The Anchor Tap in Southwark

Is this the most miserable landlord in any London pub. You are not made to feel welcome in any way shape or form. Zero people skills.

Cutest little pub-quintaessential English:) The food was excellent! ( had a couple pints, the sausages & fish & chips appetizers). Staff was super friendly as well!

fantastic fish and chips, good vibes

I was waiting at the bar for 15 minutes to be served because there was only one person behind the bar. Dreadful communication and took forever. We were seated in the lobby area and the door was kept open, the manager insisted, and we were very cold. Not returning.

What a great place! Super cozy, the team is very friendly and helpful, actually providing valid advice when asked for recommendations, and the food is delicious! If you can: Go there! :)

Really nice pub in South London, close to tower bridge!! But annoyingly, Google maps and website says it closes at 11pm but we got there at 6:15 they said they're closing in 15. Might have been a random event or something, but it was annoying as we made it all the way there. Been here a few years ago though and it was great!

Cozy English pub in a small back street in London, with a good pub sandwich with chicken.

A destination pub on the South Bank. The modern section is luxurious but the original corner is full of history and character.

Characterful pub with standard range of Sam Smith drinks. Worth a visit.

Really good beer and staff lovely

Super friendly, amazing atmosphere and really good food. Can't go wrong with a pint of a Samuel Smith beer either 👌

Oh dear, oh dear, of dear. My fellow traditional london pub enthusiast and I were bowled over in discovering this most beautiful and unmolested jewel. It has one of the very best interiors of any hostlery in London but then we saw that it is a Sam Smith's pub and like most real ale officianados we loathe this pseudo ale company and its horrible policy of stocking no other beers. We left immediately and can only hope that one day it might be taken on by a company that cares about real ale and choice.

Nice service and pleasant atmosphere in the pub.

Proper old school pub with a pool table and dart board. The Tap is about having a good night rather than being all fancy.

The atmosphere is wonderful and the food is good pub fare. Definitely stop in when you go visit Tower Bridge. It’s one street over from the bridge and very close by.

Walked into the Anchor tap today ,greeted by warm friendly ,knowledgeable staff.Made my day after a long walk ,a "proper" pub 😀

I had seen this pub on line and thought it looked quite interesting. It is a very old pub with lots of character. We just stopped for a drink and as it was a nice sunny day, we sat outside overlooking the Thames. Perfect for a cool drink on a hot sunny day.

After a busy day of doing tourist stuff with a friend visiting from Oz, this fabulous find was a haven of tranquility! Proper English pub for my friend, quirky, delicious burger and fries and not ridiculous rip-off tourist prices like we had experienced elsewhere. Maxine such a character, proper London welcome…thank you for looking after us. Will definitely return again.

The Anchor Tap in Shad Thames is a hidden gem and a must-visit for anyone who loves a traditional pub atmosphere. As a Sam Smith’s pub, it offers a fantastic range of their unique beers, and I have to say, I’m particularly fond of their Chocolate Stout and Organic Wheat Beer. The Chocolate Stout is rich, velvety, and perfectly balanced—not too sweet, but with a delightful hint of chocolate that makes it incredibly satisfying. The Organic Wheat Beer, on the other hand, is light, refreshing, and has a crisp finish that makes it an excellent choice whether you’re popping in for a quick drink or settling in for the evening. The pub itself exudes charm, with its cozy, old-world interior that makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. The staff are always friendly and welcoming, and there’s a real sense of community here. It’s a great spot to unwind, catch up with friends, or even enjoy a quiet pint on your own. Whether you’re a local or just visiting the area, The Anchor Tap is definitely worth a visit. I highly recommend stopping by for a pint (or two) of their excellent beer selection. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to come back again and again.

Best pub around tower / london bridge. Feels like being home every time. Staff is incredibly friendly and beer is cheap. I strongly recommend for anyone looking for a pub which is not too busy with dart and pool

Try the level head ipa not too strong with a good taste

Nice pub with a very friendly staff. There is a games room with darts and a pool. Food is also delicious.

Great Fish and chips! Prices were reasonable

Lovely little pub oasis in the heart of London, great beer and house stout! A free game of darts too! Brilliant pub.

