Duke Of York

Reviews

• DONT' EAT HERE

  We went with friends on a Saturday night. It is an enormous restaurant but hardly anyone there. Our friend ordered lamb which came up frozen. Obviously the food is not cooked from fresh. When we complained they said you have to precook the lamb and then freeze it. To be honest it shouldn't have been on the menu if you are just defrosting and heating up. No ambience (it was so empty). A very disappointing meal. Will never venture here again as there are too many good restaurants to visit.

  Kar133
  Review Date: 11/08/2009 Report review
• Dreadful food!

  After hearing about the makeover we went with friends for a meal. The evening started well as the Bar area was superb. Very inviting and beautifully decorated/laidout. We moved into the restaurant area, which again was well laid out, but surprisingly empty for a Friday night. We soon discovered why. The food was dire, it was the worst food I had eaten in a long time. I have eaten better Supermarket ready meals. The fish pie was cooked to a burnt crust and was insipid to taste. The steak pie was cooked until all the gravy had dried up, leaving a couple of dried out pieces of meat inside. Our complaints were met with disinterest. They took away the pie and returned it after the rest of us had finished eating. The pie appeared to have had a large anount of gravy poured in, it did not appear to be freshly cooked. We asked to speak to the manager and with ill grace our two worst meals were removed from the bill. There was no apology. We will not be returning.

  Smiler
  Review Date: 08/12/2008 Report review
• Great food, service, decor and easy parking

  I know the Blubeckers, The Hare, near Harrow, I love the old building in Ruislip and I agree with their little leaflet which says 'Blubeckers is known throughout the south east for sympathetically restored buildings of character.' So I was really keen to try another.It's easy to find, a large building isolated on a corner of the road leading north from the high street of Potters Bar. From the main road the outside of the coaching inn seemed plain but the sloping pedestrian path along the side wall to the front door (presumably for wheelchairs), with what looks like a decorative wrought iron balcony edging, was a promising start.The moment I got to the front desk I could see I liked it. Rooms, made semi-open plan, led in all directions, mostly with flagstoned floors, yet spotlessly clean, with some dark wood. And each table had four different chairs, low and high, some with shields carved on the back. The high backed chairs had vertical supports up the middle, great support for your back.The restaurant has rooms in all directions and is spacious. My dinner date was with a big chap, and he was thrilled with the wide spaces between the tables.I could not decide between the German white and a rose wine. So the smiling server brought me half a glass of each to try. The rose was dry and I wanted a sweeter wine and his recommendation of the white Piesporter was correct.The menu is the standard Blubeckers fare with specials chalked on the board. I opted for the healthy starter of fruit. As usual the melon was delightfully attractive to look at, made colourful with a decoration of strawberries and red sauce.My main dish was chicken with melted cheddar cheese and bacon. I asked for a baked potato in its jacket as a substitute for new potatoes. Dessert was my favourite plum tart. I was told at the Hare that each Blubeckers is given the recipe but the chef on site makes the dish himself - it's not bought in made up, so you will get slight variations at each branch. I asked for the highly fattening ice cream to be replaced by the equally sinful cream.If you are diabetic you can end with a plate of cheeses to keep yourself busy while I smack my lips on the plum tart.Finally my espresso coffee came up with a bowl of brown sugar cubes.The server was a jolly chap - Blubeckers seem to have a knack of getting bright, happy staff. When I commented on the chairs being different he told me that most pubs have lots of different chairs and he proudly showed me the ones with the shield carved into the back. Some of the chairs seem wood, others upholstered, and I was happy with mine which had a high back.I loved the little leaflet about the restaurant which told me about the origin of the restaurant name the Duke of York. I hadn't remembered that the Duke of York was the title given to the British monarch's second son - and has been since 1385. The Duke of York, a former coaching inn on the Great North Road, stands near the battleground where the Duke of York won a decisive victory in 1471. I did not know about the battle of Barnet, important in the Wars of the Roses (1455-1487) between the losers of Lancaster (with the white rose) and the winners of York (with the red rose). The battle of Barnet, won by the Duke Of York, was the last battle before the battle of Tewkesbury, after which he became king of England.One of the rooms has a fireplace. We sat happily until nobody else was left.Lastly, I must mention the ladies toilet, looking very clean, although as usual I seem to be the only person on the planet capable of spotting that a toilet roll is empty, locating the new one, taking off the cardboard tube and replacing it with a nice new roll. Maybe I should get a job in a restaurant. Or as a restaurant adviser. I'll get all restaurants to do a kind of mock O level, in the hope of getting a Michelin star. The basins are the sort which look as if the square basin has been put on top of a shelf. I still can't get used to this new-fangled arrangement which to me looks old-fashioned. Like the days when you had a bowl you could carry about and place on any table, way before plumbing and piped water. But this style does stop the water splashing all over the adjacent surface, which is what happens with sunken basins. so here I could set down my handbag on the work surface without it getting wet. And I do like the lever up taps.We had the huge car park mostly to ourselves, arriving after 8.30 on a wet Tuesday. Yes, I recommend it.

  Angella
  Review Date: 04/09/2008 Report review