When we arrived it was pleasantly full; not 'can't get to the bar' full, but nicely populated by locals having leisurely lunches and drinks. Two tables were empty but the largest was reserved for an anti-natal group party. We were tempted to risk our luck and sit at their tale in the hope that moments before arriving, one of the party's water would break causing the lunch to be dramatically called off. Sadly this didn't occur and a slightly uncomfortable and looking bunch of pregnant couples arrived shortly after us. It looked to be a thrilling lunch for them especially as a bit of sauce isn't exactly on the cards to liven things up!
We took the other table, next to the loos and underneath one of the screens showing the Grand Prix Qualifier. Not the best seat in the house but compared to most tables by the loos, this wasn't a bad one. Our male companion excused himself as soon as we sat down saying that his attention would be on the screen above our heads for the majority of the meal. I laughed at the uncanny way that us Brits are able to pre-excuse impolite behaviour in such a way that you barely blink an eyelid at it. The girls got to gossiping and eyeing up the menu.
The menu offers a good range of well priced gastro pub food. Sandwiches start at £4.50 and mains fall in around the £11.00 mark. I chose pan roasted fillet of salmon, pea shoots, baby spinach, courgettes and chive Hollandaise. The guy with his eyes transfixed above our heads ordered Barnsley lamb chop, sautéed potatoes, roast butternut squash, mushroom jus and the other two girls had BLTs. Both asked for an 'off the menu' extra cheese topping and the waitress warmly replied saying that that shouldn't be a problem. It surprises me how asking for the simplest of changes to menus can sometimes be the most difficult thing in the world.
Waitress: 'I'm sorry we can't add cheese to your BLT.' Customer: 'Why not? You have a cheese sandwich on the menu, therefore I would assume the kitchen has cheese. Why can you not add it to my sandwich. I will pay extra'. Waitress: 'I'm sorry, but we can't do that. It's not on the menu.' Amazing. But I shouldn't rant. There was no problem of this sort at the D of C.
Unfortunately it seemed the entire pub had ordered moments before ourselves. But we were made aware of this and did not really mind as were happy chatting and drinking a decent bottle of their house white. When the food arrived, we had developed a good hunger so all dived into our plates. My salmon was deliciousy moist and tender, served with extremely well cooked and seasoned greens. The hollandaise was a perfect compliment and the richness of the sauce was zapped away by a sprinkling of pea shoots which burst a fresh flavour through my palette.
The BLT's were all you could ask for a BLT to be and extremely good vaue for money at £5.00. The accompanying fries (an additional £1.50) were also crisp and tasty. The lamb chop managed to divert the guy's attention from the screen only to be devoured in minutes. I presume it was an all right bit of meat.
Thumbs up all round for the Duke. And the best bit? A little inscription on the building itself that evokes the spirit of the pub itself: “Ars Langa Vita Brevis, Nunc Est Bibendum”, or, “Art is eternal, life is short, now let’s drink.” ;-)
http://www.geronimo-inns.co.uk/thedukeofclarence/
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