The Anchor in Guildford

We went to The Anchor for a celebration it was the best! It was our second visit there and the food did not disappoint it was the most incredible food we’ve ever had! The french onion soup was a favourite and the sea bream! The service is excellent, the staff are so knowledgeable. We hope to return again soon and would highly recommend.

Midweek lunch was excellent. One of us had the set menu, the other a la carte. The food allergy was handled very well. The pasta starter was tasty and interesting. My French onion soup was lukewarm but soon remedied. The mains, quail and partridge were well presented and had some good flavours. Mine was a little tough. We shared a cute little dessert. The service was OK but lacked charm. My soup should not have been sent out lukewarm. I do not like a pre-set service charge. It's not nice for customers.

Ripley is beautiful village in Surrey. The anchor provides some good high end pub food without the drama of fine dining.

We enjoyed a very memorable and special evening for a birthday of a family member on Saturday evening. My family were very complimentary about the snacks of ham hock fritters with apple sauce and a home made sour dough bread. I believe the menu had recently been changed to reflect the autumn and the new season's flavours but the slow cooked pork belly, roast partridge and black bream were superb and imaginative with their accompaniments and the desserts were absolutely a wonderful blend of flavours and execution. Joy, the Office Manager had taken the trouble to contact me about some allergies which the restaurant handled impeccably and with kindness - I am very grateful to them all. Phoebe contributed to the efficient but relaxed manner of the restaurant, indeed, all the staff were excellent in their attitude and friendliness. I am sorry that we live 2 hours away or else we would be back next month but we will make an effort to return. Can't recommend highly enough. This restaurant deserves its excellent reputation.

We were celebrating our anniversary this Saturday so and decided to go all out on the Tasting Menu and wine pairing. We’ve dined once before at the anchor but for lunch and it was good then but this was even better. One of the waitresses knew quite a lot about the wines which helped it to feel special, although it was a busy Saturday night and the other servers didn’t know as much, she made sure to check in with us at the end if we had any questions, which we did! I particularly enjoyed the Scallops & Velouté for the starter but my husband’s highlight dish was the Beef main and Hash Browns. We were tucked away in a corner of the room as it was quite noisy we were happy for that. Overall, I think it may be our special occasion spot!

While we all agreed that the food was average at best and slow to arrive we are going to rate the food as average to poor, and more at this end, based upon the following: The only dish that was complimented was the scallops. But it was ruined by a green sauce, glutinous and overpowering. The ham hock snacks were overcooked and grim and served with a thick paste. The pork belly was excessive in fat. The partridge was just visible, and over cooked, and the only feature of that meal was good red cabbage. Children's food was fat heavy ( Fish fingers and chips with peas ( which were dry and cold) So slow was the service (considering that the place was not full) was that we played three hands of whist amongst the 6 of us between each course. I guess the lack of customers on a Sat. should have warned us. Service was ok but the lack of checking “if all was ok” says it all. I guess this is a drinkers pub and not one for food. This place does not deserve the awards it shows.. I have copied this to each one. Sent from my iPad Chris

Michelin star level cooking at pocket-friendly prices. The set lunch deal with (quite a few) drinks came to just over £100 for two. Best value in the area. Well worth the trip if not.

I really wanted to give the Anchor a better rating but it was generally just really below average. For an establishment that claims to be high end, it missed the mark. The most important thing; the food was lacking flavour and for the standard served, it was drastically overpriced. I would recommend avoiding it.

We went here for a fancy lunch out and were not disappointed! Amazing food- a real treat and a good lunch deal available. We took our newborn with us and everyone was very kind and accommodating. We look forward to returning to try a different seasonal menu.

Popped in here on a whim, food was top notch. Staff were friendly and the service was fast. Recommended.

Pint of beer a glass of wine a half shandy £17. Expensive.

What a hided delight. Popped in for a quick meal. Wish I had made a night of it! The food was out of this world and very far on the pocket for the quality. Service was ideally non pushing but there Will certainly be going back! Well done

We had the set price lunch today. We sat in the sunny inner courtyard. Fabulous food, excellent professional service, very good value. Extensive drinks menu, the passion fruit martini was very tasty. Parking available.

