The Old Anchor Inn in Vale of White Horse

We were looking for live music and the Old Anchor had a good reputation for supporting live music. Unfortunately we visited on a quiet evening when there was no gig. But very fortunately for us the landlady had offered the space to a couple of amazingly talented locals to rehearse. We had a great evening thank you landlady and mystery duo. This pub is in a stunning area, well worth a steady amble to find it.

Wandering the streets of Abingdon working away from home for the week I stumbled on this pub. Right on the Thames. I had a few pints and chatted with some locals and the bar staff. A nice change to hotel 4 walls and packet coffee of the hotel. The place was so friendly and the staff proper old school. Like village pub s used to be. I really like this pub. Food was decent too.

I’m a musician pretty local to the area, I have played at this pub many times throughout the years, but something all of a sudden is happening here, gone are the days of being put in the corner and being told to get on with it, this is rapidly becoming to “go to” place for music in Abingdon & beyond, the landlady is friendly and is also a musician, which explains the fantastic new stage fully equipped with a PA and beautiful decor, they have actually altered the building for better acoustics!!! They run a fantastic open mic every Thursday evening but call and book as it is very busy! Seen some extremely talented musicians on display here! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

While exploring Abingdon at the weekend, my friend and I were drawn to this pub by the river and from the word go we weren't disappointed - by their hospitality and friendly atmosphere. We enjoyed a fun and entertaining evening with a couple of pints, a hearty pie and mash and a live band - great stuff!

Have been in the Anchor several times recently and it’s been a decent pub. Good range of drinks, nice decor and friendly service. They are really dog friendly in there and have a nice little enclosed beer garden.

As a riverside pub in the picturesque town of Abingdon, we were quite disappointed to find that they weren't serving food on a Saturday - they only do roasts on Sundays. The cheery bar manager greeted us on arrival and seemed genuinely disappointed to let us know that. It is a clean but sparsely decorated pub with a small courtyard at the side. There was a meat raffle. The overall feel was of a locals' pub rather than one to appeal to visitors and tourists.

Welcomed by Jackie a very friendly bar manager. Pretty setting on the Thames. We only stopped for a quick drink but would return again for sure. An authentic pub not full of tvs and slot machines. Would benefit by keeping the mooring exclusive for patrons as we had to moor quite a way away. The moorings are always full of boats which do not move on. This impacts on passing boating trade! Would return here for sure.

We visited on Saturday night as a pit stop whilst heading into town. There was around a dozen customers in the pub so we were served nice and quickly. The stock the Koppaberg gin which my wife wanted to try so that was a bonus. They have a good range of ciders including Thatcher's Gold and fruit ciders. The atmosphere in the pub was friendly and the service nice so on the whole it was a good experience. They are dog friendly too.

The New management have made many improvements to this pub. Went for Sunday Lunch yesterday with family. The meals were lovely (proper roast potatoes). Very good value £8.00p a Head. Would highly recommend. Be warned bookings only. Will be going again.

I’ve been to this pub a couple of times in the last few weeks. It has a new landlady, Jaci. She is very friendly and very enthusiastic about getting the pub to the way it should be. It Has an outside seating area and is dog friendly. Right on the river. It’s doesn’t do food yet. But such a lovely welcome when we arrived. I’d recommend this is one to visit. Definitely be back for another visit And such a fabulous area to visit. x

Once a thriving, friendly locals pub this iconic pub fronting onto the Thames in Abingdon has, after far too many changes of manager, reached its nadir. A Saturday night, whilst other pubs were busy, the Anchor was virtually empty, except for a bunch of people who seemed to have had a meeting in the back room. There was no friendly greeting from the male barperson, the once four or five hand pumps down to only two in use, the beer was rancid, so beer freshness had been pushed too far, and the red wine was warm, unpleasant and in a small bottle rather than, as in past, from a standard bottle. Needless to say beer and wine were abandoned and we trudged homeward. Come on Greene King, this is a very important pub in Abingdon in an important visual location, it needs to encourage and support the local community (it does put on live music though). It is a “wet” pub (too small to do much food) and should do high quality bar snacks. It needs stability in its manager and it needs help and encouragement to regain its once high standing. I will monitor the situation as it once was my favourite pub in Abingdon. It is very sad to see and record its fall. Hopefully someone sympathetic will take it in hand and restore its fortunes, and GK will not just see it as an asset to milk.

