The Anvil Inn in Scarborough

What can i say? To be perfectly honest, i wasnt expecting this place to be very good. BUT boy was i wrong. The food here is better than amazing. It simply melts in your mouth & is full of fantastic flavours. I had the fillet steak with chunky chips, i have eaten all over the country & europe & never have i had food like this. The steak was so easy to cut & cooked to perfection, the chips were out of this world. Crispy on the outside & soft on the inside with such flavour. Exceptionally good prices too. I will definately return for more food. Thanks to all at the anvil.

Fantastic food..Great atmosphere. Lovely hosts . Can't wait to go back ! Would highly recommend the Anvil it also does B&B

Excellent food, and situation normally would merit 5 stars, but the evening was completely spoilt by the chef having a Gordon Ramsey tirade, F-ing and Blinding against a young member of staff, in the kitchen clearly audible not only in the restaurant but outside in the garden. Such a shame, that our evening was spoilt in this manner. Ramsey belongs on the tele, not in real life.

We thought we'd try the £10 burger deal (actually we turned up expecting curry as that's what it was advertised as on the website) I wish we hadn't - it was literally just a burger in a bun with some chips - nothing else - it reminded me of school dinners. Apart from that, this is a very pleasant pub with a lovely interior and little areas to sit outside too. We will be back to try the main menu another night

We dined here with friends as we were staying nearby. Main courses were mostly lovely but God forbid I asked for blue cheese on my burger (offered on main menu) rather than cheddar on burger night. Most of our party enjoyed the main course but we felt that we were constantly being watched by the landlord who stood at the bar and seemed to have no small talk at all. Deserts weren't cheap (all £5.50), Apple crumble was quite nice but all the rest of our party had Sticky Toffee Pudding and they were all disappointed as it was quite dry with very little toffee sauce. I've worked in pub restaurants for years and have never been treated as the waitress was here. It was obvious she had to stand in the same spot by the bar until 'allowed' to move to carry out her duties - she looked terrified of him all night. So all in all a night out ruined by an overbearing landlord - I dont suggest you try it!

Friendly staff and excellent food at a fair price. Booked to ensure we had a table as can get busy especially in the restaurant. Dog friendly in the bar area. Would visit again if in the area

We stayed in the family room, which was big enough for two adults and two children for one night. We had food in the evening which was quite expensive as the children’s meal was £6.95. We got into our room and our tv had bad reception, kept going off, and in the morning no signal at all. This was disappointing as we had two kids who got bored very easily whilst we where getting ready, and before bed. They where steps leading down to the bathroom, which my son fell down. They did warn us about the steps but really should have had a stair gate when it’s supposed to be a family room. In the morning we wanted to speak to the owners about these things and also ask where we could get something printed off but there was no one to be seen! We had to leave the keys in the room as they was nowhere to put them. As someone who works in a hotel, I found that complimentary biscuits are a must, which we didn’t have. And we had two conditioners. That may sound petty but with the rest of the things we found, it overall was quite disappointing.

Went on steak night and the food was lovely as well as being a bargain. We were a party of 4, so two had steak and the others penne and a burger. We also had sweets which were delicious. Only in area for a week otherwise we would return given the value for money and tasty food.

The room was lovely and looked great. We also ate at the pub which was delicious but the portions were huge so could not finish. The barman and owner was very friendly and helpful. Overall great night away.

We were staying in the accommodation next door so thought it right we try the local pub....as they promoted it and it was the closest place to eat out. We got to the bar and the man looked and sounded stressed and flustered, but came across extremely rude and having zero hospitality skills. After ordering 2 drinks and sitting waiting feeling more and more awkward with the atmosphere we decided we couldn’t face sticking around to eat so we left and made ourselves something at our accommodation! We spoke to another couple who had just left the pub and although they said the food was okay they would never return again either. Lacking the country pub feel indeed.

Visited for steak night and was told that as a walk in, we would have to wait until the pre-booked customers had been served. When we got the food it was good. We booked for curry night and got there 15 minutes early. We were told we would have to wait until the walk ins had been served! Waited for over an hour and ended up walking out. Not impressed at all as extremely poor service.

Curry night didn’t quite live up to it’s name we ordered two different types but the sauce was the same bland not very hot concoction nothing resembling the names given, maybe this Inn should stick to the usual pub grub. The real ale and the actual Inn itself were excellent.

Visited The Anvil to perform a Fawlty Towers Experience for their guests. The venue is beautiful. The letting rooms are very comfortable and well decorated with every mod con you could wish for. The bar and restaurant areas are comfortable and cosy. A lovely village inn. The meal was delicious and the staff courteous and efficient. We had a lovely evening and good fun was had by all. The owners of the Anvil are friendly and helpful and their customers come first. Nothing is too much trouble. Well done - keep up the good work and we look forward to working with you again in the future.

