The Victory, a new restaurant on Lordship Lane in East Dulwich, aims to win over locals with its blend of pub charm and bistro cooking, succeeding Franklin's. The restaurant reopened several months ago at 157 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich's stylish main strip. For some 25 years, the site was Franklin's, a bistro celebrated for its rare breed meats and thoughtful wine list beloved by locals.
A New Chapter on Lordship Lane
Always happy to be a cheerleader for south London restaurants, the reviewer was looking forward to visiting The Victory — intrigued to find out whether Franklin's had a worthy successor, and by the stewardship of Jamie Younger, a well-known figure in the local hospitality scene and co-founder of Peckham's popular neo-Thai spot The Begging Bowl. When the reviewer arrived, it wasn't clear whether his vision had been to lean into The Victory's pub roots or to stay as a bistro; it felt like both, which gave it a casual air — there were several buggies, couples on date nights, and lots of over-60s who, one imagines, freed from the demands of Dulwich school fees, think nothing of dropping £100 on dinner.
A restaurant full of happy hubbub is a wonderful thing, and in this respect The Victory has taken the baton from Franklin's. That said, the table, at the back and spotlit by kitchen halogen, was rather less meditative than hoped. But the vodka martini and snack of chopped egg mayonnaise and Cantabrian anchovy soldiers hit all the right notes — salty, creamy and crunchy — alongside the hard, dry liquor.
Starters and Mains That Impress
The starters showed some great cooking. The reviewer never resists any (insert vegetable name) vinaigrette, and the aubergine was no exception: slices of softly braised eggplant arrived strewn with mozzarella, tomatoes, black figs and basil and, not two days after returning from Provence, kept the reviewer under the Mediterranean spell. Freddie's raw English tuna, shallots and capers made for a delicately rendered, luxurious dish that thrilled a newly pescatarian man. Both starters involved lashings of good olive oil that it felt rude to ignore; the bread-and-butter snack (£5) and a plate of airy, white slices arrived – a throwback to those pre-sourdough days, but with negligible fibre.
Next, a piece of cod alongside tarragon-flecked chanterelles and a genius sweetcorn puree that brought sweetness and sunshine to its savoury plate mates; the malfatti — generous pasta balls filled with ricotta and green herbs — came with cavolo nero sauce and may have cured the reviewer's iron deficiency. And the cold, vanilla pod scented rice pudding loaded with stewed plum and (some perhaps unnecessary) salted caramel was not to be argued with.
A Neighbourhood Gem With Growing Pains
Inclusive and happy to bend itself to the wants and needs of a local clientele, The Victory does what a good neighbourhood restaurant should, with a talented kitchen to boot. But there are buts. Knowing the reviewer could sit in and drink a glass of something otherworldly at retail price in Dynamic Vines a few doors down, the wine list at The Victory was resisted, which is no stranger to marking up. This is, admittedly, less a point against The Victory than one in favour of somewhere else.
In the bigger picture, the reviewer left with the impression that the place doesn't know itself yet, that — like the teenager once in Dulwich — it is yet to come of age. In time, comparisons to the pub and the bistro it used to be will fade and it will just be The Victory, where good cooking and hungry locals happily collide. That really will be a victory for East Dulwich.
Reader Reviews
Matt Freeman said: “Fairly simple dishes but cooked brilliantly. The scallops starter was well balanced. My main, the lamb, was cooked to perfection and the dish itself enough on its own.”
Jacob Miller said: “With all the social media buzz, expectations were high, but the experience fell a little flat. Service was slow and the food felt overpriced. In fairness, as a new spot, growing pains are expected.”
Sally Jones said: “What a welcome addition back to Lordship Lane. As old-time fans of the OG Franklin’s, saddened to see it close. The team at The Victory have relit the flame.”