We visited on Saturday night for a couple of drinks whilst heading into town. It was fairly quiet in the pub and it hasn’t got a very good range of ciders. Plenty of gins though so the ladies were happy. Could be a much better pub with a decent range of ciders and a bit of a brighten up inside.

We had a lovely.lunch there. The locales were so friendly and the staff more than helpful. The pub welcomes both kids and dogs even provides games and colouring stuff for the kids and treats for the dog. Can't wait to go back again and try another of their ales selections

This charming pub has s under new management. Now called THE NRW ANCHOR. we ordered pies veg chips ( they said they had run out of mash). The carrots were swimming in water. The broccoli was yellow w it was doing over boiler. The only edible things were the pre made chips and pies. It was dreadful and too an hour to serve. We decided in all our travels this was the worst late Bach we have ever had. Ever.

Dropped in for a pint on the way to town! Good Friendly service and a lovely little beer garden! Reasonable pricing too.

We were there for a late breakfast recently, thinking the chef we knew was still there. But unfortunately, he wasn't, to our disappointment. He's moved on to the White Horse in Abingdon. The breakfast was average - kind of what you'd expect from an average foody pub. We certainly won't have breakfast there again. I'm vegetarian, so - on the plus side - I had veggy sausages. My husband's breakfast was the good old English style, but it looked and tasted average.

This is a small pub that has seen better days. The staff were friendly and helpful. The food was very tasty. Battered fish and chips. Made from their own batter. The food did take a while but it was hot and good portions. Veggie breakfast brunch was a good choice.

When I booked the table, the chap I spoke to could not have been more helpful. Yes there was a table for six, yes we could add an extra person, Mothers would eat for free on Mothers' Day, yes there was an alternate menu as well as the Sunday roast and if we called a couple of days before, he would cook anything we wanted! With a good collection of positive reviews and a few negatives we could surely ignore, what could go wrong? Well, please don't ignore this and read on........

A choice of large or small plate for Sunday Lunch was offered. After a sizeable wait from ordering, those with the large plate received their food and certainly needed a big appetite to finish the serving. I chose a small plate and there was ample potatoes and freshly cooked vegetables to accompany the two very thinly slices of pork. The gravy was very thin but tasty, but it drowned the yorkshire pudding into a soggy mush. The stuffing ball was flavoursome but the roast potatoes were charred giving the impression of being grilled from frozen rather than properly roasted. The chocolate pudding with chocolate sauce was declared by those who selected it to be delicious. Some of the serving staff seemed to be unhappy with their lot and found it hard to raise a smile.

We traveled up to have lunch as I had been there as a child and fond memories arrived at the bar ordered drinks asked about food but halfway through the conversation the barmaids friend arrived so we got ignored for her friends question decided on that note we would drink up and go....nags head was a far better welcome and menu unlike the anchordidn't look a child had made it in nursery school

We had a lovely family lunch here. It was lovely and warm and also nice and bright. The barman/waiter/possibly cook too... Was friendly enough. The food wasn't the best but perfectly edible - typical pub grub. A lot of drinks seemed to be out of stock - not sure if we went after a rush or if they were having stock issues?

We decided to have breakfast out and follow a recommendation. Oh so loving our choice the pub is warm and immaculately clean I swear you could eat off the floor. The heating was on and we were offered a warm welcome. We ordered a small seniors and a small breakfast which comes with a drink and toast.

We went there at the weekend, the pub had thrown a day time Halloween party for the kids with disco and prizes so I could have a well made (and well earned) Hendricks and tonic while they played pass the parcel. They had a great time, thank you!

We popped in with the intention of having just a drink but ended up having lunch as the menu choices...

Really friendly pub, dogs welcome and good folks go there. The food is outstanding for its price; expect to be...

Great food and service most probably the best place for a roast in Abingdon. All fresh home cooked food will be returning.

Stopped for lunch on a sleepy Monday. After viewing a couple of scruffy eateries in the town centre, it was an absolute delight in coming across this establishment. The cleanliness of the place is immediately apparent on first arrival, doubled by an extremely hospitable landlord.

Llamado para una cerveza durante un pub crawl en julio. El servicio era rápido con algunas bromas amables del barman. Zona exterior agradable. Volveremos pronto a probar la comida!