We have visited this pub in the past on a number of occasions and had high standard meals . So booked a table for our anniversary April 2019 , thought it odd it wasn’t busier and when the meal arrived we realised why it was dreadful. I had breaded haloumi with thrice cooked chips and salad ( the only part that was nice) , the chips should have been lovely and crispy on the outside but they were limp and soggy no crunch at all and the cheese I cut into and it was a greasy mess , full of fat . Needless to say we will not be returning for another visit and we didn’t order dessert!

Just enjoyed a lovely lunch with excellent service and great food. Two of us are veggies and felt well catered for - loved the tagine. Good sized helpings too. Will certainly return

Visited here on a Friday evening in mid March and was pleased that I had. A lovely pub on the outside and a decent atmosphere on the inside. Friendly service and a good menu with plenty of choice. The food itself was really nice and had the ham hock and green peppercorn pie with chips, peas and gravy. Would certainly recommend to others when in the area.

Have been to the Anvil in the past but had not realised the original owners had moved on. What a pity! Visited for Sunday lunch and the lack of cars in the car park made us a little suspicious and we were not wrong. It was a cold day so we ordered soup to start which looked and tasted like a commercially purchased product. We then ordered the roast beef and the roast lamb both of which were terrible. The food arrived smothered in a dark gloopy substance that looked more like chocolate than gravy. The meat was chewy and looked like it had been carved from a cold joint and then re-heated. My Yorkshire pudding was flabby and inedible. We shall not go back again!

This is the perfect example of why you should try something for yourself and not believe the trolls who try to run a place down on TripAdvisor.

My partner brought me here for our first anniversary on the 8th December, when we arrived there were no other diners so it was nice and quiet, we were politely greeted and ordered drinks before being shown to our table. We were give plenty of time to decide what we wanted to order but the waiter always made sure he was close by incase we needed anything. I can highly recommend the beer battered prawns with their sweet chilli mayo, absolutely divine.

Having been here to dine a couple of years ago when it had the original owners it was superb.

We eat out a lot, both at home and abroad. This was one of the best meals we have had in ages. Stake was cooked perfectly and the desserts were gorgeous. Lovely cosy fire, will return again.

While staying local hubby and the dogs decided to walk from our cottage to Sawdon and have lunch at The Anvil Inn , I had read some the reviews on here but decided I would make my own mine up. The welcome was great to all of us, 4 paws and humans. Hubby loved the beer and foods was great. Great pit stop on a nice walk

We did a Brit stop here (call ahead then turn up in your campervan for a free spot for the night and go in and buy dinner). It was superb. The hosts and staff were really helpful. The restaurant was lovely and warm and the food was great. They even allowed us an electricity point (thank you). Lovely little village pub with good vegetarian food.

We visited the inn on speck and can only say that the food was outstanding. I had the best Thai green curry I have ever had and my husband had the pulled pork burger which he said was delicious. The staff were also very friendly. We would certainly come back if the food is always this good.

I was staying at the Anvil on the 15th and i can assure Chopfreckles,that the Anvil was open when i arrived at 3pm.I was greeted warmly and had a drink with the owners and the chef.Infact they were telling me how busy lunch service had been.I later visited the bar,had a lovely meal and enjoyed a few real ales.I would like to point out i was the last person to leave ,around 10.30 pm.

Spending a week up in North Yorkshire is always something we look forward to as a family. Whilst on our way back to our cottage from spending a day in Scarborough, the chance to quench our thirst with a nice cold beer was something that was top of our agenda. Whilst travelling along the main road from Scarborough to Pickering we saw a sign for this pub, which clearly read “open 12 til close”. Having followed the sign and ventured around 3 miles off the main road, we arrived at the Anvil only to be greeted with a ‘closed’ sign. Obviously the 12 til close meant ‘12 til whenever we can’t be bothered to stay open’. Maybe you should amend your sign, or just remove it to avoid fraudulently persuading genuine paying holidaymakers making the effort to come see you, in the middle of the summer holidays on a beautiful day. Certainly not worth the detour. Will not be giving this place another chance. Avoid. Or if you really do want to visit give them a ring first, they may answer, they may not. Shame, pub looked nice.

We were staying in the area and decided to try The Anvil.

Booked in here after reading some of the more positive reviews about the place (we tend to place more stock in the good things people have to say that the bad) and I have to say that I was very happy with our meal. We’ve got a very fussy son and the chef went above and beyond to cater for him, mixing and matching a number of bits from lots of different dishes. I myself had the 8oz burger which was really flavoursome and had a nice little kick to it and the missus had the tagliatelle which for a veggie dish looked superb - I mean the pasta was pink!!

Been to the Anvil in the past and the food as always been lovely, Went again the other night expecting it to be same but it turned out we were in for a big disappointment, the starters were ok but out of the four main courses we had two were very under par and the other two were below average. at very Best was on par with Weatherpersons but three times the price

The best pub in the whole entire world. Full of brilliant staff. The food is brilliant and the drink are even better these guys know how to get you merry! Come here and have a great night! All the best there favourite customer!