Overpriced food. My sirloin steak was very chewy, couldn't eat it all. Main meal was £30 and we had to order potatoes separately at £5 a dish. Home made hashbrowns which were rather greasy. The decor is a bit shabby old pub at fine dining prices. The taster menu was £75 for 5 courses. Drinks expensive. 12.5% service charge and no one even asked if the meal was okay

Food and service excellent. Not very busy so that spoilt the ambience. Very good meal , at top end for quality.

We had phenomenal lunch at the Anchor. The food was stunning and offered amazing value. The smoked salmon tartlets and the braised pork belly were particular highlights. The cooking was superb, everything was seasoned so well and the presentation was beautiful. Can’t wait to return

We are big fans. So much more than a pub menu. Properly executed fare. Everything is delicious and tasty and presented with great finesse. Good wine list. Friendly service, and an interesting, although limited menu with the option of a tasting menu if preferred. Highly recommend the veal escalope. Desserts are first rate. Portions generally on the smaller side which means for once we got through 3 courses plus cheese. All excellent.

A fabulous lunch cooked by a skilled chef and so well-plated !! Great service from Phoebe and Isaac who was so chatty and friendly. Happy travels ! Our second visit and it will not be the last. Thoroughly recommended and great value !!! Great stuff guys.

Fantastic food. Delicious and fresh, some unique flavours. Lovely service and amazing atmosphere- a beautiful old building. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal.

Avoid!! Our waiter said I am not from England so I do not understand that plates and empty glasses need clearing!! He clearly had never opened a bottle of wine before, plonked it on the table (£80 pinot noir) with foil hanging off. Didn't pour it. When I complained to the young manager. Nothing just a half hearted apology standards!!!

Delicious food in a very old rustic pub. Be careful if you are tall! Portions are small but filling and beautifully presented

Thoroughly enjoyed our choice of the set lunch menu. Starters in particular absolutely delicious. Friendly service. We will return!

Just horrible waiters service. We left immediately.

Seriously good food. Must be in line for a star some time soon. Best steak sandwich in Surrey. This is not pub food. This is fine dining in a pub. So you won't get a curled up lasagne for a fiver but you will get seriously nice food at a reasonable price.

We tried The Anchor for the first time last week and were blown away by the quality, taste and presentation of all the items we ordered. The menu is small but thoughtfully compiled and has something for everyone. The presentation is beautiful, you really feel like you’re dining in a fine dining type restaurant and the taste matches it! I have a peanut allergy and felt 100% safe and totally cared for by the waiting staff who checked in at every opportunity to ensure I wasn’t going to run into any problems. An incredibly thoughtful touch that I loved at the end of the meal was when the 3 others in the party had a hot drink which came with a little Blondie with nuts. Knowing I wouldn’t have been able to have that the lovely waitress bought me over a few chunks of fudge that I could have instead (despite not having a hot drink!). I can’t tell you how many restaurants I often miss out on this because of my allergy and this small gesture meant a huge amount to me, thank you so much! We will 100% be returning to this lovely family run restaurant because the quality of food and thoughtful service was truly fab.

A really lovely meal to celebrate a recent special occasion. We tried The Anchor for the first time last week and were blown away by the quality, taste and presentation of all the items we ordered. The menu is small but thoughtfully compiled and has something for everyone. The presentation is beautiful, you really feel like you’re dining in a fine dining type restaurant and the taste matches it! I have a peanut allergy and felt 100% safe and totally cared for by the waiting staff who checked in at every opportunity to ensure I wasn’t going to run into any problems. An incredibly thoughtful touch that I loved at the end of the meal was when the 3 others in the party had a hot drink which came with a little Blondie with nuts. Knowing I wouldn’t have been able to have that the lovely waitress bought me over a few chunks of fudge that I could have instead (despite not having a hot drink!). I can’t tell you how many restaurants I often miss out on this because of my allergy and this small gesture meant a huge amount to me, thank you so much! We will 100% be returning to this lovely family run restaurant because the quality of food and thoughtful service was truly fab.

