Flavours of a new spring

Without an international restaurant corporation behind them, young British chefs must look to local pubs for premises. Jamie Younger, formerly head chef at Bibendum, in partnership with Paul Rigby, who owns The Sea Cow, East Dulwich's smartest fish-and-chip shop, has opened The Palmerston.

It is a large corner premises on Lordship Lane and the conversion has left its pub character intact. More tables for eating than drinking announce the emphasis on food and, at the far end, a room with a pretty, mosaic-tiled floor and ornamental fireplace is almost a restaurant. Mismatched tables there include a large pine kitchen table, ideal for a group.

Lovers of the Bibendum cooking style initiated by Simon Hopkinson and carried on by Matthew Harris will be delighted by the dishes and the prices at The Palmerston.

A first course of Thai sea bass and cashew nut salad with green mango took me back to when Simon Hopkinson was at Hilaire, and his discovery, before its general take-up, of the seduction in Thai flavourings.

Sauternes-marinated foie gras with onion confit was a generous slab for £7.50, although the onion confit lacked a sufficiently jammy quality. Other first-course temptations included crab linguine with broad beans, chilli and coriander and steak tartare.

In the main course we tried rump of Welsh lamb with new season's garlic, sweetbread, peas and mint, which was a perfect celebration of spring. The lamb was prettily pink. Grilled calf 's kidney with mustard sauce and pancetta had managed to retain the bite of the mustard - it can be elusive - and the sauce mingled nicely with the juices of the kidney. Side dishes of purple-sprouting broccoli and Jersey Royals were further proof of the pleasures of eating in April.

Hot chocolate fondant, suitably devilish, came with good vanilla ice cream. Something a bit more unusual was caramel parfait with poached fig in port. Staff are cheerful if somewhat inexperienced. We watched for a while a waitress trying to uncork the New Zealand Pinot Noir, Spy Valley 2002 (at £24) before showing her the advantage of the simple screwcap. I have already had letters of praise for The Palmerston. They are justified.

The Palmerston
91 Lordship Lane, SE22 8EP