Minutos bistec fue hecha y la ensalada era tan sólo un montón de hojas de ensalada con ningún intento de hacerlos interesantes. Nos guiaron a una pequeña mesa para dos en la parte trasera en un pub totalmente vacío que sólo vimos a un grupo de otros tres bebedores de entre 12. 30 y 3. 00! ! Cuando fuimos a pedir el café publican llegó con él, pero él ignoró los platos vacíos y les dejé de estar allí. Sin duda no vale la pena visitar - aparte de fuera y explorar la zona.

Sólo nos detuvimos aquí para una bebida, pero fue muy agradable. La ubicación es estupenda, justo al lado del río y hay mesas con vistas al agua.

Al llegar pedimos una bebida y una comida en el bar, que llegó en cerdo ordered​roast nuestra mesa dentro de un par de minutos por un caballero muy agradable y amable que creo que es el propietario.

While i was visiting friends in Abingdon over the Xmas period we thought we would try the Anchor after hearing the food was good, so we thought we would give it a try.Unfortunately the welcome from the owner/manager on duty was less than impressive, spent most of his time leaning up against the bar tucked out of sight and playing on his phone. Very poor form of management, the floor was dirty, dust everywhere, dirty and part blocked toilet, tables needed a wipe and a smile or interest in why we where there, what bought us to the pub, there was 4 of us and 3 foreigners in the group.He was more involved with the mobile than the business or customers in his pub. We didn't eat or stay long as a result, though we would go where you do get a good service and welcoming. Perhaps this is a lesson that could be adopted by the manager/owner

We were invited by family to attend the pub quiz at the Old Anchor Inn. Never been to the pub before so thought we'd try it out. Having worked in the pub trade before, you tend to notice things from a different view than others I think. First impressions as we walked in were very good - nicely decorated and a warm feel to the pub. Then were let down by the bar staff - would have been nice to get a warm welcoming smile and hello, but everything seemed a lot of effort (even to raise a smile). Shame really. Ordered a light bite - presented with little effort and not even 'enjoy'. Pub quiz was fun and pleased that we didn't come last. Evening spoilt a little by the non-welcoming service. How ever you are feeling on the night, please always at least raise a smile to your customers!

My party of 4 have previously eaten at the Old Anchor Inn, and we had very much enjoyed it. We decided to book in for Sunday lunch as I had seen the menu on Facebook, so I chose the duck and my guests chose the beef and the lamb with all the trimmings. Another guest chose the vegetarian option of the risotto. Although we had been impressed on the previous occasion the food was delicious and my vegetarian guest was delighted with the risotto. The veg was all well cooked and to my taste and the Yorkshire pudding was huge but light and fluffy. After our main course we decided to try the chef's desert taster plate between us (see pictures) and this was absolutely delicious! I felt everything was reasonably priced and value for money and I would recommend trying the food at the The Old Anchor as you won't be disappointed!

From the outside you would never guess how good this pub is. Inside the service is genuinely welcoming, run by a young couple who learned their trade in a trendy London area. They have a range of excellent well kept beers and the food was surprisingly good, with lovely individual touches lifting the meals out of the ordinary. There are interesting pictures on the walls by local artists, making this a real personal place with great character. We absolutely loved The Old Anchor, a real find.

We were really impressed with the Old Anchor, they did a great Sunday lunch and were very accommodating of our last minute booking for a large party. They were very good at catering for our young children too. Lovely cosy pub in a great location by the river.

It has been a long time since this has been worth a visit, but with a new landlord now is the time for all you Abingdonians to give it another go. We have just returned from yet another wonderful meal at the Old Anchor Inn, Abingdon on their Tuesday night wine deal where you get bottle of wine included when you order food. The haddock and chips was wonderful and the arincini was a fantastic choice for vegetarians. Followed by a great dessert which I forget the name of. This really is a great choice to make on a Tuesday night. so come on down and give it a go, you won't be disappointed, and as they say 'if you don't use it, you lose it'.

