Despite the name, Tom Oldroyd is actually quite young for someone in his position.
At 36, he’s already been the chef-director at the Polpo Group for five years, opened his own self-named restaurant, and has just cut the ribbon on his second venture: a pub in Dalston.
And not just any pub. The Duke of Richmond; an East End stalwart since 1841. Over the past few years it’s been home to The Richmond restaurant, and before that, the bamboozling, (loosely) Egyptian-themed LMNT, which seated diners in booths shaped like giant Greek urns. It’s now finally been given the TLC it so desperately craved, sporting picnic tables and original glazed tiling out front, and muted, sage-painted panelling and elegantly restored geometric wooden flooring inside.
As for the food? Oldroyd’s serving a menu of classic pub dishes given a French slant. That means you can tuck into the likes of lamb sweetbread vol au vent with almond velouté; Cornish crab soufflé with crab bisque and gruyère toast; and Swaledale lamb en croûte with green beans and truffle butter. To finish, there’s rum baba served with chargrilled pineapple and Chantilly cream.
Naturally, there’s also a very strong Sunday roast – Yorkshire lamb leg, highland beef and slow roast pork belly, plus an amazing pasta and roast squash dish for the veggies – as well as a generous happy hour(s) every day, 4-7pm.
Talking of which, there’s quite a lot of booze generally – there’s cocktails, wines, and draught beers sourced from London breweries, with the lion’s share coming from Dalston’s 40FT nearby.
Because a good pint never gets old.
NOTE: The Duke of Richmond is open from 4pm Mon-Wed, and midday the rest of the week. You can book a table, and find out more right HERE.
The Duke of Richmond | 316 Queensbridge Road, E8 3NH
Looking for other brilliant boozers nearby? Take a look at our guide to Dalston’s best pubs.