Fox & Anchor in Islington

Stayed 2 nights. Pleasant room,comfortable bed,helpful staff.BUT shower in Room 3 needs attention.Tile grout mouldy and discoloured,door seal leaking and leaves the door surround dirty,with standing water present.

Good food and nice place except for the seat they gave me. All the tables were reseved and I arrived early with my reservation and asked if I could sit in a seat that was better suited to me of one of the many seat without customers yet. I dont like stools, because I have a bad back and need my feet ok the floor, plus I've been traveling many days with a rucksack. I prefer to sit and there was a table with a plug and as I am traveling it really helps. They were very uwilling to accommodate the request. To be fair, I don't know how their system works. I fine it jard to believe it would. Have been difficult, especially as I was a party of ome at a table for 4 akd was requesting to move to a table of two, qhich means the bar can serve more people. If they'd been a bit more friendly maybe I wouldn't have cared but it felt like I was given the worst table. Right by the coffee machine with made lots of noise, and a constant stream of people coming past because my taboe was also by the ladies toilets. Beautiful place with good quality food spoiled either by an unwillingness of their part to be compassionate with what seemed like an easily solved request (or me being overly keen on enjoying the dining experience). Table was uncomfortable, noisy, service perfunctory, bordering on unfriendly. But I put it down to bad luck. Id recommended eating there if you know what table your booking ajd dont care about sulky service. Was a disappointment and borderline depressing experience because i was really looling forward to a good sunday roast after 20 years living outside the UK. The other seats are all lovely and dining alone that makes all the difference. Overall depressing but I'm willing to put it down to them being overworked and/or unhappy, or me being unrealistic about how easy it would be to just let me swap tables for a table that no one had arrived at. I suspect they keep the table I booked for lone travelers because they care less about them (but it maybe it's paranoia). Anyway regretted eating there I should have just cancelled when Ingot their unhelpful and unfriendly vibe and gone somewhere more friendly and accommodating. Maybe another time I'll go and sit in not crap spot and tell you I love it.

Really lovely old pub with a beautiful interior, very clean with helpful staff and excellent food. Smithfield market area interesting too.

We were in London for three nights and ate at the Fox and Anchor several times, we loved it so. We had the vegetarian English breakfast once - so thrilled to have a vegetarian version! - and it was substantial and delicious. Our dinner of fish and chips was wonderful as well. Equally wonderful was the place itself, with its cozy dining areas, antiques, and bar. Veronica, our server, was friendly, efficient, and welcoming. And visitors, don't stop at the bar - be sure to check the dining rooms beyond.

Buzzy and busy pub and delicious food (roasts and puddings). Team were friendly and helpful, though did seem a bit tired, end of a long week/weekend perhaps. Great to find this traditional pub with delicious food open on a Sunday afernon, as the area quite quiet then. We went before a Barbican concert: that worked really well.

Damla is the most brilliant host, really went above and beyond to look after me and my clients tonight. Cannot thank her, and the team at Fox & Anchor enough!

We booked a lunch at this gorgeous pub on a Sunday. The place was quite busy and the atmosphere a bit too dark for our liking. We enjoyed a scrumptuous Sunday roast and a side of spicy mac&cheese which was all very delicious. The only reason I did not put five stars is that the food took a long time to arrive on our table (40min) and got quickly cold but the staff was very helpful and heated it up for us when we asked.

Lovely service from Anastasia, amazing massive portions Sunday roast highly recommend!

The Tube was closed so we needed a place to wander in. This is the place. Atmosphere and drinks of the highest order.

The sunday roast is just too good. The pub itself is cozy, and service always great

The best roast I have had in London. Hands down!

Absolutely delightful way to spend a Sunday afternoon! The server Penn was very accommodating and even packaged our leftovers to take away. Don’t miss this roast if you are in the area of a weekend. But WARNING: there may be a spirit lurking in this old building as shown by the white arrow (we were spooked!)

Amazing food!!! And Anastasia did a great job making us feel comfortable. Overall a very nice experience and we will definitely come back!

Great evening at this wonderful spot. Marc is amazing and the pub looks well managed.

Proper pub, proper grub! An amazing Sunday roast

At the time or writing, this is the best Sunday roast I've had eating out in London. Great attention to detail in each element of the roast, and it reflected in the flavours. Their Fox & Anchor roast comes with three or so different meats, and all of them were great. The stuffing ball being breadcrumbed and deep fried was a nice surprise too! Thoroughly recommend!

