London pub crawls are a legendary way to see the city.
One pub you certainly don’t want to miss is the Fox and Anchor. This pub has been serving the Smithfield area since Victorian times and was recently treated to an extensive renovation in 2007 by its new owner, one of the founders of the Malmaison Hotel chain.
They kept the lovely Victorian façade of glazed tiles and added a magnificent pewter top to the oak bar counter. The back area remains unchanged, full of wood panelling and lined with intimate booths where you can relax in a bit of privacy.
They serve six kinds of real ale at the Fox and Anchor as well as a lager that is microbrewed, and everything is served in hefty pewter mugs which makes it feel quite special indeed. They also have an extensive and interesting wine list with the various bottles listed under rather humorous headings.
The food is traditional pub fare, but with a bit more imagination than you’d find elsewhere.
Old standbys like Welsh Rarebit and Fish and Chips share menu space with Brown Crab with Pickled Cucumber and Rabbit & Cider with Thyme & Bacon Dumplings, and who could resist sampling sides like Goose Fat Chips and Duck Fat Roast Potatoes?
The Fox and Anchor also has six luxury bedrooms above the pub that were part of the renovation and are in keeping with the best of the Malmaison tradition. The rooms are top of the line and feature king sized beds, drench showers and lovely freestanding claw foot tubs large enough to share, and plasma screens TVs with DVD player and Bose sound systems.
On weekends, it is advisable to ask for one of the back bedrooms as the ones in the front of the building can be quite loud due to street noise and the music from nearby nightspots.
Many London pub crawls can end quite happily with a walk up the narrow stairs to a comfortable night’s sleep at the Fox and Anchor.
Visiting Fox and Anchor
115 Charterhouse Street, Clerkenwell, EC1M 6AA
Telephone: 020 7012 3700
Email smalaugh@foxandanchor.co.uk
Opening Times
Mon to Sat 7:00 - 23:00, Closed Sun. Breakfast: Mon to Fri 7:00 - 11:00, Lunch/Dinner: Mon to Fri 12:00 - 22:00
Photo courtesy: Ewan-M
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