About us

About Dukes Steakhouse, Buckingham

Dukes Steakhouse is the restaurant, bar and grill at Villiers Hotel on Castle Street, an inn whose history goes back around 450 years.

  • WhereVilliers Hotel, 3 Castle Street, Buckingham MK18 1BS
  • LunchBar Menu- Monday to Saturday-11.30am-3pm
  • Sunday lunchSunday Lunch Menu-12pm-4pm
  • DinnerEvery day-6pm-9.30pm
  • ParkingFree, 42 spaces at the hotel

The food

A Seasonal Menu

Our chefs change the menu with the seasons, so what you find here today will move on as the produce does.

The grill is at the centre of it. There are five steaks to choose from, each served with fries, a slow-roasted plum tomato, grilled mushroom and a watercress and samphire salad, with five sauces on the side.

  • Bavette
  • Flat iron
  • Rump
  • Sirloin
  • Ribeye

Not everyone comes for steak, and the menu reflects that: spiced salmon, monkfish, beer-battered cod, maple-glazed chicken, a mushroom bourguignon pie and a vegan jackfruit burger. Every dish carries clear vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free labels.

At lunchtime the bar menu takes over, with sandwiches, sharing boards, burgers and salads. On Sundays it’s the Sunday roast.

A raw T-bone steak and cleaver on a wooden board in the kitchen at Dukes Steakhouse, Buckingham

The bar

A bar and grill as well as a steakhouse

Dukes is a bar and grill as well as a steakhouse, with the restaurant and its bar side by side at Villiers Hotel.

The bar serves wines, ales, beers and spirits, whether you’re staying for dinner or stopping in at lunchtime for the bar menu.

Villiers Hotel

An inn on Castle Street for around 450 years

Dukes sits inside Villiers Hotel. Over the centuries the inn has changed its name and its owners many times.

  1. Around 450 years ago

    The inn begins life as the Swanne upon the Hoppe. It is later known as The Swan and The White Swan.

  2. 1577

    The property is left to Elizabeth Seyre, including its brewing vessels.

  3. 1643

    The inn is reputed to have housed Oliver Cromwell’s troops.

  4. 1738

    Described as an “ancient well accustomed house” with stables for 100 horses, it is offered for sale again.

  5. Around 1813

    The name changes to the Swan and Castle. In the mid-19th century, a local carrier uses it as his headquarters.

  6. 1878

    After the Duke of Buckingham acquires the inn, a lease is made that keeps post horses available for the Royal Bucks Yeomanry.

  7. 1894

    The property is sold to the Aylesbury Brewery Company.

  8. Later

    It is renamed Villiers Hotel, after George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham and a favourite of King James I, who was known to visit.

Sustainability

Looking after guests and the planet

Villiers Hotel’s approach to sustainability shapes how it runs, from sourcing local, ethical products to reducing its environmental footprint. It also supports local charities and eco-friendly initiatives in the community.

The kitchen and front of house team at Dukes Steakhouse, Buckingham

The team

The People Behind Dukes

Everyone at Dukes, from the kitchen porters and chefs to the front of house team and supervisors, is part of Active Hospitality, the group behind Villiers Hotel.

Current vacancies are on our Careers page.

Visit us

Book Your Table At Dukes

Book online, or call the restaurant.

Dukes Steakhouse, Villiers Hotel
3 Castle Street, Buckingham MK18 1BS

Free parking at Villiers Hotel, with 42 spaces on a first come, first served basis.