GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 20

021 the duke of Cambridge pub
A short walk from where Islington's farmers'
market is held on a Sunday, “The Duke” has been
going strong since it opened in 1998. Guests
come as much for the mellow ambience - the soft
lighting and wide wooden tables - as they do to
sip organic ales, taste over forty organic wines
(including twelve available by the glass) and
feast on the excellent, seasonal, mainly British
food (such as honey-pressed ham and braised
beef) served in the main room of the pub or in
the glass-roofed conservatory out the back. The
restaurant's fish-purchasing policy has been
approved by the Marine Conservation Society
and the entire pub has been certified organic by
the Soil Association. Expect to hear “Mine's a
pint of Eco Warrior”.

Need to know Acorn
House Restaurant is
located at 69 Swinton
Street (nearest tube is
King's Cross). W www.
acornhouserestaurant.com;
T [phone].

023 Create some
energy at Club
Surya
At the Club for Climate
night at Club Surya, in
King's Cross, guests who
can prove they've come
by public transport get in
free for a night of electro,
hip-hop, techno and soul.
But this is more than
just a nice gimmick to
attract eco-conscious Londoners wading through
the listings for the capital's nightlife, as a closer
inspection of the venue itself shows.
Club Surya is set apart by what's going on
behind the scenes, and most of all, beneath your
feet. Thanks to an innovative technology fitted
into the dancefloor, the more clubbers shake
their stuff, the more energy is transferred into
a dynamo powering the club, with any surplus
being donated free to the surrounding buildings.
Aside from this, the whole club is like a
demonstration of how buildings can be designed
with the environment in mind: it runs on solar
and wind power, is fitted with low-energy
plumbing and air-conditioning systems, and even
the walls are made out of old mobile phones.
And seeing how they benefit from any surplus
electricity generated, it may be the first time in
history that a nightclub's neighbours are asking
the punters to keep dancing.

Need to know The nearest tube station is Angel.
See the website ( W www.dukeorganic.co.uk) for
directions, bookings, sample menus and drinks
lists. T [phone].

A hearty lunch at the Duke of
Cambridge pub, Islington

022 acorn house restaurant
It's not often you get to eat a gourmet meal
directly underneath where the ingredients are
growing - and certainly not in London's King's
Cross area, within walking distance of the
Eurostar terminal. But from its rooftop vegetable
garden using compost from leftovers to its fleet of
biodiesel-powered delivery vans collecting fresh
organic produce from local farms, Acorn House
has been turning London dining upside-down
since it opened in 2006.
Many restaurants still find that being bound by
the seasons means limitations and an awful lot
of root vegetables. But at Acorn House, the menu
shows what's possible. Depending on the time
of year this can mean wild mushrooms, quinces,
scallops, asparagus and even lobster. And unlike
most restaurants, where a second visit means
revisiting the same menu, a return to Acorn
House is a chance to discover the products of a
whole new season.

Need to know Club Surya is on Pentonville Road,
within walking distance of King's Cross. W www.
club4climate.com/surya.