The Guardian
Grace Dent evaluated a new restaurant whose DNA she could trace from its predecessor at this address, Leroy (2018), back to its progenitor Ellory (2015). The three have the same “no-frills decor, bare-brick walls, earnest small plates” designed for sharing, and even personnel.
“Clearly this ‘things on plates, served sporadically’ concept isn’t broken, and Duchy don’t need to fix it, because by 5pm on a Tuesday night, this new/old restaurant is filling up nicely, and by the time we leave two hours later, it’s absolutely heaving.”
But if the punters are not tired of the approach, Grace certainly is. She worked her way with little enthusiasm through small plates including “a bowl of fresh spaghetti with sage [that] is as memorable as the chorus of Britain’s last Eurovision entry” and Duchy’s “puzzling” signature dish, “very damp smoked trout on a bowl of vivid green spätzle that have been cooked until mushy”.
The final main course rescued things a little: poulet au vin jaune “served on a silky buttery pomme purée with a scattering of outstanding morels. Delicious.” But Grace didn’t want to share it.
Grace Dent - 2025-06-22
