Hungry Horse The Anchor in Bedford

wonderful service great atmosphere

Lovely experience, staff welcoming - thank you Jack and Maria. Regular to this pub for last few years. Great conversations and local ale

Brill pub for family’s great prices service top drawer

Great time great atmosphere, wide selection of drinks and no more waiting for long periods ! Spot on about time

Wonderful experience; bartender made a drink for me not on menu and served my little one ice cream really quickly before our mains, service and nice decor well looked after

Pub grub greats beers and atmosphere was brilliant, thanks Jack and Maria

Sunday, around 6pm, we just popped in on the off-chance for something to eat and a drink. Greeted by Josh, very friendly guy who got us a table immediately as the Sunday rush had finished. The two meals arrived quickly and we were VERY impressed with everything. The chefs on tonight were Michaela, Alessio and Cameron - WELL DONE. Will come again.

Food spot on and staff always great conversation. Food prompt and speed service

Not improved in years.. May come back next year..

Anna was a great, I always come in here and she’s always happy and smiling

Me and my partner come here often ! And we absolutely love this place ! Extremely friendly there’s a park that’s been recently added, so great for the children in the summer. Dogs welcome also ! Very well priced food ! Good quality! All around! Our fav choice of local pub / restaurants ! Thanks soo much ! Dan

Such a lovely place to go watch the football and have some lunch. One of our favourite places in Bedford. Kyra and Anna are always so kind and always do their best to make sure we are comfortable.

This was our third time here and would definitely come again. Yes where are a few things I would change but more so on my part than theirs

Nice pub? Shame about the food me and my daughter had lasagna well it tasted disgusting not only that u could tell it had been frozen and just reheated in a. Microwave. I could not eat it as for my daughter she was sick the next day I thought I would try the jam roly-poly with custard well that was even wore first time in my life I've ever complained about food please sort your cook out they need the sack have you got your dinner?

I visited the anchor on the 14th of April, with my partner. We wanted your typical British pub grub and that is what we got! We loved the vibe and the staff at the time of visiting made the visit even better and they helped us massively! Becky was working on the day and she spent time to help us figure out what drinks would work best for us (I’m a very picky drinker) and also helped us go through the menu and told us her personal recommendations. I 100% would return again, especially if I know Becky would be working! There is a tip coming her way… and it won’t be not to eat yellow snow!

Lovely girl behind the bar made our whole experience - I think her name was Becky - after a sticky start due to my mum being in a wheelchair - this young lady really went above and beyond to make sure we had the most comfortable experience possible and the food was pretty good too!! Despite the pub garden not being accessible in some places, the young lady made sure we got to a spot we could reach easily and it was in a sun trap!! Such a lovely girl with a lovely smile! Big big THANK YOU BECKY!!!

Lovely restaurant with great food.

Was served by Becky throughout the night and she was nothing but a delight. Was really easy to talk too and made me feel very welcome like I had been there a bunch of times. Always had a smile on and was overall a very good person to chat with.

I would like to Thank the Anchor Staff that worked on Mothering Sunday for making it such a brilliant time! Excellent friendly service , a wonderful mother's day card and gift for all The Mums dining, food was perfect, Thankyou for making my day magical. I would highly recommend The Anchor on Goldington Road, Bedford

After a day at the fair, my family came for dinner, The staff were friendly and efficient, checking if everything was okay with our meal and if we required any further assistamce. We sat in the garden which was lovely and the food was great, good choice on the menu.

I always have a great time at the Anchor. The Midori Sour cocktail is probably the best drink I’ve ever had in my life, and the service provided by Becky in particular has been exceptional.

Food ok but seriously the service was terrible. Only one person behind bar and there where people in bar all moaning because there was no one to serve . Thanks to to kind man who let me go first . I understand that cost is an issue but another couple came in and left because could not get served . I will not be coming back unfortunately as I am sometimes on time limit and need to be served

Venir al presentador siempre es una experiencia maravillosa, especialmente cuando me atiende Becky en el bar. Ella siempre me sirve mis múltiples jarras de cóctel con una sonrisa que es importante cuando frecuentas un pub a menudo. La comida también es fantástica, recomiendo encarecidamente el pollo con sal y pimienta.

