Time Out says
Tue Jan 17 2012
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It isn’t hard to decide what to eat at Burger & Lobster, as there are only three choices – burger, lobster or lobster roll. Which focuses your mind on the other variables, such as where abouts in the room you would like to perch. Propped up against the bar on high stools? Ensconced in one of the two tight-fit banquettes in the back, with their view of the kitchen pass? Decisions, decisions.
The site of this new Goodman venture used to be an old pub – the last time I found myself here, I was weeping into the sticky wooden tables after Japan was knocked out of the last World Cup. And while the premises have been scrubbed up and luxed out, there are enough details that cosy up the place and compensate for its location in one of the more bland bits of Mayfair.
Upbeat and enthusiastic service adds to the lively din, most of it generated by the suited and booted on our two visits. And there was a distinct lack of stuffiness – it’s hard to be anything but casual when most of your fellow diners are wearing plastic bibs.
A pub-style chalkboard at the entrance explains the menu: ‘Burger or lobster or lobster roll, all with chips & salad £20’. These are served with a bit of ceremony on large silver platters. The whole lobster (fat, juicy creatures from Canada) can be ordered steamed, or steamed then finished off on the robata-style charcoal grill; we recommend the latter, as the subtle smokiness really emphasises the sweetness of the lobster. Can’t decide between plain clarified butter or butter jazzed up with lemon? Alternate your unbridled dunking and order both, as our waitress insisted.
Cocktails from a menu developed by the esteemed Soulshakers are split into ‘B’ and ‘L’ types – you can work it out. The Bull & Bear (with bourbon whiskey, blackberries, raspberries and pinot noir) is more of a sheep in wolf’s clothing: butch-sounding, but fruity and meek.
This is an easy-going sort of place, so if you’re wanting the burger (a whole ten ounces of pure, freshly ground beef) with cheddar and/or bacon you can have it for no extra charge. Go for it – the smoky bacon is snappy and crisp without being dry, the cheese adding an extra indulgent tang. Slapped inside an own-made sesame bun, it’s a pretty decent burger and, at £20 with excellent chips and salad, not extortionate (order a burger at Meat Liquor or Byron, add on two sides, and it costs nearly the same).
If you’re looking for value for money, it’s the crustaceans that win every time. The lobster roll – chunks of the meat coated with Japanese-style, egg-yolk-rich mayonnaise, swathed in soft and glossy brioche and topped with a whole claw – would be our recommendation of the three.
Finish with paper cups of lime or chocolate-coffee mousse – the former
a simple cloud of sweet citrus flavour that cleansed away all that delicious buttery greasiness of the main meal.
These days, a whole lobster at a seafood restaurant (J Sheekey, say) can cost upwards of £30-£40 – often more if the placey subscribes to that dreaded ‘market price’ shtick. At Burger & Lobster, you can be assured of an entire beast, perfectly cooked, at a price that will please even if you’re feeling the pinch. And that’s not a difficult choice at all.
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