The Duke of Duckworth

Very disappointed. Absolutely piss poor service last night. Very rude. Been going for 25 years. No more

I truly expected this place to be over-​hyped with mediocre good like Cheers in Boston, which I have seen it compared to in a few online articles. Wow! I was so wrong. I went in about 3 pm on Saturday and the place was packed, with regulars and tourists. Despite how busy they were, two different people offered to help me find an empty seat. My order was taken as soon as I was seated. I ordered the fish and chips, which is a Duke’s specialty. I would say this is second only to the battered cod I had at Chafe’s Landing. I would definitely recommend stopping in to this local pub for a bite and a pint, if for no other reason than the ambiance.

Went here for lunch and tried the fish and chips and also the pan fried cod. Was not disappointed with either. In fact, it was the best cod we had all week. The atmosphere is very much like an English pub, a few televisions, but nothing vying for your attention too much. Good, mixed crowd, keeping the environment lively. Service was great.

While I was excited to visit the Duke, I have to suggest that anyone looking to visit in the near future should wait until the kitchen staff employs hairnets. Three hairs in my fish cakes and one in my partner’s fish and chips left us gagging and spitting after we left.

Very good fish and chips. Great charm to the interior. Highly recommend going!

Wonderful fish and chips here. The place is a bit of a dive for sure but I enjoyed it. Nothing to blow your mind on tap but not a bad place overall. If you like well put togehter places, steer clear. If you like a bar with character, age and 1970s era bar stools, this is your spot. Friendly wait staff. attentive. Pint of Guinness was $ 9, fish and chips were $ 12 – 13

Excellent place. I had a very short stay in St. John’s, but my Airbnb host was quick to recommend The Duke of Duckworth for food when I arrived. I went for the famous fish and chips, and it did not disappoint. Two large pieces of fish, fried to perfection, and a nice helping of delicious chips. Gorgeous!
Like the entirety of St. John’s, The Duke of Duckworth is a friendly and welcoming pub right in the heart of the city. I tried several Canadian beers during my stay as well, and the bartenders are nice people to chat to. It’s a charming and unique place, that’s very «Newfoundland», if I can use that as an adjective.
If you ever make it to St. John’s, you must try out the Duke.

Very fine stop for some fish and chips and pub ambience. Had a group gathered round another table singing Irish folk songs to boot.

I ordered the 2 piece fish and chips and it definitely curbed my craving. The fish was cooked perfectly with a delicious batter served with some lemon, tartar sauce and malt vinegar. I ordered a side of dressing for my fries as well which did not disappoint.
This pub has definitely seen better days but that’s part of the charm. Service was ok, our server seemed like she really didn’t want to be at work that day. The Duke of Duckworth gets the 4 stars for the fish and chips alone. If you’re looking for a classic fish and chips and a pint while in downtown St John’s, you’ll find it here.

I was told Duke’s had the best fish and chips so I followed recommendations. I was a bit skeptical when I walked in… and was even less impressed when my order arrived. Yes, it was a huge portion but my fish and chips looked heavy and greasy. HOWEVER, I should never judge a book by its cover because the fish was surprisingly good. The batter was very light and crispy, while the fish was fresh and flakey. The fries came with some fantastic gravy. This really was one of the better fish and chips.

I followed the recommendations here and got the fish and chips with dressing and gravy and it was amazing! The fish was perfectly done; unlike most overcooked offerings that swore me off of ordering it 20+ years ago.
Service, food, and atmosphere were all exactly what I was in the mood for, so if you’re looking for a pub with good food and company while watching a game… you can’t miss here.

One of my first stops for a cider and some fish and chips, it is never a good on the mainland as it is at home, Awesome place!

The biggest, batter-​iest, best onion rings I’ve ever had. You’ll need to go for a walk or take a nap after you finish, but it’s worth it.

Ok. First time in St John’s and my buddy back in TO told me to check this place out. After 5 days in Nova Scotia and eating Haddock., I ordered the Cod Fish and chips. «Out Standing!!!» The local IPA beer was good also. Great value for what they charged.
Atmosphere, was definitely Pub style. Laid back and the ladies took good care of us.

