Time Out - London eating and drinking 2007 (Critics choice)

As competition in East Dulwich intensifies, so Palmerston chef Jamie Younger has raised his game, bringing premium produce and greater inventiveness to his menu. This may have raised his prices a little, but every visit is a treat, the menu a mouth-watering array inducing agonies of decision-making.

In early summer, a special starter of deep-fried courgette flowers (stuffed with ricotta, sultanas and mint, and served with chilli jam) was just flying off the menu. The finest British produce is imaginatively garnished with European delicacies: roast quails served with chorizo, pine nuts, sherry and sage; fillet of wild halibut with pickled girolles, pea-shoots and chives.

The gastropub staples (steak, lamb) are executed with flair; we greedily used our chips to soak up the remaining lamb gravy, which was tinged with rosemary, garlic and artichoke juice. The drinks menu has also gone up a notch, and now offers classic cocktails, a fine whisky selection and well-picked wines (from £12 to £50 a bottle) all of which helps to keep trade at the bar steady, with an appreciative, mainly local crowd.