Bars & Pubs

Franklins has always managed to appear superior above other gastronomic endeavours on Lordship Lane. Perhaps it's the imperial blue façade, or the elevated position from which it literally looks down on the competition. Maybe it's the assured separation of the drinking den from the British restaurant out back, the former a cosy bolthole of bare wooden floors and benches, the latter a well-aired space for indulging the owners' near-medieval obsession with meats. Young's is the best of a limited selection of ale on tap, although there are also a few European bottles (Leffe, Budvar, Estrella Damm) and a well-edited and affordable wine list featuring six bottles of both red and white for under £20.

Time Out Bars, Pubs & Clubs Guide 2008/9