The Anthologist

Had the smoked salmon & scrambled eggs for breakfast. The salmon was okay but the eggs were a bit gross — they were a bit grey and somehow there were whole dense chunks that were fully cooked (like pieces of a frittata) mixed with some runny egg… the photo says it all. To make things worse, I found a few bits of ham in there… probably accidentally transferred from a previous dish they were making. The dish also came with some toasted plain white bread… given the price point and appearance of this place, I would have expected something better, or at least a choice of something a little healthier and less artificial. In sum, the dish looked and tasted like it could have been served at some second-​rate diner.
The two stars are for the flat white, which was actually good — nice flavour, not bitter, and the perfect temperature.
Service was underwhelming — no one ever checked on us, our water was never refilled, and it took us a while to track down someone for the bill.

I’m often in this bar after work, and to be honest, feel like it’s largely style over substance. It’s always extremely busy, and it’s a classy bar and venue, but is far too expensive for what it ultimately offers. A small bottle of beer for £6? No thanks
I’ve yet to eat here, but judging from friends’ experiences and the price of the menu, it won’t be something I’ll be trying any time soon. Go to the close by Slug and Lettuce or quite literally anywhere else, for much better value for money.

I really, really wanted to like this place, but I just didn’t. Such an underwhelming experience, and that makes me sad. The only reason I’m giving this two stars and not one is because all of their food and drink is incredibly well presented.
I came here with a close friend of mine for post work dinner and drinks. Upon arrival, our table wasn’t quite ready, so we sat at the bar to have a drink. As we hadn’t seen each other for while, we decided to push the boat out and opted for one of their ‘bath tub’ cocktails — it’s literally served in a miniature porcelain bath tub filled with ice, complete with a rubber duck. You’re allowed to keep the rubber duck once you’re finished. You’re then given a ladle to spoon your cocktail out into the cutest little bone china tea cups. I loved this. I did not love the cocktail. Admittedly, my friend is a bit of a pain in the backside when it comes to alcohol — she doesn’t like the taste of most things so I don’t understand why she drinks at all. Anyway, for her to be able to stomach any alcoholic beverage it has to be «rot your teeth» sweet, so I let her select what cocktail the tub was filled with. She chose one that was a combination of champagne, strawberries, strawberry syrup and some sort of herb (I can’t remember what it was). Upon her first sip, she pulled a face, stating it wasn’t sweet enough. I sighed, thinking «typical» but then cringed when I drank mine too. I’ll be the first to admit, I’ll gladly drink most things, I am not fussy. However, this was awful. It tasted of absolutely nothing for the most part, except for the herb they’d included which gave it this really gross after taste. Not pleasant, but I took one for the team and drank the bath tub by myself while my friend ordered something else.
The food was equally as unimpressive. I ordered vegetarian pad Thai and it was completely flavourless, with no taste of Asian influence whatsoever. It was just soggy vegetables and noodles in what tasted like ketchup. A tiny portion too, so I was starving afterwards. I would have ordered something else, but the dishes are all pretty expensive and you certainly don’t get your money’s worth.
Overall, not an experience I’m keen to repeat. Everything was well presented and looked very nice, a shame the tastes don’t reflect this.

A huge pub set mostly on one floor lots of tables and a huge bar. You may just have a wait to get served and then when you do it will take them a while for them to make you your drink. It can get a bit rowdy, with lots of people and loud music making it pretty tricky to have a conversation.
We were located in a room downstairs, it was a funny type of room it was almost like a miniature flat with a kitchen like area and another area up a set of stairs. It got pretty warm down here it was near the loos which was an advantage but you had to go all the way back up again to get some drinks.

A crazy crowded bar full of local bankers and businessmen. Great drinks, from a selection of wines to cocktails. It is not a place to go for a date as it’s too loud and you’ll be waiting at the bar for a while to grab your drinks. But if you want a lively place, full of interesting people, then this is the place to go.
If you reserve a place to stand or sit, then it’s a much better option, as a waitress will come to serve you there. Otherwise it is a tad impossible and I’d suggest grabbing a few drinks at a time.
It’s a decent place for breakfast or lunch, though not the cheapest or best in town. Still, it’s a fun place to go with a group to hang out for a drink after work.

I love this place! Aside from the great location (and the fact that it’s literally down the street from my gym), I love the atmosphere. This place, like many in the Bank area, is raining men. The service is top notch and the drink selection is quite good. Also, the cocktails are really nice, although if you’re a woman at the bar ordering a cocktail, be prepared for the dirty look from the male clients, as they hate nothing more than a bartender taking 20 minutes to make the perfect cocktail. I haven’t eaten here but a good friend of mine has advised me that the food is good, especially for breakfast. Sometimes the wait time can be long (once I waited almost a half hour at the bar) and the prices are not cheap, you’re paying for the location and the ambiance. I know I’ll absolutely come here again.

had dinner here in the back of the pub
the atmoshpere is really great with all the hanging small lights
good food also for a decent price — we had fajitas and a great slice of caramello cheese cake

Went here for a social/​business meeting after work on humid London evening. This meant thirst! Have to agree with one of the other reviewers about being packed with city suits so the usual after work ambiance but it wasn’t that busy. Range of drinks appeared ok and not too pricey given the city location. However, it was a bit of mission to get served even with a relatively quiet night. The dining area looked ok — so may be worth trying in the future.

