*Please note: Outside Seating is on a first come, first served basis. You may request Outside Seating with your reservation and we will do our best to accomodate it, however, we cannot guarantee it.*
Named after the Milford, Connecticut beach where it first opened during Prohibition, in its halcyon days The Anchor became a favorite watering hole for actors, artists, poets, writers, and Yalies, and the after-work boîte for bartenders and staff from other bars.
Relaunching in 2016, The Anchor effortlessly aligned with a revitalized Downtown New Haven, in the vibrant midst of Yale University. The bar and eatery simultaneously honors, embraces, and reflects the City’s economic, social and intellectual diversity—representing a cultural cocktail of town and gown immediacy of a deadline.
The Anchor’s new owner, Yale alumnus Karl Franz Williams’ plan is to preserve the best and most recognizable aspects of the restaurant’s former incarnation and create something evocative and timeless.
boiled potatoes, cabbage and a bit of honey braised carrots
Corned Beef SandwichUS$7.75
piled high on rye with fries and spicy mustard
Homemade Grilled KielbasaUS$7.75
add a little polish flair on rye with horseradish, sauerkraut and fries
Dessert
Punchkees
free with dinner
What 57 people are saying
Overall ratings and reviews
Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant
4.5
4.5 based on all time ratings
4.4Food
4.5Service
4.6Ambience
4.4Value
Noise • Moderate
Review summary
AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Anchor Spa offers a "great vibe" with "amazing drinks" and "fantastic food." Though service can be inconsistent, the bartenders and staff are praised for being "immaculate" and "super helpful." The ambiance blends classic decor with modern touches, making it a "go to" spot for both locals and visitors.
57 Reviews
A
Anthony
New York City2 reviews
3.0
Dined on January 31, 2025
Overall 3
Food 5
Service 1
Ambience 5
It would have probably been 5 stars across the board if the kitchen served one of our entrees. The waitress and managers were super helpful and apologetic. We ordered 1 drink each, the plantains / tostones, a burger and jerk chicken. The app took 30-40 mins to get and the burger (which we ended up splitting) came out less than 1 minute after the app and the jerk chicken never even came out. The manager ended up comping us our drinks, but we are so disappointed it turned out this way. We were really impressed with the taste of what we did get. Not sure if we will return if the kitchen doesn’t get it together. Kitchen aside, our waitress was 5 stars!
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T
Talia
Greater Boston3 reviews
5.0
Dined on January 1, 2025
Overall 5
Food 3
Service 5
Ambience 5
We love anchor! Especially Bianca and Brandon. They always make the whole experience better. Drinks are always 10/10.
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R
Ray
New York City1 review
4.0
Dined on December 8, 2024
Overall 4
Food 4
Service 4
Ambience 4
Despite offering reservations in the “Bar” area. The bartender said “I know what it says online but we don’t do that”. Despite this, they did find a table for us to sit at and were accommodating when our party unexpectedly grew.
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OT
OpenTable Diner VIP
New York City9 reviews
4.0
Dined on May 11, 2024
Overall 4
Food 5
Service 4
Ambience 5
Excellent cocktails. Great food too. Cozy environment. Kind of loud. Food was fast. Drinks were slower. Menu is accessed via a QR code so bring your phone.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
New York City1 review
5.0
Dined on March 16, 2024
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 5
The rasta pasta with chicken and shrimp was a up charge of almost 25$. They should say that on the menu. We ended up paying 50$ for one pasta dish. They should tell how much the pasta is with added proteins.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
New York City2 reviews
3.0
Dined on February 15, 2024
Overall 3
Food 4
Service 2
Ambience 5
Very slow with bringing out the food. Our appetizer was the last item we got!
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J
Jayne VIP
Hawaii2 reviews
3.0
Dined on October 7, 2023
Overall 3
Food 1
Service 5
Ambience 2
Website has a full menu but when we got there they only two entrees on the menu.
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DK
DoctorK
Connecticut1 review
3.0
Dined on July 6, 2023
Overall 3
Food 3
Service 4
Ambience 3
Bartenders and front service staff were immaculate!
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A
Autumn
Connecticut3 reviews
3.0
Dined on June 3, 2023
Overall 3
Food 3
Service 4
Ambience 4
The cocktails are amazing! We loved them. The only thing we kept running into was they were unable to make drinks that weren't on the menu and a few things we tried to order off the menu wasn't available. A bit dissapointed.
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LF
LeeshF
New York City3 reviews
2.0
Dined on May 28, 2023
Overall 2
Food 1
Service 2
Ambience 3
Surprised by the experience this time as I have been here before. Service would have been better if we only had 1 server. We had 3 different servers coming to our table asking us the same questions (drink order, food order, etc.). We weren't sure who our server was and had to keep telling each server that we already ordered or put in requests through someone else. We then decided to order drinks and apps with our dinner meals to go. The quality of the to-go food was disappointing. The rasta pasta costs $21 and didn't match the quantity provided. The jerk veggies burnt my tongue from one bite and I still do not have sensation at the tip of my tongue. The coconut rice had zero flavor. To top it off, we really look forward to the complimentary popcorn, but the station was closed.
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FAQs
The Anchor Spa offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (203) 821-7065.
The Anchor Spa is rated 4.5 stars by 57 OpenTable diners.
The Anchor Spa does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.