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Detail Pages
Duke of Wellington, Notting Hill, W11
W11
W11 2ED
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Duke of Wellington
A Youngs street corner pub with a classic island bar at it's centre.Around the windows is a mix of traditional furniture and some high tables to the side.There is a charming mid pub snug behind two wooden dividers with etched glass and this is a calm spot with own bar access.At the rear is a dining area,although you can eat from the standard chain menu anywhere you choose,all tables are numbered.
The muzak was a terrible R&B dirge,played too loud and the ale selection was Youngs Special and Original (A hop lite brew ,NBSS 2.)
At some stage this pub has been modernised by Youngs and it has lost a lot of character apart from the layout.No need to revisit,leave it to the tourists.
On 18th June 2022
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Duke Of Wellington
Indeed once an H. H. Finch pub as evinced by the attractive interior clock, acquired by Young's in 1991. This pub has undoubtedly been renovated since the earliest reviews and my last visit around 2011. The interior seems to retain some original features in the form of some partitions with etched glass but marred by the presence of some bare brick to the rear; the paint is a less than appealing green/blue colour to the woodwork which was probably once brown lacquered and all the better for it. The floor is bare boarded and the ceiling may be Lincrusta and there's also a rather tedious tubular steel gantry above the bar.
Ales: the usual Young's line-up with my half of Special being typically anything but.
Not a pub to avoid though certainly nothing that warrants a special visit, but the awful Portobello Road location acts as a disincentive.
On 13th October 2018
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1983 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Duke Of Wellington
Yes this is now quite a smart pub with more than a passing focus on food with the Finches dining room (named after a one Henry Hobson Finch, local owner of pubs who bought this one in 1890).
A fairly pleasant blue and white colour scheme is utilised both externally and internally to the pub. The main wooden floored bar room that you enter into has a central wood panelled bar that supports two banks of four hand pumps on each side. As mentioned below these dispense four Youngs brews which were Bitter, Special, Winter Warmer and something badged as Duke’s Christmas Ale, which was no doubt something from the Charles Wells stable. And then on the front and side of the bar is banks of Keg taps which, as also mentioned below was providing a decent choice of modern keg options with what looked like a focus on Meantime and Camden beers.
The Blue and white colour scheme with bare boarded floor is then carried on in the aforementioned Finches dining room at the back, which more resembles a country kitchen you might find in a garden centre than a restaurant room on the Portabello road. But it was full for my lunchtime visit and the bar area was quite lively as well.
I totally concur with the previous review that this is now a very pleasant pub and, although not one you would bother going out of your way for, certainly decent enough when you’ve had enough of looking at all the tat on the stalls and in the shops on Portabello road.
On 30th December 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Duke Of Wellington
As Hondo below suspects this pub has a new lease of life if previous reviews are to be believed. From the outside it has the appearance of a traditional pub.There is no doubt given its location it is a tourist pub, once inside we find a slightly more modern approach , the colour scheme is sea green and buff, it is basically open plan inside with a raised level toward the rear that I take to be the restaurant area.Four hand pumps for cask ale were all on ,this being a Youngs pub the beers were predictable,Youngs Bitter,Youngs Special,Youngs Pale Ale, my choice and Wells and Youngs Bombadier,despite my resevations my beer wasn't at all bad.A range of craft beers were also available, strongly featuring Meantime beers amongst other offerings. A pleasant enough visit early on a sunny bank holiday Monday but this is not a destination pub, worth dropping in for a quick one if passing though.
On 21st April 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1871 recommendations about 1844 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Duke Of Wellington
Suspect this pub has been refurbished since the reviews below.
On 27th September 2013
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
BobOs . left this review about The Duke Of Wellington
Dirty pub with a dingy atmosphere and filled to the brim with tourists. Walked in, turned around and walked straight out again. Well below average.
On 11th July 2011
- rating: 3
[User has posted 370 recommendations about 355 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Duke Of Wellington
This is a typical pubco pub, catering for the market trade. They had Young's Bitter, Bombardier, and Deuchars IPA on. The Young's Bitter was OK. Exceptionally friendly (Irish?) bar staff, but not quite so sure about the clientele. Usual courtesies, like a “thanks” for holding a door open, seemed lacking on three occasions during my visit. But I can't blame the pub for that. In any case, it's an unexceptional pub with not much going for it except its location in the market, and the really nice bar staff.
On 9th March 2009
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]