The Palmerston Reviews Summary

Atmosphere

Pros:

• "Lovely atmosphere, and great roast!"
• "Absolutely fantastic pub. If you want a pub steeped in history, with a selection of good ales and proper beers on tap then this is the place for you."
• "It wasn’t busy at all but there was relaxing music and enough chatter from other tables for it not to feel empty."
• "Comfortable pub decor, with a slightly upscale feel."
• "It's a great place for a quiet afternoon pint and seems to attract a more laid back crowd than the other boozers on Lordship Lane."
• "Loved seeing the fire lit on a cold and rainy day, it was a highlight of the visit."
• "Nice atmosphere for a drink."

Cons:

• "The pub was already full and the noise level was so loud that there was little chance of quiet conversation."
• "The music is so loud, it’s like being in a night club and the door was left wide open so it was freezing."
• "The life has been sucked out of it the Palmerston."

Service

Pros:

• "Olga is the best barmaid I've EVER met she is so lively so friendly so attentive."
• "Service was great; our waitress was really attentive and regularly came upstairs to see if we needed anything."
• "Service was excellent."
• "Service was fun, relaxed and friendly."
• "The service here is probably the best I’ve had in all of Dulwich."
• "Staff were very accommodating and friendly, including a wonderfully witty waiter who attended to our table for most of the evening."
• "Our waiter was friendly, professional and gave great recommendations."

Cons:

• "Surprised that others have commended service as just had bar staff snap at us because we asked for a menu at one minute to three."
• "No one even came to check if everything was okay."
• "The service was very slow and difficult to get server’s attention."
• "Sadly really gone down hill since they’ve had new management."
• "The service wasn’t great (got a straight “no” when I asked if I could swap the veg that came with my steak)."
• "The service is quite poor but they always look understaffed."
• "The service was terrible. There were too many tables compared to the staffing level."

Food Quality

Pros:

• "The food and service are excellent."
• "Superb food accompanied by an extensive wine list."
• "The food is of a high standard and all in all a nice place to be."
• "Amazing food. Best roast I have had in a long time."
• "The roasts were pretty good, the veg were excellent, and they were generous with the meat."
• "Delicious veggie roast at the Palmerston. The squash was cooked perfectly and the beetroot quinoa was an excellent combination!"
• "The food they serve is really something."

Cons:

• "For the prices charged I demand a problem-free experience, thank you. Avoid."
• "The salmon was practically raw in the middle."
• "Don’t go here if you want a nice Sunday roast... Potatoes are very bad and so much fat on the pork."
• "The steak promotion was small and poorly presented."
• "The roast meat was dry and chewy."
• "The vegetarian roast was £20 and completely lacking in any flavour, with food arriving lukewarm."
• "The two slices of beef in my plate were too raw and hard to cut."

Value for Money

Pros:

• "Prices are probably above average for a pub, but less than a restaurant so similar quality food."
• "Good value for money, worth booking to guarantee a table."
• "Had the weekday lunch special for £15.50 - beautiful fish croquettes and a light but unremarkable chilli pasta... the bill came to £51 which we thought was very reasonable."
• "Billed as the up-market gastro pub but prices aren't that much higher than the others around in close proximity."

Cons:

• "The food was overpriced."
• "Charging those prices for mediocre food when you’ve a pub up the road doing similar stuff except much better and for lower prices is a sure fire way to alienate your potential customers."
• "Nowhere near worthy of the prices."
• "The prices are a rip off for the quality and overall what you get!"
• "For a £20 I expect a good Sunday lunch but the quality wasn't there."
• "It’s definitely overpriced and inconsistent in quality. A very mid pub."
• "Over priced and will not return! A bit of advise - check your receipt!"

Management

Pros:

• "The Palmerston is genuinely deserving of the term gastro pub."
• "The manager responded quickly."
• "Arrived at noon to find calamari wasn’t on the winter which was the main reason we selected the pub as my son wanted squid. Without missing a beat the landlord crosses the street to buy squid from the fishmongers and put it on the menu as a special."

Cons:

• "I was then told not to 'talk to me like that' by the manager when I asked what was going on."
• "The manager hides every time there is an issue."
• "The problems with this pub clearly lie with the management and the executive ownership."
• "This has been taken over by a financial company three weeks ago who refused to renew the lease to the well respected previous owners."
• "Very disappointing. First time back since the change of management and can safely say we will never go back."
• "The life has been sucked out of it the Palmerston."