Burger & Lobster

2 hour wait for a table because you cannot reserve. Pointless business model that will eventually annoy everyone and send their business to another competitor. Make hay while the sun shines shareholders - this won't last!

It's AWESOME!!!

Sadly the same old problem with the lack of a reservations scheme ruined our lunch experience. We were told (as others have been) that if we turned up at 12.30, we would have a table in about 15 mins. It was not the case. Still standing around 50 minutes later. During this time we were repeatedly told that the table would be ready in 5 mins. I complained to a waitress and saw the manager slink past ignoring me and my complaint. Burger was very good...but unless you have all the time in the world (student / pensioner?) I would strongly urge you to give this place a miss until they organise a proper reservations system.

2 - 3 hour wait for a table on a Tuesday evening. Must be good food, but I'd rather pay a bit extra and be guaranteed a table - no booking is a business model that's better for the restaurant than the customer.

Burger and Lobster. Too good to be queue?

Billed as having a ‘no reservation’ policy, we were surprised to find the centrally located Burger and Lobster absent of a queue at 7.30pm on a Saturday night.

The taste buds were watering at this stroke of luck, especially as we had been in the area since 4pm sampling the delights of Shepherd Market.

The previous week, Randall and Aubin, Brewer Street, had softened our hour-long wait with a glass of champagne and plenty of French hospitalité. (As you would expect from a restaurant with a no reservation policy).

Upon entering Burger and Lobster, the taste buds started to whither with the news that there was a three-hour wait. Yes, 180 minutes. How so with no reservations and no queue?

And therein lies the problem.

Front of house, we were advised that we could leave our mobile telephone number and be called when a table was free. Hmm. Isn’t that what we call a reservation!? As the waiting list was longer than the trip to Canada where the lobsters are sourced, we decided to try another route. The bar.

The bar area ‘which doesn’t have a wait ‘ and serves food from the quirky menu was pretty busy as you’d expect.

Having waited 40 minutes with a nicely made cocktail, we found ourselves craning over fellow diners to see if they had finished slurping on their lobster claws and were ready to vacate. No such luck as a rather zealous American couple that had been ‘waiting way longer that us’ ousted us.

Subsequently, a waitress with a stack of metal lobster trays dropped them on my partner’s calf without hesitation and failed to apologise or raise alarm. Nice.

Upon exit, we were placated with a ‘did you not manage to eat’ smirk and continued into the heart of Soho for a proper pop-up experience.

If you like to eat with a hungry audience craning over your shoulders and enjoy an atmosphere lacking charm and hospitality, this could be the place for you.

In summary, we have no reservations in avoiding this establishment.

My friend Sarah fancied the guy on the door so was happy with the 45 minute wait. Meant she could sit & the bar & have a little perv. He was a nice firiendly lad from Tipperary (real shame about the mullet).

Jolene's pre dinner speech was charged with emotion. There were tears of sadness owing to the length of it followed by tears of joy when she began to round things up. It began as a lament to her Irish exiled friends in London, but ended up being a toast to a man in Hong Kong (Diarmuid Kelly) who would rather play an invisible fiddle in the dark than live a life of rationality & logic.

Fiona fetl the table water could have done with a little less chlorine & perhaps a little splash of vodka. Food was excellent as was the wine (hic).

Knowing how popular this place is and attracted by the excellent reviews, we decided to go start waiting at Burger & Lobster (B&L) at 630pm last night for a table. I expected a 2 hour wait which was what the hostess informed us would be when we arrived at 6.30pm. They recommended we go to a bar nearby for drinks and wait for their call once a table is ready. Off we went to Tempo - a bar/restaurant close by (oddly with the Tempo business card with B&L printed on the back- is B&L getting a commission?)

After 2 hours and 20 mins and still no phone call, one of us headed back to B&L. Was assured that it would be another 20 mins only. Well, as we have already waited this long. Another 20 mins later, still nothing, we all headed back to B&L. Very stressed manager tells us the table meant for us is right here but the people just won't leave. Urmm it could be because they have just ordered more drinks and are still eating. Eventually we get a table, having waited THREE & A HALF HOURS. The food arrives 15 mins after ordering. We were done with eating in 50 mins after a 3 and a half hour wait.

Food - was very nice even if burger we ordered well done was rare. We were too hungry to send it back and just took it. Lobsters were lovely. Fries were nothing special. Salad was tasty with very flavorsome tomatoes.

Service during the meal - very harassed and rushed - staff were clearly stressed out. Not sure why was there were so many of them.

When we finished, we were asked if we wanted desert which we didn't but we were about to order more drinks when the bill arrived on our table (we hadn't asked for it). Not great considering the long wait and we had only been there for 50 mins.

We asked service to be taken off the bill due to the overall bad service and experience of 3 and a half hour wait. The waiter said he had to tell his manager. We expected he would at least come to speak to us. Apparently he was too busy.