We went here tonight, have been many times before even under same ownership and had a lovely meal. Tonight however was disappointing! And that is the best I can say, I had the BBQ mixed grill and didn’t even get 1 fork full of meat! Complained and no discount! No apology! Very disappointing! Will defo not recommend and will not return! Sorry!

Stayed locally to sawdon and came in the pub for a quick drink, we got such a good warm welcome and great service we decided too book a evening meal all four of us had different choices, potted prawns, soufflé, fish cakes and the beetroot and goats cheese salad and they were all fantastic we followed up by some amazing mains two of us had pork bell which can only be described as melt in the mouth with loads of flavour one of us had the trio of fish ( monkfish, woof fish, and salmon) which was Cooked to perfection filling too boot and the beetroot and spinach tagliatelle simply breathtaking bright and vibrant and full of flavour.

We have visited The Anvil of several occasions and until yesterday, have never been disappointed. My starter Potted Prawns with homemade bread - I was served a ramekin with prawns with what appeared to be melted butter poured over them, and indeed this is what it tasted like. It was warm. I asked the waiter who relayed a message from the chef that that is how it should be, I said it should be set butter - the waiter agreeing that usually he sees butter left around the rim of the dish, but the chef had said he took it out of the fridge and it must have melted whilst waiting for my husband's souffle! I had roast beef, which was pretty tasteless, roast potatoes where on the very well done side, but only warmish. Gravy was instant. In fact the only part of the meal which was really up to standard were the vegetables, which were nicely cooked.

Used the Anvil as an overnight 'Britstop' in our caravan. Highly recommended for this. Really enjoyed the quality of beer, food and friendly service. Its a shame the locals don't appreciate it more and realise what a gem they have in an otherwise quiet village.

Nice pub, only went the once as we tried to get around so many in the 20 miles radius were we we staying. Would re visit next time in area end September this year.

We popped in for a quick drink to check out the menu as we live nearby and thought we might come back for lunch. The interior is lovely! with a fascinating anvil / range in the corner of the bar and lots of cosy sofas. I tried the rhubarb cider which was interesting (there were about 4 or 5 other flavours too). There is also a board listing a fairly large range of Gins. Outside there are various benches and a little courtyard beer garden with 3 tables, we sat out there in the shade of a big tree and it was very pleasant. We will definitely be back

While on holiday in Sawdon we visited The Anvil Inn most days, we ate there on 2 different evenings. Having read some negative reviews on here I must say I was a bit worried about what we might find. We found the food to be wonderful, in particular the Goats Cheese and Beetroot Salad and the Pearl Barley Risotto with Artichoke & Garlic. Also worth mentioning is the real ale was top quality. The staff and owner were very friendly and chatty, would not hesitate to visit this little gem again when we are in the area.

On holiday locally and booked dinner at the anvil inn. Arrived to disorganised person behind the bar, seemingly trying to do everything. My wife ordered soufflé which was nice, I ordered prawn cocktail which was served on a mix of very sad leaves cucumber and wrinkly tomatoes, poor at best. Next course I ordered a chicken curry and chapati, well it was the worst curry I had ever had, could not eat it. The chapati was tough and cold. Needless to say I didn’t pay for it. My wife faired little better with the steak pie served luke warm with cold veg. Wine by the glass well overpriced. Came away not at all happy. Advise “give it a miss”.

Terrible. Prawns.. off? Sent back! Soup like water with no flavour. Pork, bought better at deli in proudfoots!

Visited here for Sunday Lunch, we had visited here Dec 2016 and had a lovely meal. I rang at short notice fo a group and was offered a choice of time slots (which should have alerted me that all was not well). The staff were friendly and attentive and several of us chose the Roast Lamb having asked and been assured that it was pink. When it arrived it was well done - not pink at all. Small portions of tasteless steamed veg and inedible Yorkshire Pudding - not cooked so just solidified batter. One of our party had fish and it arrived cold, it was returned and when it came back it was still not hot. The total bill was £180 for 7 people - most of us had had 2 courses, and One drink apiece. This is really bad value for a meal no-one enjoyed - a standard Toby carvery is far better quality. I have seen recent reviews which praise The Anvil - so I can only assume that they have a major issue with delivering a consistently good product. Not one in our party will be returning - when you pay that sort of sum you expect a memorable meal for all the right reasons.

As a party of four we have held off coming here as we had meal vouchers and reviews have been disappointing to say the least. So arriving today we expected nothing and we were right. We ordered the Biryani chicken curry, bbq ribs, lamb and mint pie and a beef burger. The chicken curry was more ‘slop’ 6 pieces of chicken and bland. The beef burger was spicy this not mentioned and was left, the ribs looked unappetising but were eaten, my pie had more pastry than filling. Carrots were not peeled and the rest of the veg hardly cooked. Most of the food was left.

