http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32479/duke-of-cambridge <b>Duke of Cambridge</b><br />London, 30 St Peters Street, N1 8JT, United Kingdom en http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/trustedplaces.comaPlacePic['name']}.140.jpg http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32479/duke-of-cambridge http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32479/duke-of-cambridge/1y7nv8
Review by chrisp

Rating: 3.00
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If there can be any such thing as a "pariah gastropub", then it's the Duke of Cambridge in Islington. Opened as the UK's first 100% organic gastropub in 1998 it remains a solid, dependable place for a bite to eat but for some reason has in recent years attracted the kind of vitriolic backlash from foodies normally reserved for £95 burgers or when Delia "goes cheat". Part of the reason could be that while other food pubs in the capital have matured into rustic French restaurants or gone all "St. John" and started serving spleen and chitterlings, the menu at the Duke has remained steadfastly gastropub-traditional and is aimed squarely at wealthy Islington locals - think Feta Salad, mushroom risotto, Italian sausages - safe, comfortable and familiar. Not that there's anything wrong with that in itself, but the problem with limiting yourself to all organic ingredients is that you suddenly find you have to charge £15 for rabbit stew to make the numbers work.

It was a perfectly good rabbit stew - good deep flavours and a nice variety of herbs and veg, if very slightly overcooked rabbit meat and a bit tricky to dissect from the many tiny bones - but all the while there's that nagging knowledge that rabbit is vermin, and a very very cheap meat, and charging £15 for a stew that basically involves chucking the carcass in a big pot with some bay leaves and veg and boiling it for an hour is, well, a bit cheeky.]]> Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:55:55 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32479/duke-of-cambridge/1y7nv82006843992 chrisp 51.534051856107 -0.099703114516613 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32479/duke-of-cambridge/1r6ge8
Review by Niamheen

Rating: 4.00
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The Duke of Cambridge has been local to my workplace, for, oh, 5 years now. It's a bit far for lunch, however, and after work and at weekends I like to go somewhere different to the area I've been prowling 9-5 Monday to Friday!

I was hearing good things though and really wanted to try it so I called on a Friday evening to book a table for lunchtime the next day. They said that only one table was booked, so we shouldnâ¬"t worry, but as I was on the phone I thought that I might as well just book a table. Iâ¬"m glad I did as when we got there for lunch on Saturday it was packed.

Situated on St Peter St, just off Essex Rd in Islington, the Duke of Cambridge is set on a street corner, with lots of windows looking into quite a nice looking refurbished pub. Our table was towards the back by the open kitchen, in a conservatory.

For those of you that donâ¬"t know of it, the Duke of Cambridge was Britainâ¬"s first organic gastropub. It has been brought to my attention a number of times, most recently in the Oberver Food Monthly Eco Awards, with Geetie Singh reaching number 16 on their top 40 list. It has also been listed on the Best Sunday Lunch OFM lists twice. Itâ¬"s had positive reviews in far too many places for me to list here and maintain your interest!

They use seasonal, fresh, local and organic ingredients, and most foods, from bread to ice cream are made on the premises. The menu changes twice daily and is determined by what the supplier delivers. They have an ethical fish policy, farmed salmon and trout is organic, wild fish is caught off the coast of Britain - on the South and South East coasts where possible to minimise food miles and they only purchase fish caught using sustainable fishing methods. In addition to this fish is purchased seasonally and outside of breeding seasons. Their policy is approved by the Marine Conservation Society.

Once seated, we were given some menus and some water. Service was prompt and polite, we ordered from the menu on the blackboard on the wall. I chose the yellow split pea and coconut curry and my dining companions chose the chickpea and spinach cake with roast butternut squash, greens and mushroom sauce, and the pan fried sardines with puy lentils. Two of us had wine by the glass, it was only lunchtime after all!

I couldnâ¬"t criticise the food, it's good gastropub fare, and I tried all the dishes. It was all cooked with great care and clearly with the best of ingredients. The presentation was rustic and inviting, I couldnâ¬"t wait to tuck in. The curry was delicate and light, and contrasted with some sour onions and yoghurt with delicious leaves, really lovely. The chickpea and spinach cake sounded like it might be heavy, but not atall, it was rich and flavoursome, and very moreish, which can be a problem if itâ¬"s not your dish! The sardines, I am told were delicious. We finished our meal with coffee served in a moka with some hot milk and chocolate cake for my friends 2 year old daughter. She allowed me a taste, well, she wasnâ¬"t looking if I am honest! It was rich and dark, and she really enjoyed it, as the couple at the table next to us commented!