Damla made our dining experience wonderful

Everything was perfect. Damla was a great waitress. She was so kind and helpfull

Damla was amazing great service

Good service and nice staff! Veronica and Chris were very nice!😊

Chris and Veronica were great hosts, thank you for an amazing English breakfast experience! 🍳

Classic British pub with great comfort food. Came on a Sunday and got the roast. Enough food to kill a healthy horse and delicious too! I’ll be back after I run this off. Order the scotch egg as well.

Best roast we've had in London. Friendly, attentive staff (rare find these days); hearty portions; very reasonably priced; great vibe. Do yourself a favour and book a table now!

As I ordered the steak burger, I asked my usual question "can I have the pattie cooked medium rare?" and I wasn't surprised when I was told no - it comes medium to well done. What did surprise me was how juciy and tasty the pattie was - so zero complaints regarding not being able to cook it medium rare. Loads of different flavours in the burger making it a very enjoyable meal. Service was great too. Am keen to come back and try the roast and the pie that over reviewers have commented on.

Thank you for amazing Sunday roast Fox and anchor( best pork we had in our live) and very big thanks to Veronica for finding a table for us without reservation. Will truly recommend.

Amazing Sunday roast, great service, top atmosphere! Thank you.

Was Great service was slightly confused if we get up and order or someone comes and takes the order but service was friendly and food came quick and was delicious 😋 😀 would recommend good drinks menu aswell if you want a pit stop.

First time having Sunday roast and food was spectacular. Penn went out of their way to help get us a table when we mixed up our booking. So glad we were able to experience this after traveling from half way around the world. Very attentive service all around too. Keep up the great work! Would highly recommend!

Legitimately one of the best places I've been to for Sunday Roast in London. Such a hidden gem with great value and portions as well. The pork roast had incredible crackling that was perfectly cooked. I brought a friend who is a professional chef who was blown away by the food and thoroughly impressed. Our server Penn was incredibly helpful and so welcoming and flexible with our booking. The staff was very attentive and the pub interior is lovely and traditionally cosy, with new side rooms or tables tucked away which makes for an intimate and homely meal. 10/10 - cannot express enough what a wonderful spot this is for a Sunday Roast.

Great traditional pub. Food was amazing and great service from friendly staff. I had the plant burger and my husband had the fish and chips. Good size portions. Would definitely recommend.

Great beer, great food, great atmosphere, great service ... it was great.

Nice tradional looking pub for a quick drink.

Stopped in for a breakfast and beers before a day visiting the CBD. The pub is an amazingly iconic building reflecting the history of the Smithfields area and meat market and worth a visit to experince the Victorian interior and great keg beers. Needless to say the breakfast menu shows the market influence with a huge meatfest option but neding a suitably hungry appetite. I tried the normal full english type brekkie with optional added kidneys! It was great, lovely runny yolk, and succulent sausages, nicely cooked bacon etc... all washed down with a well presented guinness! The staff are helpful, and diligent in serving and checking customers needs. All in all a highly recommended pub and eatery, will definatly be making a return visit. The lunches and meat options look amazing if that is your thing!

This is an excellent pub right near The Charterhouse and Smithfield market. It's not too far from St. Paul's. It's certainly worth a visit if touring around the area. There are some fantastic pubs in the area away from the main tourists ones near St. Paul's and this is definitely on the list. We had stopped by on a pub crawl in the area and really liked the building and also the fact it was off the beaten track. I would come back for a pint next time I'm in the area. Final note, there are lodgings here too that you can book on their website.

We had the shareable platter that gave us a little of all of the traditional foods of London. We also had some really good cider, tasty house wine and our friendly server gave us a sample of London ale. The space is so charming and full of character and the servers were friendly and attentive. Great experience!

Grear atmosphere. Wondeful food. And the colleague looking after us, Vincent, is brilliant. Would really recommend this pub

We stayed at the Fox and Anchor for one night making use of their Sunday special offer which was 1 night bed and breakfast plus 30 pounds each towards an evening meal , all for 180 pounds which we thought was excellent value given the location and quality of the room , food and hospitality. The Fox and Anchor is a really old historic building full of original features and it just oozes quirkiness with discreet little snugs to dine in and candles on the table plus great food wine and beer. What else could you want ! The staff were pleasant and professional and we will return on our next trip to London and look forward to it !

