After nearly three years chef/restaurateur Tom Oldroyd is following up his Islington hit Oldroyd with a new venture in Hackney. Though fans love the “fabulously tasty, daily changing menu” at his Upper Street spot there is a quibble that the joint is just too small, so his takeover of The Duke of Richmond pub and dining room next week should be music to fans’ ears.
Located on the corner of Queensbridge Road & Richmond Road – 10 mins walk from Dalston Junction train station, this neighbourhood public house (est. 1841) has a 30-cover dining room, 20-seater terrace and room for 35 revellers in the bar, which boasts a semi-open kitchen with open fire cooking to add theatre to proceedings. Sounds just a skosh bigger than his diminutive debut Oldroyd. The dining room menu format will also be different to Oldroyd with no small plates or sharing dishes in sight.
Reservations can be made now by calling 020 7923 3990 or visiting www.thdukeofrichmond.com. Soft launch dates will be Thursday 24, Friday 25 & Saturday 26 May (lunch & dinner). There will be 30% off food in the dining room.
Food in both the pub and dining room will have a strong French accent, whilst using the very best of seasonal British produce. On the menu: ‘Lamb sweetbread & asparagus vol au vent’, or ‘Grilled Orkney scallop, charred purple sprouting broccoli & truffled Beurre Blanc’. For main course, choose between ‘Roast turbot & béarnaise’, ‘Swaledale lamb en croute with green beans & wild garlic butter’, or an ‘Open lasagne of wild nettles, violetta artichokes & broad beans’. For dessert, there will be rum baba with grilled pineapple & whipped cream, or crème brûlée custard tart.
In the bar area, Tom will serve classic pub favourites with a French slant, such as the Duke of Richmond’s own ‘Toulouse sausages with mash & roast shallots’ . To drink, there’s an array of local and well-sourced beers and ciders, as well as a carefully curated European wine list and a selection of classic cocktails.
Sunday’s will feature an all-day pub roast & rotisserie menu – more details on Sunday’s at The Duke of Richmond to follow. Heading up the kitchen at The Duke of Richmond will be Rory Shannon. Hailing from Dublin, where his father owns the well-respected Bistro One, Rory moved to London in 2012 and worked at the “brilliant” Canton Arms in Stockwell, before moving on to head chef position at the ambitious Winemakers Deptford. Rory will work with Tom on the menu for both the dining room & bar at the new site.
