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The Duke, WC1

7 Roger Street
WC1
WC1N 2PB
Phone: 02072427230

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Will Larter left this review about The Duke

An utterly charming, almost breathtaking back street local with features dating to its 1938 rebuilding. It has two stars on Camra's inventory of heritage interiors and it's an absolute pleasure to be here. Even more pleasurable for me as Black Sheep Best Bitter is one of my favourite beers, and it was in very good condition (NBSS 3.5). I took a few photos and had a little chat with the licensee about beer and pubs. Apparently the floor in front of the bar is in need of being replaced, but otherwise the place is in pretty good condition. Worth seeking out.

Date of visit: 9th January 2024

On 25th February 2024 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3699 recommendations about 3440 pubs]


Graham Coombs left this review about The Duke

A quite splendid 1938 pub, wonderfully unmodernised with some original plain wood fittings and the odd art deco trim. Some apparently dates from later restorations, but the overall effect is great for pub historians. New management seems to have pulled back on the previous restaurant focus and it now feels more like a good drinking pub. Ales on were TT Landlord, Black Sheep Best and GK Rocking Rudolph.

On 5th December 2023 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3322 recommendations about 3259 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about The Duke

This is a nice, unspoilt pub with an interesting multiple room layout in a quiet backstreet location. The corner entrance leads you into a chequer tile floored main bar with half panelled walls, neutral shaded upper sections and the servery over in the rear right corner. Some nice booths with attractive dark wood and frosted glass partitioning screens run along the front wall, whilst long tables over to the left are served by basic chairs. The bar has an attractive dark wood counter that curves elegantly to form a compact quarter-circle, with a bar back that extends on through to the right-hand room. The windows along two sides of the room, have large potted plants on their sills and the walls have been decorated with stylish old mirrors, a few promotional posters and an unused TV screen, whilst a very unusual bright red upright piano stands against the rear wall. A door to the right leads through to the dining room, which has a mirror image of the main bar’s servery, plus a series of tables and chairs, many of which are carefully partitioned from one another. All of the tables are set for diners and when I attempted to wander in for a quick snoop around, I was quickly reprimanded by a lady standing at the bar, who made it clear I wasn’t welcome in there unless I was eating. Taking the hint, I took myself down the staircase behind the bar, which leads down to a basement ‘Party Room’, which is a whole lot less exciting than it sounds. It’s a concrete floored room, albeit almost entirely covered with a huge multi-coloured rug, with three rows of tables and chairs, each bearing a lit candle. The walls are painted red and covered in old mirrors, enamel retro movie adverts and an old fashioned TV set, standing on a shelf in the rear corner. There is also what appears to be a DJ booth, suggesting the room might be available to hire for private events. The dark wood ceiling is strung with fairy lights, which helps create a pleasant, warm ambiance in what might otherwise be a bit of a grim basement space.
There were three handpulls in operation when I arrived, offering a choice between Sharps Doom Bar, Black Sheep Bitter and Exmoor Gold. A rather gruff barman served me a pint of the Gold, which was in pretty good condition and set me back £5.10. There was a good mid-week crowd, with the bar area totally full, some sort of work’s do in the Party Room and absolutely no-one in the dining room.
This place was recommended to me by fellow PuGers back in 2017, but it took me another five years to actually get around to checking the place out. I’m glad I did, as it’s a very pleasant, interesting little pub with some nice, varied seating areas, decent cask ale and a warm ambiance that can sometimes be hard to find in the city. Not really one to challenge the better known alehouses, but a good option if you’re looking for a peaceful retreat in this part of the city.

On 15th February 2022 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Tris C left this review about The Duke

Originally The Duke of York, the 'of York' qualifier was until recently written in parenthesise, since removed and now called The Duke. This is a cracker of a rebuilt Art Deco pub, hidden away down a little Bloomsbury street. The interior is well described below and in addition, there's some old Ind Coope lettering to the windows and even a Meux's Beers doormat illuminated from above by a Meux's lantern! There's a coal effect fire and lino-topped bar too; I couldn't locate a WiFi signal, but that's probably because it didn't exist in 1938 when this pub was built.
Judging by the menu, I wouldn't call this a gastropub, rather it's more better pub grub with the likes of sausage or pie of the week. Does this mean they have just one of each though?
Typically Doom Bar and Black Sheep Bitter are the mainstays here with a couple of others on rotation. It's in good shape too (not the Doom Bar, obviously).
Certainly worth a visit if in WC1, even if you have to use your phone's torch to illuminate the place.

