Square Meal Guide '10

In two handsome wood-panelled rooms, The Palmerston’s patrons can either engage in traditional pub pursuits – the supping of guest ales such as St Austell Tribute or Hogs Back Brewery TEA – or do the more modern thing & browse the photography & art on display. Few will leave this East Dulwich corner pub without succumbing to the possibilities of the Brit-Med menu, however. The kitchen’s trick is to take solid UK ingredients & apply generous sunshine flavours. Uig smoked salmon is scattered with red onion, capers & Tuscan olive oil, saltmarsh lamb gets the Moroccan spice treatment (with couscous, harissa & minted yoghurt on the side), & roast pheasant comes with parsnip purée, semi-dried grapes & verjus sauce. If wine sampling is on the agenda, the list has around 15 by the glass. Affable, old-fashioned service rounds off a thoroughly pleasurable experience.