London Larder was devised in 2012 to bring you the ultimate eating and drinking guide to London. It was borne out of a need for up-to-date, quantitative and whole-heartedly recommended places to eat and drink.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Burger and Lobster

American
Mayfair

Burger and Lobster is a place you will hear mentioned often in London, and it’s one of those places you cannot not go to, even if the comments aren’t always complimentary. The prospect of burgers and lobster gets us every time.

We went to Burger and Lobster for a late lunch at 3pm - that weird period of time before 6pm when no one really eats, and so consequently we were one of only two couples dining.

First impressions were slightly disappointing due to the somewhat bland looking interior, although we thought that this might be due to the fact that the restaurant was lacking atmosphere, what with it being near empty. We initially sat at a corner booth, but the metal studs, which apparently attach the seating to the floor, made the table wonky, and we struggled to find a place to move the table without it being too far away from us. Eventually we gave up and moved to another booth. Better.

The service was perfectly pleasant and we had absolutely no complaints as far as that went, but the food left us slightly disappointed. We both opted for the lobster (an £18-20 burger seems a little steep, but a £20 lobster seems fair). The lobster arrived on a platter with fries, a small side salad and some melted butter. The lobster itself was naturally good value and was offered with a choice of being steamed or grilled. We both opted for grilled, but found the lobster to be overly watery and lacking in taste, and we also felt that the side salad was rather small leaving us still hungry after our meal.

The lobster was served on a metal tray and laid on top of some paper displaying the house logo, but we found this to be completely non-functional, as, when we cut through the lobster and put ketchup on (for the chips, naturally) the paper disintegrated into the food and sauce and ended up in our mouths. A plastic material (like the elegant bibs) would have served much better better, or indeed, just leave the tray without it altogether.

Despite all this, we felt that we would definitely go to Burger and Lobster again, if anything, to satisfy lobster cravings, but this time we would ask the staff to cook the lobster for longer. Hopefully they'll also take the hint and get rid of the irritating paper too.

29 Clarges Street, W1J 7EF

Average price for main meal: £20
Average price for a glass of wine: £7
Food/Drink: 3/5
Service: 3/5
Value: 4/5

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