April 29, 2007
Back to the Anchor & Hope for a(nother) wonderful Sunday lunch
I thoroughly enjoyed Sunday lunch with my chums Cathryn, Aboodi and the newly-wed Leanne and Craig (Verity was supposed to be there too, but bailed at the last minute - boo!). Always the considerate one, Cathryn had gone to the trouble of booking at the Anchor and Hope, my favourite local eatery, which is but a short waddle from my flat.
The menu said:
Leek and crab vinaigrette
Roast Hereford beef, dripping potatoes and 'grass'
Cheeses
Lemon pudding
It turns out that 'grass' was an unusual affair comprising shredded lettuce, mint and vinegar that counteracted the meat and potatoes extremely well. All courses received glowing praise as they were gobbled up. Aboodi summed it up best when he described our feast as "splendid food, with none of that nonsense about small portions." Indeed, they even came round with second helpings of succulent beef.
They gave us nibbles beforehand - deep-fried balls of mushroom, beef and herbs in batter; ever-so-sweet cherry tomatoes and delicious parma ham - and Cathryn, having arrived first, had cleverly ordered a bottle of Txacoli (which I described here) to which we added a bottle of Douro, Monbazillac, coffee and glasses of Bas Armagnac VSOP.
Despite rave reviews from established restaurant critics like Jay Rayner and having won the 2004 Gastro Pub of the Year in the ITV London Restaurant Awards, I'm always amazed to read review sites with comments by diners who didn't enjoy their visit to A&H.
Generally the griping relates to the no-booking policy (doesn't apply on Sunday), the attitude of the staff (described as wonderful by one of our number today - the others heartily agreed) and, most bizarrely, the quality of the cooking (always very good to excellent on the dozen or so times I've eaten there). Cathryn and I reckon it's actually a cunning ploy by regulars who don't want to compete for tables with 'foreigners' from north of the river.
Right, I've already had a post-prandial nap. I think perhaps I ought to go for a brisk walk now!
Talking of Jay Rayner, he was on hilariously acidic form in today's Observer Magazine where he reviewed Suka, "a new hipper-than-thou joint in London's Sanderson Hotel", whose 'concept' he describes as 'We are now going to extort as much money from you in as short a period as possible for as lacklustre a meal as we can get away with.'
Ouch!
Posted by dompannell at April 29, 2007 7:24 PM