The Duke

Review summary

1. J

   Julie158

   Orlando3 reviews

   3.0

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 2

   We asked 2 waitresses for our main course to come out 10 mins after starters to give us a break between courses, this did not happen, although we were told this wasn’t a problem at all. The main course arrived whilst eating starters. We spoke to the waiter and explained what we had requested, the reply was well what am I supposed to do with this fish then? (Helpful!) The lemon sole arrived after about 1/2 an hour, drenched in lemon juice, completely over powered the fish. Made this dish hard to eat. As for the triple cooked chips, they were covered in a black garlic sauce, they looked like they had been covered in black syrup. Absolutely awful and inedible. Sadly our first trip there was a bit of a disaster. Also sitting by the back doors is freezing when you constantly have people going in and out to smoke and they don’t close the doors behind them. For a £200 meal I would have expected better than this!
   

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2. M

   Marion

   Liverpool1 review

   3.0

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 2

   Great food, but wrong concept. Tapas idea. However, chips came after the meal. Our friends had finished their main meal and we were still waiting.
   

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3. A

   Alison

   Nashville2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Superb Sunday roast - outstanding roast potatoes and all the trimmings
   

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4. J

   Jess

   Oxford3 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 13 March 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Small informal business dinner which I booked for one of my managers. She said the food was great, but what she did comment on that the service was much better than her previous visit about a six weeks prior.
   

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5. G

   Grace

   Oxford7 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 8 March 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Delicious good and great atmosphere. Staff very attentive and friendly.
   

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6. PH

   PHILLLOYD84

   London2 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on 2 March 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 2

   This is a new restaurant/pub in Henley and we wanted to give it a try for Sunday lunch. Largely, it was really disappointing. Service was very poor (slow, not friendly, not attentive) and it just didn’t feel like they were trying given how keen they must been to impress newcomers. The classic situation of the restaurant being half full yet staff stood around talking when people needed service. The food was better than the service, but it’s a very strange menu, given the very obvious pub surroundings. The great debate in restaurants is whether you do a burger - they don’t. It is trying to elevate (no bad thing) but is simply very expensive for average quality of finished plates and fairly small portions. The roast pork Sunday lunch had two slim, albeit tasty slices. The surroundings are lovely and well done. But it’s the cost that is the killer - for two adults, two children, Sunday lunch, kids portions; no booze and no pudding was £124. It’s just too expensive for this position and town - Henley is a nice place with excellent country pubs around it - it is very hard to make fancy and v expensive work. Sadly the lack of decent service and very high cost means we wouldn’t visit again and wouldn’t say good things to our friends and family who live in Henley. The current menu/concept needs some major change to make it work.
   

   The DukeResponded on 4 March 2025

   Dear PHILLLOYD84, Thank you for your feedback. We're sorry to hear that your experience didn't meet expectations. We take your comments about the service seriously and will address these with the team to ensure better attentiveness moving forward. Regarding the menu, we understand it may not have been what you anticipated. We appreciate your honest opinion and will consider it as we evaluate our offerings. We’re glad you enjoyed the surroundings, but regret that the cost and experience didn’t provide the value you expected. We hope you might give us another chance in the future. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to discuss further. Best regards, Jason Herrington General Manager The Duke
   

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7. M

   Mary

   Oxford2 reviews

   4.0

   Dined on 28 February 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Food is delicious but slightly overpriced for the size of some of the portions
   

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8. E

   Edward

   London1 review

   4.0

   Dined on 21 February 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Very nice vibe. Busy but we liked that. Service was excellent. Not overbearing but always there when you needed. Food was really good. Nothing else like it in Henley The bill surprised us in a good say. Very good value for money.
   

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9. C

   Catherine

   Gloucestershire1 review

   4.0

   Dined on 19 February 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   First time visiting. Easy to book on line. Had a confirmation text. Lovely and welcoming. Staff member explained how it works to order, sharing etc. ordered prawns, lamb lasagne, rump, chips. There were 3 of us. Prawns were lovely, there were 4 we shared, next came the lasagne (we shared) delicious, next came the chips. Oh my word, delicious and finally the rump. (We had kept some chips to eat with it) all food delicious. With a glass of wine and orange juice it was just over £75. With 20% added (which I should imagine could be taken off if asked) was around £86 . Lovely place, delicious food, very helpful pleasant staff. Only thing I would say was it was a little dark so hard to see the menu . Worth a visit. Sharing nice to share the bill. Lovely if going on your own too but not all food comes out at once and may work out more expensive if on your own
   

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10. p

    philomena

    London4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 16 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4

    New arrival, and one to watch in Henley. Very pleasant and helpful staff, interesting and beautifully presented menu and the first time I’ve ever been invited by a chef to visit the kitchens!! Most impressive, and well worth a second visit.
    

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