This is the second time we’ve been, and the food is consistently superb. This is a must-stop if you like fine dining but in a more relaxed atmosphere. The prices are reasonable, the service is excellent, and they were very considerate about our seating and dietary needs (which we alerted them to in advance). There’s even a parking lot. The food was so tasty I forgot to take photos. Seriously, just go.

Had the evening tasting menu. Very tasty. All courses were very good. Had heard good things about this place before and it lived up to expectations. Didn't choose the accompanying tasting wine option but did choose a couple of the wines that were partnered and they were excellent also. Service was the right blend....not too attentive, nor were we left to our own devices. Would recommend. Only missing star is for atmosphere. The room was a little too dark for me.

Environment: Despite booking weeks ago we were given a table in the middle of the small bar area rather than the main dining area. Maybe they had loads of people booked earlier than we did? Very close to the door and not exactly warm. We waited probably 15 mins before being asked if we wanted a drink, apart from that the service was OK. Wine list: Really good with affordable options of decent wine. Food: Snacks were excellent. My mackerel starter was odd and really not to my taste, to the point where I just fished out the thin slices of mackerel. It had a very bitter lemon puree that killed the fish, which was thinly sliced rather than a cured fillet as expected (maybe just personal preference on my part). My wife's starter of ham hock also odd - dry and why serve a fritter on toast (again maybe personal preference). Our friend said her spaetzle appeared to have been deep fried rather than boiled, so it was more like scraps from a chippy. The mains were far better. The skate excellent, as was the duck, which came with fantastic curried lentils. I would have preferred a small quenelle of of the liver parfait rather than thinly spread on a bit of toast, but again, personal preference. The hash brown sides were excellent. The puds were OK but both the cherry chocolate and cheesecake lacked texture. So all in all the food is a bit hit and miss but the cold room and table let the experience down.

An independent restaurant in a picturesque Surrey village. Gastro pub decor with a casual and friendly feel. Imaginative menu with around 5 options each on the starters, main course and desserts menu. Locally sourced ingredients and drinks served. Quite an extensive wine list for wine lovers. We shared a private area which sits 8 or so. We all enjoyed our meals and nothing was left! Mains included venison and skate. Desserts are all homemade and the pavlova comes highly recommended! (British cheeseboard is available as well so it’s a tricky choice). Thank you to the polite and professional team. We would definitely return.

Great food and great service in a welcoming atmosphere. Thank you!

It's a nice pub in a nice village. The staff are friendly and the food is pretty decent it's just not worth the price you pay for it.

The service and atmosphere was a certain 10/10! Their sourdough bread was jaw dropping delicious! I had the Halibut and my friend the venison (3 others the same dishes), the quality of both meats were exceptional, however, we noticed 1 drawback which was an evident trend in the desert, this being the overpowering saltiness through elements in each dish. My recommendation to visit the Anchor suggested the Choc Mousse was salty and I can confirm this so that’s 2 different tastebuds with the same experience. Go easy on the salt or salty elements and the £400 bill for 5 can be justified.

Really excellent food and good service. Sophisticated food that is so much more than normal gastro pub grub. Go and try it!

Nice place for lunch, good food and service. Slightly limited menu.

We had snacks, starters, main and dessert and the food was exceptional! We took advice from the waitress Phoebe who recommended some sides too - how right she was! The menu had plenty for us to choose from and the presentation beautiful. The atmosphere was cosy and made us feel comfortable and relaxed. We would highly recommend and look forward to returning, thank you Chefs Mike and Dave and all the staff we had a most enjoyable experience!

Really enjoyed the evening. Slightly miffed that the starter that really appealed from the online menu (Prawns) wasn’t on the menu on the night but the waiter explained that the menu had only changed that morning, so understandable.

Simply put…lovely tasty food… I cannot fault the food. I would love to go again. I’ve been back for lunch and I had some lovely food again….and I feel too full in a good way for dinner…. I had something from the a la carte and the December lunch menu. Please see my new photos .. but I forgot the photo of the dessert .. it was sponge with ice cream.

