Franklins, East Dulwich

The first time I went to Franklins in East Dulwich we got so shit-faced I couldn't remember what we'd eaten. It was a rainy Friday night, and a good catch up was what we were there for. A month or so later, we found ourselves back for lunch on a snowy Saturday. A huge party of people were dining in the restaurant, so we were sat in the bar area and urged to get our orders in sharpish. 6 natives were strangely small, but nonetheless deliciously sweet.

My starter of tongue with chicory and capers was well balanced; salty hits from the capers seasoned the bitter chicory well. The meat was bouncy but not tough and I really enjoyed the dish. While the plate looked a little bare the portion size was judged well.

Whole plaice with brown shrimp and courgettes was one of the most expensive mains, at £17.50. The fish was cooked perfectly, flesh sliding off the bone with ease. The brown shrimps and courgette was cooked in garlicky butter, the vegetable still retaining some texture. I loved this dish; so simple and so pleasing. A side of chips were seasoned generously with salt and pepper and were gloriously crunchy on the outside and fluffy within. The only dud note came with the brussels tops. They could have done with a bit more cooking and should have been bathed in butter but they were undressed. When we pointed this out to our waitress she was surprised, and removed the dish from our bill.


Desserts came in the form of blancmange with prunes stewed in Armagnac and Yorkshire curd and rum raisin tart. The boozy prunes were the perfect hit of sweetness with the wibbly wobbly white dome, while the tart had a pleasing cheesiness to it. The rum was virtually undetectable but the raspberry sauce gave it a tart freshness. Our leisurely lunch was drawing to an end and while the restaurant was busy, we felt a little neglected by the wait staff. Nevertheless, it was a lovely meal and Franklins is an ideal place to while away an afternoon.

Franklins

157 Lordship Lane
East Dulwich
London
SE22 8HX

Tel: 020 8299 9598