Excellent Christmas meal at Franklins!

[Sue]

As I had a moan on here about the truly abysmal Christmas meal we had at The Cherry Tree last year, I am redressing the balance by saying we had a really excellent Christmas meal at Franklins last night.

Every course was absolutely delicious and  really well cooked. The staff were lovely despite being exhausted and run off their feet.

In particular, my sea bass was a large portion and cooked to perfection, in stark contrast to the small dried up portion The Cherry Tree provided, from which I was barely able to scrape a teaspoonful of flesh (that is not an exaggeration).

And our Franklins meal cost less than half what we paid at The Cherry Tree (to be fair, that was on Christmas Day so the Cherry Tree costs would have been higher, but that doesn't excuse the appalling quality meal).

Thank you again to Franklins for restoring our faith in eating out at Christmas! 

[Sephiroth]

Good to hear Sue - I  love Franklin’s 

Although to be fair it would be a mad world where decades old local institution couldn’t do much better than (gawd help us all) a generic Youngs pub 

(I had better meals in that place when it was the vale and ran by the Murphia. And that was fairly poor food even then ) 

[Jenijenjen]

I was trying to remember when Franklins moved to Lordship Lane from Walworth Road where it was combined with an antique/bric a brac shop. Mid 1990s, first wave ED gentrification?

[beansprout]

So glad to know, some places sell decent food.. not just dumped in microwave to be reheated and to be charged a premium in pricing..

 

[Sue]

5 hours ago, Sephiroth said:

(I had better meals in that place when it was the vale and ran by the Murphia. And that was fairly poor food even then ) 

The Cherry Tree was absolutely excellent for a while when a youngish couple ran it and brought in a really good chef.

It was them who renamed it The Cherry Tree. They were really turning it around.

The chef did fantastic Scotch eggs, and one of the best roasts I've ever had.

If memory serves the then owner,  for some reason known only to himself, took a dislike to them and what they were doing and sacked them all.

And yes we weren't expecting a top class  meal last Christmas, and we left it too late to book anywhere else, but we weren't expecting it for a hundred pounds EACH to be quite as terrible as it was.

Stupid us.

5 minutes ago, Sue said:

The Cherry Tree was absolutely excellent for a while when a youngish couple ran it and brought in a really good chef.

It was them who renamed it The Cherry Tree. They were really turning it around.

The chef did fantastic Scotch eggs, and one of the best roasts I've ever had.

If memory serves the then owner,  for some reason known only to himself, took a dislike to them and what they were doing and sacked them all.

And yes we weren't expecting a top class  meal last Christmas, and we left it too late to book anywhere else, but we weren't expecting it for a hundred pounds EACH to be quite as terrible as it was.

Stupid us.

Not sure why you are confused by my post, Jazzer?

Did I misremember?

Now it's got even more confusing because my posts have been merged and your confused emoji is shown at the bottom of the second one instead of the first 🤣

Edited December 24, 2025 by Sue

[civilservant]

On 24/12/2025 at 14:37, Jenijenjen said:

I was trying to remember when Franklins moved to Lordship Lane from Walworth Road where it was combined with an antique/bric a brac shop. Mid 1990s, first wave ED gentrification?

i used to go there in the late 80's and '90s (?) the food was served cafeteria style and there was limited choice, but what there was alays tasted amazing!  The garden was an absolute paradise, you could sit in it to lunch in the summer! 

i've tried to locate its site but Walworth Road has changed so much since then - does anyone remember the house number?

[Penguin68]

It wasn't an antique and bric-a-brac shop but an antique market with a number of different traders, the cafe supported all the dealers in bringing in custom, and was good enough to generate trade for them. It was Rodney Franklin's and his partners enterprise, he previously had an antique shop in Queenstown Road in Battersea. His late wife ran the cafe (she was a very fine actress, it was a 'resting' job). 

It was on the corner of a junction on the left as you head towards Camberwell. And almost opposite, if memory serves at all, an MFI style furniture outlet. 

Edited December 26, 2025 by Penguin68

[sandyman]

2 hours ago, Penguin68 said:

It wasn't an antique and bric-a-bac shop but an antique market with a number of different traders, the cafe supported all the dealers in bringing in custom, and was good enough to generate trade for them. It was Rodney Franklin's and his partners enterprise, he previously had an antique shop in Queenstown Road in Battersea. His late wife ran the cafe (she was a very fine actress, it was a 'resting' job). 

It was on the corner of a junction on the left as you head towards Camberwell. And almost opposite, if memory serves at all, an MFI style furniture outlet. 

The MFI was probably where Iceland is now. This post makes me feel very old - went to a 30th birthday party in the garden at the back. Oh to be 30 again! 

