I live up to my British heritage when I say unwaveringly that I LOVE a roast dinner. One of those spilling-over-the-plate, all-the-trimmings affairs, with a healthy mix of bad-for-you beige and wonderfully colourful veggies.
The Duke of Cambridge is tucked away in quintessentially quaint Islington; a stone’s throw from Camden Passage eateries but with an entirely different vibe.
This had the feel of family-friendly, whilst also welcoming freelancers accompanied by their laptops and dogs, and the millennial crowd looking for Instagram fodder. I obviously fit perfectly into the latter category and adored the decor inside. Dried flowers, tough wooden tables and mix matching crockery all got me excited before I even looked at the menu.
Although there were other meals on offer, we were there for the Sunday lunch. The Duke of Cambridge is the UK’s first and only certified organic pub, run by Riverford Organic, and the ethics go further than just what is on the plate. Nothing goes to waste in their kitchen, they have great community ties and even the furniture is second hand or recycled. This kind of love is always reflected in the food and you only had to look at the portion sizes to get a feel for that!
I went for the lamb which came in thick slices, topped with a chunky mint sauce and lip-smacking gravy. It came sat on top of roast potatoes (that weren’t quite as crispy as I might have liked), a smooth and delicious sweet potato puree, buttered carrots and a gorgeous mix of kale and savoy cabbage – two of my favourite veggies. And to make it totally naughty, it came with a side of leeks in a creamy, cheesy sauce.
Despite feeling like we were going to pass out from over-indulgence, we had an amazingly rich cup of coffee and prepped ourselves for pud. I had the apple and strawberry crumble which came in the expected rustic format of an enamel tin, but that’s not a criticism, I don’t care what it’s served up in as long as the crumble is chunky and the fruit is plenty. And those boxes were firmly ticked.
It was a beautiful bustling atmosphere, with homely, wholesome food, and the perfect place to spend a lazy Sunday.