I have been holding fire on my review, in part due to, allowing time, to get a gauge of the new revamped pub and it's young owners.So here goes....Last Sundays roast beef, was excellent, the Yorkshire puds, light and tasty, the veg , just right, for me personally. Served promptly and politely, as we sat opposite the bar, with river views out the windows. My own personal tastes are fairly broad, so some of the decor, really hits the spot, but I'm yet to be convinced by some of the pictures....My wide travel experience from Europe to Scandinavia, West coast America and the Pacific region, have meant a wide range of culinary delights , have come my way, I rate a good Sunday roast, down the local, to be amongst them, you can get it here!With Autumnal weather approaching, check out the hot soup, on the menu, perfect for a quick lunchtime snack, on your way to and from town.A beer or two from the well kept range, a must...As I have said, it's early days yet for these young entrepreneurs , so far excellent! Go and enjoy a good meal by the River Thames...A treat !

I came for Sunday dinner and it wasn't quite up to what I was expecting but the staff were very lovely and friendly, the location is good and a new head chef is being brought in so top notch food should be coming soon.

Really like what has been done with this cosy pub which has its postcard setting by the river. A really good selection of beers so well worth seeking out for a pint or something to eat.

Came here for a Saturday lunch with family. We ordered a jug of Pims while having a look through the menu. Jug of Pims was very lovely and cheep (5£), you can't get a coctail for that money in most places. However, that's where positive experience ended. My partner ordered a steak and ale pie, which looked pretty miserable when it arrived. The pastry lid came off in the process of cooking so the pie filling was very dry and burnt on the top, side veggies were overcooked and soggy.Two burgers that we ordered were dry, they came without any sauce and only a tiny bit of salad.One of them had a massive chunk of cheese, the other one had barely any. The burger itself was gristly and a bit tastless. I must also mention awful (home made?) mayo, that didn't taste anything like mayo, more like slightly melted warm butter, we all agreed on that. The service was quite slow, and the person serving us needs to invest in a belt as he constantly kept pulling up his trousers, which is not a nice sight and pretty unhygienic as well. Overall, we all felt very disappointed.

Has been tasteful redecorated and reopened.Only dubious thing are the interior lights.Nice relaxed place with good staff and manager.Food excellent, had pork Sunday dinner, make sure to request a side order of black pudding.

We visited on a friday for some food. The service was prompt and of great quality.I was impressed with the beer and wine offering that was quite extensive for a small venue.Great location and a decent beer garden

We have used the Anchor for many years and have seen it change hands several times with some mixed and disastrous results. We are happy to report that the new landlords, bar staff and chefs have transformed it into a welcoming place with improved decor and a great new menu with interesting dishes. We have had several family get-togethers, over the years, at the Anchor, with buffet food laid on. They arranged for us to have a party for 27 on a recent Saturday night, at very sort notice, with a delicious buffet. A separate room for the buffet and part of the public bar area were reserved for us and everyone had a great time. I hope some old regulars will return and help them make this venture a deserved success.

The newly refurbished pub brings back what Abingdon really needs a top end gator pub that isn't on the scale or scope of the big riverside eateries.A lovely sunny Sunday lunch. A bottle of crisp house white started off well and then the starters arrived. Now I lived and worked in a fishing village in Mewfoundland for some year where I lived off Cods cheeks and youngest so to find the cheeks here in our little backwater was amazing about as tasty a bite size piece of delicate fish served in a creamy sauce with rpfrsh peas, crisp decent pancetta and little gems. One of my best dishes all year..partners had a perfect risotto with the earliest tastiest fresh mushrooms, trompettes I think....followed by Sunday rare roast beef with all the bits and a handsome fish and chips.Long may this little wonder flourish and do give it a visit if you want some wonderful fresh food...A few teething problems with the delightful staff but I'm sure they will settle in really well

Had Sunday lunch and was amazing. We moored up on the river and had lunch in the sunshine along with a beer and a bottle of white. My wife and I both had the roast lamb and it was the one of the best roasts we have ever had. No better way to spend a lazy sunday afternoon

I always like to drop in to The Old Anchor Inn on a night out for a pint on the way into town. Good range of drinks, fair prices and the couple who run the place are friendly and chatty. Nice little outside seating area. Good pub!

I popped in to this newly refurbished pub last Saturday afternoon with my wife for dinner. I had the Guinea Fowl and my wife had the fish and chips. Having been a resident in Abingdon for the last five years i can honestly say this was the best food we have had in the town.The new landlord and and landlady were extremely welcoming and extremely efficient and clearly have big plans to resurrect this fine looking pub. They have clearly put a lot of effort in to the refurb and having been to the Anchor before it was refurbished, it now has the look, feel and menu it deserves.The beer is good (they serve Abingdon Bridge which is always a winner with me!) and my wife had a glass of wine from their good and varied wine list.It finally looks like Abingdon has a great pub and i will definately be back.

