“A SYMPHONY IN BROWN”. THE DUKE, BLOOMSBURY, LONDON

October 2025. Bloomsbury. London.

Two nights a week down in Waterbeach visiting Dad for free cups of tea and ’60s entertainment; that also gives me a chance to get to grips with London’s new Beer Guide entries. I may not be competitively “doing the GBG” anymore, but there’s a real joy in pubbing the capital in Autumn.

Three ticks within half an hour walk of King’s Cross;

save yourself that extra £6.90 by skipping the Travelcard and using your legs.

A very rare trip down Grays Inn Road, where the Youngs Ordinary in the Calthorpe used to be your mandatory “Proper” pub,

and then through some gorgeous Bloomsbury mews I’d never seen before,

on the way to two (2) pubs that have somehow escaped the attention of the Good book all these years.

The Duke is an Art Deco classic, though you’ll mainly be here for the promise of Double Diamond.

Aren’t London pubs wonderful ?

Better than my photography, mind.

Mrs RM doesn’t get that glare; I’m sure she’s got a better phone than mine, and I’d been furiously cleaning my camera lens for two minutes. Still, you get the idea.

A no-nonsense cask selection; you’d probably have had more choice in 1973 when CAMRA was formed specifically to stop Double Diamond.

Not much afternoon trade, that’s the worry. What can tourists possibly find better to do in London than enjoy this symphony in brown ?

It’s an exercise in simplicity. Lovely staff, comfy seating, chewy pint of Landlord (NBSS 3.5), Simply Red soundtrack,

wartime memories…

…well, obviously not MY memories.

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

18 thoughts on ““A SYMPHONY IN BROWN”. THE DUKE, BLOOMSBURY, LONDON”

  1. A gorgeous pub, which may suffer from being slightly off the tourist track. I have walked past many times, but never been inside. To my defence, it has often been closed when I’ve been around.

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    2. A gorgeous pub indeed, though one I’ve not used as much as that Calthorpe Arms.
      I’ve recently checked my diary and was shocked to realise that I’ve only spent five hours in London so far this year.

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      2. It is indeed, my wife and daughter somehow having more time in London this year than me.
        Don’t tell LAF but I’ve not been to Birmingham at all this year.
        I’ve used 274 pubs across the country so far though, but most of them for only one pint.

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    3. Not just off the tourist track. I spent years living and working nearby and it felt like the kind of pub you’d have to find rather than walk past, which is an odd thing to say about somewhere so central. Lovely part of town though that I have a lot of affection for.
      Alex

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  3. “save yourself that extra £6.90 by skipping the Travelcard and using your legs.”

    Agreed. It gets some fresh air into your lungs and prepares one for the next pint.

    My darling wife and I walk in the woods behind us most days (weather permitting). We have a route that’s about 45 minutes round trip.

    “where the Youngs Ordinary in the Calthorpe used to be your mandatory “Proper” pub,”

    Still looks pretty nice from the outside.

    “and then through some gorgeous Bloomsbury mews I’d never seen before,”

    It certainly beats looking at garbage piled up on the street, as some places are known for.

    “Aren’t London pubs wonderful ?”

    That pic below is classic indeed. That could be any pub in any show that takes place in London.

    “I’m sure she’s got a better phone than mine, and I’d been furiously cleaning my camera lens for two minutes.”

    Sigh, I hear ya. My darling wife has a better phone than me, mainly because she dropped her old one up in camp last summer. My phone has just informed me that it is not ‘current’ enough to run the app for my all home generator. Gonna have to sneak the app onto my wife’s phone. 😉

    “you’d probably have had more choice in 1973 when CAMRA was formed specifically to stop Double Diamond.”

    (slow golf clap)

    Also, both cask ales seem to be going well if they each have to hand pulls.*

    * – is hand pulls the correct terminology?

    “What can tourists possibly find better to do in London than enjoy this symphony in brown ?”

    Whilst I understand the sentiment, the phrase ‘symphony in brown’ could be misconstrued. 😎

    “Lovely staff, comfy seating, chewy pint of Landlord (NBSS 3.5)”

    Almost perfection?

    “…well, obviously not MY memories.”

    I have some; but they were hand-me-downs from my Gramps (loaded bombs onto Lancs), my great uncle (rescued from Dunkirk), my uncle (tank driver in Africa) and me da, who was stationed in Italy right after the war ended.

    Cheers

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    1. I think “hand pulls” is OK, I also use “pumps” but never “wickets”.

      I’m fairly sure “symphony in brown” was coined, or first used by Pub Curmudgeon, great line.

      Your 45 minute walk seems ideal.

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      1. I think I like pumps better. The term ‘hand pulls’ from me just sounds, rude. 😏

        And ya, our 45 minute walks are ideal, for me. We have on on the spit between Campbell River and the Pacific Ocean that’s also about 45 minutes, but we have to drive there first. Mind you, we normally stop for a happy hour pint for me, and a house wine for the not me, before driving home so it has it perks.

        (my darling wife likes longer ones at times but she has a few friends to call on for those).

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