Been a local for a long time, perhaps older than the brick and motar in the building, happy to see a new landlord in place listening to us rebel yell local residents. Great beer and a great pub

Dreadful food. Never left a 1 star in my life but this place was more than deserving of it!

Update for March 2025: returned to this pub after longer absence- surprised with refurbishments! Very appealing , brighter and cozy. Menu changes as well- food good. Staff friendly as before. First time in Bedford Hungry Horse - was regular back in North Wales so knew the food. This one did not disappoint plus very friendly staff!

Brill atmosphere nice to see staff

My dinner was cold. They did do me another dinner which was lovely

Made to be very welcome by staff especially Anna last Saturday Explained about seniors menu and forthcoming events. Good value for money.

Not a great selection for vegetarians. Bland food. My food was lukewarm. Also took ages to bring our order.

Food was very good. Service was superb. We were served by Maria, who seemed to be running things front of house on her own, but despite the pressure she was under, we found her to be very helpful and attentive, and couldn’t fault the way we were treated. Would definitely eat there again.

Want to start off by saying nice pub and the servers were lovely however the food really let it down. We came as a group and some of the food was very bad. The hunters chicken was really dry, the chicken shawarma flatbreads were incredibly spicy yet had no flavour and used what looked like packet chicken, the hot honey halloumi flatbread came without any hot honey sauce. We ordered desserts and even the ice cream was tasteless, couldn’t taste vanilla or strawberry. The jam roly poly was stodgy and tasted like pure sugar, no strawberry taste at all. It may be a supplier issue but hoping this will improve as it’s a nice place to visit. Such a shame as the atmosphere is good and decor is really nice and the servers were very great

My first visit here and was very impressed. Good choice and variety on the menu, prices were extremely good value and the food was very good. I had the chicken flatbread that was loaded with chicken and delicious. The bar staff were very friendly and helpful. Enjoyed the interior decor which was colourful and welcoming. Will definitely be back!

Love going to this restaurant exceptional service ,delicious hot food and so reasonable .

Friendly, helpful staff although really needed more staff to ensure great service. Food okay and various seating options.

CHRISTMAS DAY DINNER To start the starters were incorrect for 2 people Mains were ok some parts undercooked other parts overcooked. After waiting nearly half a hour from being asked if we were ready for or desserts (also waiting for table to be cleared) there was again confusion over who had what dessert. One member of our family needed up eating a dessert they didn’t order just to avoid the hassle. Again we had to wait for the coffee/tea and choice of either torte or mince pie (again table was not cleared at all) again we waited and waited for this last course and again WE had to ask for it. On arrival of said Coffee/tea we were (a party of 6) supplied with 2 cups of Tea and 2 cups of Coffee!! A couple of us had opted for the torte instead of the mince pie but we were literally shoved a plate of 6 mince pies (table still not cleared) We had come back to this location for Christmas dinner because we had a fantastic time last year (25/12/2023) One of the staff came over with 2 sets of paperwork at the start of our meal because of the confusion and the sheet for the kitchen was completely different from the print from the online order which I pointed out but obviously was not rectified. To be perfectly honest this was a highlight to our Christmas Day but it was a highlight in the wrong way.

A great place to visit and eat but unfortunately staff never behind the bar other than the new manager. I know times are hard for pubs and keeping staff down is the procedure but to wait all the time for service is not acceptable when the pub is not even busy and staff seem to do a disappearing act .

