The Palmerston

Having visited the Palmerston about an hour after reading an article on the 25 New York restaurants you should visit before they disappear, there is a chance I entered it all ready and willing to make the analogy I’m about to make. However, I’m going to go ahead and make it anyway; The Palmerston reminds me a little of one of those New York dining rooms of yesteryear. Not that I have visited them all – although a picture does speak a thousand words - but there is something about the dark wooden panels, traditional tiled floor, terracotta colour scheme and gilt mirrors that brought the images back.

Located on East Dulwich’s most famous street, Lordship Lane, the Palmerston has more than the look. Praised for its seasonal food menu, it is a gastro pub that more than a few influencers have praised highly over the years. But first things first, the night we turned up it wasn’t altogether clear what the Palmerston was. Every table is set to within an inch of its life - okay, just cutlery and wine/water glasses, but still – and all we wanted were drinks and snacks. Could we sit down at one of those finely decorated tables? Sure we could.

We drank Meantime’s Yakima Red from the tap after perusing the rest of the options and deciding against the likes of Cotswold wheat beer, Meantime Pale Ale and Peckham Pills. Along with a lengthy wine list that takes some studying the gastro pub also has a concise cocktail menu of classics at £8.50 each. Primarily a dining room, the Palmerston’s menu is updated continuously depending on seasonal ingredients. The sea bass with bok choi, chilli and coriander stood out along with the rabbit leg and chorizo. Although it bills itself as a gastropub, the prices scream restaurant - main courses are all between £17 and £20. For a snack, opt for the triple cooked chips and saffron aioli. Exquisite.

The Palmerston is essentially a dining room that you can also visit for drinks – it certainly doesn’t feel like any regular’s local. Instead, what it feels like is a South London pub whose food you should sample.