Edited December 26, 2025 by sandyman

[Jenijenjen]

My memory, admittedly not very reliable these days, places the shop on the block on the left hand side just before Burgess Park going towards Camberwell. Have also found a reference to Franklins Antiques being located at 157 Camberwell Road which is on that block. This is a screen shot obtained from Google maps of that address which accords with my memory except the entrance door was on the right hand side, where the grey door is, rather than in the centre.

[civilservant]

thanks Jenijenjen and all - yes, i remember walking or taking the bus from the elephant (where i was working) to Camberwell to get there.  I think Tim - who's still at Franklin's -  was there in those days, and the woman who ran the cafe! 

Other food places that i remember fondly are the ones in Neal's Yard (with the Hunkin sculpture that you could put a coin in ) and the basement lunch place at the Tottenham Court Road junction with Hanway Street... 

[Penguin68]

57 minutes ago, civilservant said:

the woman who ran the cafe! 

Who was Diana Rayworth, when 'resting from acting'. Her successful career was very sadly cut short following a devastating accident. 

[Eats Dulwich]

3 hours ago, civilservant said:

thanks Jenijenjen and all - yes, i remember walking or taking the bus from the elephant (where i was working) to Camberwell to get there.  I think Tim - who's still at Franklin's -  was there in those days, and the woman who ran the cafe! 

Other food places that i remember fondly are the ones in Neal's Yard (with the Hunkin sculpture that you could put a coin in ) and the basement lunch place at the Tottenham Court Road junction with Hanway Street... 

Was that the one where you put a coin in and it squirted water at you?

what was the name of the one in hanway street - whatever you ordered it came on a segmented tray like you get in prison (I imagine). Prices were a steal. 

[Sue]

On 26/12/2025 at 19:55, Eats Dulwich said:

what was the name of the one in hanway street - whatever you ordered it came on a segmented tray like you get in prison (I imagine). Prices were a steal. 

Was that the Hare Krishna place?

I can't remember exactly where it was (or maybe still is) but it was somewhere around Oxford Street.

[Jenijenjen]

The hare krishna restaurant is called Govindas and still going strong in Soho Street, a different establishment to the one that used to be (still is?) in Hanway Street. I must go back to Govindas some time

[civilservant]

On 26/12/2025 at 19:55, Eats Dulwich said:

Was that the one where you put a coin in and it squirted water at you?

what was the name of the one in hanway street - whatever you ordered it came on a segmented tray like you get in prison (I imagine). Prices were a steal. 

yes that's the one!  it was (nearly) harmless fun to get the un-initiated to put the coin in for you

i also seem to remember that the Hanway Street place was called Govinda's.  it was vegetarian, vegan even - but it was much more palatable fare than the standard Hare Krishna stuff.  I also used to go tot he Indian Y - which I remmber discussing on the EDF some eyars ago.  And then the first Wagamama opened off Russell Street

[Sue]

I just googled, and apparently there's another branch of the Soho Street Govinda's  in Theobald's Road.

I had no idea.

[NewWave]

I have fond memories of Govinda's I used to go there  back in the 90's (maybe earlier) for an affordable tasty lunch..I was wondering if its still around.

Now I have to make a point of going there.

Does anyone else remember a really affordable basement cafe run by the church in a street off of Golden Square? parallel to Regent Street?

I also used to love the Vegetarian cafe on Neal Street in the basement (Neal Street Cafe?) and there was an inczredible inexpensive authentic Japanese resturant I use to go to with my Japanese friends (who introduced me to it) tucked away behind Long Acre where that brown brick modern building ('modern' I think it went up in the 90's!) now stands that fronts Long Acre and Neal Street..I think it was called Asakasa or something?

[Sue]

3 hours ago, NewWave said:

I have fond memories of Govinda's I used to go there  back in the 90's (maybe earlier) for an affordable tasty lunch..I was wondering if its still around.

Now I have to make a point of going there.

Does anyone else remember a really affordable basement cafe run by the church in a street off of Golden Square? parallel to Regent Street?

I also used to love the Vegetarian cafe on Neal Street in the basement (Neal Street Cafe?) and there was an inczredible inexpensive authentic Japanese resturant I use to go to with my Japanese friends (who introduced me to it) tucked away behind Long Acre where that brown brick modern building ('modern' I think it went up in the 90's!) now stands that fronts Long Acre and Neal Street..I think it was called Asakasa or something?

That Neal Street veggie cafe was great. Food For Thought ❤️

[Eats Dulwich]

10 hours ago, civilservant said:

yes that's the one!  it was (nearly) harmless fun to get the un-initiated to put the coin in for you

i also seem to remember that the Hanway Street place was called Govinda's.  it was vegetarian, vegan even - but it was much more palatable fare than the standard Hare Krishna stuff.  I also used to go tot he Indian Y - which I remmber discussing on the EDF some eyars ago.  And then the first Wagamama opened off Russell Street

I checked - the Hanway Street place was Mandeer - it moved to New Oxford Street I think and was replaced by Hakkasan - very different prices. 

Edited December 30, 2025 by Eats Dulwich