Before we left, we were looking for a nice pub near Tower Bridge and spontaneously came up with this place. The waiter was world class and did a very good job. We didn't test food, we concentrated more on drinking. The location was also very comfortable and you hardly heard any of the construction noise inside (it was surprising). We will come back in any case.

Very friendly barmaid, good food and drinks and fantastic atmosphere!

Maxine is a the best if you ever go, go upstairs and have a beer and talk with her absolute legend!

Best friendlies pub we'd be into in London good craic with John the barman food excellent beers superb no music just people talking a little gem of a place just around the corner from the bottom of tower bridge surprised it wasn't more busy people are missing this oldie world pub with hundreds of years of history much better than the yuppie bars nearby!!

Amazing pub with an excellent selection of beers, plenty of seating space, good prices and service.

Great ambience and fantastic beers

authentic London pub, very good beers and if you want to eat something, a room upstairs with a fireplace. Excellent fish and chips

The bartender is a gem! Had the most enjoyable time there. Best fish & chips by far!

The place was literally empty with no music. The pool table doesn’t work properly.

A great old fashioned pub very close to the crowds but seemingly undiscovered. Excellent Sam Smith's beers and cider. Decor looks untouched for decades; upstairs dining area verging on the dingy but did 8 of us fine. Very friendly service. Fish and chips, Big Catch and steak pies all excellent. Definitely worth the detour from the more obvious locations nearer Tower Bridge or the river.

Tasty food at a good price with friendly staff. Recommended

Amazing pub and fantastic beer!

Traditional pub with great people & service. Very welcoming pub with lovely food & friendly bar staff. Has a pool table & darts for some activities & encourages you to have conversation without the need of your phone. Great place & a hidden gem!

Anchor Tap is amazing! Natalie shared with us about how the 250 year old bar (1761) was once bombed and gave us great recommendations for local Samuel Smith brews. We loved the “digital detox” without tvs, music allowing just a great atmosphere to talk and share a beer!

Total rip off. Unfriendly staff. Terrible experience

I had fish and chips and steak and ale pie. I asked for beer as a recommended menu item, so I tried it as the best one. It was a very delicious and satisfying meal. It's a quiet pub that's good for conversation, and they welcomed us brightly on the second floor and took great care by coming to ask us how each menu item tasted! I am so grateful to the staff whose boisterous laughter is so nice to hear. Thanks to them, I was able to have a pleasant last night of my trip to London👍🏻😎 Be sure to try the Steak and Ale Pie!!!

Absolutely loved this little pub. Quite a large group of us, 8 adults and 3 kids on a Sunday lunchtime, but the service couldn't be bettered. The lovely lady managed everything spot on. Food was excellent and of course so was the old brewery best bitter. We'll make a point of returning when in this area which is fairly regularly.

This place is so underrated. It’s a bit hidden away but it’s a lovely little local pub. It’s never super crowded. It has great prices and it’s quiet so you can have a chat with friends. I really like the fireplace in the winter.

A long-standing site, it has not lost its charm. We were amazed by the good vibes there were and the number of interior rooms and parlors depending on the rest, dining or living areas.

Great traditional pub just off the Tower Bridge. Obviously very traditional. Good service. Food was a bit middling if I'm honest - the loaded nachos were really just plain corn chips with 3 x different sauces. The garlic bread was burnt on the underside. The pie was alright if a bit plain. The beer was excellent, though (like the food) they were out of several options. It's not helped by the massive construction racket next door unfortunately. Nevertheless, I liked it and was happy with the place.

I lost my puppy and the staff found it and it was still alive. Thank you Well the puppy has run off again if you see him just call him his name is Patrick Thank you

Real old-fashioned pub. Surprisingly quiet despite being at the foot of Tower Bridge. The food was very good and the waitress was adorable.

Perfect proper pub, great staff and fantastic landladies

Really great pub. Lovely atmosphere, good beer, friendly staff and fair prices.

I felt like this place was a little unwelcoming, didnt stay long Also the toilets are up a very steep set of steps

I found this pub by chance on Christmas Eve, but the service and atmosphere were really great. Be sure to visit

So rude ! First the barman ignored us when we walked in. Then we waited for him to finish what he was doing and then I said hello and asked something but he just ignored me. I thought he just didn’t hear and I asked again but he ignored me again. After some time, he just replied “sorry I was doing something”. Yes sorry I didn’t know that cleaning a glass would make you so busy that you can’t even look up and say hello.

