The Duke

[smokiewoodlands]

from noon til late on saturdays & noon til 10.30pm on Sundays

[Mogs]

I want to book a table for 6 Adults to arrive at 3pm tomorrow, could i book it through the forum - that would be FAB - I'm also hoping you are doing food all day

[Asset]

went for lunch today only to discover the restaurant doesn't open until 5pm. Should have researched a little I suppose.

[smokiewoodlands]

we are doing food all day but call around noon & I'll be there to speak with ya

[Linz]

After a couple of solid recommendations from friends, my good lady and I popped down to The Duke last Friday for dinner and a few pints. It's a lovely pub with great food and half decent service. However, for a good part of the evening we were the only people there. On the plus side, we had our choice of fires to sit next to and very attentive service - but it is a little bit disconcerting sitting in a pub where the bar staff just look like they want to go home because there's bugger all to do.

Here are my suggestions - although I think it's going to probably take a lot more to persuade people to drag themselves from their locals:

- Decide what you want to be - a pub, or a restaurant. It looks like the aim is to be a restaurant first and foremost. However the menu (and don't get me wrong, the food is excellent) doesn't really stand out from most pub menus in the area. If you want to be both, perhaps try two different, smaller menus with a slightly more eclectic choice for the restaurant.

- Find a couple of promoters/local DJs to put on a night on Friday or Saturday. Nothing major - just some nice music for people to drink late to. I've been here for about 6 months now and I still haven't really found anywhere local to drink late and shuffle around to some good tunes. If a good DJ can get a bunch of their friends to come, it might be the start of something good.

- Food promotions a couple of nights a week. The two for one nights at places like The Old Nun's Head and Licorice seem to work quite well. Choose a different night from them and get the punters who can't be bothered to cook swinging past.

- Get a couple of decent ales in. The beer selection is pretty poor truth be told.

I'll definitely be back over the winter months. I just hope you guys are still open when I visit. Best of luck

[ralphation]

Just wanted to say that I took four friends here for Sunday lunch today. My girlfriend is veggie and as previous posts had stated that meat and veggie roasts were offered we thought it would be fine. However, the only (hot) main vegetarian course offered was a mushroom gratin which she was happy to order.

When it came, it was a small pudding bowl of mushroom pasta. Whilst it tasted fine, for ?7.50 she expected a little more. She asked if anything else came with it and was told she should have ordered a side of veg. She said that there wasn't any on the menu so the waitress brought a menu over and walked off. Still no side orders on there. My girlfriend gave up and ate the food. The plates of roast lunch were huge, as they should be, and this made my girlfriend's dish look even more paltry. Everyone said that the meat was delicious but as per usual the veggie option was added on as an after-thought. One of my friends mentioned this to the waitress and she didn't seem that interested. It's a shame because the guy who owns this place is clearly having issues attracting customers. I'd really like to see the place succeed because think it's a lovely room with nice atmosphere.

[georgia]

I also had the veggie option yesterday for lunch and I agree it was very disappointing and I won't be rushing back there

[SeanMacGabhann]

As someone who has praised the Duke consistently from it's reopening, with Nick as the manager, I have kept quiet after a few wobbly visits, but yesterday's meal was a nail in the coffin for me

I did write a long diatribe but it identifies me to easily - but too many things were plain wrong or inpet for me to want to visit again in a hurry. I'm gutted really as I wanted that place to do well and it started very impressively

[Mark]

We were going to go there on Saturday night for food but they were closed for a private party so we ended up going to The Nun's Head round the corner. Had a lovely time with great pub grub, go there instead of the Duke.

[Keef]

Maybe someone (Sean) should try and have a quiet word, seems strange they started so well, and couldn't keep it up...

[SeanMacGabhann]

Not sure who is behind it but they had a good manager with Nick but as ever with that site, getting people in proved tricky. hence we had the "promise" of Monday Madras Madness nights with the next manager... Not sure who the current lot are but having "had a word" with previous managers I doubt it would make much difference at Duke HQ

[Keef]

Shame. I never ate there, didn't even eat anything at the forum drinks because I turned up very very late and very very drunk. Everyone said they did an awesome beef pie though.

[Asset]

Yes, I went there last Saturday night and had a dismal evening.

Food mediocre to awful, restaurant empty, waitress nice but dim.

After reading the rave reviews on here I was sorely disappointed and won't be going back. Shame.

[SteveT]

I am one who is responsible for the rave reviews and now have to eat a large helping of humble pie, sorry Asset.

I went a few days ago and was disappointed, it was dull.

I remember the days, the good old days, when it was very good though.......... sadly it didn't last.

[AllforNun]

I went in Sun afternoon, and it was fine. 1 bad night and that's it ? Thats the problem with the thread you all get a little OTT,

Maybe they all had a hangover after there private party, you knwo get pissed , go to work slightly slighted ! obviously you good folk have never done that...good cub scouts and all that.

[Asset]

Maybe they are geared up to present a passable Sunday roast but the meals we had last Saturday were dire.

Starter: Waldorf salad with pear and leaves, so not in fact a Waldorf salad, had no pear in evidence.

Scampi - rock hard pellets

Main: Fishcakes - much like the scampi, same colour breadcrumbs (bright orange) and also rock hard.

Lamb Stew - school dinners

Battered haddock and chips was a small portion with far too much batter.

The wine was brought to the table already opened. They'd run out of candles, the fire was not stoked up.

Other minor irritations.

I'm sorry Allfornun, I know it's Nunhead and you want to stick up for it and it looks like several of the East Dulwich folk have tried to support it also but mediocre it is.

[AllforNun]

Strange, i ate fish and chips there a couple of weeks ago, in front of a roaring fire, which they were happy to let me stoke myself. I distinctly remember gazing dreamily through the window at the laundrette and thinking to myself 'mmmm just lovely'

I have eaten a bad meal in nearly every restaurant i have eaten in, for me it's 2 strikes and i am out. As yet it ain't happened at the Duke, in fact far from it. Hope you let them know your feelings, then they could do something about it if there is a problem.

[Brendan]

Listen the reason people are being critical is because it?s in Nunhead. Serves it right as well. Don?t you know that as soon as you carry a piece of fried fish over Peckham Rye it doubles in size?

[SeanMacGabhann]

be fair AfN - I have been banging on about how ace the Duke is for months now.. I don't think I can be accused of Nunheadism.. or whatever it's called ;-)

[Jeremy]

I hope you are not suggesting the AFN is in some way biased in favour of Nunhead? That would be most out of character!

[SeanMacGabhann]

well, quite

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Is The AFN a new hostelry we need to try out?

Ales for Nunhead

[Brendan]

Isn?t AFN the acronym used commonly in alternative medicine circles when refering to the conventional wisdom that acupuncture fixes nipples?

[david_carnell]

Ah, you may be confusing it with NFN which stands (and I may be corrected by the resident forum medics) "Normal for Norfolk" - i.e. a loon

[AllforNun]

ah f**kwits , glad to see you are still able to use your straws to send messages to your keyboards to type words.

Anyhoo heard that the manager had a new baby at some point over the weekend, midway through a staff party so, hey maybe they had a hectic weekend.

I have been poisoned, robbed and mugged in most of the establishments in your neck of the woods...lets talk soon though x x x