Anchor Inn

My husband and I took our friend and wife to The Anchor at Nayland for a Birthday lunch, but instead of a treat we had a terrible experience. The location is beautiful and we have had good meals there in the past. However, they seem to have some very inexperienced young girls (one in partiular had an incredibly poor attitude) on their staff; which is a real pity and will be detrimental to their reputation. I had speghetti & meatballs; the pasta was very soggy and incredibly salty. Our friends had fish and chips with mushy peas and the fish smelt and tasted of ammonia. When I complained to the server, she took the meals to the chef and came back to report that there was nothing wrong with the fish, the pasta was freshly made and therefore on the 'sof't' side and no salt was used to cook the pasta as the pasta was cooked without salt and then tossed in some salted butter after cooking. I am an experienced cook and run my own catering business and I know that a quantity of salt needs to be added to cook pasta, fresh pasta need not be soggy / soft and surely if pasta must be tossed in something, then it should be a little olive oil?! My friend also tasted the pasta and agreed with me that it was over salted. I would have been happy to have had the pasta replaced, but when I was told by the server that there was nothing wrong with it, I couldn't trust the chef not to produce another plate of inedible pasta and so asked for a sandwich, only to be told in a most patronising manner by the very unhelpful server that they only have egg or salted beef and that I wouldn't like the beef as it was salted!! I had to bite my tongue by now and really had lost all appetite but in a last desparate attempt to order some food thought that a salad would be safe, I was promptly informed that they only had a side salad - surely, they could have slapped some smoked meats (seeing as they have a smoke house and smoked meats is their speciality) on a side salad to appease an already unsatisfied diner? The server's attitude was appalling and were she working for me I would have fired her on the spot! On reflection, I should have asked for the chef, but felt that this had already spoilt our meal and didn't want to push it further. I wonder if they used bicarbonate of soda in their mushy peas and this had contaiminated the fish, which incidentally was beautifully cooked in a very light and crispy batter. My friends replaced their fish with a wild boar burger which did need salt! I didn't order anything else and waited for my pudding as I had ordered a 3 course meal deal (giving credit where its due, the starter of vegetable terrine was delicious). This was a gooseberry creme burlee which was approx. 5mm high and had the texture of an egg custard. With teas and coffees ordered, my tea cup was dirty and we were only given warm milk for both teas and coffee - I think that the server had it in for us and was determined to make sure our dinning experience was disasterous to the end! After our ordeal, we didn't even get a complimentary cup of tea. No apologies either. There was one helpful waitress, she had a mild US / Canadian accent which proves that the Brits can learn an awful lot about service from our cousins in North America... Visited July 2011

We never find fault with the Anchor Inn, Nayland and is always our first choice for Sunday lunch. Its a relaxed, casual atmosphere and nothing is too much trouble for the staff who we find extremely polite and helpful.

The food is of excellent, home made quality with the added factor of home produce. Sunday lunch is a good portion of meat (I can never eat it all!), with accompanying sauce - cooked to a good standard, along with a sufficient amount of roast potatoes and a large variety of delicious vegetables. The desserts are also of a good, home made standard and taste freshly prepared.

We didn't find we waited particularly longer than anywhere else - for those complaining, try the more commercial end of the market at Toby restaurant where you can wait for over an hour to be seated. Its nice that everthing is freshly prepared at The Anchor with no reheating by microwave.

Its not the largest of restaurants when busy, so we book in advance and state where we would like to sit. It really isn't a problem.

We hope to return more often when we can and will continue to remain our first choice.

Despite having had some good meals at The Anchor in the past the service on our recent visit was appalling. Unfriendly, unhelpful but mainly unbelievably slow. Our whole party decided to leave without having a dessert as we had had to wait so long for everything else we had ordered. We shall not be returning.

