Duke of Edinburgh — Restaurant in Cupertino

We used to enjoy coming to the Duke of Edinburgh, but sadly our recent visit was very disappointing and it feels like the place has gone downhill over the last couple of years.

We all ordered beers, and mine had a very strange, chemical taste — almost like shampoo. My husband tried it too and agreed it tasted off. I brought it to the bartender’s attention and asked if he could try the beer directly from the tap. He did, and told me that it tasted normal to him. Then he suggested maybe it was the glass. Honestly, that explanation made it worse — because if it was the glass, then that means dirty or contaminated glasses are being served to customers. They did replace the beer, but the experience left a bad impression.

Service wasn’t great either. Our waitress kept coming over far too often, interrupting our conversation with friends. At the end, when it came time to pay, she didn’t even give us the option to choose the tip — she pre-selected 20% on the screen and then asked us if we were okay with it. It felt very pushy and passive-aggressive. On top of that, the bill still included the beer I had returned, which was frustrating.

The food and prices were also disappointing. We ordered the potato skins, which came as six tiny pieces with just a thin layer of cheese on them — and that cost $16. Essentially, that’s three small potatoes for $16. A pint of beer was $11, which is a price you’d expect at a fancy restaurant, not a casual pub. Most bars and pubs in the area charge $6–8 for the same.

Unfortunately, between the questionable beer, the pushy service, the overpriced food, and the overall decline in quality, we won’t be...

If you want an Irish pub with character - the full ol' pub experience - this is it. Musky smell in the air, don't drop anything on the carpet, some parts of the ceiling are caving in, and the food is mediocre at best. But the reason for the bad review is the service we got last night - HORRIBLE! I came in with some friends, my arm in a sling after surgery - very visible. All my friends ordered beer, and I asked for water. The cheeky waitress looked at me, made a face, and asked in these very words : "are you only going to order water?". "yes" I said. "you know we're a pub, we need to make money" she said, holding her ground. I told her I cannot drink alcohol yet after the surgery, she walked off with the face and brought me water. We kept ordering drinks etc, and after a while she came and let us know she's ending her shift if we want to close the bill. Ha?? First time I've heard that (sometimes waiters mention that if we want to hand them a tip early, but close the bill?). So, that's the worst service ever. Unfortunately it reflects on the rating for the...

An Englishman, a Scot and a Yorkshireman walk into a pub...

...and we all had a great time.

The Duke of Edinburgh is proper English pub across from the new Apple spaceship HQ. It looks a bit tatty from the outside--at the end of an old strip mall--but feels like an English pub on the inside. Not just because the interior looks like it was brought over from the Home Counties and then well used for quarter of a century. But because of the great English food and friendly service. And it's not forced American theme pub "Have a nice day!" friendliness from the staff. It's an easy chattiness with some blokeish banter. It felt like being back home in Manchester.

We all ordered fish and chips, with Icelandic cod. Fresh and delicious. Plus Boddingtons and Old Speckled Hen: Lovely creamy bitter ales.

The Yorkshireman liked the ale. The Englishman loved the fish and chips. And Scotsman didn't complain about the prices. That's no joke; that's...