please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Large, multi-roomed Fullers pub in West Ealing. There is a large semi-circular bar in the centre, with groups hogging the bar area near the handpulls! It seemed that a few office Christmas parties were in progress. London Pride, Wild River & Bengal Lancer were the ales. Had some nice interior features. But I'm not sure I'd be rushing back. Central London prices.
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The Duke should be a really good pub for Fuller's beer drinkers. Instead, it's over-priced- especially the food-, & on Sunday afternoon is no more than a family free-for-all rather than a boozer. This is a shame, as it was indeed a proper alehouse in the 70s, albeit with top-pressure not real beer...
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The Kent has been transformed by a recent refurb. It now makes much better use of the space inside, with smaller areas creating more of an atmosphere, and the back garden is a splendid place for an evening drink. The beer remains of very good quality and the food is also more than acceptable.
I'm afraid however, that it is let down by it's bar staff. They are slow, inattentive and don't seem to understand the basics of bar work.
A good bar worker knows who's next and doesn't have to ask. When a beer is off the badge on the pump handle it turned around so that customers don't make their selection, get disappointed and then have to make another slection whilst other customers are waiting to be served. Dirty plates and glasses are not piled high on the bar counter next to customers trying to enjoy a pint or a meal.
There are all basics that the management really need to sort out to take best advantage of what is a very good makeover.
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I paid over �8 for two standard pints of lager, very expensive. I don't care how big the beer garden is, I won't be paying that again.
Saifa - 14 Sep 2012 16:08 |
Oh dear...shambolic!!! Olympic torch through Ealing, school holidays, hot summer evening......Four staff and made to queue like cattle!!! No thank-you!!!
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decent food and well kept ale. good with families too and the summer beer garden is great
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Excellent, many-roomed, proper pub.
Well kept Fullers served in friendly way.
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Quality Fullers establishment.........a revelation from my last visit a few years ago. Service was excellent even though it was extremely busy. Well worth a visit!
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High quality establishment and well patronised when I visited for the first time the other day. No criticisms worth mention, but note it's a 25 minutes (mainly uphill) hike from Ealing Broadway station.
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I love this pub. Have visited it many many times since I started visiting Ealing nearly 7 years ago... Have been living in Ealing for the past 5 years and visit it regularly on weekends and evenings. The beer garden is lovely and big and great in the summer after a walk around the park next door. The staff are very friendly and welcoming and there is a decent selection of Fullers beers available and a great red wine called Poker Face that I love (bit expensive tho..) The food is nice and the inside feels welcoming and there are some nice cosy corners. My boyfriend and I often visit it for a cheeky drink on Fridays after work before we head to the chip shop on Pitshanger Lane to pick up our dinner :)
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This is a lovely big old pub which serves excellent London Pride and Adnams bitter. Unfortunately it has been ruined in the last few years by the management's policy of allowing kids of all ages into the bar area. have had a few evenings spoilt by young children running round the place. There was even a baby on the bar a few weeks ago!
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Just popped into pub and surprised / delighted to find beer festival underway. Very nice pint of Brains Dark and Adnams, but highlight was half pint of Fullers Special Reserve (8.2%) from the cask. Absolutely delicious and very rare. The landlord has done a great job on the real ale front over the last 2 years. He deserves recognition for the way he has turned around the quality of the beer. I am also impressed that he is serving Adnams behind the bar as Fullers do seem to keep a tight leash on guest beers in most pubs in Ealing.
N.B. The pub is a great family pub in the summer with a superb beer garden.
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My wife and I visit The Duke of Kent at least a couple of times a week and are big fans.
The management are excellent and lead from the top and this rubs off on their staff who provide an excellent service. The beers / food are excellent and we always feel relaxed here. Pricing is reasonable. To reiterate other comments, garden is a big summer pull and they can get busy which can lead to long waits for food, but I always observe that the staff handle this well with customers. 9/10!! Highly recommended!!
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I have criticised this pub in the past fpr being expensive, which it still is. That being said, the new manager is friendly and knows his beers. I recommend the wheat beer called Blue Moon.
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In response to KPF - I have seen various guises of management to be officious here in the past and that does lead to an awkward atmosphere. Having said that the current bar staff are very friendly and keen to chat and make you feel welcome. Food quality is good and the portions tend to be large- we usually end up sharing a starter or not having one so there is room for the main course. Recently had a venison steak which was the best I have had anywhere. Atmosphere is thin until the place gets crowded. Garden is a great draw in the summer. They could do with a couple of good guest ales beyond Fullers for variety.
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I was in the Duke of Kent again on Sunday, The place was absolutely heaving!
