Restaurants

Owned by the same people who run East Dulwich’s popular Palmerston, the Herne Tavern is located just around the corner by Peckham Rye, housed in a grand old coaching inn. The boozy front bar is popular with locals – decorators discussing Millwall on the evening we visited – while the more discreet back bar is given over to dining. The big, child-friendly garden makes this a family hotspot at weekends, and there’s an unambitious children’s menu to entice kids away from the swings. Grown-up food is simple, strong and hearty. A goat’s cheese, pear, walnut and endive salad made good use of disparate powerful flavours, while the equally potent marinated herring, potato and apple salad was a trifle salty but exquisitely fresh. Mains were satisfyingly filling. An excellent creamy fish pie was crammed with smoked haddock, prawns and pollock, while the Scottish ribeye steak was very large and very tasty. The understated but appreciated seasonal tone of the menu even extended to the desserts; chestnut parfait, roasted figs and chocolate sauce was just right for a winter’s night, and although we didn’t really need the hot chocolate fondant, we couldn’t resist and didn’t regret it.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009