We read your mixed reviews about the Anchor at Nayland and decided to make up our own minds. The setting is near idyllic: if fine we recommend take time to stroll in the gardens and farm and learn how they source their own menus and wines - and preserve the local historic environments. It was busy with a relaxed mixed crowd of locals and visitors, young and old. We did hear some grumbling about waiting for food and not everyone seemed delighted by their choice, but we were. We dont eat meat but the choice was much better than most competitors: the sorrel soup was really good and the stuffed courgettes with samphire excellent at a fraction of the price that would be charged in fancy city restaurants - or in France. Then we shared a massive vegetable platter full of imagination and flavour - we asked the gardeners how they managed it, and we grow our own. Fruity desserts were full of flavour, coffee was good and the choice of 3 local beers was as good as it comes. So when the bill showed it all cost about half the price we have paid recently for tasteless nonsense, we reckon it is so good not only we will be back but we took leaflets to recommend to family and friends. Nowhere is perfect every time but staff dealt with all requests happily and were helpful. The best lunch we have enjoyed for some time after many travels and disappointments elsewhere.

A brilliant menu and excellent food to far exceed anything I can think of in Suffolk. This is real restaurant quality food. Service is nearly always great, but its a pub after all - I cant understand those comments complaining people near the bar were too close to the table duh...

The Anchor Inn restaurant is divided into a number of rooms with a few tables in each. We were seated about six feet from the bar and overlooked by those drinking there and every time a group of people came in they stood right over our table. In the end we had to change tables!

I chose a glass of Canadian Shiraz from the wine list only to be told when ordering that actually it was Australian.

There was little choice of starter, except for the smokehouse platters (I noticed that someone else was having one of these which was supposed to be for two people but seemed to consist of a small amount of cheese and salmon with a great deal of greens) so we skipped to the main course.

There was little choice for vegetarians except Pumpkin Risotto which didn't sound too interesting so my wife chose battered haddock, served with thick cut potato wedges/chips and some salad with lots of dressing. I chose Pheasant and asked if I should also have a side order e.g. potatoes. I was told most people didn't. When it arrived I had a plate of pheasant (very nicely cooked and plenty of it) a few cubes of diced vegetables and a few small pieces of pasta. Effectively a plate of pheasant with not much else.

For sweet my wife ordered redcurrent creme brulee which was very nice but turned out to be strawberry not redcurrent. It was also served in a dish with a large chip on the inside which she found rather offputting. I had spotted dick which was very nice - when it came. After waiting for over half an hour I had to ask what had happened to our order. I was told apologetically that a group of 15 had just ordered so we had to wait. NOT impressed

have had some fantastic meals in the past but food seems to have gone downhill over the past year has always been a little more expensive but has been worth it. last meal few meals I found very disappointing - rack of lamb which came out as three minute cutlets, and sausage and mash, three anaemic sausages with sloppy mash - no apparent effort in presentation etc. also have had a beef pie, with more fat than meat by 2:1. had given it a few go's hoping thing will improve but will not going back.

We eat at the Anchor Inn on a regular basis - with family, friends or just as a couple. It is one of the nicest eateries in the area offering a great location, a lively but relaxed atmosphere and surprisingly competitive menu prices that compete with good quality pubs!

I must say that I was surprised to read a bad review having eaten here so many times. The staff are very helpful and friendly, I always left having enjoyed the food, location and atmosphere, especially by the river on a late summers evening. Try or miss out!

After a superb meal last week with my family, I had to pass this on. Some of my family are very fussy and the Anchor accommodated for them all. I had the River Fish Platter, my wife the Stuffed Vegetables, my parents fish and chips and my kids burgers, they catered for the whole family. I discussed much of the meal, and the fields with the staff, and their knowledge and enthusiasm for for everything made a great change from a lot of places. The staff were all equally willing to help. Keep up the good work, you have made a regular out of my family and myself.

The Anchor Inn's setting is worth a trip alone - right next to the river and a pretty kitchen garden, and I soon discovered that the pub lived up to its reputation also. I had fish and chips whilst my friend had lamb, both meals were delicious - great to see the hearty portions too, very reasonably priced; the deserts are a must - and I cant wait to return to sample the others on the menu! Would definitely recommend to a friend.