Myself and the wife decided to enjoy a bit of the sun in the beer garden and loved it! Had a nice couple of pints and some food from the BBQ, and while the food took a while to get to us. the waitress was very apologetic and we could see they were busy so problem for me.
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Since moving to Ealing 12 months ago, my family, friends and I have enjoyed a number of visits to this pub. A good selection of beers, good food, great beer garden and friendly bar staff. However, if you want to enjoy birthday drinks with your best friend or be treated fairly and with respect by the bar manager, find somewhere else to go.
Here�s what happened to me:
My 46th birthday with my best friend was cut short on a Thursday afternoon in late May by the manager, who decided that we had had enough to drink and instructed his bar staff not to serve us any more. He was right because we had more than we would usually have, but we were encouraged to drink by the manager and his bar staff who regularly approached our table to ask us whether we wanted another round. As the drink flowed, we became noisier and the manager asked us to keep it quiet. We tried but in reality we were two friends out celebrating a birthday and it proved difficult. But were we really doing any harm? It is a pub, after all. There were no more than a handful of customers present at any time, we were not aggressive to anyone, nor was our language foul at any time. I�ve never been refused a drink before. My birthday was spoiled. This is not the pub to go to, if you want a good time.
However, imagine returning a month later and before having a chance to ask for anything other than what was their selection of non-alcoholic beers, being told by the same manager, in front of your heavily pregnant partner and 12 or so customers at the bar �After your behaviour last time, it�s just one warning for you this time�. This is what happened to me on Friday evening. But if the manager felt that he needed to do something, wouldn�t it have been better to talk to me discreetly or perhaps just keep a watchful eye? The manager�s officious behaviour unnecessarily humiliated me in front of someone I care deeply about. I had no choice but to leave again. This is not the pub to go to, if you want to be served by a fair and courteous manager.
Needless to say, neither my partner, family nor I will ever set foot in this pub again.
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a very good local pub that makes the most of it's arts and crafts features and lovely big back garden.
the beer is always very good and the food has improved a great deal in the last few months.
what lets it down is that it is a bit of an atmosphere free barn. the main bar is a very big room with high ceilings, big tables and wooden floorboards. what conversation there is echos and there's no conviviality. you feel like you're drinking in a church hall rather than a boozer.
having said that, i'm lucky to have such good beer and food in my local pub so i shouldn't complain.
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Saturday 02/05/09 was my third visit to this pub and thanks to the weather I was able to sample the garden and the BBQ .I was pleased to find the service outside as good and attentive as inside. We ordered Teriyaki chicken skewers and corn on the cob and enjoyed every mouthful of it.As much as we like the decor inside, especialy the dome and the raised area, we cannot wait for a good sunny week-end to sit and enjoy the garden again. The management and his team clearly try to make you welcome and it works.I'll be back.
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Had a lovely evening at the Duke of Kent at the weekend, would certainly recommend it!
Lovely big pub, nice atmosphere, good food and friendly bar staff. Can't wait to test out the beer garden in the summer!
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Oh dear - great beer - well kept cellar BUT as much as my wife and I want this pub to succeed our hopes are dashed.
Over the years like others on this site we have re -visited in the unlikely hope that we can eat good pub food.
Again and again we have received mediocre food cooked no doubt by "chefs" who like the staff are just doing the job as part of their foreign travels.
This time round I tried the Corn fed chicken on the blackboard menu - a dry, dreary piece of a roast chicken appeared on a bed of reasonable mash - dry as toast!
My wife had what should be a simple burger - terrrible chips cooked in old oil and a dry and arid burger.
How hard can this be ? - can Fullers and the manager just simply visit The Red Lion in South Ealing or the Ealing Park Tavern to see how its done.
Come on this pub will close if it does not try MUCH HARDER - Its a beautiful Arts and Crafts pub with good beer it deserves to suceed.
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We held our mother's 100 birthday party at the Duke of Kent this weekend - and I wanted to write & recommend Tim and his team to anyone considering a pub for an event. The service, food and drink were excellent and it satisfied everyone from 7 years old to 100! Which is a real achievement. We had a choice of roast lamb or beef & it was beautifully cooked and presented - and plenty of it. The wine was good quality and an excellent sparkling wine for the toast. We were made very welcome, and had a great party. The day was tremendous value for money, with the team helping to deliver a great event without needing a mortgage to pay for it.
Thankyou for making a special day more special - our mother had the most fantastic day.
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Went into the Duke the other day expecting to have an awful experience (based on the horrendous reviews this place has) and I must say I was very pleasantly surprised. We were greeted at the bar by a very friendly barmaid, who recommended the Jack Frost for me, which I got happily, tipsy on, and wine for my wife.
