Duchy

The closure of Leroy left a gap in Shoreditch’s dining landscape, but Alex Grant and chef Simon Shand have returned to the site where they first met, breathing new life into this 40-seat spot. Duchy is a new chapter for the duo, bringing a fresh concept but with all the same heart.

Leroy regulars will feel right at home, with familiar touches from the open kitchen to the impressive collection of vinyl records waiting to choose the evening’s soundtrack - there are even chalkboards flogging ‘ex-Leroy stock’. Warm wooden tables and honey-hued chairs are packed closely together, creating a neighbourly atmosphere that, within minutes of opening, has the place buzzing with an infectious energy.

The menus, however, are where Duchy finds its new voice. Shand draws inspiration from the Duchy of Savoy, the centuries-old region that straddles the French-Italian border. Menus here are short, seasonal, and built for sharing, with ever-changing options that are stamped with the day’s date, ensuring no two evenings are identical. Drinks lean into the region too, with an extensive list of carefully sourced wines and a cocktail menu that dances across the border, depending on whether you’re more partial to a French or Italian Savoy Negroni.

Brown crab arancini are a highlight, encased in a delicate breadcrumb crust, and topped with a dab of lemon aioli. It’s subtle, bright, and gone in two bites. A vitello tonnato follows - veal tartare dressed in a silky, caper-flecked sauce, finished with crisp shoestring fries that offer the perfect amount of crunch. Occasional salty bursts from the capers hit all the right notes, though the dish could use a bit more of a punch. Fromage du tete, a rustic pork terrine, brings a pleasing depth, though the toast it’s served with is too small and too crisp to properly spread the chunky slab of meat.

A house diot sausage arrives sweet and juicy, perched atop wild garlic aligot and swimming in glossy gravy. It’s an Alpine riff on bangers and mash, hearty and comforting, if a little pricey. Dessert ends the evening on a high. A raspberry bombe alaska combines fluffy, and slightly charred, meringue with a tart ice cream core, making for a refreshing and perfectly unfussy end to the meal.

Duchy is a welcome return for this beloved site and has instantly settled into the Shoreditch scene. It’s warm and familiar, with a bright new twist that seems to have already won over the crowds.

Taking over the location that was once home to the much-missed Leroy, Duchy is a French-Italian restaurant that moulds together two culinary landscapes. Settled in the heart of Shoreditch, founding duo Simon Shand and Alex Grant are two of Leroy's original crew, and spent years making multiple trips to both France and Italy during various seasons so that they could fully grasp the culinary tradition, as well as the culture, of the regions they wanted to recreate with seasonal British produce.

Inspired loosely by the historical Duchy of Savoy which took up large spaces in France and Italy for 800 years, Duchy takes creative freedom through its innovative presentation of beloved classical French and Italian dishes. Luxurious as it sounds, the atmosphere created is comforting and lively. The restaurant features artwork by artists like painter Dan Feit, but will also continue to have an open kitchen and a wall of 200 vinyl records, as it did with Leroy. The team will choose a new album to play every day from a diverse pick; expect anything from afrobeats to disco.

Curated by Simon Shand, who’s classical French training allowed him to hold a Michelin star for three consecutive years at Leroy, the menu is reflective of both French and Italian influences and demonstrates an appreciation of both the cultures’ family-led values with numerous sharing plates. We’d recommend going with a loved one and sharing a large sharing dish, such as the Cote de Beouf with grilled baby gem drowned in Gorgonzola butter, or the whole grilled red mullet with baby potatoes covered in beurre sauce. 

Expect fresh pasta, tender meats, and traditional antipastos of northern Italy. Pair it perfectly with Duchy’s wine list, the majority of which contains wines from the inspired regions. Most appealing, though, is the colourful cocktail list that contains both classics (like martinis and spritzes) and house creations, like the regional ‘Negroni Savoyard’ and ‘Negroni Savoiardo’.