Based on a visit from back in the 1980s when working near The Anchor I decided to re-visit the…read moreAnchor BIG MISTAKE . APPALLING EXPERIENCE in all areas. On arrival walked up stairs to upper bar .Found a vacant table .However noted table had not been cleaned food stains & spilt beer.Duly cleaned.Studied menu Burgers Fish & Chips A Pie = 2 specials of the day.Noted sign on Blackboard to go to bar to order.Duly went to bar difficult to speak to staff as drinking glasses all hang in customers faces .Placed orer of 1 Ducked down & placed order for 3 drinks 1 fish & chips & 2 steak pies Total cost £60.30 .Returned with drinks .Noted carpets all stained & seating covers mostly dirty & split .Order materialized in minutes .Cut open steak pie pastry warm but filling red hot Myself & wife suffered burnt mouths .Pie pastr very thich only found 2 pieces of shewy fat meat .chips ok Cabbage was a segment of vitually inedible cabbage tough & stringy .The Fish was coated in a batter thicker than wall[paper paste .No member of staff came to ask if meal satisfactory.When finally a member of staff removed plates & glasses no attempt to clean table Noted 3 to 4 staff serving food .Price breakdown the 3 meals totalled £44 beers £14 total £60 .I have worked in the Catering trade for over 40 years until retirement .Based on the natural desire of all Caterers to maximiize custom there is a need to ensure the basics like hygiene food quality & service are prioritized .UNTIL THERE ARE IMPROVEMENTS IN THIS BUSINESS ITS A PLACE TO AVOID.SUGGEST MANAGEMENT TAKE ACTION NOW BEFORE ITS TOO LATE

Okay, okay. This review needs an update!…read more I think we were initially put off that things were done on their terms: Partial and strictly adhered to opening hours, and the need to book! (The restaurant gets very busy). Having said that, each time we've sat at table, the staff have been friendly and very accommodating. We've eaten at the Anchor three times now, and it has been excellent on each occasion. There's no doubt about that. The menu was different each time - with interesting inclusions such as quail and venison (There's fish and a couple of vegetarian options too) - and the food is always exquisitely prepared and presented. The plate perhaps comes a little meat-heavy though, and maybe the fayre is a tad on the unadventurous side. You're going to need to leave room for a pudding though! They are to-die for! There's an extensive wine list, but I like a pint of bitter, and that's poured from a barrel behind the bar in the old fashioned way (no choice of beer though, unfortunately). At £60 for 2, it's for special occasions for us, but it's lovely to go for a walk by the water and then indulge the taste buds. It's lauded by: the good pub and good food guides recommended by Michelin the mobile food guide local secrets network Sawday's and our next door neighbours, who reckon it's the second best place to eat in Cambridgeshire. ;)

The Old Ferry Boat Inn was a lovely place to stay. My daughter and I enjoyed the atmosphere very…read moremuch. We were able to check in after hours and had a very nice breakfast and conversation with our host. Very scenic and delightful! I would most definitely recommend!

Okay, so my Ferry Boat review deserves another update, I think…read more We've been there twice again in the last couple of months and, on both occasions, the experience was a marked improvement on what'd gone on before: we put it down to new management. The Ferry Boat enjoys a lovely setting - quite remote really in the hamlet of Holywell, itself within the lovely Fenland countryside right next to the River Great Ouse. (Activities on the river no doubt giving the pub its name, and the reason for its very existance, I'd guess). The pub was as popular as last time - we had trouble finding a table - but unlike on previous occasions there was No queueing to order and The meal was brought to us in a decent time. Unfortunately we didn't spot the separate Midweek Specials menu until we were leaving (why wasn't there one on every table?) but it seems that they were trying hard to offer a good variety. That said, rice dishes seem very out-of fashion anywhere at the moment, and the only pasta dish was vegetarian (not that THAT matters to me, but worth noting.) On a positive note, they have installed another pump to offer a guest ale - a good pub is notable by the variety of ales on offer, as far as I'm concerned. And, on both recent visits, the staff were concerned to court our opinion - both in asking us how our meal was (fairly standard, I know) but also asking us to go online and fill out a survey. That's got to be a good sign of a will to improve, So yeah. The Ferry Boat Inn is on the way up, for us. We'll be back again soon.