Came here with coworkers and customer for dinner and drinks. The service is ok, a bit slow for our 10 people table. They kept forgetting our drinks order multiple times. One waiter dropped a whole beer on our customer’s head. Omg what a disaster.
Food quality is generally ok but nothing outstanding.

I’ve only ever been to the Anthologist for work drinks on a Thursday or Friday evening. On these nights it’s packed with city suits so unfortunately turns into just another soul-​less watering hole. If you’re planning drinks for a Weds-​Fri night it’s imperative to reserve an area in advance, and note that the areas are often on the small side in comparison to the group size. We’ve previously been given an area for 40 people (the agreed number) that was only suitable for 20 max.
I won’t deliberately avoid The Anthologist, but it’s not a favourite either.

Fun and hip, friendly atmosphere. Gets busy during the week and closed over weekends. The food is also good!

Not bad. My steak and lobster was excellent and the reef beef and bubbles deal is great value for money. Only downside was my girlfriend’s food was a bit of a let down and I think we picked the wrong night as the music was very loud and we could hear each other talk. Still a great place for a meal before a night out!

Went here on a Thursday evening for dinner with a friend from out of town. It was impossible to have a conversation because the bar and the music were so loud. Food was average, service was terrible. The only good thing was that the décor was nice and the food was reasonably priced.

Just another one of those overated «city bars»! Took forever to get served and far too busy. Only one positive — nice loos!

Came here for drinks on a summer evening as a break from my usual spots, and boy, was it busy. The indoors area is huge (I don’t even know how to describe it… it can definitely fit at least 150 people), and there are plenty of tables for groups to sit and drink, or even nibble on some food. I was hungry so I ordered some chips at the bar, and I only had to wait like 2 minutes before a waitress brought a fresh order over, and they were some pretty decent chips! The service was surprisingly fast, given that the place was packed. I was only with one other friend, so we went outside to enjoy our food/​drinks, and the entire pavement was like an extension of the bar and we grabbed a seat at one of their outdoor tables (that have blankets on the back of the chairs!). When we went in for our second drink, they had started playing club music, but the crowds had started thinning out (about quarter to eight-​ish). I have a friend who said she went here on a date… in my opinion, this place is too busy/​crazy/​packed for a date, but perfect for after-​work drinks!

Aha the Anthologist… If you’re over 30 this place will make you feel old. Everyone in here is much younger. It seems to be the cool hang out spot for the young and upcoming workers in the area. Inside it might as well be any other chain pub. Standard platter grub, standard selection of drinks, and very little to distinguish it from anywhere else.

Was taken to The Anthologist today for a working lunch/​meeting with a supplier I’d never even met before today so I wasn’t sure what to expect.
This is a lovely, cute and sophisticated restaurant/​bar in the heart of the city and within an eavesdrop of the mighty Bank of England! Busy around 12:30 and therefore a little lively but still able to chat etc without being overheard.
Service was prompt and attentive. Food was delicious. I had a Chicken Club Sandwich and my co-​diner had an oriental– style beef salad with noodles. Desserts were awesome — I especially liked my White Chocolate and Raspberry Crème Brûlée which was served in a dainty porcelain tea cup — as I said, cute!
Will definitely come back again and try more dishes before awarding a 5*.

My former manager from my former employer was visiting London, so I took her out to lunch near my current workplace. I chose Anthologist, because it looked reasonably fancy and the menu seemed balanced for any taste as well; my guess turned out to be right.
I ordered the crab and crayfish linguini, and it hit the spot. There was plenty of crab and crayfish to make the meal fulfilling, and the pasta was done just right as well. My former manager got fish and chips, and she said hers was good as well. On a different note, the ambience was both cute and sophisticated, making it appropriate for a reasonably important lunch meet-​ups. Last but not least, I thought the service was acceptable with the waitress coming to ask if we needed anything else at least twice throughout our meal.
Overall, I highly recommend the place for nice lunches and/​or lunch meetings near Bank and Moorgate.

Came here for a christmas party last week.
Pretty large venue which was good as there were hundreds (?) of us; the food was good, and beers and cocktails plentiful and generally I had a pretty good time!
Will come back for lunch on a ‘normal’ day.

I would not be opposed to going back for another meal or even just drinks, but I wouldn’t be devastated if I didn’t make it back. If I were just rating on the ambiance of the place, it would get five stars because it is a nice setting. It is rather large inside, so you don’t feel like you are sitting on top of each other. The lighting was a bit too dark and reading the menu was a bit problematic. The décor is nice, but beware, sometimes the plants on the table catch fire from the candles on the table… true story.
The menu has a nice variety of interesting dishes as well as some staples. And the price is reasonable, more toward the inexpensive side of the spectrum. We had made a reservation and to be honest, the staff were really flexible when I had changed it a few times and it even changed when we showed up. I chose to have the Crispy Duck Noodle Salad. Everyone else at the table seemed to be pleased with their food (Fish Finger Sandwich — ‘a bit posh’, antipasto sharing platters, flatbread, risotto, and another sandwich). I thought the presentation was cute: a box on a big wood platter.
The crispy duck was awesome, but the noodle salad itself could’ve used more seasoning and dressing. I still enjoyed the food, but if I were to go back, I’d choose a different dish. The toilets are nice… even candy is available. The restaurant part of the place did not seem quite as busy as the bar area. It seemed to be popular for after-​work drinks. Overall, it was a nice and inexpensive dinner.