We were driving round looking for somewhere to eat on a chilly summer evening. We passed several places on the main road none of which looked inviting. We saw a sign for the Anvil Inn and decided to have a look. It was a pleasant surprise and an added bonus dog friendly!

Pleasant airy room with a comfortable bed, excellent shower and soft towels. Lovely peaceful surroundings away from any main roads. Our room looked over the main village street but there was very little traffic during the night. We were able to get a table for a good evening meal but it might be advisable to book to be sure of this. Other local places to eat were advertised in the information booklet. Good wifi.

Visited the Anvil for a family lunch on the strength of a visit during the previous owners tenure - big mistake as the fine food of yesteryear was nowhere to be found except on plagiarised photos on the current website.

My partner and I arrived for an evening meal that we were both eagerly looking forward to as The Anvil had been one of our most favoured places to dine, On arrival we ordered drinks and were shown straight to our table.

We visited here for a meal to celebrate our wedding anniversary after buying a discount voucher from our local radio station. We were aware that the restaurants previous excellent rating had slipped a little following a recent takeover however we went with an open mind. On arrival we walked into the lounge/reception and waited a few minutes until a waitress walked through with some plates of food and asked if we had a booking and told us to follow her into the bar area. There were a couple of tables in this area where people looked to be enjoying their food, another young waitress stood by the end of the small bar and a barman. No one at this point had said anything in welcome and to be honest it didn’t really feel as though we were.

We visited before and really enjoyed it so we decided to come for a Sunday lunch with friends as we saw they did a three meat roast. We decided to go for all three courses, the starters were amazing, I had The haddock fritters and they were delicious. We all decided to go for the mixed meat option and we couldn’t fault it! All the meat was cooked to perfection and really tasty plenty of veg for us to share and some of the best Yorkshire puddings I’ve ever had! I had the lemon tart to finish and it was absolutely perfect! One of the best desserts I’ve had. Don’t listen to the negative reviews and go give them a try! Definitely worth the visit and we will be back again.

Excellent 3 course Sunday lunch with plenty of choice and full of taste. 6 of us went along and ALL plates completely finished and clean. Couldn't fault it.

Stayed at the old nail shed over Easter which was 10 strides to The Anvil.

The ideal place whether you want a drink, food, a place to stay, or all!

Stayed here at their guest house, which was absolutely stunning, while visiting some friends in nearby Scarborough. The guest house features a beautiful bathroom, full kitchen facilities and a lovely view out of the patio doors.

We arrived just after 12.00 and ordered at the bar straight away before sitting down.There were 2 other tables already seated - one with 2 people and one with 3 people. Hardly full to the brim! The bar maid lacked any warmth or charm and the welcome was cool to say the least.

I visited here with my mum and my wife, we hadn’t been in a while but it was always brilliant food here .. we won’t be going back .. these starters weren’t too bad my mum had the haddock fritters .. they arrived burnt and very crispy! I had the goats cheesecake.. very small portion but nice my wife had the homemade tomato soup it was tasteless.. the mains arrived we all had Sunday roasts .. the beef was very chewy the lamb was tough , we complained they took our meals back and we had to wait 25 mins before our meals returned to us .. it was no better .. looking at the beef it probably went in the microwave! £55 later .. waste of money!!

This was been one of our favourite pubs/restaurant for some time. We hadn’t been for a year or so but booked it for four people when we had friends visiting from London. It was 7.30 at night and our first impression was that the pub was very cold (several people like ourselves needed to keep their coat on) and the staff and greeting we received wasn’t typical of what we had experianced in the past. The menus was also very different with a more limited choice of starters and mains almost forcing us all to choose the choice of the two steaks. Apart from mackerel there was no choice of fish to which it had a good reputation in the past. Our suspicions were confirmed when we questioned the waitress that the restaurant had changed hands last May. As for the food. The two starters we had were could only be described as mediocre but the four main courses we had (steaks), I’m afraid we disappointing to say the least. Three of the steaks were cooked okay but one was ’grissly’. The chips were over cooked, one of the large mushrooms was so hard it was inedible and the overall experianced was over cooked and unimaginative. The bread was also stale. Whether it is the owners or the chef I’m afraid this pub needs to get its act together quickly to regain any of its former reputation. We did make comments at the end to one of the staff but were not approached by any management team subsequent to that which I feel would have been appropriate. Needless to say we didn’t stay longer for sweets and coffee. A great shame but this pub needs to go back to basics starting with the heating

We really enjoyed our meal at The Anvil last week. The waitress was lovely and the food perfect. Fabulous place and well worth a visit.

The Anvil has been a favourite pub for special occasions for a few years and Mum asked if she could go there for Mother's Day. We hadn't realised it had changed hands last May as we hadn't been for a year. It saddens me to be writing this review after such a disappointing experience today.