Ok. Roast was a little heavy on the Yorkshire pudding but very light on the veg. Not bad but probably wouldn’t go back. Staff b helpful.

Great Sunday roast and very good service. They were also helpful with allergens. It’s a beautiful pub with character and history.

Great food and attentive service. The meat was amazing. Lovely old pub with a fascinating history. It was a busy night (night before the bank holiday) and the manager was rushed off his feet but he coped brilliantly! Maybe he needs more support on a busy night? Also my partner had breakfast there - again he said superb food. We also stayed overnight but we were very disappointed with the room. It was at the top of three steep flights of stairs (maybe call us and let us know when we had booked?). The room was small, the mattress was too soft, it had a very stained carpet, the room’s air con had a fault so it made loud noises all night so we eventually had to turn it off and the bed did not face the TV so it was uncomfortable viewing. The bed needs to positioned facing the TV. However, the positives: decorated well with lovely old features eg an old style phone. There is room service and lots of nice add-ons eg snacks and nespresso machine. The bathroom was spotless and kitted out well and it’s a great location. Tip: we avoided congestion charge period and we left our car at the Barbican car park and it cost just £19 for 48 hours using Just Park. In summary, I’d give the pub food four stars out of five and the room two stars out of five so an average of three.

Great little authentic traditional pub

Sunday roast is a can’t miss! Food was amazing, love the little secluded rooms you can reserve. Recommend getting there early as they do sell out of some things, but they actually alerted us to this before we arrived for our reservation. Service was impeccable as well. Wish we lived closer because I would be here at least once a month.

Delicious Sunday roasts enjoyed by all the family in our own private little booth! Fabulous! Will come again 👍

First time in London for my wife and myself and experiencing a traditional Sunday roast lunch in a snug authentic style pub and surroundings. Food was plentiful and tasty. Lovely staff looked after us superbly, thank you, see you again soon hopefully Highly recommended.

Stayed overnight in their beautiful rooms, the pub has a wonderful atmosphere and interior, and the staff are unbelievably friendly and helpful. Truly an exceptional find, will stay there again for sure next time we're in London overnight! Transport links are fantastic as it's so close to Farringdon station, it really has everything you want for a boutique feel without an excessive price tag. Breakfast in the morning was also fantastic, really nice to enjoy it in our room at our leisure as well. Thank you to the team for a lovely stay, we will see you again and hopefully have a chance to eat dinner next time!

Many memories, from my City boy days, of the excellent, huge, full English when we worked the Asian markets in the early, early mornings. At the same time the Smithfield meat porters were had their dinners. As the market declined the area changed but if you want a pint in a classic London boozer then the Fox has to be on your list.

Fantastic lunch in panelled snug, super steaks and cheese. Great Youngs Ales. Lovely staff, the Hungarian gentleman looked after us superbly, thank you, see you again soon hopefully Highly recommended.

Wonderful pub with proper ale pint glasses and the best Sunday lunch post St Barts.

Thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The Market Suite was so comfy with lots of room to make yourself at home. Great having a separate lounge to the bedroom and even a small seated roof terrace to enjoy if the weather is good. Dinner in the bar was excellent. Thankfully we'd booked a table as it was a busy Thursday night. Standing room only for drinks initially. We were then seated in a fab cosy booth and enjoyed the London Platter, a smorgasbord of freshly prepared bar snacks with fries and tasty dips. Thoroughly recommended. We were well looked after by The Manager who was so kind and courteous. Bed super comfy and so peaceful being at the rear of the building. The only peculiarity was the heated bathroom floor which was so hot it was a challenge to walk on in bare feet. Could do with turning down or even off being August. Having been to the Barbican theatre in the afternoon the Fox & Anchor is ideally placed nearby to top off a fun london trip. Would highly recommend.

Excellent pub, great food, small and intimate dining room with snugs, and a good little bar. One of the best.

Authentic pub! Good cocktails. Great for hang outs and intimate dates!

