Went at beginning of December for a pre-Christmas meal with friends. We all ate off the Christmas menu, three having turkey and two fish. All the meals were generous portions... read more and well cooked and tasty, of course. But the real gem is the staff. From start to finish, without exception, all staff were incredibly welcoming, helpful and above all friendly. It makes a huge difference to your evening if you feel the staff are genuinely friendly. The pub was busy and the atmosphere was great. Still didn’t feel rushed at all with service. Thoroughly recommend.

  A Bar & Restaurant, Close To The River - The Crown & Anchor is situated close to the South Downs Way and in the city centre. There are bus stops and car parking spaces close by.

My initial... read more first impression of the Crown & Anchor was being overwhelmed with the amount of instructional signage - "prove you are old enough to drink", "no fake identification accepted""no standing at the bar". The latter I found rather perplexing. I did ask why they didn't want customers to stand and was given the banal and exhausted reason, "COVID". There are too many dictating notices and orders. People go to a bar to enjoy themselves.

The barman was polite and gave good service, and I overheard the Scottish lady being very polite to customers that she was serving. Some customers, rather cheekily ordered one pudding and wanted three spoons to share it! The staff remained professional and accomodated this request, none the less.

The decor was pleasant and smart. However, I would have liked a bench seat sans chair, as I find they offer a greater spinal support. The toilets were clean and pleasant smelling.

I did see a gorgeous white rabbit in the beer garden.

This is overall a good bar and restaurant.

  This is a proper pub ,visit was during covid restrictions no need for an app as helpful staff actually talk to you and take your order. Locals and tourists frequent... read more this pub . The homemade lasagne is to die for ,tasty and good portion size ,keep up the good work

  It is the greatest thing to find somewhere these days to find somewhere that sells great food but has the staff, characters and characteristics of a good old fashioned pub.... read more Today we found this. Amazing, friendly hard working staff, great food, met some great local characters. Can't wait to visit again

  Wonderful couple of hours here today. Visiting beautiful Winchester. Came to this warm friendly pub. Ordered pie of the day. Beef and Guinness and ohhh wow wow wow..what... read more a gorgeous pie it was. The best pie we have eaten in a pub for a long...long time. Lovely friendly efficient staff our compliments to the chef. Beautifully presented too..and the gravy was such good quality. Lovely dinner that accompanied our bottle of red wine. Very reasonably priced too. Lots of people eating which is always a good sign. Great atmosphere. Thank you. We will be back More

  Hubby and I popped in to have a drink as it was a boiling hot day, and hubby need some refreshments, barrel of cider..
Tom and Shanice greeted us with... read more smiles, explain how the pub operated during Covid restrictions, with ordering drinks and food, waiter service.
Both Tom and Shanice were very friendly and helpful, making you feel very welcomed. They went above and beyond all aspects of their service. They were 2 of the most amazing bar persons I've ever met. It was a true pleasure to be in their pub.
It my have been our first time to The Crown and Anchor but it certainly won't be the last.
The food was delicious and plentiful. You couldn't get anymore tuna mayo into my sandwich, it was bursting and with a side order of proper chips, thick, crispy and full of fluffy potato.
Nothing was too much trouble, and you could see they enjoyed their jobs, making sure you had everything you needed, without it being too much. The locals ate friendly and very chat which gives the pub a cosy friendly and inviting atmosphere.
Thank you Tom and Shanice for making our time at your pub a pleasure.

  Sunday roast was absolutely beautiful and loads of beef . Really helpful and friendly staff also. Good Sunday menu , including veg and vegan options ( not for me ,... read more an ex butcher and lover of meat). We'll be coming again soon. Cheers

  Marilyn was such an awesome host! Will definitely be be back for her hospitality. Enjoy the brunch so much!
We will return!

  Amazing well priced lamb shank which was half the price and double the flavour of the restaurant down the road

  Wow how rude! - 2 ladies of a certain age, saved up for xmas shopping weekend. When the walked in for a lunchtime drink to be told ‘fully booked - no tables’, ‘but we... read more just want a Prosecco?’ well there’s nowhere to stand and you cant get in the way!’ ..we must have looked askance as she then said ‘if you don't like it then go somewhere else’

Now we are in the Pitcher and Piano which to be honest is more our style

  Shanice is amazing!! Sooooo friendly we love her xxxxx will be back after lockdown and shout out to Scott for buying us shots

  Had the best burger out friendly service served by shanice and Sarah always make you feel welcome also serves gluten free food

  We very much enjoyed our time at the Crown and Anchor. Only popped in for a quick drink and ended up staying for food and a few more beers. The... read more service right from the start was great from all the staff that we spoke to. They were genuinely friendly and the service was spot on. We had some traditional pub grub which was lovely and the portion sizes were decent, especially for the price which was reasonable. It was unusually busy for around 3pm when we went, with a large hen do and a group playing pub golf all turned up at once. But everyone got served very swiftly and no one was stood around for long. Would definitely go back again!

  Loved the vegan food, very friendly and accommodating staff, creating a great atmosphere.
Would definitely recommend and visit again.

  Great place with friendly,efficient and happy to help staff, with a great selection of drinks and the food was awesome. Loved our visit there

  Decided to come here for a birthday meal with family and it was fantastic. The lovely Scottish lady (sorry didn't catch her name) that served us was very friendly and... read more welcoming. The food was beautiful and enjoyed by all, couldn't fault it. Will definitely be returning soon.

  Lovely vegan banana blossom fish and chips. Friendly staff and nice garden. Looking forward to visiting again soon.

  Staff very friendly and helpful. Reasonable range of beers. Had sausages and mash - a very generous portion--which was delicious and came with a large selection of seasonal vegetables. Will... read more certainly return post lockdown.