For years, people have been saying that The Anchor is a potential goldmine waiting for the right management to come along. Situated on the corner of Hayfield and Polstead roads in prosperous north Oxford, in recent times, at least, it has never fulfilled its potential.

In fact, other than on quiz night or May Morning, it was rare to see more than a handful of people occupying its slightly dingy interior and although food was offered, I never saw anyone eating it.

Meanwhile, hundreds of houses have been built in its catchment area' with the rise of the Waterside, Canal Walk and Waterways estates, so the potential for a healthy trade has mushroomed.

Enter Jamie and Charlotte King, formerly of The Star Inn at Sulgrave, who have breathed new life into the old lady after taking on the lease offered by Wiltshire-based brewery Wadworth.

About £300,000 has been spent between Wadworth and the Kings to transform the Art Deco building into a restaurant, while retaining its character as a local watering hole.

On a Monday lunchtime it was fairly quiet as we took our seats at a simple wooden table in the lounge area. In front of us the original bar has been upgraded and several Wadworth beer pumps stand centrally, although on this occasion we opted for a couple of glasses of Chilean Sauvignon (£3) which was pleasantly dry and refreshing.

We then perused the lunch menu offering a wide selection of mainly British dishes.

Deciding that we wanted to sample three courses without rendering ourselves incapable of work at the end of the meal, we opted to share a starter and picked the little gem salad with chicken and soft boiled egg (£6.50).

This was beautifully presented with a large portion of crisp leaves supporting large pieces of grilled chicken (we could have alternatively ordered shrimps) with the egg sliced in two to top it off.

It was more than enough for both of us to whet our appetites and the undignified squabbling in the centre ground of the plate proved how tasty the dish was.

For the main course I had decided to try the traditional steak and kidney pudding with spring greens (£8.50), a dish I had not enjoyed since childhood.

It had evidently been individually cooked as it arrived in an upside down bowl shape. Inside, the meat was beautifully cooked and full of flavour, ideally complemented by the greens and the extra portion of roast carrots (£3) I had ordered. An excellent choice.

My companion opted for the loin and belly of Lincolnshire pork with honey glazed celeriac and mustard sauce (£9.50). The meat was beautifully tender with surprisingly little fat and again the sauce was an ideal complement.

Before dessert, we sat back to look around. The Anchor has been tastefully refurbished with two sizeable rooms and a new conservatory area, which is capable of seating about 14 ideal for a meeting or full-blown business lunch.

There is also seating outside which should come into its own soon.

I noticed on the menu that it is possible just to have sandwiches ranging from egg and cress to grilled steak which would provide a lighter option.

Mr King told us he was hopeful of attracting trade from holidaymakers on the nearby canal, walkers heading back from Port Meadow and parents picking up children from the nearby SS Philip and James School.

He reported trade was growing in momentum from week to week. Then it was back to the dessert or puddings' menu which again offers a range of British dishes such as plum duff with hot vanilla custard and rhubarb and ginger crumble.

But we opted to share the chocolate tart with poached pear (£4.50).

The pastry was delicious while the chocolate was dark and creamy, with the pear providing a tangy finishing touch.

Despite our attempts to hold back and share courses, we still felt full and it was with some difficulty that we squeezed back through the door.

It had been an excellent meal and The Anchor is a welcome newcomer on the Oxford restaurant scene, with good food at reasonable prices.

Contact: 01865 510282