On 31st August 2018 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Duke

Backstreet Art Deco pub with a wedge-shaped layout which retains two separate bars: the main counter at the front and more of dining room at the back. The former is plainly furnished and decorated, whereas the latter has a more appealing traditional look. A few old features also survive, such as the Double Diamond and Ind Coope window panes. Four real ales on handpump: Doom Bar, Black Sheep, Castle Rock Harvest Pale and Whitstable East India Pale Ale (£4.50).

On 25th August 2018 - rating: 6
[User has posted 8066 recommendations about 8066 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


custodian 42 left this review about The Duke (of York)

Went into the drinking section so missed the eating half until I walked past it. Four real ales but two were off, one being cleaned out. Old style music on in the background. Not bad but wouldn't revisit.

On 25th January 2017 - rating: 5
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Quinno _ left this review about The Duke (of York)

An Art Deco place and decent chunks of the interior retain that feel. Located off the beaten track, there are two rooms via a door-sized archway. The main bar area is fairly functional, though has some classic high back pew bench booths and lots of period mirrors. The windows look original although the Duke frosts are clearly modern decal. The rear room also has the Art Deco look, with wooden booths. These were all set for dining (with no diners in sight) and I decided to briefly alight here with my half and subsequently got gyp from the teenage bob-a-job bar staff, though she retreated when I pointed out that I was hardly hindering their trade on a late Tuesday evening. A neat segue onto the ale offering - three in total; Doom Bar, Hackney Amber and Whitstable Pale. I went for the Whistable and got a very good one. I’m a sucker for the period style (especially with no TVs or flashing machines) so I liked this place immensely and getting a decent ale was the icing on the cake. I will be making a point of doing this one again, despite the ‘ohh you can’t sit there’ attitude. 7.5

On 1st December 2015 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5050 recommendations about 5033 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


john gray left this review about The Duke

Stylish small corner pub.Cosy atmosphere.Three cask beers Vale -pale ale,Doombar and Sheps -whitstable bay.Worth a re-visit.

On 25th September 2015 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Real Ale Ray left this review about The Duke

Just had a look at their webpage and can't believe that on a pub site, lager is spelt larger. This Art Deco pub retains a lot of it's original features. The contoured plywood booths opposite the bar were most probably added later. The tables and chairs were eclectic, there were some 1930's wall mirrors and glass shell shaped wall lamps. The lino in the lounge area and down the stairs is original. There were four ales on hand pump, we went for the Redemption Hopspur, which was top notch. Another feature to notice, was the old black bakerlite telephone, which rang and connected to the manageress's mobile.

On 13th January 2014 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3378 recommendations about 3378 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rex Rattus left this review about Duke Of York

Adnam’s Broadside and Black Sheep Bitter on when I was in. BSB at £3.40 a pint is a top of the range price though, especially for a low ABV ale. But on the plus side the young lady behind the bar topped up my pint without being asked to do so, which I regard as at least a sign of a well run establishment. Pretty good it tasted too. There were no TVs, jukeboxes, games machines or other unwanted machinery in evidence, and the music being played was some laid-back jazz – Satchmo and Ella I think – which is a welcome change from the mundane pop music one usually has to listen to. It’s still a two-roomed pub with a connecting door between the two bar areas. The back bar seems to be essentially a restaurant area, with the front room a bar area – though there was a group dining in this room when I was in. The floor looks to have the original lino still laid down on it, judging by the wear it appears to have suffered over the years.
This pub retains the décor of an inter-war pub (it is on CAMRA’s inventory of London heritage pubs), and although it has gone down the “gastro-pub” route, it retains enough of its “original pub feel” for me to be happy to pay a return visit.

On 13th May 2009 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]

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