I need to write a review for two of the sweetest people I have met recently. Chey and Ion, thank you for welcoming us so kindly into your pub. Beautiful surroundings, but very busy pub. Nice food, lovely drinks. Service from these guys was the best thing though!

Despite the pub being practically empty - perhaps three tables were occupied - we were greeted with a haughty 'have you got reservation?' and turned away after being unceremoniously told they do not accept walk ins whilst the other diners looked on. Apart from this being the attitude I would expect from a fine dining establishment, not a modest country pub, staff should be trained to greet potential customers properly - a hello is a must - because first impressions and service count. We've been put off and shan't return.

Another great meal at the Anchor. We’d not been for at least a year, so as we had a week off, we booked online Thursday evening for a Friday lunch. A nice courtesy call on Friday morning to check we were still intending to come. Great service as always: by 4 young ladies, all of whom were efficient and charming. We skipped a starter, but couldn’t resist their bread and butter, as that alone is worth the visit. We did try their cheddar and polenta chips this time. They were light as air and delicious. Two great main courses then we both found we couldn’t resist the treacle pudding 😋 A great restaurant, with great wines, food, and great service

We took over the restaurant for a celebratory Anniversary lunch for 25 guests in October 2023. The ambience was warm and friendly, the staff were excellent and accommodating and the food was fine dining and delicious. Overall, a wonderful experience and we would certainly recommend the Anchor for any such event.

We celebrated a friend's birthday here and had an amazing time. The food tastes amazing and the presentation was impeccable - no less than a fine dining restaurant. Staff was friendly and very patient with our messy kids. Very well recommended!

We have driven past the Anchor many times but never stopped. So when we needed call into Ripley we decided to try it for what we thought would be standard pub grub. Should have looked at the menu outside but we're nicely surprised when we did get the menu. We settled on the set lunch: I had the mushroom Scotch egg sandwich my wife had Hake, both were cooked to perfection and beautifully presented. The best part however was the Raspberry cheesecake with mango sorbet. Friendly staff: interesting chat about Glenesk School. Almost forgot, very nice pint of Rebellion IPA.

First time ive been to The Anchor. Had the pork for main course which was cooked perfectly! Good food and service….whats not to like?

Great food but a tad expensive.

Lovely pub, great service and delicious food. The set lunch menu is very well priced!

Fantastic food and service, definitely recommend.

We love to try new places and given we live 5 miles from Ripley it was an eventuality that we'd manage to make it to the Anchor. We were not disappointed in any way. The mozzarella salad as a starter was fantastic followed by the sirloin for myself and pork loin for my partner with hash browns as a side. Our only criticism is that the hash browns were a bit over salted. Overall, a great experience that I'd recommend.

Great food, service and company.

Unique pub food that was tasty, intriguing and filling all at once! Loved it!

First visit as recommended by friends, and we loved it. Very friendly staff, and the food was excellent. Starters were very tasty, and for main we both had the Plaice with courgette and basil orzo and broad beans. Absolutely beautiful dish. Desserts were also excellent as you'll see from the pictures. Overall a very very pleasant lunch, and my lunching companion cleared all her plates which is highly unusual! We'll be back. Thanks so much for a lovely relaxed time.

Great menu, food was delicious and beautifully served. The staff were great and looked after us very well.

Food was superb (we both had the braised duck leg for mains followed by strawberry fille with sorbet) and perfect portion sizes for us. Staff were all very friendly, efficient, and with the correct amount of attentiveness.

We booked the Anchor for our 12th Anniversary. The food was sensational with an excellent wine pairing. Thank you Chef Mike Wall-Palmer for such a memorable culinary experience.

The food at this lovely pub restaurant is outstanding. We stumbled on it by chance because the hotel we were staying at was fully booked. We had the plaice which was delicious and cooked perfectly. I had the mushroom scotch egg which was also delicious and so enjoyable. The sides of hash browns and polenta chips were just so different to what we expected when we ordered them, not your run of the mill hash browns. For dessert we had blackberry souffle and raspberry cheesecake, again both outstanding in their flavour, consistency and appearance. The chef at this restaurant is clearly not your run of the mill guy. Most definitely worth a visit if you're in the area. Great value for money.