Never had a bad meal here til today.. Starter burnt and meat on roast tough.. sent back and came back no better.. won’t be going back.. total waste of money..

I had booked in to The Anvil Inn for my Fiancé 30th Birthday. When we got there we found out Thursday night was Steak Night which was great for us as we had both had Steak on a previous visit and where looking forward to the same again. We both had starters which where very tasty, fresh and well presented I had the venison and Rebecca had the Goats Cheese.

We have eaten at the Anvil several times when the previous owners were in residence and always found both the food and service to be excellent. We visited for a bar lunch just before Christmas, knowing there had been a change of ownership, and were pleased with the salad, soup and sandwiches we had, hence we were fairly confident of getting a good evening meal when we visited this weekend to celebrate my husbands birthday with friends.

Myself and 3 other family members went for a valentines night last night all had starters 1 had red mullet 2 had goats cheese cake and 1 had duck spring rolls and all were well pleased with them. For mains 2 had venison and 2 had steak 1 fillet 1 sirloin cooked has asked for. All had deserts 1 pomegranate brûlée 1 cheese board with black cheddar 1 chocolate cremlu and 1 rhubarb and panacota all were well pleased and will return again. The service was excellent food was lovely and well priced.I would give 5 stars for service food and price.

After visiting the pub a little while back and having a great time we decided to book in for Valentines and wow, not disappointed in the slightest! First of all, 4 courses for £65 a couple...bargain!! I don’t care where you go, that’s a great deal, and then to get the top quality food on top, fantastic!!

Went here tonight what a lovely experience , staff 1st class warm inviting , Excellent service informal but professional and 1st class food fresh quality food perfectly cooked .Would definitely recommend and will certainly be visiting again .

Wow! Where to begin? Haven’t been for a while so was unaware there had been 2 chef changes within the past 12 months. Unfortunately we only found this out mid-meal when I asked the waitress about the food and how it was nowhere near the standard it had previously been. To say it was practically inedible was an understatement. I won’t go into too much detail but let’s put it this way, you know you’ve had a bad meal when the best part of a 4 course meal is the sorbet. They also had no Merlot or Malbec red wine (apparently they were waiting for a delivery of this!) Anyway to cut a long story short, the icing on the cake was realising we had been massively overcharged & then having to make the painstaking drive all the way back to Sawdon so they could reimburse our card with the overcharged payment!! I can’t say we’ll cross over the threshold of the Anvil pub again anytime soon!

We have been to the Anvil for years and it has been one our favourite restaurants. In recent months, we have been a couple of times since the new owners took over and unfortunately we have been under whelmed on every occasion.

We have been to the Anvil for years and it has been one our favourite restaurants. In recent months, we have been a couple of times since the new owners took over and unfortunately we have been under whelmed on every occasion.

Went to Anvil with family second time since new owners taken over been load of times before . Were to start . The cut backs on are guiet noticeable. The food is nothing to write about there were childern screaming this was near ten oclock .wish them well but shall not return work hard for my money expect them to work hard for mine if want medioca will go to a cafe

Visited in November 2017 just in passing and left a review.

This is our 3rd visit in as many months to the anvil inn sawdon.

My husband and a friend of ours came here for Sunday lunch. The setting and food are amazing. The food is well portioned and very tasty and not over priced. They also do gluten free/wheat free options. It is a bit of a drive from where we live but we will be returning again in the future. Well worth a visit

Just been to our local pub serving fab food. There were 10 of us celebrating my brothers and mothers birthday. Staff were lovely and the food was lovely. Certainly worth £17.95 for 3 courses!

We frequent the anvil inn often over the years and it’s always been enjoyable for us. Whether it’s me and the wife, family get togethers or business.

Being to the Anvil at Sawdon for years great food and drink ..Taken over and all gone in an instance OMG

Came across this pub by chance the other day with the missus and the dog whilst on a walk in the Scarborough area. Shattered, muddy and wet through and yet were made to feel so welcome with the owners even moving to work on a different table so that we could sit in front of the roaring fire. Had great conversation with Leanne and James that lasted well into the evening along with some amazing food and beer (I can personally recommend the lamb wellington as being one of the best meals I have ever eaten) and then to top it all off were even often a lift back into Scarborough. Brilliant!

We had a fabulous dinner at the Anvil Inn in Sawdon just before Christmas.

