At a time when most major pubs are going gastro, it heartening to find places like The Anglesea Arms that actually feel older than they look, but yet manage to excel in what they have to offer customers. This Capital Pub Company venture proves that there is still life in good ol' pubs, and who knows even Charles Dickens, who once resided at the nearby No.11 address at Selwood Terrace, may have approved.

Some tried and tested formulas are evident on the menu; devilled whitebait, pea and mint soup, foie gras and chicken liver parfait and Colchester rock oysters with shallot vinegar. Ploughman's wholemeal sandwich, lightly battered haddock with homemade chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce, pan-fried fillet of salmon, and rib eye steak with green peppercorn and herb butter may score winning points with conventionality. Finally counter those sugar cravings with a lemon cream pot with raspberries and butter biscuits, or Eton mess.