Excellent and well kept beer, an incredible range of whisky's and well cooked but basic pub food…read more(the landlord himself admits there is a lot of deep fried and microwaved at the lunch time sessions, evenings have a different menu), they keep to fairly standard and traditional opening times but being in a village this is a reasonable thing to do. A very friendly place to sit and chill though

Several of my coworkers had suggested this place and 3 of us headed out to find an amazing dinner!…read more The bar is a small and cozy English style pub and they have a modern dining room towards the back. Both the food and the service were amazing! The waitress had a great sense of humor and was very kind to us. Two of my coworkers had the pie of the day and I had the rack of lamb special. All the dishes were extremely flavorful and more than ample portions. The location is quaint and something out of a movie or a book with thatched roofs and a beautiful church and church yard nearby. I would highly recommend the experience of dining here!

My wife and I decided to eat out tonight and wanted to go somewhere we have not been before. After…read morefinding The Axe & Compass online we decided to eat there. My first impression was that the place was an awesome local pub. The staff was extremely friendly and the food was great. I will be back here again.

If you want a delicious steak, I highly recommend this restaurant. It was recommend to me by a few…read morecolleagues and I have recommended to other colleagues. Classic British interior, very comfortable. The service was excellent.

Delicious assortment of meat pies and about a dozen beers on tap. Add a small order of olives and…read morehorseradish mashed potatoes, and you have yourself a complete meal full of distinct flavors!

If you're looking for a great local pub with a friendly atmosphere, a well kept pint, and some…read morelovely food, look no further than the Jolly Sailor. Steak night on Thursdays has some of the best steak we've ever eaten. The Sunday roast is delicious with large portions. A great variety of traditional hand pulled ale averaging four different ales at any given time. We've tried many pubs in the area and this is the best!

Four of us had a wonderful dinner here last night. The food was delicious and the service was…read more10/10! We will definitely be returning soon.

What can I say about the King's Arms? I'm at home here. When we moved to the UK, honestly our most…read moredesired feature was walking distance to a pub. We got stumbling distance to one of the best pubs in the country. This place is well-regarded by everyone in the region. I've met people here who give up walking distance to their local to drive here and have a good time. That says something. My first night here I made friends, and each time I've been here since I find myself in good company either with neighbors we've met before, or people who know we're new to the area and want to welcome us. I can't begin to tell you how often a quick pint before dinner turns into a long session at King's Arms. I wouldn't have it any other way. These guys truly embrace the concept of being the center of village activity. No TVs, no WiFi, these things distract from the community. You come here to interact with your friends and neighbors, enjoy a good beer, and enjoy living in the company of others. They regularly have events to bring the village out. The most impressive of which was the dinner they hosted on the night of the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. They served the exact 10-course menu served in first class that evening, and requested everyone bust out their tuxedos and dresses to mark the occasion in grand fashion. It was a remarkable evening. One disappointment, since I have to list one to feel as though I am being fair, is the wine list. We love the temperanillo, but really none of the others. But we're not here to drink wine, we're here to be social! It makes me a little sad that we don't have this type of drinking culture in the US. If you're not an alcoholic, you're not likely be on a first-name basis with the bartenders at a local watering hole. That's why I love walking in here; everyone knows everyone else, they're always happy to see you, they know what you drink, they pour a tasty pint, and are genuinely good people. I dig it.

If you're looking for a good pub, it doesn't get much better than this…read more Lovingly called simply "The Axe" by locals, this pub is in a different league to most other rural pubs. I'll explain why and try to be concise. The cuisine is exceptional. There's a good selection of quality drinks. The service is excellent. The atmosphere is always friendly and welcoming -- the sort of place where complete strangers tend to strike-up conversation. The location is perfect, overlooking the Village Green, with a big beer garden behind, and a vast playing field behind that. It's a lovely village, nestled in the gently-undulating farming landscape of rural north-east Herts -- no wonder Braughing was recently awarded the prestigious "Village of the Year" accolade. The pub's menu always includes the best of local produce, from locally-reared beef to local pork sausages, alongside popular country pub dishes. (Braughing village is famous for, among other things, the delicious local sausages, and this is a good place to sample them.) Did I mention the pies? A different pie every day it seems, and you won't find better pies than these. I don't make a statement like that lightly.

A gem of a pub, Linda and John are excellent hosts and the food is great value and very well…read moreprepared. Johns fried eggs with gammon are legendary. They always have one or two local real ales from small independent breweries which is great for those of us that love variety.

A warm and welcoming, family friendly pub. Serving good food at reasonable prices. Closed mondays…read moreexcept bank holidays. Special offers available every thursday ( 2 for £12 ) on selected meals.