The pub looked fantastic inside and dispite being quite busy we found a place to sit quite easily. Didn't eat here but what we saw come out to the table behind us looked and smelt pretty good.
Will be back
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I have never been to this pub, but the new landlord has just left my local (in Putney) and we are all very sorry to see him go, he turned round a horrific pub into the place we call our local, even though there are about 10 pubs nearer home. I look forward to my first visit to the Duke soon.
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As a local resident I have watched with dismay at the ruination of this once great pub. We have constantly re-tried this pub in the hope that the new management might have sorted it out, but alas no.
I revisited yesterday with some out of town friends, even though we had previously black-listed this place. They were amazed by the look of the place, and I agreed, saying however that there is always something that ruins the experience. And it was no different again.
We arrived at around 2pm. We were informed that there were 0 roast dinners left by the female staff member. This was amazing, even to her, as the pub was not busy, and she admitted there were only 3 food tickets waiting to be prepared. Also amazing as they proclaim to "serve food all day".
There was also to be over a one hour wait for any other menu item. How this could be so with so few people eating I dont know.
We immediately gave up and went to another establishment. As someone else states in another review, they are clearly not prepared to serve the people that come.
rated this 0, would have given the staff 1 point for being honest, but its just not enough anymore.
do yourself a favour and avoid completely.
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My friends and i where in the Duke of Kent again for the quiz last night. It was great fun and we felt welcomed thanks to the staff and manager. I don't agree with starski to make personal remarks even the the pub does look lovely. Will be back soon.
Many Thanks.
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I recently went to the Duke of Kent on Scotch Common, and i must say i was so impressed. It was a very busy evening. Me and my family went there for dinner and a few drinks. On my arrival there i felt so welcomed by the staff. The staff were so freindly and cheerful. The manager on shift, a young guy with dark hair, was cooperative and helpful in providing the right seating arrangemnt for me and my family, also the service was quite prompt and quick. The quality of the food we recieved was on the right times and of exceeding quality. I will definately be returning to this pub and would recomend it.
Regards
Lucy Smith
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This place is diabolical! My colleagues and I keep giving this place another chance to no avail. It has a lovely looking garden and a slightly less 'Brakes Bros' approach to food so we hope that it will improve, but not once have we been there in 2 years without them...
1. forgetting someones food order
2. not delivering all of the food together (that's if we're left with more than 5 minutes of our lunch hour to eat any of it)
3.Getting 'confused' with what we are charged - they tried to charge me for a �2k tip!!!! Granted this was a mistake.
4. giving the "we're understaffed" "i'm on my own" (rubbish!) excuse for poor service - excuse me, but with that many seats to fill BE PREPARED TO SERVE THE PEOPLE IN THEM!!
5. being rude
The food sound nice, but often comes out frozen in the middle or with something that maybe once resembled salad thrown on a plate. Honestly makes Beafeaters feel like michelin starred restaurants.
I really would avoid this place until someone who knows how to manage a pub steps in - for all it's pretty appearances it's an overpriced shambles.
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I have to say Starski that I know three people who have all been short changed by at least a tenner in this place. I share your concerns. PS iF YOU PAY WITH A TWENTY, MAKE SURE YOU TELL THEM.Again, I implore someone to explain to me why Fullers pubs are so extortionate.
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I had a lovely meal and enjoyed myself. The service was good. A little bit pricey but its somewhere where i would recommend.
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Lovely looking, but nothing worse than biting into a rock hard stale burnt burger then being told we will only refund half your money as your already eaten half the meal(1 bite into burger)!!!!, to top off the bar manager said he will refund onto my card in the end, and gave me a handful of change, murred something then said rest of money has been refunded, NO IT HASNT YOU THIEVING LIAR.But the pub looks lovely.......
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Fullers are obviously taking the piss big time with this place !!! The only people in during the week are the manager and his boyfriend. They then try and get the money back by charging the earth for microwave food which appears in 2 seconds at weekends. Avoid !!!!
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uSED TO COME HERE WITH WORK COLLEAGUES BUT THERE IS A BEGRUDGING CONCENSUS AMONG US THAT WE CANNOT AFFORD TO COME ANYMORE; AND IF YOU TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT OUR AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY IS ABOUT �40 000 THEN I think that says something about fullers prices in general.A PINT OF KRONENBOURG AND A GLASS OF WINE COSTS OVER EIGHT QUID. SEE YOU ALL AGAIN WHEN I'VE WON THE LOTTERY.
