RIVERSIDE location, modern refurbishment and experienced new management: surely a cocktail for success at the Old Anchor Inn in Abingdon.

It is clear why landlord Josh Lempriere, who spoke about his past pub success and a fondness for fresh food in the Herald last month, branched from burly London roots into this peaceful spot - to see this special location wasted with boarded-up windows would be a great shame.

Baskets drip with pink and purple flowers along the meandering River Thames, which is visible from our window table.

Inside, the cosy candlelit bar area is busy considering chefs only began serving food one week ago.

Modern décor marries a soft duck-egg blue colour scheme and safe wooden flooring with splashes of personality, which manifest in spiky feature lighting and bizarre paintings of crabs bearing human faces.

A confident menu boasts dishes such as Portland crab with charred fennel and guinea fowl breast with savoury granola.

It excites me to see more imaginative ingredients starring in the line-up, but both my housemate and I settle for pub classics to test the chefs’ execution – I challenge them to impress me with a standard pub grub plate of fish and chips (£11) while Orquidea goes for a classic beef burger with bone marrow (£10).

Though the accompanying pot of mushy peas is delicious, as is the tangy tartar sauce peppered with crunchy capers, the rest lacks wow factor.

The fish is well-cooked and encased with a thin crust of batter, but the taste is a little bland. The chips are nice but nowhere near as moreish as the squishy vinegar-slathered chip shop chips I compare them to in my head.

I chat to the chefs in the bar area afterwards but barely write anything, distracted by the fact that both are swigging from blue WKD bottles and rolling cigarettes as they speak.

A lesson in professionalism would not go amiss as the new team begins to find its feet, but I hope this drinking hole could eventually become a gem of The Thames.

For information about the Old Anchor Inn in St Helen’s Wharf ring 01235 412669 or visit oldanchorinn.co.uk.