Called in here after a poor experience in another of Abingdon's 'On the river' public houses. It has just been re-vamped and is looking really good. The staff are accommodating, polite and quick which really makes you feel very much at home.Chef was not doing chips and I believe he had stopped serving for the day but he still found the time to knock us up a plate full to nibble at whilst we enjoyed our drinks in their charming little courtyard overlooking a very pretty part of the River Thames.This place has recently been refurbished and is looking really good. The beer is good and keenly priced and the facilities are clean.The new Landlord is clearly going to make a go of it. Come on people, give it a go! I did and I am going back.

Haven't had a Sunday lunch out in quite a while so this was a treat. The landlord and landlady were really friendly and the refurbishment of the pub was modern with an oldy worldly feel. I had the roast beef and Yorkshire pudding and I have to say that it was the best roast I've ever eaten out. To end it all I had a chocolate mousse to die for. This will not be the last that the new owners will be seeing of me.

This is the pub we mostly go to, as the landlord and -lady are very lovely people - we like them a lot. The beer is affordable (average). We have made some friends in there, whom we meet on a regular basis - all folks in there are sociable and nice.The music could be more variable, I think we've heard the same playlist for 3 years now ;) - it's not bad, just a bit same'ish.We do like that the music is in the background, so one can understand each other.They offer a good variety of sociable events and bands as well.We would appreciate it if they served food again - as they did in the beginning, but it seems like this is now just a drinking pub.It's a simple, nice pub, and we love that our dog can come with us.

Заглянули во время прогулки. Ничем особенным паб не запомнился. Брали рыбу с картошкой (fish&chips) под пиво. Качество еды - хорошее, обслуживание - тоже.

After all the ups and downs the anchor has had the food is back to being amazing again thanks to the new chef, defo recommend as an ex landlord of pubs well done guys.

A very friendly landlord running an outstanding pub. I wish he and his wife every success in their venture. The pub interior is superb - plain and comfortable - just the way a pub should be and the open fires are a great plus point in the winter.Have only eaten sandwiches there but they were very good. Will undoubtedly return when I am in Abingdon next.

Enjoyed the food. Fish and Chips for me and my wife had Steak & Ale & Mushroom Pie. Both excellent and service was good. Landlord and Lady very friendly. Lovely location by the River. Beer well kept. And a good cider.

A better-than-average pub in terms of food. This, the Royal Oak, Jude the Obscure, and The Gardener's Arms (a vegetarian pub) are, in my opinion, the best pubs for food in Oxford, and I've lived here seven years. They are all within walking distance of central Oxford, and since we do not own a car, we visit them fairly frequently. Oxford's big problem is the lack of decent restaurants, and you get away cheaper with just as good food (and often a more friendly atmosphere) in the pubs noted above.

Adrian & Sonia deserve praise for resurrecting this charming old place next to the Thames. The Monday night "folk" session is back and this is why I decided to attend. Come on down if you want to play along, sing a song, deliver some poetry, or simple sit back and listen. Good beer is also back on the menu although I haven't tried out the popular grub as yet.

The Old Anchor Inn has over the last few years weathered a lot of changes, and it's now reached it's best ever heights, with very friendly new management (Adrian and Sonia) reintroducing some of the old traditional English pub games (our local Aunt Sally, plus darts and board games) all washed down with a good pint of ale/glass of wine, and laughter - makes for a good time out. There's a social event just about every night of the week, a free for all join in Music Monday session, it's own Aunt Sally and darts team and a quiz. A good pub like this is truly hard to find. We're all so pleased it's reopened and wish Adrian and Sonia every success in it's revival:-)

Worth pointing out that the Anchor is under new management since mid -April 2013 having been closed for a while. Very friendly, helpful landlord with a good selection of well-kept real ale. Locals and visitors should give it a try for a drink at the very least.

