Lord Palmerston Tufnell Park

Deemed dangerous by Queen Victoria; popular with the British people for his patriotic vigour; and unwittingly the facilitator of the meteoric rise of Bismarck and the Unification of Germany, I was more than a little excited to see what the Lord Palmerston pub had to offer.

If I didn’t already have an appetite (which I did), the short uphill walk from Tufnell Park tube certainly increased it. Former PM Palmerston’s turbulent relationship with France considered, I was fairly surprised by the menu’s french associations; maybe it was an olive branch or a peace treaty delivered 164 years plus tard?

As menus go though, this one sparked a mini revolution in me. Fennel and herb risotto or broad bean, smoked duck and beetroot salad? Classic Shepherd’s pie or beef bourguignon? What to have…

Aside from the white wine and parsley sauce with the mussels being saltier than the Dead sea, everything was nigh-on faultless; I’d never think to plate smoked duck, orange chutney, beetroot with crunchy broad beans together. But the flavours, almost telepathic, worked. Well. I’d revisit that dish sooner than an Evelyn Waugh enthusiast would Brideshead.

With a particularly drinkable bottle of Rioja Crianza, Azabache 2005, the red cabbage side won best supporting act with the seafood gratin winning best actor. But it was a dessert that stole the show, the apple and berry crumble coming up trumps.

Rustically atmospheric, Lord Palmerston is a good place to go for a date; any date in fact. Be it romantic, as a catch up, in a group or, with its political links, a man-date. I’ve got to mention the withered red rose and already burnt ornate candle on the table. Intentional or not, they proved a source of amusement.

* Lord Byron wannabe, Pete Doherty
** Peter Mandelson, a Lord? Surely not.
*** Being a member of Lords Cricket Club
**** Denzel Washington as drug lord, Frank Lucas
***** William Golding’s must read Lord of the Flies

*** The perks outweigh the long waiting list.

Lord Palmerston’s speeches were often unstudied, and delivery was somewhat awkward at times. But he had a knack of finding the right words at the right time, hence his reputation as a great orator.

The same applies for this quaint little gastropub minding its own business up in NW5. A bit rough around the edges, what ends up on the table matters the most.

Lord Palmerston
33 Dartmouth Park Hill
Tufnell Park
NW5 1HU

Tel: 020 7485 1578