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Decided to try this pub out for lunch after having it recommended by a work colleague. Haven't been here for years and surprised by the difference, much better than I remembered it. Fairly quiet when we turned up, so no queues at the bar. The food we ordered was served quickly and was excellent quality. Nice family atmosphere, but with plenty of tables for couples out for a quiet meal. Not sure when it was last refurbed but decor was v.good. Seemed quite popular as the spare tables were taken up before we had finished eating. The only draw back to this place is that it is located out of the way, and if you drive there, it has limited parking. Food was reasonably priced, but �4 for 2 soft drinks. Managed to get seats by the window overlooking the garden which looks great for the summer. Will definitely return.
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I have to say that although i have slated this pub in the past, the current manager is good; still pricy though
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This is a nice pub in my opinion very nice atmosphere! Good managment and excellent staff make visiting here a truly enjoyable experience...
anonymous - 30 May 2007 20:13 |
food is perfection - cooked by a chef with a great skill. i have had a chat with the chef. says he has a years training in a gordon ramsey restaurant. he has transformed the pub, before it was only an average pub. but now with mr microwave the super chef at the helm the pub is now quite excellent. in fact it is totally rad!
anonymous - 22 Jan 2007 20:32 |
It is such a shame what has happened to this pub. I dont wanna come across as a reactionary old git butits been turned into a wine bar and the prices are extortionate.Also, if you are gonna pay with a twenty pound note, make sure you tell them it is a twenty pound note;i'll say no more than that.
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can be summed up really simply: a good pub gone bad. bring back the good old days. not impressed with the service and the christmas crap has already been piled in. NEWS FLASH: its only september!!! on the plus side theres no minimum amount to put on a card and you still sign instead of chipping and pinning but other than that, over priced and only good for the garden, so now that xmas is apparently round the corner il be giving it a wide berth!
anonymous - 19 Sep 2006 22:41 |
The service in this pub is terrible, there are three bars, yet the three members of staff that were serving when we came here squashed themselves into one end of one bar and served there, regardless of who was next, when challenged by everyone else who wasn,t in that bar yet still wanting a drink (duh! we did come to the pub after all) one barman totally ignored everyone and the two barmaids were unbelievebly rude. A regular said that it is the same every evening. We left in the end, I dread to think how long food would take to order and arrive if after being stood at the bar foe 25 minutes you still have not been served. A shame because this pub has the potential to really be something!
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I came here to see what this pub was like these days but was a bit disappointed. It's not terrible but seemed quite devoid of atmosphere and the bar staff weren't that attentive. I doubt you'll stay for more than a pint if you're after a good, proper pub to relax in.
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Now more of a restaurant than a pub based on my visit yesterday afternoon - if it's just a pint and a bag of nuts you're after, try somewhere else.
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I think they're going for a Hitler youth look behind the bar...and a "Cocoon" look outside.
anonymous - 23 Oct 2005 18:07 |
A nice clean pub, with comfortable seating and dark nooks and crannies to have a chat, with a fireplace and a beer garden, which is a nice one. Fairly decent mostly antipodean barstaff. Nice for families and old folk, not really a young person's place.
The food unfortunately sounded better than it tasted. We ordered 3 meals, and the portions were on the small side and okay but hardly a gastrofeast for the price which was expensive.
Okay.
anonymous - 17 Sep 2005 18:56 |
Oh no, this used to be a great pub when i used to go ther regularly a few years back. Why do they insist on doing this to all the grat pubs
anonymous - 13 Sep 2005 14:29 |
Excellent Fullers pub. Staff are very friendly and helpful.
Mark - 14 Mar 2004 16:25 |
I've been going The Kent off an on
for as long as I can remember. The
recent refurb has brought me back as the food is great, some new beers e.g. Hoegarden, and an all
round friendly atmosphere.
Tony - 2 Mar 2004 16:38 |
not bad.a bit out of the way.full of peopel 30howver, is relaxed and a good place to go on a sunday-thursday evening.fridays and saturdays might turn out rather dull if u are in the 29 and under band.good pub tho- overall- 6/10
Ali - 22 Feb 2004 18:52 |
Since refurbishment, pub has improved dramatically. Food is excellent and large selection of drinks - altho a little pricey. Very pleasant beer garden for the Summer months.
Craig - 1 Oct 2003 11:13 |
Formerly known as the Kent Hotel. It has been there for at least 35 years and is a friendly busy pub. Food is usually excellent and very friendly bar staff throughout. Excellent garden and facilities. Very recently refurbished to a high standard.
Ken Morton - 29 Jul 2003 17:28 |