Thank you to Mark James and Elaine the new owners

After reading mixed reports about this restaurant we thought it might be worth a visit lunch time menu was very limited and not cheap but what we had was ok don't think I would go again not bad enough to complain about and not good enough to recommend

We visited this restaurant on Friday night having previously been there on many occasions in the passed, when we had excellent meals.This restaurant has been recently taken over and is not up to the same standards by far. This is the second time of visiting under the new ownership, the first time we were overcharged for which we were refunded after they admitted their mistake. On this occasion the service was very slow plates were not removed for a long time after eating our food, our wine order was slow. and also the main course of turbot was abysmal and only one small portion of vegetables to share between 4 people. We will not be returning and going back to our usual good quality restaurants

Visited for Sunday lunch. Firstly I dont like having all veg on plate prefer to choose my own veg. Beef a bit tough. Delay in bringing veg with halibut but the halibut was excellent. Desserts were very good. Drinks on the steep side. Manager very attentive. Overall good but few little moans.

I reviewed the anvil inn only a month or so ago when I came in with family and friends for a lovely meal. This time I came in as part of a local shooting party, with 20+ other farmers who had spent the day in and around sawdon on a shoot. We had the bar to ourselves for the evening, and were offered a very homely 2 course meal, with a variety of choices. Most of the table opted for the homemade steak and ale pie, whilst the rest had the chicken and leek pie. Both came out piled high on the plate with a decent portion of pie, ample vegetable selection and chips. The choices for dessert were apple crumble or treacle sponge, with lashings of custard, which were split evenly across the table. Everyone had a good time and enjoyed the food, drink and atmosphere. I just hope we didn’t spoil the evening for the other diners in the restaurant. But excellent food and service again.

Having eaten at a few restaurants in the Scarborough area for Sunday lunch we have finally found the best one!!We ate there on Sunday as a group of 4 after seeing a sign on the main road saying two courses £14.95, we thought we’d go in as we never had before. We were immediately welcomed by a very cheery Irish man, who showed us into the bar to get drinks before heading to our table. We were only interested in the roast options, but the other items on the menu sounded good, halibut, homemade pie and a vegetable crumble. Having only initially wanting a main meal we actually opted for the two courses, which is great value for money, some of us had starters and others chose a dessert.The roast beef was cooked perfectly, lovey and pink in the Center, with 3 massive roast potatoes, a Yorkshire and plenty of veg on each plate, if we had of received extra veg it would of gone to waste. The starters and desserts were also lovely. Happy to say we have found our Sunday lunch location and will gladly be back.

As the title says small portions and way over priced. Very limited menu too.

The Anvil has a lot of character with its very unique decor. The staff were very friendly and helpful - they took our order straight away and we didn't wait long for our food. We ordered the Sunday roast and received a very generous portion of meat and vegetables. We will definitely be returning!

Cosy bar and restaurant. We had the 3 course deal for £17.95, great price and lovely tasty food. Very welcoming staff and excellent service. Would recommend for locals and any one in the area.

Visited the anvil inn on Saturday evening and had a lovely meal. Everything from start to finish was perfect, the attentive staff and the food. We had the pigeon and prawn & leek terrine to start and followed with the halibut and venison dishes, my first time eating venison and it was delicious, the halibut was also delicious I was told, lovely and flakey. We decided not to have dessert as we were full, but the options available sounded nice and we’ll definitely have them on our next visit.

We love this place for its ambience/decor etc & always expect limited choice as non meat eaters for Sunday lunch but dont mind that as long as theres something on the menu. Hadnt been for a while & didnt realise it had changed hands.We noticed there were discounts if you had 2 or 3 courses. We were pushed for time so could only have a main. This ended up costing a lot more more. (Penalised for having one course/ being in a hurry?) We paid £40 for a tiny veg crumble & a fish dish (& 1 beer). The crumble came in a v small bowl. It had 2 baby carrots in it, a parsnip & a cauli floret. There was a small jug of sauce (like pure double cream - yuk) & some chips. The fish was nice but served with absolutely nothing else & on the cold side. No bowl of vegetables to go with it as you would expect. It was served with 'cauliflower textures' which was 2 tiny bits of floret.All around people eating their roast beef lunches with vegetables- fish eaters obviously dont need vegetables.We are writing this review because we did actually complain about this at the time and were very unsatisfied with the response of staff. Not even the price of a drink taken off the bill & no apology that we hadnt enjoyed our meal. Made to feel rude.Slow service. Cold restaurant (no radiator on in Nov) & most importantly poor food at extortionate prices. We could have cooked better ourselves for around £7.

Happened upon this gem of a restaurant totally by chance. And what a pleasant surprise it was for me and the wife. After being met at the front desk by a very attentative young man (which I later found to be owner) I was shown to a table by the bar to drink and revel in the atmosphere which was great. We were given a menu and shown specials. Which were limited but sounded delightful. We both chose our food and we're shown to our table after a short wait. My wife chose the veloute for starter which was packed full of flavour and served with a crunchy crouton with sage cream and roasted squash. I was jealous...That was until I tasted my own starter of pigeon breast served with two types of carrot puree/mayo roasted carrots and wild mushrooms. Was fantastic! But that was just the beginning. The main course was next! My wife opted for the halibut which she explained to me was the best fish dish she'd tasted in long time. I myself opted for the venison which was cooked to perfection and very tasty! Although the desserts were tempting we decided we were both too full. That is for the next visit which we have decided we are bringing the whole family! All in all was a fantastic visit. Testament to James and his wife Leanne on finding not only a gem of a restaurant/pub but also on chefs who obviously pride themselves on fantastic flavoursome food. Keep hold and we'll see you all again soon!