A really nice Saturday lunch We did the 3 course set menu for £28. The food was delicious and freshly made. The service was really good with a friendly team. Really nice location and also dog friendly. Definitely worth the visit. I am sure we will be back to try the seasonal rotating dishes.

A really nice Saturday lunch We did the 3 course set menu for £28. The food was delicious and freshly made. The service was really good with a friendly team. Really nice location and also dog friendly. Definitely worth the visit. I am sure we will be back to try the seasonal rotating dishes.

The setting was relaxing and not at all pretentious. The service was friendly and efficient. The food was creative and appealing to both the eye and taste buds. We will definitely be back again.

The food was exceptional. Attention to presentation and tastes were delicious. The daftest thing happened as we finished our main course, instead of coming back to ask us what desert we'd like, the ladies chose to clean a sticky label off a window with what smelt like paraffin! As the smell permeated into the restaurant, I changed my mind about staying. We requested the bill and quickly left. Why, oh, why use such a strong smelling liquid to clean a window with guests eating? Such a shame. Tainted our overall enjoyment of the evening.

Went here for dinner. Lovely friendly staff and delicious main course. Food was well presented as well. Service tailed off a bit after the main course. We were given the desert menu but then no one came back for our order. But on the basis of the main course alone, it's well worth visiting.

What a little gem of Ripley it is! We went for an afternoon walk today and fancied a little stop on the way back. And what a treat this pub was 😀 We only had a drink each and a few nibbles but we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. Food was good quality and presented well. Homemade humus was yummy and polenta chips were a perfect combination of soft and crunchy! Phoebe and James looked after us and made us feel very welcome, including Ted, our dog, who got some water, a treat and, of course, attention 😀 Thank you, guys! We'll definitely be back!

Best pub food I've had for ages, brilliant staff, shout out to our server Oliver

Is good but expected Michelin flavour, good bistro pub and ambiance

At risk of appearing lowbrow, we're really not, this was a misjudged stopoff on a bike ride to enjoy the garden advertised on the sign they'd charitably commissioned the local children to design. The pub was otherwise empty. Asked for peanuts to go with our drinks and got the response 'we do a full menu' as if I'd trodden dogsh#t into the place. No cask beers despite the menu's attempt to disguise this. Two pints and an orange juice and lemonade = £20. We didn't try the food.

Wonderful, quality, polite lunchtime experience. Thank You x

This pub is a culinary dream. The food was easily up there with the best restaurants. It is in the Michelin Guide and for a good reason. This was a business lunch but I will be back for leisure and can't wait. There is a...

Amazing food. Had the set lunch which for the quality was great value at £28 for 3 courses. The stand out dish was the pork belly which was cooked perfectly. Can't wait to go again.

Very modern feeling in an older building

Fantastic food, wonderful service made our 36th anniversary extra special. We will return soon to this excellent and historic pub.

My wife I went for dinner last night to mark our wedding anniversary. As I had neglected to buy a card and a little gift I was on the back foot so, softened up by a pre-dinner drink, I suggested the five course seasonal tasting...

Waiting staff slow, bar staff even slower. Half hour at the bar waiting to get a beer on a Friday evening -not enjoyable or necessary

Great staff and the food was delicious

Always a joy to have a meal here! Huge thank you to the team for going all out by creating a bespoke allergen free menu for a milestone birthday celebration - very kind and very much appreciated. 5 star service and food!

We have visited The Anchor a couple of times in the last six months and both visits have been exceptional. The food has been delicious and the service friendly. Will visit again.

Delicious, delightful lunch, as always. Never disappointed with the menu always well balanced, well cooked food, beautifully served. Thank you all, especially the waiting staff, great teamwork.

Delicious food with great service. The staff did everything possible to ensure we had a nice experience.

We came for meal and had the seasonal tasting menu, was delicious it didn’t disappoint. We had John waiting out table, and he was polite and happy and looked after us well, what we did like is he didn’t no the answer to one of...

