The Duke of Wellington

The term' gastropub' can no longer do justice to places like the Duke of Wellington which, though doubling as a tarted-up pub, is in fact simply an excellent neighbourhood restaurant. The more extensive menu is served upstairs in a small but light and airy room. It nods towards classic French bistro fare with bisque and foie appearing on the menu, but mostly the Duke offers seasonal variations on British fish, lamb and beef from the justly renowned Ginger Pig, as well as some oustanding vegetarian options (where else are vegetarians treated to shavings of black truffle on their gratin?). The wine list is strongly French and Italian in flavour and offers some distinctive wines a very affordable prices. I've eaten here with small groups and with a very large party, and every time the friendly and professional staff have delivered the goods. Not a place to cross town for, but if you find youself in this posh neighbourhood and want a pleasant place to eat and drink without fuss or having to dig too deep into your pockets, the Duke is just the ticket.
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Thursday, June 26, 2008

One of the better things that happened on this side of Marylebone in 2007 - complete refurb of our local pub serving one of the more divine foods in the area. Before you go there for a meal, do make sure you are wearing 'fat' clothes. All courses are not only gob-smackingly delicious but generous in portions. I usually pass on the complimentary bread basket as its nothing more than moulds of hard stuff. At The Duke, you can't but ask for more. The breads are warm and butter soft. Heaven.

I'm a big fan of their cornish dressed crab and eel with beetroot as starters. But if you love meat, I know people who go there just for their pig's cheek! If you think the starters are brilliant, the mains are even better - from panfried skate to 21day-old steak to steamed mushroom pudding. Decisions decisions... The Duke has one of the more inventive side-dishes, our favourite is cepes & chestnuts - a glorious combination of taste and texture. Always leave room for dessert! Another difficult decision - its always 99% sticky toffee pudding steamed to perfection with just the right amount of not-overtly sweet toffee sauce. But when the steamed ginger pudding was introduced, I jumped ship to ginger.

Not only is the food lovely, the staff are great with precise attention to detail. The atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable. We love it and hope you will too.
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E Knight
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Saturday, April 26, 2008