Very dingy and dark the beer well over priced and not great won't be going back

Really lovely place for lunch, excellent food, friendly and attentive service

Had a booking for Saturday 3 August at 09:00 which was confirm by text on the 2nd of August. Arrived to the place being closed without being informed. What the point of taking and confirming a booking if the aren't even open. Update: To add, I received a phone call whereby I was given a real apology and explanation. This was really appreciated and I found it a professional response

Best steak in London! Lovely place with a nice selection of ales. Angelica is truly angelic and nothing was too much trouble for her! Brilliant experience! We will be back.

A welcoming service that knows how to put you at ease. The place and the dishes are incredible, you should go there without hesitation!

Incredible sunday roast! One of the best I’ve had in London. Would definitely come again.

Classic London pub with good beer and wine selection. Brilliant service from Angelika, who looked after us all evening.

The atmosphere and decor is/are great, food is delicious, our room is quaint but elegant, the bed is heavenly. Boyfriend said it was lumpy but it was like sleeping on puffy clouds for me. It ain't cheap but not outrageous either.

Nice English pub with good food, service was very good, overall excellent. Handy for the Barbican where we were heading for a concert.

Had an absolutely excellent Sunday roast at the Fox & Anchor with top service. We were really looking forward to the desert too, but had no room for it as the size of the main meal was so generous 👍 Looking forward to returning something soon.

Amazing place I visited many times before Covid and back in late 90s Shame the area has changed and people moved on. It’s a great step from the past of old times London

Stayed in the hotel for a night and had a sub-par experience. Check-in with the guy at reception was awful, he was incredibly rude and not welcoming at all and honestly souered our experience even before we arrived. The only light was the curly haired guy and the lady working at the bar. They were very friendly and helpful. Just because of them I am giving 2 stars instead of 1. Room had cool design but my goodness is this place FILTHY. Walls are stained all around, the carpet has black spots all over, and the bathroom ceiling is chipping off. Our bedsheets were covered in stains and when we arrived home at 11:30 PM the stench from the bathroom was overwhelming. We will 100% not be returning and hope the next guests will have a better/cleaner experience.

Small pub in the city with a great atmosphere. Warm and woody with plenty of nooks and crannies where to spend pleasant time with few friends or on a date. Relaxed and cosy.

Had a lovely experience! Definitely try the sticky toffee pudding. A real treat!

Delicious food & great service in our ‘wooden booth’ for 4.

A nice breakfast but nothing too special. Toilet was full of mosquitoes and that wasn’t nice

Had the city breakfast and was allowed to swap out the Guinness for a different beer. Offal was over cooked but the rest of the plate was good. Was a good experience after a visit to Smithfield’s

When in London, you must stop here. The pub is beautiful, the mood is great and the food is truly delicious. We suggest you try the pie if you’ve never had one, sausages and fish&chips also recommended. We’ll be back!

We stumbled across this early opener as we had just arrived off a plane from Australia. The staff were wonderful and friendly. They pour a perfect Guinness too! Amazing menu which we are heading back to try today! Thanks for the amazing welcome to the UK!

Enjoyed a lovely evening with friends. Food was divine. Loved that we were sat in a private cubicle which enabled a lot of chat with our friends Very welcoming to our dog as well. Highly recommend for a special occasion out.

Didn't eat here, nice location, 50/50 service but guess it's busy and popular... tho' fan of Young's beer and was at The Charterhouse, so checked it out.

This place is so solid. Beautiful, charming, with quality food.

What a fantastic little place with great service. Loved the location and proximity to the trains to get around London.

Top place for a beer in the afternoon. Really enjoyed it. Great scotch egg

Brilliant service and the food was delicious. Nothing was too much bother which given we were 19 people is very impressive.

Beautiful Booths to have a "private" moments!!! Not busy on breakfast time which I like. But pricey it is.

Very good Young's pub about 5 minutes walk from Farringdon underground station and about 10 minutes walk from the Barbican Centre. Three cask beers on handpump when I visited. A few tables outside at the front. The pub which dates from 1898 is Grade II-listed. The decorative panels on the inside external walls of the ground floor and all of the decorative front, designed by WJ Neatby and manufactured by Doulton and Co of Lambeth. An excellent example of street architecture and decorative tilework under the influence of Art Nouveau.

Went for Sunday roast with friends. Astonishing Yorkshire pudding I would say! Service staff were friendly and talkative. Nicely curated decor. Would def recommend.

Had a great breakfast here. Hotel room was comfortable and different.

