The Duke's Cut is another Oxford pub, and though it wasn't in my guidebook, we passed it each day as we walked from our bed and breakfast to the city center. It has a little terrace over a stream, and on our second night, when we were looking for something cultural to do as well as a scenic place to eat, we noticed the sign outside proclaiming that it was comedy night at the Duke's Cut. There was no space to sit on the terrace, but as the whole interior was opened up to the air and it was getting a bit chilly to be right out on the water anyway, I didn't mind sitting inside. The comedians wouldn't be on for another hour, so we decided to order dinner and eat while we waited for the show to start. That Eton Mess pictured above was dessert, a lovely mash-up of cream, berries, and meringue cookies. Yuri was the one who ordered it, but I helped him with a spoonful or two, and it was lovely, light and sweet.
We both had fish and chips for our main meal. Unlike the fish at the White Horse, where we had eaten the night before, the batter on this fish was very crunchy and substantial, made with one of the beers they had on tap, and so sturdy it could have been taken off all in one piece. The fish inside was a much thicker cut, and the chips were thicker too. Again we got some local ales to go with it. It was delicious.
To counteract the typical traveler's bane of vegetable deprivation, we also got a side of what were billed as roasted root vegetables. I'm pretty sure that even in the UK, red peppers and brussels sprouts aren't grown underground, but they were certainly tasty, sprinkled with rosemary and roasted to a caramelized bronze. We were quite satisfied with our dinner, and finished just in time to turn away from the table and enjoy the comedy show.
1 Park End Street
Oxford OX1 1HH
(01865) 204060
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