I would love to be selfish and keep The Old Anchor to my family,friends and myself but there's no doubt that with the new landlord/lady this traditional Abingdon pub is now too good to remain hidden for long.Having sampled most of the Sunday pub lunches in Abingdon and rating them from okish to poor,I and 3 others went along to The Anchor with no great expectations.After parking in the nearby public car-park and walking through the beautiful setting of St.Helens Church/Almshouses we arrived cold,a bit wet and hungry..we were immediately greeted by the Landlord and shown to our table.The menu arrived and what a delight to see just a simple 3 course menu with 3 choices for each course and a veggie option(no mass produced freezer to microwave food here).2 of us had the Roast Beef which consisted of the most delicious chantenay carrots,red cabbage,broccoli and roast potatoes,topped with a several hearty slices of roast beef,a huge yorkshire pudding! and "proper" gravy.We were also given a free bottle of sparkling water and asked for our opinion..twice.Fantastic food,faultless service,efficient and friendly staff..all at a very reasonable price.What more could you ask for..definitely the best Sunday Lunch in Abingdon.Highly recommended.

We brought a voucher on the internet, so booked a table for meal in February my husbands steak was cold they did replace the meal which was then ok. The Iasagner which I had was very disapointing, it is not like any lasagner I have ever had before, it was some mince in a small pot about 2.5 inches diameter with a sheet of lasagner on top, which is not what I would call lasagner. I did not like to complain as my husband had already complained about his steak. But when I thought about it the next day I telephoned them and complained, I asked them to try it them self and get back to me they never did. We were passing by last Sunday 3 March and called in and a had drink, I mentioned it again, and left my phnone number, and they still have not to us. It is now Friday the 8 March so I do not think we will be visiting The Anchor Inn in Abingdon again or recommending it to anyone. Christina

Amazing food, amazing people!Extremely helpful, Steaks are just prefect. Drinks are cold and in beautifully sized glasses.And staff are excellent!

A few comments on here before visit made me wary. After a rocky start to the evening meal. I will admit the steak was the best I have ever tasted and was cooked to perfection, the half rack of ribs was awesome also was proper pork that fell off the bone not cheap nasty stuff. Stuart the bar man was cool very polite and nothing was too much trouble. Will the chef is amazing the way he cooked our food could not fault it. The price was great for the food you got and home cooked chips also. Will def go back thank you guys

we went to the old anchor, as we heard they have a new menu on. we was plesently suprised. its now a steak house with some great new choices, i must say that its nice to go to a pub thats food is different and not like all the other pubs that sell the same stuff.i had the steak and ribs which was good for value,the plate was full of food we ordered corn on the cob as a side but could only just finish it, i have to admit that i was rather full up as i tried one of each othe six ales that were on offer. the atmoshpire in this pub was great we sat by the log fire most of the night. i highly recomend this place to anyone and will be going back this weekend to listen to there live music, make this a must on your next date yo want a steak and a great pint of ale

Food was very good and beer tasted very nice. Service was very good. Not the largest choice of menu but food was very tasty. Based upon our two visits, we would definitely recommend.

Once again the best located pub in Abingdon has a tennant who does not know how to get beer to the customer .How do you keep operating as the pub with no beer?Greedy king wake up and change this

Bought a voucher for this pub so was really excited looking at the website and seeing the kinds of meals they had. Said it was all sourced locally and looked like the chef was a bit experimental so thought it would be right up our street. We called to book no problem, turned up and got a drink, then we were told where our table was (not shown to table), on the table was just cutlery set for two, after 10mins I got up to change my dirty knife myself. Went to order our starters, my first choice starter from the website wasn't actually on the menu at all, so was told it wouldn't be available. My partners first choice was not available either. My second choice (Brie and Grape and cranberry tart) didn't have any grapes do this was swapped for bacon. We asked for the bread board which was again on the menu but not available. However, we thought we'd give the food a go. The starters were ok, not sure brie, bacon, cranberry and balsamic was the best mix but again we thought we'd stick with it. I chose the bacon wrapped chicken ballotine with port stuffing, parsley creamed potatoe and sautéed vegetables. My partner had a bacon burger with sweet potato chips. We also had a 'pint' side of chips. Had to ask for salt and pepper which werent on table. Glad we ordered the chips as I really didn't touch my meal apart from this. Mash didn't taste of anything, 'sautéed' veg was soggy cabbage and undercooked dry carrots and the chicken was really dry with no sign of port :( My partner thought his burger was ok but the side salad was a blob of dry salad chucked on the plate. Added photos so others could see what we were served and make their own mind up. Hate to be negative on something that is trying, as the website was really good and clearly the menu is trying something new, but half of it wasn't available, and we felt like we'd been set up for a fall. We ate out for a special occasion which was pretty mich ruined by the worst meal I've ever been served so I wanted to stop anyone else making the same mistake. In fairness we were offered a free desert or 50% off our total and told there was a new menu coming in which is why they were short, but this could have been mentioned when we booked, written on the menu or website or apologised for. I believe you're either serving food or you aren't. Even with the excuse of a new menu, there was zero pride taken cooking, presenting or serving our meals.

