The Anglesea Arms — Restaurant in London

Went here today for a friend's birthday, and came away feeling extremely disappointed.

The table was for ten people, to dinner, for a birthday party, so you can imagine my surprise at the sheer petty audacity of the waiter telling us we couldn't present our friend with a homemade birthday cake unless we paid them £10. I found this deeply insulting, given that we were about to spend around £500 in an afternoon on food and drinks. When I tried to point this out, he flatly refused to waive the fee, and insisted it was because otherwise they "would lose money". The logic is flat out astounding. It was just a birthday cake. We still ordered starters and main courses, drank a lot of wine and beer, and gave the pub a view from the outside of ten people having a great time. Surely there's no need to continue rinsing people for every little penny?

There was one two-year-old with us, but we were told we were not allowed to have the buggy up in the pub or in the beer garden. It is a tiny buggy that took up no space at all, and it meant that there was no place to put him down for a nap, so the mother was forced to spend the afternoon stopping him from wandering over and bothering other people. The sensical option was to just let the buggy sit next to the table so he could take a nap, but again, it was "bar policy" not to allow prams. Remember, this is a local pub in a residential street.

After we paid the bill, the waiter was again kind enough to point out that if we ever dined there again-and wanted to bring a cake-we would have to telephone in advance to "negotiate a price". Yes, I'm not kidding, that's a direct quote. This isn't the UN negotiating trade agreements with Iran, it's ten people with a sodding chocolate cake! He then told us the fee would likely be £5.50 per slice. So that's 55 quid. To top things off, the waiter then tried to charge us this arbitrary "cake charge" TWICE. After pointing it out, he refused to recalculate, and just knocked off £10, without reducing the service charge accordingly.

In all honesty, I wouldn't even care about this if it was a pub on the high street, but this is a local place, and sometimes allowances can and should be made. Especially for a party of ten who spent nearly £500 in a couple of hours.

The food is nice, but nothing amazing. You can get nice food anywhere, the rare thing these days is service and manners, and this pub has neither. Those little details that make you feel like you're being looked after just don't exist, and I can assure you that I will not be returning again. Ever.

Definitely recommended if you're looking for a really simple eating experience kind of in the middle of nowhere, but not recommended if you have any expectation of hospitality, manners, or...

The Anglesea holds a special place in my heart and my taste buds, as it has become a delightful escape for me and my loved ones. Its atmospheric hubbub could rival any boozer in the city, yet the Anglesea injects a touch of class and classic South Ken suaveness into any and all of my times there. It’s the versatility of the pub that really sets it apart.

Picture this: you step into the Anglesea Arms and are ushered into their dining room. The flickering candlelight sets the stage for an enchanting evening, while the tasteful decor and historic photographs transport you to a world where time slows down, and indulgence takes centre stage. Let's talk romance; the Anglesea knows how to set the mood for an unforgettable evening for two. The candlelit tables create an intimate atmosphere, the dishes, with their tantalizing flavors, create sparks of passion that ignite your taste buds and set the stage for an evening of culinary romance. Just be careful not to get lost in the food and forget to gaze into your partner's eyes — it's a deliciously easy distraction.

From refreshing lagers that dance on your tongue to robust ales that pack a flavorful punch, they have a range of brews that will keep beer enthusiasts happily hopping. And the wine selection? It's like a grape-filled treasure trove, offering a journey through different regions and varietals that will make any wine lover swoon. Just be prepared to have a new favorite by the time you leave.

Now, onto the main event: the food. Brace yourself for a journey of flavors that will make your taste buds tango with joy. The talented chefs at the Anglesea Arms are great at balancing that fine line between classic pub nosh and more culinary plates. I often find myself umming and ahing between the fish and chips, and the sea bass — not a bad dilemma at all. I’ve always found it amusing watching the younger clientele taking photos of their plate like a food paparazzo.

One thing that always impresses is how Anglesea manages to cater to everyone's taste buds, even the pint-sized critics. Yes, my fellow parents, rejoice! They have a children's menu that will make even the pickiest eaters lick their plates clean. I don't know what magic they sprinkle over those dishes, but it's a game-changer.

Not just a pub, the Anglesea is a whimsical culinary adventure that will leave you with a smile on your face and a...

Me and my husband had spent a good 4-5 hours in here last week, casually having a few drinks, seeing a family member we had not seen in 8 years, and we had come all the way from Scotland to catch up after both of us had lost close family in recent years, none of us were inebriated as we had been doing much more talking than drinking, for which we could tell the staff inside didn't actually appreciate, the whole evening was ruined as we stepped outside to say goodbye and part ways at about 9:15pm, we were harassed by a bouncer with a power complex, who said we weren't allowed to stand on the public pavement outside the pub, who we kindly corrected, and informed him that we can, it's a public pavement the pub do not own it, he said taxis pull in next to where we stood, and people wait here, even though nobody was there, i.e person waiting, taxi or otherwise, we walked along to the corner away from the taxi area where a couple was also standing smoking and chatting, we started to say our goodbyes for just a minute, but then we were again harassed by the same bouncer with a power complex trying to tell us we had to cross the road or something, we pointed out the couple only 3 feet away from us who they had not spoken to at all, and again informed him that he cannot tell us we cannot stand on a public pavement, and told him to go away in a calm but frim manner, he then brought a friend outside to speak to us, we would presume the head doorman, he spoke to us in a much nicer manner, and then said the locals had complained about large gatherings outside the pub! There were 3 of us and the couple smoking, and the two bouncers and now the original (power complex bouncer) is now filming us on his phone! 5 people is not a large gathering, and it's only 9:30! All this was absolutely ridiculous, but all we actually said was again to go away, which he did finally and finally after 20 odd minutes of needless harassment we got the 5 uninterrupted minutes we needed to say goodbye! Horrible experience! Very much do...