The Palmerston, East Dulwich  

This used to be the best pub on this stretch, perfectly balancing off the New Hamlet Inn and the Foresters with the more upmarket EDT and Franklin's. Though what with its wood panelling we had it earmarked (sadly) for a gastropub refit. Well, that's now come to pass: the peerage has been dropped from the pub's name (why?) and it's bought a first class ticket to Gastro land with all the necessary accoutrements (add to the stripped wooden interior and bare floors another tell tale sign: the chef's name at the bottom of the menu). The back room and most of the main bar are taken up with tables set for diners, so there's not much space for the passing drinker. On our visit, one or two of the older regulars were doing their best to hang on to the pub's status as a place for a drink, though with only one main course on the menu under a tenner they were unlikely to stay on for anything to eat. The case could be made that this one's now more suited to the growing number of locals with a disposable income, but the old pub was hardly dying a death and it had a fair range of regulars calling it home. A full-on gastropub was bound to hit Lordship Lane eventually: just a shame it was the old Lord Palmerston that had to make way for it.

reviewed:
15/6/2004

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separate dining area

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