Great discovery by Hazard! The cozy atmosphere with the fireplace! Brilliant and nice exchange with my son for a good while without checking our cell phones since it was strongly discouraged by the boss (just a photo taken of the fireplace discreetly)! Top !

A great traditional pub. Staff and clientele very friendly just how a pub should be.

Wunderschöner original authentischer Pub. Burger und Fish&Chips mega lecker, riesige Bierauswahl und total freundlicher Service!!!

Classic pub food - fish and chips, pies etc - with good chips in a quiet upstairs room with a discouragement of phones. Not haute cuisine, but that's not the point. Cosy bar downstairs. Lovely warm staff. Smith's beers. Everything you need from a good pub, and bang where you need it.

Came across this pub by chance and what a fabulous find. Very quirky and so full of character. The staff were very friendly and helpful. A lovely old place, and would love to try out the food on my next visit

This is a great place to go if you're looking for a traditional English pub atmosphere. The food was hot and delicious!

Super cozy and friendly place to meet up away from the crowds of central London

Helt ok pub strax intill Tower Bridge. Här är det lite enklare att få plats jämfört med de ställen som ligger i direkt anslutning till bron. Det serveras god öl och bra mat till modesta priser för att ligga centralt i London. Men väldigt trevligt lite ruffigt med en fin innegård för de som vill sitta ute.

Very traditional pub hidden away from the mainstream, worth seeking out.

On our first trip to England, first day in London, after touring the Tower, we asked for the best and oldest pub nearby for that old pub experience we had heard about so much. We couldn’t have picked a better, more special place. It was like being at a friend’s warm home where you could relax, or have fun with some social games. We arrived close to midday kitchen break, so were the only couple besides one regular. The bartender was the coolest, happiest and most accommodating and personable host we ever met. He gave us a tour of the place, including the cellar where the kegs are stored. The experience was about the best of our entire trip. More special memory for our 20th wedding anniversary than Buckingham Palace. Thx John for a great time, great pint, and awesome fish n chips.

Rude member of staff. Mentioned cider had line cleaner in it and tasted vinegary. Staff said ‘bloody hell’. After insisting of getting a pint of something else, he said, do you want a half or something else? My reply was” no! I would like a pint I paid for please!!” He then proceeded to laugh at me with his colleagues… Not professional in my standards. As with other I know. I used to love this place and no longer be coming back because a narrow minded member of staff. It’s a real shame…

Ao lado da Tower Bridge, esse pub fica escondido, mas vale a pena a visita, principalmente por não ser ponto de turistas ele é um genuíno pub britânico, oferecendo bons pratos, boas cervejas e com o bom atendimento londrino.

Hidden Gem. Unspoilt old school pub not many around these days, loved it.

No music, No electronic devices; but thats what makes it a great place to catch up over a quiet pint. Thats not for everyone, i get it... but its the city of London.. Theres limitless other venues you can get the laptop out and make your loud twatty phone call in. Not here. This one is ours.

A very authentic pub, just a touch out of the bustle of the Tower Bridge tourist traffic.

You want a real British pub feel go here! Super atmosphere, great staff.

Great pub and staff, can't beat a Samuel Smiths pub! Barman on duty was a legend!

Great pub with great prices and atmosphere.

This place smells like a old dog, i love it!

Loveley hidden pub just behind Tower Bridge.

Food was nice but for this price would expect proper chips not frozen . Thin gravy with the pie and not sure if the mash was properly prepared or pre packaged. Authentic pub down stairs but no Aymosphere in the upstairs dining area. Altogether nice enough but nothing special

Good Sam Smiths pub.... well kept beer but limited bitter choice

Hidden away a bit. Great pub, excellent fish and chips (upstairs dining).

Tout est parfait dans ce pub ! L'ambiance londonienne, les plats sont gourmands et très bien réalisés, et la serveuse fait vraiment très bien son travail (sourire, serviabilité, communication). De plus, la maison interdit les téléphones afin de privilégier la discussion, entre vous voire avec les autres tables s'ils sont d'humeur ! Je recommande à 100%!