Food was absolutely amazing! Watching the darts whilst eating the Hunters Chicken was really, really good! Highly recommend eating in this place, and as a 30 year plus regular, I'm not wrong!👍😃

My wife had booked a Christmas dinner for us and some friends about a month before our visit. Originally they said they could not entertain us, which was not a surprise as we had left it a bit late, so we booked another venue. A couple of days later they contacted my wife and said that they actually could accommodate our group for a Christmas dinner. Great, we thought; the Christmas menu at The Anchor sounded more tempting and could cater for a couple of the group who had specific dietary requirements. So, we cancelled the booking at the other venue and rebooked with the Anchor. She asked about ordering for the Christmas menu and was told someone would contact her. Well, nobody did; even after her numerous attempts to contact the pub, both by email and telephone (unanswered in both cases). To be fair, somebody did try calling her during the day of the booking. Unfortunately, she was at work and unable to use her phone. Well, considering that they had originally declined our booking, we were quietly surprised that the pub wasn't even half full when we arrived. They could have catered our group of eight at least four more times over. What was not surprising was when they turned around and said that we were only booked in as a normal booking and not as a Christmas one. We had to make do with the normal menu, though they managed to offer one of the dessert options. Noticed that actual starters have disappeared from the menu. The manager did offer a free drink with the meal by way of recourse, but that was it. They also did the table up with some festive decoration; but it sorely missed the point, really. The food was alright, have no actual complaint about that for the price. I have used this venue quite often and have normally enjoyed it. However, this is not the first time where the organisation and eptitude has been lacking, though it is normally something that we have been able to work around. Yet, this time, I was sorely disappointed and will consider eating elsewhere should we have a group booking. Definitely will not book a Christmas meal here again.

Really good food, generous portions and very tasty! Very good value for money.

Christmas meal for 19 people. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. Lovely atmosphere. Would highly recommend.

Can’t complain, decent food, good price and nice atmosphere 👍🏼

Always a very pleasant e perience,great food and lovely friendly staff

Polite staff, quick service, very friendly bar staff, some of whom have been at Bedford Anchor for years which is very good to see.

Lovely service by Anna, helpful and informative. Food didn’t take long to come out. No complaints at all from my experience.

Xmas lunch for 25 sports players excellent atmosphere tables beautifully laid waitresses nothing was too much for them and they smiled and were happy throughout our Xmas lunch - we wi definitely book again next year or if we have another function come up - we’ll done to everyone ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great Service and good company.

Well where do i start.. the welcome upon entry in second to none . Service for for food was swift and piping hot and the larger well priced and a good variety. 5stars . Waitresses all deserve a tip. Will be back

Lovely meal, 3 of us visited and paid £40 for 3 main meals with soft drink which was very good value. All of the staff we encountered were friendly and polite, our waitress was Maria, unfortunately I didn’t catch the name of the barman who served us but both of them are a credit to the establishment, very friendly and helpful. We are not local but would certainly return next time we are in the area!

Here for a Christmas meal with my work employees Saturday 30th november brilliant night fantastic service by Anna and Antonio would recommend food was delicious and big portions thanks for a fantastic night

Cheap pub grub. A bit tired and could do with a good clean. Always freindly staff and plenty of tables & parking.,............Much better since the refurb 👍👍👍

The team at The Anchor could not have been more welcoming and accommodating, and helped us set up for a rugby game which was not easy to find. We didn't eat so can't comment on the food but the atmosphere was lovely, and a special shout out to Becky who went out of her way to help us. Thank you!

Cannot fault the service at the bar. The beer garden, and the enclosed are for familys/kids are superb. However, when it came to food we weren't so lucky. 5 of us ordered the Sunday roast. Either the beef/turkey duo or just the beef. We went and ordered at the bar 2 minutes apart from each other (stood one behind the other in the queue) and our separate orders came out 20 minutes apart. The vegetables were al dente (that is being kind), if not raw. The inside of the roast potatoes were grey and under cooked, the gravy comes in a gravy boat but we had to scoop it out in lumps if we wanted some. The stuffing was dry, brittle and more akin to granola, and the beef was as tough as leather to cut. Yorkie puds were lovely, though. The other meals from your normal menu served to other tables around us smelt and looked lovely. But it seems like you should be giving the Sunday roasts a miss until you have chefs capable of cooking them. Or send anyone who wants a roast next door to the carvery. Waiting staff were all brilliant, however it seemed as though you were very short staffed yesterday. Edit: Have since been back with my family after we were invited back to try the food again. A few of us had the black and blue burger among other things and it was absolutely lovely. Would definitely eat there again.

