The Duck House, Ruislip

Situated on what was the original village square, this cosy pub dates back to 1640 according to the signage outside although a few years ago it was apparently the victim of a drastic and tasteless refurbishment that ripped out the building’s character. Fortunately it has now fallen into new hands and they have done an admirable job in restoring the interior to compliment the building’s heritage. These days the Duck House is more of a restaurant than pub with much of the interior given over to diners. A modern glass entrance leads to the small bar with a few tables in the cosy section to the right. Off to the left between all the pillars and beams is the main dining section that spills through to a conservatory area tacked onto the side of the pub. At the rear is a small terrace that overlooks the large picturesque village duck pond. There is also a small and attractive private dining room. The décor is a complementary to the building with a rustic and quite romantic charm to it. A recess at the front has a bit of a Dickensian shop front feel to it and houses a padded bench with large cushions. Several nick nacks line the shelves and window sills and there are a couple of small open fires. The place doesn’t really sell itself to ale lovers with just London Pride available (a secong pump was unclipped) although the quality was very good. Unfortunately I didn’t note the price). There was a good selection of whiskies overhead on the bar canopy shelf and dozens of wine bottles neatly displayed on the adjacent wall. The food is mainly classic British dishes, steaks and burgers with main meals around £8-£20, probably more of a place for special occasions than a “can’t be arsed to cook tonight” kind of place (there is a Harvester opposite for the latter). For all its charm and the noticeable effort that has obviously gone into its restoration, the pub’s true potential will probably only be realsised by the dining customers but it is certainly worth popping in for a pit if in the area.