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VERSION:2.1
N:The Duke (of York)
FN:The Duke (of York)
TEL;WORK;VOICE:020 7242 7230
ADR;WORK:;;7 Roger Street;WC1N 2PB
URL:
NOTE:At some point in the late nineties, the Yorkness of the Duke got parenthesised and the whole pub had a refit in order to take it upmarket. Hints of the old establishment remain: the art deco mirror and lamp fittings, the piano (now painted red) hidden in one corner, the ancient telephone behind the bar and the dark wooden booths at the front. Everything else has been cleared out, the back redesigned as a restaurant area and the walls painted pink - something which should be a lot more hideous than it in fact proves to be. Iffy monochrome pictures (for sale, because we live in a commodified world where artists railing against commodification need to make a living, don't you know?) rather spoil the surroundings, but on a nice quiet Saturday the relaxed strains of jazz and the cheerful staff put a gloss over the pub's various faults. The existence of two real ale pumps is mitigated by no crisps (arsey "bar snacks" such as olives can be purchased at exorbitant prices), and worse, the possibility of purchasing burgers priced at £12-£16, which presumably includes platinum fittings and a barrel of Brent Crude. The impression that this is a pub with ideas above its station was confirmed on my latest visit by the presence of a group outside discussing Ian McEwan's appearance at the Hay-on-Wye festival. Middlebrow mediocrity has never been so expensive.
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