We have given this a 1Star, if it was possible, we would have rated it as zero. I waited at an empty Bar, to order for 5 Minutes, when I had ordered, the meal took 35 Minutes to arrive, we had two Apologies from the Staff, apparently there was no problems, other than that they were very busy. Personally, to me it didn't seem busy, there was one table of a group of Ladies who had already been served by the time we were seated, and a few people in the Bar area. We would definitely not be returning and would not recommend it to others.

We went here last Sunday lunchtime, not been here for years, can't remember when, wanted somewhere out of the town to eat. Quick few minutes drive up Goldington Road in Bedford from the town centre. We sat in the rather nice conservatory area, nicely decorated with all different items & colours, works really well, we had a katsu curry chicken with rice & chips, & hunters chicken with chips & a salad, i asked for my BBQ sauce on the side as I don't like too much,& prefer to put my own on, we also had a side order of cheesy garlic bread which was lovely. There were a few pieces of leaves in the salad which had gone soft, which i would have picked out if I had been at home, & one end of my chicken breast was slightly over cooked, quite brown & hard, but it was very thick, so they had to make sure it was cooked, which i just put extra sauce on. They also do coffee & cake for £3.49,which looked really good value, coffee out the machine & a good sized slice of cake, which was chocolate last week, we didn't try any as we were too full up, next time we will though as we won't have any extras with our meal, & there will be a next time as we think we have found somewhere really nice & pleasant to eat, with prices as good as anywhere else, also we both had pineapple & lemonade to drink, & the land lady offered more pineapple if needed which is really good,as it can be so weak, when they really portion it out, overall was a really nice experience, & we would recommend it for people to try.

Meals were clearly forgotten even though our party preordered .The attitude of the women dealing with our group was off too

Great pub, fantastic staff, will definitely recommend

Wish the car park wasn't used for school pick up as makes it hard to get in to the car park even when the pub is empty.

Great food , reasonable value and friendly staff . I travel for work, so I tend to eat alone, and it feels very calm and a great place for the family, not rowdy at all . Will come again when I'm next working in the area.

Great pub , great food and friendly staff

Nice pub with good selection of drinks and food. Quiet, spacious beer garden too lovely for a sunny day.

Nice pub with good selection of drinks and food. Quiet, spacious beer garden too lovely for a sunny day.

Friendly helpful staff and great Katsu Curry.

Friendly helpful staff and great Katsu Curry.

Very welcoming place and food was nice and reasonably priced , staff were friendly RECOMMENDED ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Lovely food, fantastic staff, great service, come here regularly. Great atmosphere. Disable friendly. Always clean.

Absolutely fine but less parking space

New decor and new menu since I last went.

It's decent and very clean ,understaffed but one girl absolutely sprinting around and holding the Fort not sure what she gets paid but should be the equivalent of at least two .

Fabulous Sunday lunch. Service was excellent.

Fantastic family meal out , food always tastes so fresh , lovely atmosphere , absolutely fantastic that they have added a kids play area outside too. waitress Harriet couldn't be move helpful thank you for providing such a lovely service . We will be back again soon !

Family meal with gf and 3 kids and we all really enjoyed the food it was great value and so tasty The garden is very nice and the kids play area kept the youngest occupied whilst we had a peaceful drink Staff amazing as always 🥂

Beautifully done up, foods fab - always fast service. Staff are lovely too. Really recommend for both drinks and food - affordable but fantastic.

The food was so delicious and the staff were very friendly plus my daughter had the most amazing birthday surprise with singers singing happy birthday! It was so fun!😊

food was microwaved and un eater able its a resturant but give out microwave food wldnt reccomend any1 eating from here staff member was amazing on the bar

i booked a table for 14 with the red lion in elstow to find out they had no steaks or gammon when we went to order, a gentleman got hold of his partner and mentioned to her about us having a bad experience with them and managed to get us in for my daughter birthday meal!!! can’t thank you enough to get us in so quick! lovely staff and service. my daughter truly loved it thank you for making it special for her 😊

It's a great pub with a nice atmosphere. The steak I ordered the other day wasn't good at all, but other food I've tried here is fine. The beer is always good in here, so we always pop down for a couple now and again.

