Ship Anson, possibly named after the 18th century HMS Anson, consists of three side by side pubs, The London Tavern, King and Queen, and Ship Anson, though only the buildings of the King and Queen and Ship Anson remain, The London Tavern having being destroyed by bombing during Word War II, and that space now serves as the smoking area. The King and Queen and Ship Anson were knocked together in 1985 when both pubs were owned by Whitbread; the Ship Anson side now holds the bar and the toilets, while the King and Queen side is a distinct room with a roaring fire.
As soon as we stepped inside we were struck by the atmosphere - there are quirky knick-knacks all over the place, and, as we are both from Swansea, we were pleased to see the Welsh flag on the ceiling. The place was busy, so we were pleased we were doing a Mystery Shop so had booked a table. Unfortunately the table reserved for us was occupied, and we were placed on a small table by the fire and by a pillar. It was cramped for two people having a meal. And we were so close to the fire that it proved rather uncomfortable. We were assisted by a very friendly Welsh waitress who shifted things off the table for us. We hoped that a table might become vacant so we could move onto it, but the pub remained popular throughout our stay and all tables were occupied each time we looked around.
We loved the warmth, the atmosphere, the sense of history, and the location by the water so ships could be seen now and again. It is also close to the Historic Dockyard so useful for lunch when visiting.
All in all, a pub we'd be happy to visit again.
We loved the warmth, the atmosphere, the sense of history, and the location by the water so ships could be seen now and again. It is also close to the Historic Dockyard so useful for lunch when visiting.
All in all, a pub we'd be happy to visit again.
Date: Jan 2022 Score: 8
10 The Hard
Portsmouth
