The Duke on The Test

The slow-braised beef and fresh trout were excellent, and the beef pie with red wine was generous and really tasty. Desserts were good, with lovely layers of flavour and texture. We met family for lunch in a smart restaurant that still had a casual, traditional feel. Service was good, and the menu was compact but varied. The food was generally well presented, though our risotto wasn’t as hot as it should have been.

For £23, this roast felt mean-spirited and carefully rationed. The veg were sparse: one tiny parsnip, about 2 × 5 cm, a slightly bigger carrot, and just one strip of crackling, roughly 1 × 5 cm, with the pork. The potatoes were decent, but there were no Yorkshire puddings and no apple sauce with the pork. We later heard from the next table that Yorkshire pudding is supposed to come with the beef, while pork gets one only for an extra £1. Nobody told us, and we didn’t get one with the beef either. Those additions cost pennies, and their absence was obvious. Sunday lunch should be generous and comforting, but this was poor value and badly executed. We won’t return. The owners should visit The Hunters Inn nearby to see what a proper Sunday lunch looks like. We had Sunday lunch for three, ordering one beef roast and two pork roasts.

The menu has good choices, and the service is friendly. They’re upgrading the EV chargers, which is definitely a plus these days. The bedrooms in these modern rooms attached to the pub and restaurant could use better soundproofing.

We loved the peaceful, cozy feel at The Duke on the Test. The room was clean and comfortable, and the staff were kind, friendly and helpful. Dinner and breakfast were both delicious. There’s a roomy dining area as well as other places to sit, including a snug. It’s in a beautiful spot by the river, and we enjoyed a morning stroll. Highly recommend staying or eating here, or just stopping in for a drink and the atmosphere.