The Anchor and Hope 36 The Cut, London SE1 (020 7928 9898). Three courses, including wine and service, £70

What is the collective noun for a group of restaurant critics? A girth perhaps? No, that's not fair to those of my profession who have yet to swell about the waist. I know, an indulgence. That sums it up. And now I have the word I can use it. For the past few months I, and an indulgence of other restaurant critics, have been judging the ITV London Restaurant Awards, an annual event in which we bestow upon the greatest of the capital's eateries a little more greatness.

There are a dozen categories and up to six on each shortlist, and that's only the ones that make the cut. In short there are more restaurants to judge than any one of us could possibly visit but, together, we fill in each other's gaps. One of mine was the Anchor and Hope, a gastro pub in London's Waterloo which my fellow judges deemed worthy of a place on the shortlists for best newcomer and best gastro pub. Now I have been there, so do I.

The Anchor and Hope is the bastard child of St John and the Eagle, two gutsy places which, in their no-nonsense approach to both raw ingredients and raw furniture, have done more to influence the way we eat now than any other in Britain. The building is not pretty, at least on the outside; it looks like a gussied-up day centre. Inside, though, there are claret walls and dark wood tables and an open kitchen in which just two people labour to produce big boys' food. Some of you may swoon at the thought of duck hearts and gizzard with salsify and walnuts, but in my house you can't say you don't like something until you've tried it. If it applies to my four-year-old it applies to you, too.

One of the Anchor and Hope's attractions is dishes for sharing. On the day I was there, there was whole slow-roast stuffed duck for three or four people, or roast sea bass and fennel for two or - also in individual portions - a luscious cassoulet for up to four. It was grand. There was a big solid piece of goose, a chunk of pork belly and a length of Toulouse sausage which was so coarse, at first I thought it was andouillette. The dish had done such long service in the oven that even the bones could be chewed away.

I finished with an unnecessary blood orange jelly with shortbread and cream and then walked the mile back to the office as penance for my (membership of an) indulgence. Pricing is keen, especially so as three courses is a challenge. But beware: there's no booking policy so it's first come first served. I would consider it worth the wait.

· The winners of the ITV London Restaurant Awards will be announced on 8 March