Ex-Leroy site reborn as Duchy

Alex Grant and chef Simon Shand are teaming up to launch a new 40-seat restaurant, Duchy, in Shoreditch this May.

The pair are taking on the old Leroy site, where they first met while both working there back in 2021, and where Shand held the Michelin star for three consecutive years as executive chef, up until his departure in February 2024.

The genesis of Duchy goes back to the early days at Leroy, when Grant and Shand took a trip to San Sebastián and, between rounds of cider and pintxos, first hatched a plan to one day open a restaurant together. Having spent much of 2024 looking for a site, the opportunity to take on Leroy felt like a serendipitous end to their journey.

Dining at Duchy

The menu combines Shand's classical French training at the likes of Arbutus, Wild Honey and Frenchie with his passion for the game meat, pasta and antipasti of northern Italy. The restaurant is loosely inspired by the historical Duchy of Savoy, which occupied a huge area of south-east France and north-west Italy for over 800 years. 

At Duchy, Shand will offer his own take on the region’s dishes, underpinned by seasonal British produce. The menu begins with snacks like pork shoulder and smoked eel croquettes, brown crab arancini and anchovies with lardo on marjoram toast.

Sharing plates include roasted pork neck with bagna cauda and courgette, fresh spaghetti with bottarga and olive oil, grilled lamb with artichokes and Dover sole with Grenobloise sauce.

There will also be two larger sharing dishes offered, featuring the likes of Côté de Boeuf with grilled baby gem and gorgonzola butter, or whole grilled red mullet with baby potatoes and beurre blanc sauce. 

For dessert, guests can expect cherry and walnut tart, latte fritto with vanilla gelato and cannoli with sweetened ricotta cheese.

On top of classic, natural, sweet and cult wines, a short and sharp cocktail list will be offered. It will feature classics like martinis and spritzes, with a few house creations like Duchy's two regional negronis thrown in. 

“We’re so excited to be able to get the doors open this Spring. We’re so in love with the food and wine of this region and can’t wait to share it with everyone who visits," says Shand. 

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