British Pub Opens on City Dock

A new British style pub called The Crown & Anchor has opened its doors for business down on City Dock.

The restaurant is owned by a British couple Jon and Lesley Marsden who split their time between Essex, England and Annapolis.

"Our children have grown up now, so we have a bit more time on our hands," Marsden said. "We just want to do things that we want to do now."

And what they wanted was to open a restaurant in Ananpolis.

"We came over in January and looked at various sites and this is the one that we finished on," Marsden said. "I think it’s a great site; it’s got a lot of potential."

She described the menu as British pub food with a Chesapeake influence. Patrons can find traditional pub items mixed in with oysters and crab cakes. The full bar also features 20 bottled English beers, including London Pride and Boddingtons. 

"Our fish and chips is definitely the best you can get around here," Marsden said.

The restaurant will accommodate up to 200 people, but the main seating area upstairs isn't ready for customers yet. Marsden anticipates the second-floor dining will open before the boat show in October.

The name Crown & Anchor means more than a British restaurant in Annapolis. Five of the Marsden's six sons are in military service to the British crown, and Jon Marsden also served in the British military as a helicopter pilot.

Not surprisingly the Marsdens offer a 10 percent discount to all active duty and retired military members. The couple also plans to donate one percent of all sales to military charities.

"Obviously it's close to our hearts because of our five children that are serving," Marsden said.

The restaurant is located at 12 Dock St. It's the former home of Hell Point seafood restaurant, which closed its doors in February, and it sits next to the recently re-opened Phillips Crab Deck.

Crown & Anchor is open daily from 11:30 a.m. until 2 a.m., and Marsden said she plans to have live music on weekends soon. The menu is moderately priced with sandwiches in the $8 to $12 range, and entrees priced between $12 and $20.

She thinks the pub fits well with the city landscape because, after all, Annapolis started out as part of a British colony.

"It feels a bit like an English town to us," Marsden said, referencing the cobblestone streets with British names. 

She said Crown & Anchor will offer Annapolitans a bit of history with in "a relaxed atmosphere with good quality ingredients that are simply cooked."