Very pleasant lunch, food tasty and well presented. However, a very confusingly presented lunch menu with a choice of only two choices by course. ( £25 for 2 courses, £28 for 3) And for the desert, there was only one offering for the set lunch menu, but we were not told by the server when we were given the desert menu. So £8 extra for an alternative desert. A bit misleading we thought.

What a lovely experience my partner and I had at this superb restaurant. So refreshing for the chef to choose a smaller menu of interesting and quality food over vast choice. The recommended pudding wines were a perfect accompaniment, the starters and mains delicious and the staff were friendly and helpful. Will definitely return soon.

We decided to dine here after the Christmas festivities, but this was my second visit and after the first excellent experience, was rather disappointing. Service was distinctly odd, the waiting staff flitting about in desultory and vague attitudes, one portion of bread produced for three,...

Lovely atmosphere, friendly and knowledgeable staff. I recommend the tasting menu!

Sadly our experience at The Anchor was very disappointing. The staff were rude. Not a smile or a welcome. I didn't want a large meal, so I ordered a starter. The starter (beef brisket) was the size of a 50p size. It was a joke. The waitress, knowing it was my main, did not advise me of the size of the portion, nor suggest a side. The wine was forgotten and we we politely enquired about it 20 min later, it was rudely plonked down in front of us. The staff clearly felt they were doing us a huge favour letting us eat at the restaurant. We will never go back, it was a terrible night and definitely not worth the 12.5% tip they just added to the bill which they didn't deserve at all. Rude rude rude staff.

Loved the Anchor - was looking for somewhere to meet friends (halfway between Buckinghamshire and West Sussex) and found reviews of the Anchor, so we booked, and glad we did. Lovely old building, lovely staff and really amazing food: we did “pick and mix” between...

Okayish restaurant which is everything but a pub which it’s advertised as.

Lovely meal, excellent staff, will return

Wonderful food, friendly, professional service and relaxing ambience

Very good food and atmosphere. Slightly lacking wine list.

Came here for my wife’s birthday. Really enjoyed it. Wednesday night meant it was not busy but also not deserted - a nice medium. Pub style atmosphere and decor , but very nice and understated. Menu limited and not cheap, £20+ for a main. Staff...

Packed restaurant the whole evening and the excellent young staff did their best but were run off their feet. Food delivered excellent and in then, was worth the wait. Scallops and venison and Stone Bass excellent. The Jaffa pudding was great too. A must try…

Very good food, cozy environment, kind staff

amazing food and perfect place to grab a snack on a dog walk

The Anchor is excellent and we had a very, very good dinner here. Dishes are creative, perfectly seasoned and provide delicious depth of flavours. Cooking is assured and confident. Presentation is impressive and portion sizes are perfect. We thoroughly enjoyed everything, from our beetroot tarts,...

A fab spot. Lovely food, drink and service. Recommended.

Sure the food is probably fine - but don’t be fooled, this is definitely not a proper pub, more fairly unwelcoming snooty gastro restaurant. Also not dog friendly as hinted at online.

Very very expensive , and no worth the money smells like only old people mans lived in here , it was a big mistake from the beginning till the end , food had a very awful presentation, for the money we have paid , its not worthy . I was very hungry and I eat , if not , ever again , do not mention the hair that it was on my coca cola glass .probably that was the cherry from the top

The Anchor is an ex-pub, but now fine dining. Went for anniversary meal and it was clearly on a higher level without the price being similarly elevated. Some great eateries manage to provide a dining experience without creating resentment at the cost and this was...

This old atmospheric pub offers Modern British fine dining. Although portions looked rather small, we were all full by the end of two courses, though one of us cracked and had an excellent desert. Unusual combinations of flavours were served with great artistry. Starters included...

It's definitely lost its shine. The food was OK. Service was not. It felt like the staff were all on their 2nd shift. Plates being taken away before being finished. Little interaction with us customers. Once was the place to go in Ripley.... was!

Lovely food and drinks accompanied with the most lovely setting. Clean and amenable staff, so absolutely recommended with pleasant walks and water right by your side!