Crown & Anchor — Restaurant in London

Horrific Sunday roast, aggressive manager and flat drinks ! I booked a table for 6 people for Sunday lunch. We all chose the same roast rib eye beef. After having to wait a while for our food to come out we were all extremely hungry. As we tucked in we all noticed the of the 2 th8n slices of beef given, half of it was fat, great big slithers of fat running through the beef. Some of the potatoes were under cooked, and the steamed veg was taste less. The overpowering taste of rosemary in the gravy killed everything else on the plate. A waitress came over to ask if everything was OK, but we were so hungry none of us said anything, which we should have definitely done, but seen as it was all 6 plates we felt bad having to send all the tables plates back. We also order some cokes which were all flat ! And one came with vodka which wasn't ordered. We did mention the fatty beef when our plates where collected. After the meal we were all unsatisfied with our meal and drinks so, think a reasonable request would be to comp the drinks from the bill. The manager came over, when I explained how we felt, she got VERY AGGRESSIVE, actually standing over me as I sat at my table, and pulled her mask down to tell me that she would have swapped out all 6 plates if we had said at the time of eating she then proceeded to gesture with much vigour in my face about her quality of food and kitchen staff. All of the guests at the table work in hospitality in some form and know the type of customer service we should receive. THIS WAS NOT THAT. It would have actually worked out better for their business if they had comped the drinks for the meal rather than only 2 plates of food for their bottom line. Their was no apology given for the quality of food instead the manger was very defensive and aggressive, it seemed that after our conversation a few tables overheard and sent their food back. It seems like this had happened throughout the day and she was having a bad Sunday. I hope she reads this and adjusts her attitude to paying customers, especially in the climate we are in, where your job...

“OUR KITCHEN IS CLOSED “ was the reply to the request to order some food 6:20 pm Sunday 30 July. “We’ve run out of food”. Had I been spoken to more politely I would not be writing this. But it topped off a series of events

Being non-drinkers but wanting to support our local we made sure to arrive in time to order food. There was no indication that the kitchen had closed. Every table had at least two food menus on them as well as empty glasses, except for one. The mostly empty pub was a tip with a few patrons that were still drinking were sitting amongst the detritus of Sunday lunch. Although the table we sat at was sans glassware it was till sodden with beer. I had thought to ask the woman behind the bar to wipe it down for me but she was busy composing a text message to someone and her fellow barman was in a deep flirtation with a customer so I grabbed the spray bottle and kitchen roll to clean it myself.

Returning to the cleaning items to their place I then proceeded to wait for the staff to finish their personal lives to ask if I was waiting for something. Which is when I was greeted with the blunt service.

Kitchen hours are advertised until 7 pm and even though you may have run out of Sunday Roasts your menu includes sausages, hot dogs and chips all of which can be stocked sufficiently that you will not “run out”. But even if you do you should have your staff remove the menus from the tables to softly indicate that food might not be on offer.

Moreover an apology should be forthcoming if you have closed before advertised hours not acting like I had offended their mother for asking to order from the menu in my hand that I had found at my table that I had cleaned myself because the staff were too busy texting friends and trying to find a date for later while the patrons were being left sitting amongst empty but dirty tables.

I can only guess the staff have been left without management and the chef just wanted an early night with out the bother of meeting the needs of customers who wanted to...

🚇 Stockwell 🍺 £6.50 Rothaus Pilsner

The Crown & Anchor is located at the northern end of Brixton in South London. The nearest Tube is Stockwell.

This Victorian pub was built in 1867 and occupies a corner plot that leads through to a park at the back of the pub. This pub has been open in its current guise since 2012 and is the sister pub of the Jolly Butchers in Stoke Newington.

This is a long one bar pub that has a contemporary feel. The servery is located on the left and has a traditional counter. This is a bright and airy pub due to size of the windows which bathe the bar in light. The decor consists of a boarded floor, conventional furniture, exposed brickwork and light painted walls. To the side of the pub are a number of benches for imbibing alfresco.

The beer line up offers a fantastic selection of premium lagers, local London brews and five cask ales. I decided on a Rothaus Pilsner, my pint hit the spot, price point was to be expected. The food menu changes from time to time, at present there are American comfort food options plus hearty roasts on a Sunday.

I arrived just after 3pm on a warm and sunny Saturday afternoon in August. There were about a dozen or so punters inside and a few lapping up the sun on the benches outside. The atmosphere was chilled and relaxed, so settling in was easy. The service was excellent, the team on duty were welcoming and friendly.

This laidback Brixton local is an enjoyable place to spend time in. The highlight for me was the range of beers on offer, the variety will please most palates and tempts you into trying something different. The surroundings were comfortable and the ambiance convivial. The @crown_anchorsw9 is well worth a look if you’re in the area.

📅 3rd August 2024

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