FOX & ANCHOR, LONDON - SLEEPOVER REVIEW

Finding some peace and quite in the heart of London is not always easy and certainly around the hustle and bustle of Smithfield meat market, which kicks off at 2am. But come the weekend this edgy part of east London feels positively deserted. The Fox and Anchor, one of the original gin-joints a stone’s throw from the market, is a charmingly restored ‘pub with rooms’. It offers 6 rooms with luxurious features and of course a handy bar and restaurant serving excellent, if very traditional, pub grub just below.

COMFORT LEVEL – 9/10 – We stayed in “The Market Suite” with boasted separate bedroom, sitting area, bath and shower. The fabulous deep copper bath was the real show stopper and took mere moments to fill with steaming hot water. A generously sized bed and soft bedding all helped us in the quest for a good night’s sleep.

NOISE LEVEL – 8/10 despite the prospect of “Knees up Mother Brown” from the boozing regulars downstairs, the room was remarkable sound tight. A few whirs from the air con units outside but very little disruption otherwise. And certainly no market noises at the weekend… but we wonder what it is like midweek?

LIGHT LEVEL – 8/10 lots of heavy puddling curtains and sage green fabric walls kept this room beautifully dark, just how we like it. Sunday morning didn’t come sooner than we needed. The lower sash windows were frosted for privacy but with old maps of the area, a nice touch.

TEMPERATURE LEVEL – 7/10 slightly over zealous air con made it tricky to hit on a perfect sleeping temperature of 18 degrees C but the big goose down duvet kept us cosy all night

CARE LEVEL – 7 / 10 A problem with the restaurant booking downstairs proved tricky to handle with the staff on site, but was swiftly resolved with a follow up email by the Young’s Brewery team, who own and manage this and several other classic establishments in the area. Staff lock up and leave when the pub closes so there is no one on hand should their be an emergency but luckily we had no need for any out of hours services.

TOTAL SCORE 8/10 – Overall, our stay was super comfortable and we caught up on some much needed R&R. The calmness of the venue in an otherwise lively part of London made this a great hub for a night away and with no “ 2 night minimum” it proved to be great value in the heart of the Capital.  

Fox & Anchor, 115 Charterhouse St, London EC1M 6AA  Phone: 020 7250 1300  www.foxandanchor.com