This pub is now the closest to where I live, so being ‘my local’ I was really hoping to like this pub and its food so I could look forward to regularly popping in for a drink and/or bite to eat. Sadly I was disappointed in what The Old Anchor Inn had to offer.We arrived and went to the bar to mention we had booked a table and ordered some drinks, the drink I ordered was incorrect but I was offered that if I didn’t like it then they could change it but no problem I had it anyway. We took menu from the bar and sat at our table, the surroundings were pleasant, lots of wooden fixtures and fitting, a stag head above the bar and a couple of open fires, ideal in the cold weather.When we went to order we were told there were no dishes available with bacon or mushrooms, no sausages meat or vegetarian and no scampi. No apology was made for so many dishes being unavailable. We ordered rump steak and ham, egg & chips. The steak was actually ok, cooked medium as asked, just warm when served, was quite soft and tasted good. The steak was supposed to come with a field mushroom which of course wasn’t available so we asked for them to substitute it for something else but they didn’t. The steak was supposed to come with ‘mac & cheese’ which was actually a tiny white pot with a few plain pasta twirls and a couple of bits of grated cheese sprinkled on top, not even melted, very disappointing and should probably be just left off altogether. The ham, egg and chips was a little disappointing, the ham appeared to be bulk standard 2 pieces of thin sliced ham out of a packed. To be fair the chips on both dishes appeared to be homemade and were nice. Whilst eating our main meals there was a problem with one of the fires and the pub started to fill with smoke, so much so that a couple sat at a table nearby had to leave even though they had only started eating their starters. Many people were coughing and some were holding the door open to let some air in, unfortunately in middle of December that air was freezing cold. We waited almost half an hour after finishing our main meals to be asked if we wanted dessert but gave up and asked to see the dessert menu, we can only assume there isn’t a dessert menu as the lady who came over to our table stood there with a note book and said “do you want chocolate cake, sorbet or lemon tart?” There didn’t seem to be much choice but we both went for lemon tart, we had no idea of the cost or what it was served with as there was no menu to provide us that information and wasn’t offered by the person serving. We were presented with what appeared to be a lemon meringue pie that someone had forgotten to put the meringue on top of and one scoop of cheap shop bought vanilla ice cream on the side – not good if you are lactose intolerant like me.It was like eating a jar of lemon curd so I couldn’t eat my dessert, my husband has a big appetite and will eat whatever is placed in front of him so he polished them both off, and we paid up and left.It was a nice atmosphere, they had made the effort to put up and decorate a Christmas tree, it was busy and there seemed to be a fair amount of drinks to choose from, but the food and lack of customer service really let it down. I would say nice for a drink, look outside and see the river and enjoy the atmosphere but skip the food unless you want really basic nothing special pub grub.

A few years ago this was a real old-man's pub. A bit worn out and shabby, certainly not somewhere you'd actually want to spend time unless you were well over 60! However, all of that appears to have changed. The building itself has had some tasteful renovation and there is a new emphasis on good (real) ales and good food. In terms of the beers, there's always at least 3-4 'guest ales' on tap. These change very regularly, which is a touch annoying if you've found one that you really like, but does give a great opportunity to try something a bit different. The prices also seem quite reasonable for Oxfordshire.The owners are also making a real effort with the food. And although there are many 'pub-classics' on the menu, each one seems to have a little twist or flash of inspiration compared to the typical (pre-packaged) pub-fare that seems to dominate these days. Personally I've never had a bad meal there and have always been charged a reasonable sum. If I were to criticise this place, it's that the staff are quite young, a little inexperienced and very slightly disorganised. Waiting times for food, even when the pub is empty can be a touch lengthy; however, as the food is clearly being freshly prepared, this is acceptable. Go for a nice stroll through a pretty bit of Abingdon and give it a try.