After a brief overnight stop in St. John’s, the first food recommendation from the hotel clerk was «the Duke of Duckworths for fish and chips, which they are world renown and win awards and everything for it».
How can you say no to that? The alternative was Tim Horton’s. I wasn’t thinking fish & chips until she mentioned it!
The walk to this place wasn’t too terrible. The bar has a very UK pub feel to it, but not dingy. The lighting is dark, but the atmosphere is just right. When my buddy and I entered, there were barely any seats available, but we did find some seats. All of the prices on the menu seemed reasonable. Nothing shocking was on the menu, but what jumped out was the poutine. Fortunately for my waistline, there was a small poutine offering on the menu, which we started off with. We also had a red ale at the recommendation of the waiter. For the food order, I ordered the two piece fish and chips, and due to having the poutine, I opted for a salad instead of the chips.
The food came out unexpectedly fast! ketchup, tartar sauce, and malt vinegar were available. The portion sizes are extremely large and generous, even for the small poutine there was PLENTY on that plate!
Even the salad had fresh greens and was very colorful with all the different fruits and veggies.
The cod was fried perfectly, the breading was not over-​powerful, and lighter than some of the other variants of this meal that I have had, which I think was a huge plus. The fish flavor was perfect.
The service was very good as well. the only real complaint is with my ale, i ordered a water, and I never received it. All-​in-​all, everything was excellent, I definitely recommend the fish and chips here at The Duke of Duckworths to anyone!

Atmosphere is very cool, dark and pub like. The menu didn’t have a lot of options but it seems like everyone gets the fish and chips anyway. I had the nachos because they were the only thing I could eat. Massive massive portions. Caesars are good but nothing special. Service was great!

Cute little pub in downtown St. John’s! You enter through this alley that is on a hill so there are steps, many steps. I didn’t see an alternate entrance so if you can’t so steps, forget it. Inside is cozy pub feel, pretty clean from what I noticed but we came right at noon. FYI this place opens at noon with a lineup to get in so keep in mind the busy lunch rush!
When you the seated at lunch and you look at the other tables, you can’t help but notice that everyone orders the same thing. A pint of beer and fish and chips. Even with what looks like an extensive menu with lots of selection, everyone still orders the fish and chips!
Had to order the 2 piece fish and chips and a pint of Guinness. Beer was excellent. Fish was good, crispy, flaky, fresh tasting. Fries were ok, not as crispy as I prefer but good for «chip style» fries as I like to call them. Tarter sauce was only ok. Not very flavorful, I like the pickles in my tarter but it was still weird to see the sauce that shade of green. Big portion for someone hungry at lunch, but not overwhelmingly huge.
All in all it was a good experience but just can’t call the fish and chips excellent. I’d definitely go back, the rest of the food in the menu looked really good too so Id definitely want to try that!

Don’t even get me started on the Duke of Duckworth. What an amazing place! It is the first pub I have ever been in that you actually feel 100% comfortable and relaxed, almost as though you’re visiting at an old friend’s house.
My first trip to the Duke, my boyfriend and I had a few pints and relaxed. The next day we came back again to escape the cold and have a bite to eat. We shared a clubhouse sandwich and the seafood chowder. The portion size is out of this world — we were both stuffed to the rim after sharing the two dishes. We finished off with some more beers and ending up staying at the Duke for a total of three hours.
I’d give it a 99.9% satisfaction rating, only because Allan Hawco and the gang from Doyle didn’t make an appearance ;)

This place was a total letdown. Judging from the advice I received and previous reviews on this fine website, there was supposed to be some great fish & chips here. And I was craving some fish & chips.
The pub itself was ridiculous hot, so we wandered onto the patio. Which is a dirty little space with a tarp for a roof.
Our waiter didn’t seem to concerned with us, so I can’t say the service was spectacular.
The fish was almost dripping with oil. Which took over the taste and texture of the dish. But I will say that the tartar sauce they had was superb.

In a six day visit to St. John’s I stopped by The Duke three times. That’s how much I fell in love with it.
The Duke is purported to be a Newfoundland version of «Cheers»…in that everybody knows your name. Newfoundland celebrities are known to congregate here and rub shoulders with the locals and everyone is treated as an equal.
The beer that flows is amazing — be sure to sample the local Quidi Vidi Brewery «1892» — it is impeccable.
Also a must have while at The Duke is the fish & chips with dressing and gravy. Did you catch that last part? Dressing and gravy. It is almost a sacrilege to order fish & chips without it here. Having never eaten dressing with my fish and chips before I was a skeptic but one meal made me a convert.
I’ll admit I also didn’t think I’d enjoy codfish in the fish portion of the fish and chips but I was converted on that count as well. Being used to the white and flaky haddock back home in Nova Scotia I reluctantly decided to give it a taste and was sold immediately. I honestly would never have known the difference.
The Duke has become a little bit more famous in the last couple of years thanks to Allan Hawco’s brain child TV show «Republic of Doyle». A set was created on the sound stage that is an exact replica of this downtown pub and so visitors from far and wide feel the need to drop be The Duke for a pint like Hawco’s character, Jake Doyle does after a hard day on the job.
When Republic of Doyle airs on Wednesday evenings, many can be found tipping a pint while watching the show on the flat screen TVs around the pub.
For those who prefer some fresh air there is also a small patio.
The Duke should definitely be on everyone’s «must visit» list for St. John’s.
OH YEAH!