Great pub experience, the food was delicious. We sat in a booth, worked perfectly for our group! Loved the sticky toffee pudding.

The roast dinner was stunning, such good quality meat and sides! Would be returning

A nice decent bar with good food.

We booked quite late for a bite to eat late afternoon. We decided to share the 'City Sharer' which was fantastic. Good quite service in a lovely location.

Excellent pub. Place to sit is right in the back where they have cozy booths to hide away in.

Went for Sunday Lunch on 12/05/24 and loved the experience. Really atmospheric boozer in one of my favourite districts of London. Welcoming and attentive staff, fabulous food, possibly the best Sunday lunch we've had in a London pub! Absolutely recommended!

First time at the Fox & Anchor - was staying in the area with an American who’s never been to England before. It was her first ever roast dinner and it couldn’t have been a better introduction. The staff fit us in without a reservation. We had beef and pork. The pork belly was to die for - excellent crackling and the sides were all amazing. The savoy cabbage was my favourite. Generous gravy portion and massive yorkies. My American companion was definitely sold. We had sticky toffee pudding for dessert which could have had more sauce but was very tasty and the sponge was lovely and soft. Our server was Kristoff who was absolutely lovely and very very helpful. Would absolutely come back if in the area again!

Possibly the best pub roast I've ever had. Only criticisms - plate a little too small, music a little too loud, but these are really minor.

Quaint little pub and it is the only one that is open in the neighborhood on a Sunday. I already had lunch reservations otherwise I would have stayed for the Sunday roast. Looks like they have some awesome locally sourced cuts of meat too.

It's rare to feel you're inconveniencing the waiting staff by being served your food and drinks, but this place managed it. Shame as the food was decent.

Easily one of the best meals I’ve ever had 100% quality

Our local - such a great spot, staff very kind and look after you!

A great pub tucked away in a historic part of London. Faultless service and excellent food - the Sunday roast was fabulous! We will definitely be going back.

Really enjoyed the food and the service

We had a 40th Anniversary of Nurse Training reunion. We hired the function room. The service and food were fantastic. Special mention must go to Weronika Czarzasta who looked after us so well. She was professional, polite, kind and helpful. She even took group photos for us. Weronlika was just perfect. The booking and preparation was straightforward. I would highly recommend.

We had a great Sunday Roast, food was good and the staff was very polite. They accommodated our last minute request of adding a person to the table.

This is a beautiful Victorian pub with original features; wood, etched glass etc. Great food, ambiance and service. Highly recommended and will definitely return.

A great English pub with an antique interior. We ate Pork Belly Sunday Roast. Excellent welcome. Excellent food, delicious beers. The bill was brought in a little book from 1909 which they then gave us as a gift.

A very traditional pub in a lovely square adjacent to Smithfield market. Popped in for a pre-lunch drink. A young Australian barman was in behind the bar and there was only one other customer. Asked for a Bloody Mary and was told they don't do cocktails. Explained that it isn't a cocktail and did they have tomato juice. Barman said that they did and I responded that I would explain how to make it. He begrudgingly filled a tall glass to the very top with ice. I asked him to take some out. He was in such a bad mood that he spilt most of the ice over the bar (which was not particularly clean) and then picked the rest up with his hands and put the ice cubs back in the bucket rather than throwing them away. I asked if could add some Worcester Sauce and he said that didn't have any, even though there was a catering size bottle immediately in front of him. He then put a huge amount into the Bloody Mary so it was practically black. We took our drinks over to a quiet corner and the barman followed us and started slamming boxes of wine around immediately next to our table. Shortly after a friend of his arrived and they spent 10 minutes swearing (lots of the F word) and the barman said that a customer had recently complained about his attitude which is hardly surprising. Needless to say we finished our drinks as quickly as we could and will never return. Such a shame as otherwise we would have stayed a lot longer and the pub itself is fine.

Step into the pub and you're instantly embraced by the warmth of its atmosphere and the genuine smiles of its staff. Their Sunday Roast? Simply divine. Each dish, from the succulent pork meat to the crispy potatoes, is perfection. The ambiance is a blend of coziness and detail meticulously crafted to create an unforgettable dining experience. The staff is friendly and helpful. For a Sunday filled with delicious food, great company, and a touch of charm, this is the ultimate destination. It's where memories are made. Lovely dinner with my parents!