Visited the restaurant for a meal and drinks and had a brilliant evening. The staff were very personable and welcoming and the place has a warm and friendly atmosphere. There was a surprisingly large amount of options available on the menu which was fantastic, including multiple options for dietary requirements (which was great as myself and partner both have specific requirements). They were even happy to make changes to our meal for us. Can't fault this place at all. The service was quick, the food was plentiful and the atmosphere couldn't be nicer. You can tell this is family run as the staff and owners make you feel at home straight away! We'll definitely be back to try out the other meals and will hopefully make it to the new quiz night.

We have always loved The Anvill. Unique place and fabulous decor. That hasn't changed of course but the atmosphere and the food has. This was our second visit since change of ownership. What the place needs is an outstanding chef which would justify the high prices. The food was average. The restaurant experience for us showed a lack of attention to detail. No artisan breads, lack of professionalism of staff in dress and manner, dishes missing off the menu and general slowness of service. Empty tables were evident when we went on Saturday night. This would never have occurred under previous ownership. You had to book at least two weeks in advance! I hope the new chef revives the place.

We were warmly greeted by the FOH staff and asked for our drink requirements. When handed the menus we were told that certain choices were not available. Starters and mains. Unfortunately there were quite a few dishes they had run out of, narrowing our choice considerably. Most chose steak as a main not bothering with what was left of the starters. They were tasty but not the quality we were used to. Vegetables were basic. Puddings were offered and again some choices were unavailable but what did come was good. Service was friendly and efficient but the lack of choice let them down. However it's early days for the new owners, who are still finding their feet. We will be back to try again. Maybe a Sunday lunch would be better?

We had been a number of times prior to the new ownership and it was one of our favourite places to eat and we always took people who came to visit us from out of the area there and they were always impressed. However on our first visit following the change of ownership there was a definite change in atmosphere. The waiter was constantly talking - the pudding menu was verbally given to us on at least 6 occasions with the comment 'they are almost all homemade'. The service was slow and on receiving the main we were told vegetables would follow but did not get any. The 'anvil cookie stack' dessert consisted of 3 cold and cheap cookies with two scoops of ice cream in a battered bowl and cost around £6. The bill also took a long time to come. We believed these to be the new owners and staff getting settled in so rebooked for a birthday meal for a party of 6. The menu had changed by this point but was rather overcomplicated with all of us struggling to find something we would like, the prices had also gone up. The beetroot salad consisted of 3 small bits of beetroot and a couple of sprigs of rocket and a sprinkling of goats cheese for £8. Two of the mains came early with the rest lagging and the two pork dishes were nearly cold on arrival. This was raised when the mains were cleared and we were offered a complimentary dessert. The dessert we chose was apple tarte tartin. Needless to say it was cold and the pastry was so hard it needed sawing at and almost flew across the table - again the price was not cheap. We attempted to order drinks throughout the night and these often didn't arrive. The bill took a long time to receive and including them trying to charge for a drink that never arrived and the complimentary dessert they had offered. At both occasions staff dealing with the bill were in casuals and seemed ready to shut for the night despite it not being much past 9. Unfortunately the drop in food standard and choice, the increase in price and change in atmosphere means we will not give it a third chance.

Every year for the last 7 years we have spent one or two weeks in a cottage in Hackness. The owners highly recommended the Anvil so we booked and we loved it. And every time thereafter for seven years (read my previous reviews). We went tonight and were so disappointed, it was not a patch of its former self. The atmosphere was flat, the service poor and the food bland and mediocre despite the menu showing promise. I am sorry to say that it will take a good few positive reviews on Trip Advisor to get us back.

I would highly recommend this place. We stayed locally (The Old Nail Shed) following our wedding and they went out of their way to make our visit as special as possible. The staff are fabulous and so friendly. The prices are not cheap, but you get what you pay for and the food quality is exceptional. The gin menu is fabulous too!

