! Dogs are welcome and the food was top notch. You can taste its all fresh and homemade and very well priced for its quality. They earned our loyalty and our tips! We shall be back thanks guys.

We booked for lunch just before Christmas, had a table upstairs, which is not a huge room, but that's to the benefit of being intimate and super friendly. I had the Fish dish, it was beautiful, the razer clams sweet and full flavour, the fish chips and tender on the inside. Service was excellent, what a brilliant pub. I have no reservation in recommending the Anchor.

Nice Riverside pub with beer garden. Service was good and pleasant staff. Parking is about 50m away. Hot drinks served as well (Did not eat, so can't comment on food)

A first vist very enjoyable. Good food. Recommended.

The location and atmosphere are lovely. Sadly the only vegan option was a linguini which had almost no sauce and no flavour (the meat and fish though looked great and my friends said their dishes were delicious) The staff are friendly but not hugely knowledgeable on what was on the menu. So overall probably okay if you aren’t vegan- if you are you may well be disappointed!

Really lovely staff and beautiful setting. The atmo6outside was great. Had the cod was good but the battery was not as crispy as I would have liked. Parking is a little tricky.

This wonderful pub set in stunning surroundings offers great food, beers and service. I love this place, it's a favourite within our extended family and recommend it without hesitation.

Went here for lunch with friends and our two dogs. Made very welcome, offered bowls of water for the dogs. Food was excellent - we shared tapas style fish dishes and salads. Good pricing, lovely table by the river, prompt and attentive service. Will definitely go again when in the area

Great drink and position to enjoy outside by theriver

Only stopped for a pint. Lovely staff and nice decor inside.

Parking not there fault but street parking limited or in a field 1/2mile away. Service great (sorry we got confused over your tip) Would go back

Enjoyed our delicious lunch in a comfortable atmosphere. Friendly staff were very helpful too.

Great place for food. Never been disappointed. Amazing place to come on a warm summers day. Superb views of the countryside.

Awful Caesar salad !!! Paid £16 lettuce was pink , eat under half , complained to staff , still charged me . NEVER AGAIN WOULD I GO AND EAT THERE !!! My daughter had tomatoe pasta it was like rubber !