The Hope And Anchor, Cosy Restaurant

We ate here whilst away celebrating my husband's birthday. We had a lovely meal and the staff were very helpful and attentive. The drinks were good too with local ale options. Right by the riverside.

We stayed at the Hope and Anchor for three nights, a long weekend in August. Firstly, the location is unbeatable. The atmosphere is buzzing, the setting on the river very pleasant, lovely walks from the doorstep, and the pub has plenty of options for guests outside - a coffee bar, ice cream, cakes and pastries, and brick pizza ovens. We thought prices very reasonable (but we do live near London). We ate in the pub on the first night. Food was good. Dessert was exceptional. Service was friendly. Accommodation wise, check in was efficient, and the rooms are beautifully maintained. We stayed in an ensuite river view room and were very happy. Housekeeping we found to be very professional and did their up most to ensure our comfort. Breakfast was poorly managed on the weekend days (see below for weekday). Wait times for drinks were long, toast was brought without butter, no spoon for the porridge, had to ask for water twice etc... I actually could go on. I would say don't let this put you off staying - the breakfast itself is delicious, well cooked and of exceptional quality. Perhaps just leave yourself additional time in the knowledge you will need to ask for things twice. Breakfast on the Monday was in a different league. Service was flawless, and there was the additional offering of cereals and croissants. We were offered a second round of coffees too which didn't occur on the weekends. We actually feel cheated out of this addition food and drink on the weekend days which is a shame. Whoever is running the breakfast during the week needs to be present on the weekends too! Finally, the parking isn't adequate. It can't be right that guests staying aren't able to park. It's a very popular pub and getting in the car park during the day on a weekend in August is unlikely at best. There is parking on the road but, again, you would be lucky to get a space. We parked in a car park (free until further notice) about a quarter mile or so down the road and walked. A bit annoying that you can't enjoy a drink during the afternoon because you know that you need to walk to retrieve the car late evening when the car park empties out. It also means that, unfortunately, I would not be able to recommend this place as a good place to stay to those who are not fit or able to walk the distance to the car park. Management could resolve this with some investment (a coded barrier for example) if they wanted.