Great place, amazing food, and even greater staff. :) Had a blast.

Excellent food with very pleasant service

Pleasant traditional pub. Staff happy to have random football conversations. Sam Smith's beers cheap as ever, despite being yards from Tower Bridge

If you seek a genuine London's pub here you are! Enjoy your beer and relax! Food also is recommended, you won't regret.

The pub is kind of isolated. Pretty quiet. The waiters are all funny chaps they love to drop a joke or two and be super friendly with you. Rarely seen such easygoing service. They also checked is everything fine with our food. The food was amazing. Burger and Mac and cheese were really good. They had this weird selection of beers but the obscure one we got were pretty good. If you want to meet people, have a good time and preserve your eardrums, go here.

I was here for just a brief second and ended up going to a different pub for unrelated reasons. However this is a lovely, cozy and friendly place. I was greeted kindly at the door and I will return to stay for longer next time. Really nice!

Pub trouvé par hasard, nous avons adoré le cadre, la nourriture typique et copieuse, très loin de tous les cafés concepts alentours. Nous le recommandons !

Great place with nice atmosphere. The food was delicious and the staff super friendly. We'll definitely come back.

Muito bacana ter essa experiência .. o lugar data de 1761. Preservado , incrível ! Além da comida boa e atendimento divertido e impecável.

Good old fashioned South London pub I remember from my youth.

Went to this beautiful pub, great scenery and good service, the barman was kind and very efficient at pouring my beer, had a good chat with some locals too, would defo come back again.

Such a great classic pub with amazing good and people! Right next to tower bridge! Definitely worth a stop. Historical building and knowledge staff!

This place is much larger than it first appears but it is crowded! Get there early and you'll still search for a table, but it's worth it. As you would expect in a pub, lots of great beer and libations, friendly staff, and perfect location. And the food is as good as the location- fish and chips, steak and ale pie were tasty and served in good time. May go back.

Service was great albeit long, nice selection of food

A last minute discovery before retiring home, we came across this little gem of a pub, you know, one for the road, and all that. It was late, about to shut, but the atmosphere and the 2 bar staff were incredible. Worth revisiting at busier hours if only to soak up the proper atmosphere. A nice selection of lagers & ciders.

Nice old pub with a good amosphere and lovely staff! First time there, after I moved to London from France and I had a lovely time!

Great local pub at an amazing location. Really feels like you’re one of the locals when you’re there. You can’t really find places like this in the US. Staff was attentive and friendly.

Felt so awkward the moment I entered this pub. Just because I'm brown I felt this discomfort immediately with the bartender and the people sitting with him there. Conversing with the bartender himself was also weird as he himself seemed to be unwelcoming. I had to quickly finish my beer and get out of there as fast as I could!

Excellent food, drinks, and service. We had the steak and ale pie and the Big Catch plate.

I’m always hesitant about writing a review of a place like the Anchor Tap as I want it to last forever, but don’t want it rammed so as I can’t get a beer and bite when I’m Southwark. Anyway, it is a gem of place, really friendly staff and customers too. The food is simple, delicious and always cooked to perfection. The beer, well it’s always epic. If you like Sam Smiths, you won’t get it kept and poured better anywhere. Visited the Tower or the Tate? Then get refreshed in the Tap. However, if you wouldn’t mind ensuring there’s room for me to get a drink and a bite when I’m in Southwark, I’d be very grateful

We had a great time at this pub. We got there right when the restaurant part opened and chatted with the restaurant bar tender who was a very friendly and funny guy. The food was delicious. The steak and ale pie and bangers and mash are incredible. Great beers and ciders too. We’ll definitely be back.

Beautiful pub. Spotlessly clean

Another diamond pub, full of character just around the corner from the tower bridge

The food is good but the service is the worst I’ve ever seen No organisation, it’s a mess behind the bar and in the kitchen We waited 1h30 for three meal, had to wait 30 lin for the dessert I would recommend this restaurant if you have plenty of time. If not, avoid it!

Stumbled upon this little gem after the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Wasn’t super busy, but they were steady and our server was working really hard. Friendly to tourists. Really good fish and chips. Great place to kick back and relax!