The main courses are priced on average between £11 - £15, starters and desserts at about £6. Itâ¬"s worth every penny.]]> Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:28:00 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32479/duke-of-cambridge/1r6ge81278670717 Niamheen 51.534051856107 -0.099703114516613 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32479/duke-of-cambridge/1e63w8
Review by Unpremeditated

Rating: 4.00
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A good, if pricey gastropub with a friendly atmosphere. The food is organic and usually piled high on your plate but doesn't come cheap. It also varies between the very good and the extremely uninteresting. Puddings have been a particular weakness in the past - I'm not wild about oversweet desserts but I do think you should add enough sugar to avoid bitterness (that goes both for the pudding and the customer).
Wines and beers are good. To the reviewer who complained about the after-effects of Freedom I would point out that it's quite a bit stronger than Carlsberg - it also tastes much nicer.

The place fills up very quickly at weekend lunchtimes and is usually filled with a mix of trendy Islingtonites and baby-buggies. Get in before 1 if you want to bag a table.]]> Fri, 06 Jul 2007 22:00:53 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32479/duke-of-cambridge/1e63w8400596124 Unpremeditated 51.534051856107 -0.099703114516613 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32479/duke-of-cambridge/1e0328
Review by Kaliova

Rating: 2.00
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Not so good. Their freedom lager has given me and several friends pretty horrendous hangovers - more so than with the same quantity of Carlsberg. Food seems pricey for what you get and the quality is only average. Nice interiors though - good place to go if you're not drinking lager or eating, I guess.]]> Thu, 05 Jul 2007 12:32:50 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32479/duke-of-cambridge/1e03282056709263 Kaliova 51.534051856107 -0.099703114516613 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32479/duke-of-cambridge/1742z7
Review by idoru

Rating: 3.00
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I've just found another local. Working 5mins walk away from this organic gem has just made my day; between here and the Narrow Boat I am set for summer. The bar is ¾ non-smoking and the restaurant is completely. The whole place feels earthy and relaxed/chilaxed (a new word I'm trying out).

I went on a Wednesday afternoon and enjoyed a bottle of very pleasant organic weiss beer, having just come back from Austria I was still in afternoon beer mode. All their beers are local and organic, including the drafts, a nice change. The alternative chap behind the bar was happy to offer a suggestion though it took a little cajoling.

The menu changes twice a day to reflect market availability and they create traditional British fare with the Mediterranean influence. They describe it as such because they concentrate on using local produce, which is best used in local dishes. The menu looked amazing handwritten on giant blackboards behind the bar.

The menu always incorporates 2 meat, 2 fish and 2 vegetarian main courses with 3 or 4 starters and desserts, the small menu ensures the freshness of ingredients. The dishes that floated past me were incredible, particularly the whole baked fish with aioli and coriander, I must go back to investigate more fully!

As a watering hole it more than sufficed with service to the great solid wood tables, there is no music or artificial background noise which is surprisingly relaxing and the high ceilings seem to distribute the noise so you don't feel like your talking to the whole room when it's quiet. We had to ask for our bill a couple of times, though it is usual for service to drop off around 3pm in most places, and that was my only complaint!
]]> Mon, 23 Apr 2007 00:32:19 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32479/duke-of-cambridge/1742z71523185564 idoru 51.534051856107 -0.099703114516613 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32479/duke-of-cambridge/1t20h9
Review by walid

Rating: 3.00
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I recently discovered the Duke of Cambridge. From the outside and the inside it looks like a gastro pub with its nice dark wooden flooring. What differentiates the Duke of Cambridge is that it is Soil Association Certified. This means that they must keep detailed records of all the ingredients used to ensure a full trail of traceability from food production to table... ie that the whole process is guaranteed as being organic.

What is important about eating organic is that not only does organic farming respects the environment but it also ensures that the food you eat doesn't carry any industrial chemicals.... the overall you can feel good when eating your food.

The service at the Duke of Cambridge was ok, however reading other reviews there seems to be a mixed opinion on that. On that day we only had some light food that was tasty and of good quality. Prices at the Duke of Cambridge are not cheap, but you are eating very healthy food!]]> Sat, 20 Jan 2007 10:59:43 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32479/duke-of-cambridge/1t20h91567506923 walid 51.534051856107 -0.099703114516613 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32479/duke-of-cambridge/1s20h9
Review by OneGreenEarth

Rating: 5.00
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I have not been to this pub yet.. tho i plan to go this friday... watch this space.. for the review!..

This award winning organic pub/restaurant powers its business with renewable electricity. They use as locally sourced food as possible. Buying direct from the farmers, where possible.

Here is a little bit of what they say about themselves.

The worlds first certified organic gastro pub, The Duke of Cambridge opened in December 1998 in the back streets of Islington N1. It won the Time Out Best Gastro Pub 2000 award, was short-listed for Evening Standard Pub of the Year 2000, highly commended for The Soil Association Food Awards 2002 and 3rd Best Sunday lunch in UK in Observer Food Monthly awards 2003 amoung many others. The most recent award is 2nd best bar in the UK Observer food monthly 2006.]]> Mon, 15 Jan 2007 12:21:41 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32479/duke-of-cambridge/1s20h9112365160 OneGreenEarth 51.534051856107 -0.099703114516613