Where to start? I have visited this place regularly over the years with friends and family and I feel that some recent comments are a bit harsh. Having been in for drinks one lunch recently and seeing the young chef carrying a giant sack of potatoes into the kitchen I can assure these are not “frozen chips”, yes the menu has reduced slightly in size for evenings but in no way is this new menu “basic” and based on the choices we had no less than two months ago has vastly improved in quality.We visited on Saturday night and the restaurant was packed, unlucky for us we were sat near a previous reviewer and had to listen to them complain all evening, my wife had the same starter as both (garlic mushrooms) and main (halibut) and throughly enjoyed them. The table had mixed starters, the pigeon breast I had was wonderful and packed with flavour, would recommend.But the mains is where it got better, I had the trio of pork dish which had only only been added that night, and having been told it came with hot and cold elements was a bit aprehensive, but it worked, my wife had the halibut dish, which came with a very interesting sauce, that we didn’t know how was made with the vibrant green running through it but not mixing. Our guests enjoyed both a ribeye and a vegetable crumble which smelled lovely when passing me to the table.The only slight negative from the evening would be waiting just a bit longer than expected to be seated, but with a full restaurant was understandable. All in all it was a good night, and the new owners and kitchen team are doing a fantastic job and taking this restaurant forward to better things.

The Anvil has recently changed hands, and I hope that they will in the near future provide the range and quality of food we have enjoyed here before. Sadly on this occasion (Lunch) neither was present. The pub has some good beers, the Barman is a friendly chap and the beers are well cared for, I can recommend the Sharps ‘Sea fury’, however the food menu was very limited and of the five or so items on the menu, one was not available limiting the choice even further. I opted for the only thing that looked like it might ‘do’, namely the Whitby Scampi, “well”, I thought “ at £10.50 it should be a real plateful”, that word ‘sadly’ crops up again ... The portion was very small indeed, it might have satisfied a child, but not an adult. The quality was good, the Chips were fine, just not enough .. by a long way! My wife had a burger served with the now obligatory Brioch style bun. No complaint from the ‘missus’ with her meal but I was very disappointed. Sorry Anvil but your Mojo has definitely departed. Your going to have to work hard to get it back!

Having run the North York Moors Marathon, we were incredibly lucky to stumble across this wonderful pub. The food was delicious, the drinks menu complimentary to the food served, the service quick and friendly and the atmosphere was so cosy. The homemade Baileys ice cream was a real hit to finish off our evening (and actually meant we had four courses with a shared chessboard). All of the individual elements of dining were well established to make this one of the nicest dining experiences we’ve ever had. We’d thoroughly recommend and if we’re ever ‘up North’ again, we’ll be back! Thank you!

Visited the Anvil for Sunday lunch some months ago when new owners took over. It was ok. That's it just OK. Friendly service but clearly lost and fumbling along. Food edible but nothing to to entice us back there. We took this to be the "settling in" period. A few weeks later Called for a drink and saw the new menu. Very impressive plenty of choice especially for vegetarians. Decided a week later to book for evening meal. Presented with the menu (after a long wait and faffing about by staff member who can only be described as excitable) immediately we knew the chef who had created that impressive menu had left. Basic run of the mill choice not worthy of the prices being charged. Will not go on about our choices as that irrelevant as couple on next table who choose different dishes to us had the same comments. Cold and uninspiring food. £71 later we feel robbed. Note to proprietor. Unless your wet side will sustain your business Pay for a good chef -they don't come cheap are temperamental but worth it. Choose your front of house staff carefully they are the first impressions of your establishment. Lastly as propriter don't wear t shirt and casual jacket whilst trying to be more than a packet of crisps and pint pub.

My husband and I have often visited this place. Today we stopped off for lunch, there was one other table of people in which we thought was unusual but stayed anyway. The prices have gone up and the quality and service has gone through the floor! My first choice of main course was unavailable so I plumped for scampi, chips and salad...my husband ordered Caesar salad £10.50 and £8.50 respectively- pricey but, we thought we'd get fantastic, quality ingredients and service it was worth spending more.Frozen scampi, frozen chips and a tragic looking handful of shredded lettuce and diced pepper was my lunch!!!!! My husbands salad was half a chicken breast, ridiculous amounts of lettuce, a few croutons and the odd anchovy! We asked for ketchup from the waiters and she brought us a dirty pot with dry sauce that had gone crusty around the edges! Not once did the Irish chap who served us ask if we enjoyed it, or if everything was OK!!! As we were leaving we caught sight of the so called chef looking as miserable as sin!! Sorry but we won't be back.

All four of us had a great Friday lunch, burger was the best ever and sticky toffee pudding to die for. We'll worth the detour to Sawdon

The Anvil still does not disappoint with the new owners. A friendly welcome with a good choice of beers and food on offer. The pulled pork and the beef burger that were ordered were excellent and the 2 ladies enjoyed their scampi. We followed this with 2 very generous portions of sticky toffee puddings which was as good as promised. I would still recommend this cosy, friendly pub to anyone.

Our first visit was at the end of a walk and in need of refreshment. We came across this beautiful pub/restaurant, and enjoyed the company of others at the bar. James, the proprietor, knew we'd have a long walk back to a bus-stop, and kindly gave us a lift instead! We returned a few days later for Sunday Lunch. This was absolutely delicious, every bit of it! The atmosphere was warm and buzzing with activity. A highlight of our holiday in Yorkshire.