foggy photo of chicken liver pate (£8ish) at the Duke of Cambridge in Islington
Yesterday, Jon and I moved from the Barnsbury side of Upper Street to the Saint Peter’s side. Although the two areas are only a 10-minute walk apart, Upper Street might as well be the Great Wall, because in the 4 1/2 years we’ve lived in Islington, we very rarely crossed that divide.
Jon and I have spent weeks packing in preparation. For two foreigners, we seem to have a lot of “stuff” with us – the American Way, perhaps.
Our movers (the amazingly-strong, polite and prompt Aussie Man & Van) arrived at 8 am, and by 2:30 pm all our boxes and furniture had been unloaded in our new place. Drowning in a sea of boxes and bubble wrap and not sure what to unpack first, we decided to go for lunch at our new local, the Duke of Cambridge Pub.
Although it was late for lunch, the pub’s tables were packed. Jon and I found a table in the pub’s skylighted annex and ordered off the blackboard in the back.
Despite having been to the Duke of Cambridge once before in March 2009, I’d forgotten that (1) the place is all-organic; and (2) the prices are high. Chicken liver pate with chutney and gherkins, for example, was deliciously creamy — as chicken liver tends to be — but a rather expensive £8+. I know it’s organic, but chicken liver is supposed to be one of the cheaper ingredients in the world, no?
beef mince pie and mash (£15ish)
My beef mince pie was delicious and tasted made-from-scratch. The crust shattered at the tap of my fork, and I liked that the pie filling was neither too runny nor too thick. In fact, the gravy tasted like the result of a long braise.
Jon’s fish and chips was similarly well-prepared and flavorsome, though I wondered what was up with the oven-baked chips. Can they still be called chips if they’re not fried?
Service was friendly; tap water not a problem; and the food was pretty good. The place has all the makings of a fine local — except for the price. At £45 for a starter, two mains and a pint, our lunch at the Duke of Cambridge was too expensive for it to be a regular habit. Luckily, this side of Upper Street appears to be packed with pubs, so we’re looking forward to exploring the other local options. Recommendations warmly welcomed!
Duke of Cambridge Pub, 30 St. Peter’s Street, N1 8JT; closest tube station: Angel.
Oooh nice – that’s right down the street from me and I’ve enjoyed in when I’ve gone but agree that it’s a bit pricey to make it a regular habit.
I’d recommend The Island Queen which is just around the corner on Noel Road. The interior is absolutely gorgeous and makes me think of the London of yesteryear and they’ve got a great selection of specials and deals that tend to change often. I’ve only ever been for lunch but have been impressed with the different burgers and sandwiches I’ve tried, along with the appetizers.
Enjoy the new neighborhood!
Kathryn @Travelfusion
Hi Kathryn – I’m pretty sure I attended a pub night once at the Island Queen (on Tuesdays?), but I’ve never had the food there. Thanks for the rec!
Haven’t stopped by your site in a while, and here I am to find this post — We were the March guests, no? I remember loving my mushroom pasta there, and was surprised there were such good vegetarian options at a London pub. Of course, the company was excellent too.
Indeed you were, MRM. And I’m glad you enjoyed your food (I remember enjoying mine, too).
I had the same experience at the Duke of Cambridge. I liked the fact that it was all organic (apparently even the tampons in the vending machine in the toilet are organic!) and the food was lovely but the prices are super steep. Organic is more but not that much more surely.
Gourmet Chick – Yes, the Duke of Cambridge still lays out a pamphlet on each table that describes the use of organic tampos in the loos. It’s all a bit TMI!
I too live right round the corner from the Duke of Cambridge. I’ve always been a fan, even just for a nice cold pint of organic lager. The price can be high but I often share two starters with my girlfriend from the main bar blackboard – it tends to do the trick without too much expense.
Equally, try the fantastic Charles Lamb, just between Danbury Street and City Road or if you fancy a decent cocktail head up to 69 Colebrooke Role (take a right just before Essex Road at the top of St Peters Street) for a serious whiskey sour or two.
Ben – that’s true that we could order less food, but my preference would be to find a pub where I can just drop by regularly if I don’t feel like cooking (and leave full). I haven’t been to the Charles Lamb in ages, so great call on that. I remember meeting Masha the Pub Dog there and eating a decent duck confit. And I’ve been to 69 Colebrooke before (right after it won some TimeOut award) and enjoyed my drinks there, but it’s no pub, as you point out.
oi vey! those prices! Unfortunately it seems like these prices are becoming pretty standard for gastropubs…. House, Albion, Great Queen Street.
That’s true – the House was the first to strike me as overly-high when it came to pricing. At the beginning, I thought the Albion and Great Queen Street were at least putting out slightly-ambitious food. In contrast, the Duke of Cambridge (at least at lunch) makes no such effort.
£15ish for a pie that looks a bit anemaeic? I’d rather have unorganic, thanks.
I was disappointed by the roast beef lunch I had at Charles Lamb, but I don’t think you can judge a pub on that.
Though it is the other side, I really liked the bar snacks at The Drapers Arms, and the mains looked great too.
Hi lizzie – the anemic-looking pie is probably more about my photography than about their pie, but in any event, £15 was still too much.
I used to live around the corner from the Drapers (that’s the side of Islington I just moved “from”). They closed for a while and then reopened sometime last summer, and I was disappointed they’d gotten rid of much of their old menu, along with a wide selection of beers. When were you last at the Drapers?
I think the reopening last summer was when the new management took over. I was last there two Tuesdays ago, though granted I hadn’t been under the old ownership. I like that they have pub fires.
We’re moving next weekend and called Aussie Man & Van based on your recommendation. Quick question, did you tip them? I’m still unsure of tipping policies in London. Thanks.
Would second the rec for The Drapers!
Ate at The Charles Lamb the other night and found it not as pleasing as my last few visits.
Check out Raab’s the Baker on the Essex Road for very good bread and a nice local crowd.
Raab’s the Baker – got it. And now that you mention it, I remember your post about it. Too bad about the Charles Lamb – was the food not good, or was it just too crowded? Or both?
I’ve never eaten at the Duke of Cambridge, as looking a the prices, reviews etc it doesn’t seem good value for money.
But I have drunk there on a few occasions and enjoy sitting outside and relaxing.
I’ve also not ate at the Island Queen but will give it a try. Thanks.