A refined and sophisticated banquet dining area is hardly what you would expect when going for a meal at your local pub, but EDT has exactly that housed above its main drinking area. Both levels retain their individual qualities resulting in a vastly differing ambience in this popular East Dulwich pub.

The Venue
On the corner of Lordship Lane stands this giant violet coloured pub with high ceilings, dark floorboards and extensive open spaces. A square shaped bar welcomes you at the entrance with options to sit in one of two large seating areas. Purple curtains swathe the access to the left and amongst the old portraits on the wall are a few random pieces of artwork such as a 6ft long bronze high heel. A large projector screen is in place for whenever a major sporting event is on, but if you’ve got nothing to do you can always ask behind the bar for some board games, such as Monopoly, Scrabble, Operation or Chess.

Upstairs is a much more intimate affair, resembling the feel of a hotel restaurant with white cloth covering the tables and vintage green curtains hanging from the ceiling. There is a bar at the back of the restaurant area, which indicates that this is an entirely separate area, although there is no seating beyond the dining tables. Once or twice a month there are live music nights in the restaurant, playing typical dining accompaniments such as folk.

The Atmosphere
On live music nights and weekends, the restaurant can get very full and a reservation might be required. Many older couples over forty come here for a romantic evening as opposed to the downstairs drinkers who come in big groups to share a bottle of wine. There’s a mix of young and old in the pub, but on weekends the crowd is usually late twenties-to-thirties.

Children are allowed if accompanied by a guardian before 8pm and there are special parent and child Tuesdays. On the whole, EDT is a relaxed pub that welcomes everyone but don’t be surprised if you see the odd member of the tracksuit brigade walking in.

The Food
The restaurant upstairs at EDT is open after 7pm serving a menu of freshly prepared meat dishes and elegantly presented appetisers. You can start off your dinner with new season asparagus with parmesan and chilli dressing (£4.25), which contains a subtle crunch in the texture and a mild hint of spiciness. There is also the fresh breaded squid with a very creamy sweet chilli mayo for you to dip it in. All starters range from £4-£5 and, although very light, they prepare you well for the filling main courses. The mains are well priced, with the most expensive being the sirloin steak with peppercorn sauce, thick cut chips and watercress for £13.50. The steak is incredibly even with unadulterated meat whilst the chips have a very floury potato texture despite the deceitful coating. Swimming in the thick, almost-milky peppercorn sauce, the steak’s essence is broadened with a piquant taste. Most dishes are meat based but for £8.50 you can have the wild mushroom risotto with truffle oil or the sugar snap, baby spinach and feta salad for £7.50.

This is not an ideal place for vegetarians, but it is a good choice for carnivores as the meat is cooked perfectly and is accompanied by some fine ingredients. Two large lamb chops are served pleasantly above a heap of organic white bean mash and saturated in red onion and sherry gravy (£10.95). The lamb tears with minimal effort yet the consistency has much depth. There are also the British pork fillet on a salad of roasted fennel and peppers with sweet potato mash (£12.50) and the free range chicken kiev with parsley buttered jersey new potatoes (£11.50).

Dessert, however, is a disappointment as the flavours lack the depth of the mains and are a little too dry in texture. The rhubarb and apple crumble served with vanilla ice cream will struggle to alert your sweet tastebuds as the crumble overpowers the ice cream and fruit filling. Profiteroles also suffer a similar curse as the dough shell is far too heavy and the drizzle of chocolate much too light. Having the dessert can leave a bitter taste in the mouth (literally) after enjoying such a fine meal. All desserts are priced at £4.50 although for £6.50 you can have a selection of English cheeses with apple cake.

The Drink
EDT clearly specialises in lagers and ales, so it’s no shock to see that they have a limited choice of spirits, but they do serve a few well known cocktails such as Sea Breeze and Cuba Libre for £4.50 each. The average price for a pint of beer is £3.40, which is fairly steep for an area like East Dulwich, but with the likes of Hoegaarden, Leffe, John Smith’s, and Bishops Finger on offer, EDT bears a fine selection.

Oddly enough, wine seems to be the more popular option here as many customers can be found enjoying a bottle of Spanish or French white from 2006. A small glass of red, white or rose is also quite expensive with the cheapest coming in at £3.50, however you can buy a whole bottle for a reasonable £13.

The Last Word
The food is definitely the best thing about EDT as the pub’s excessive spaciousness takes away from the unique charm it is trying to create, but it does mean you won’t have too much trouble finding a seat on a Friday night. Beer connoisseurs will enjoy the rich selection on offer and there is something for all kinds of punters here.

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