Another lovely meal at the anchor. Speed of food arrival was good. Presentation lovely too.

Great relaxed atmosphere for a Thursday afternoon, food come out and was quick. And lovely service from the staff. 😊 👍

5 stars all round, haven't been to the anchor since it has been revamped and I can safely say I am not disappointed, the food offers are amazing food, side and drinks for two of us under £25 is amazing and very happy, helpful and friendly staff. Would highly recommend and highly recommend the salt and chilli chicken and chips on the food offer menu.

3 of us went lunchtime today, the food was excellent, the staff were great, the manager had time to come and speak to us, all in all, a very very enjoyable experience, can't wait to go back again. Thank you.

Why would the manager argue with a customer who wasn’t happy about the volume of coca cola he received? It sounds to me like the pub deserves another low score review as this place has clearly gone down hill since I lived there 40 years ago. We had our dads 40th here and it was magic. Clearly customer service is a problem. Give the man a complimentary glass of coca cola you penny pinching Green King brewery bureaucrats. I tell you this wouldn’t happen under a socialist government. Austerity measures everywhere you look 👀

We booked a table for 17 people to celebrate our daughter's 18th birthday. Food arrived in a timely fashion, was tasty, the service was lovely and we couldn't have asked for more. All staff were fantastic, we had a couple of children that are neuro diverse and the staff were really understanding, with separating foods that are not allowed to touch etc etc. The atmosphere was amazing too. We will definitely be back.

Decent food and pleasant atmosphere

Went in today 29/5/24 and was served by Maria witch was very polite and very helpful/good with service checked if everything was ok and if we needed anything thank you Maria.

Cold food. Server and barman very professional couldn't have been more helpful.

Recently had a full make over....Fantastic improvement. Under new management and it is nice to see this local pub become up and coming. A great atmosphere. It's great to see an improvement off staff and food is delicious. There is so much more going on with live music and rock and roll bingo, to name a few. Staff are clearing and cleaning tables as needed. Love the new look. Well done to the new management and staff keep it up.

Good hot food and friendly service

2nd visit now and really happy with the service and food! Also the place is so clean especially the toilets an baby chaining unit. Definitely recommend the place 10/10 service 👌

Went to this establishment the staff were fantastic the pub and toilets were clean and tidy in fact the whole environment was pleasurable how ever the only let down was the food. Although cooked very well and tasty the portions were poor. This establishment in my opinion was poor on portions considering the price I payed for the meal. I was done and dusted in ten minutes in my opinion a child’s meal. How ever over all experience kind friendly and very clean.

It was really nice to see the pub back up on there feet and the young girl bella was amazing was so polite and professional she made me and my wife fill very welcome keep it up

We had an amazing family meal service was 5 star. Food was great value also they were very accommodating for our large party.

Asked for medium to well done steak got rare, tough and really fatty...baked potato was soft but barely warm...Will never go back again as this was a free meal because the last one was even worse

Changed from last time we were there, expected it to be poor for some reason. But was very good indeed on everything. Meals were very good , I had an amazing lean gammon and, the service was great, as usual. 100% I will be going there again.

Superb refurb, new staff and management. This place has improved immensely, the food is 100 times better than it was with previous management and we most certainly will be back for more fabulous food and customer service 😁

Nicely re decorated interior. Menu is smaller with skewers no longer on menu. Food was same average to be honest. But I like it inside now

Since refit it has to have the most boring menu ive seen in any pub/restaurant. Before refit it had a varied filling menu, now it's nothing more than you'd get from supermarket cafe.

Good service, great beer and great atmosphere

Don’t buy the fizzy drinks you will pay £2+ For a glass of ice ! So not thinking it would be an issue, i asked manager for top up as less than 3 sips of coke to which she replied with no empathy, it’s the brewers policy to fill up with ice first !! Used to visit at least twice a month for many years, (Hungry horse)and enjoyed with family , food always good. Good menu, with range of sizes and prices Will not be visiting again Disappointed with customer experience And managers discretion

Was part of a large party of 16 people. Food and service was great.