Duke On The Test, Romsey

Once the Dukes Head and once a stopping place for barges on the nearby river and navigation it is now very much the gastro pub or perhaps a restaurant with beer. Very much enlarged over the years, the front two areas are more pubby, behind in the large extension less so. A short curved brick built counter faces you in the front bar, three pumps with Flacks Double Drop and a house badged beer Crafty Duke which is Flacks Romsey Gold, nothing on the third so if you don’t like Flacks and I don’t, it’s tough luck or one of the limited number of kegs, Guinness or latin lager in the main, Pravha or Peroni looking better bets. Obviously you are intercepted on entry and shown to a table, hopefully in the front areas either on the higher tables or on one of the sofas. Equally obviously the decor is tasteful - mostly bucolic prints and the odd stags head. It is surprisingly dog friendly and has piped music, less surprisingly it’s family friendly as a particularly obnoxious child proved.

Official site of The Duke - www.thedukeonthetest.co.uk

Official site of The Duke - www.thedukeonthetest.co.uk

On previous visits to this place I'd not been impressed. Average gastropub, and not a surprise when it closed. Local paper down here reports that it will re-open Good Friday, under a new landlady. It will offer Black Sheep, Landlord, Adnams Broadside, Ringwood Best & Summer Lightning on cask, which sounds a bit more promising. In an age of pubs closing down I hope they make a success of this, it will be difficult as this place is a bit stuck out on a limb and won't get much walk-up trade.