In conclusion, food was nice but not worth 3 and a half hour wait which by the way I don't believe is the real waiting time as the waiter we complained to seemed shocked when we told him. My guess is that they forgot about us or the first come first served queuing system isn't all that it seems (ie. some special people can push in). Also, don't tell you customers the table will be 20 minutes when the table you are thinking of giving them is still eating and just ordered more drinks. Or simply, just taking reservations.

All in all, I won't be going back which is a shame as the food was decent.

I'd love to have been able to rate this place properly, but the absolute shambles that was their booking arrangements didn't allow. Arrived at 7pm, was 8th on the list and the person in front of me was told about 90mins till a table. Couldn't get a space at bar, so went to a recommended local bar and went back 1hr40mins later and not only no table in sight, they were operating 2 lists and I was 6th on one and didn't feature on the other. Was then told I probably wouldn't get a table that night. Despite all the raving about the food & concept, if they don't sort this out they'll soon fail. We weren't the only people ranting at their organisation - there were at least 4 other groups all experiencing the same. Shambolic is my only review

Went here on Saturday night with a friend, luckily we arrived about 7pm and there were only 2 of us as larger parties arriving later were being turned away. We had such a lovely dinner, great wine and champage, food was beautiful!!! Atmosphere was very good, not the place to go for a romantic meal as it is lively and the likelyhood is you will get pushed around whilst waiting for a table at the bar but would reccommed this to anyone!!!! Will be going back again soon for sure!!!

Very busy atmosphere, staff were very friendly and the food came very quick. I had the burger which I asked for it to be cooked medium but it was quite rare so I didn't finish it. My friend had the lobster roll which she enjoyed and we both enjoyed the free extra trips. Definitely going to come back service was excellent. It's better to book a table as some people can wait for up to two hours.

We went last night to the famed Burger and Lobster having read the reviews and more importantly because my wife was dying to go to it. We even talked another loving couple into joining us on this special of special nights : Valentine's. I had found out that you could not book but the chirpy lady on the telephone assured me that if we turned up at 6pm and put our names down that we would be sure to find a table. This we did and when we arrived the restaurant was already packed but our anxieties were immediately put to rest when the doorman told me there was a 90 minute wait, took my mobile phone number told me he would ring me when the table was ready. Perfect. Dinner and 7.30pm and our expectations were growing from the sight of the overflowing clientele. We went for a happy drinks session in the basement of the superb George just down the road, until we were summoned by a telephone call asking me whether I still wanted my table. We drove over with tummies rumbling with hunger and expectation. When we arrived the door man was impatient and surly. The lady who showed us to the bar explaining that our table had ordered the bill but had not paid was not much better. Now we were walking through the restaurant we saw that it was indeed stuffed to capacity. Tables and chairs had been jammed into every possible place. The staff pushed by us hurriedly as we waited not sure where to stand as there was no room at the bar. We were clearly an inconvenience. When we sat down our waiter was actually very friendly and took our orders for food and drinks. We waited for a long time for something to materialise. There was none of the tasty bread and butter that the sister restaurant Goodmans serves its customers, but this was a minor niggle if everything else was great which it was not. The drinks never came until I called over our waiter and asked if they were going to arrive before our food came and his answer was 'I think so.' The did, by literally 15 seconds. The burger was ok but lacked the meatiness of Goodmans. The fries were crisp but were no where near as good as Goodmans thick cut chips (let alone those with truffle oil). The lobster was nice enough. No one ordered the lobster sandwich as a quick look round at other tables showed it to be insubstantial and not a popular choice. Desert consisted of a choice of chocolate moose or lime moose. Both were bland and served in what appeared to be mass produced little cups. We left feeling disappointed and in my wife's case slightly queezy. It's apparent success is quite mistifying. Perhaps it shows how desperate people are for a 'reasonably priced' up market fast food restaurant in the area. If you want character, great ambience, friendly staff and the best burgers and chips in town as well as some amazing sides including lobster mac cheese, and also truffle mac cheese then Goodmans is for you. The burgers and chips are also cheaper. It is simply the best.

David, my condolences. I used to live opposite down from a pub - I can only imagine how dreadful it must be to live above (such a busy) one.

Unfortunately I can't leave a star-rating, as I already had cinema tickets for 8.45pm and there was a 2.5hour wait when I got there at 6.45pm. They do let you put your name down and go elsewhere to wait (there are several pubs round the corner) but for those that are too hungry for this merry dance, there's a rather cute (though somewhat pricey) Lebanese cafe across the way. I will try again, but I might take some snacks with me.

The food is good, but is it worth the nearly 2.5hr wait to get a table on a friday night? Consider this place is owned by Goodman's who serve equally as good burgers and accept reservations and i think not. The fad will fade.

One of the more bland bits of Mayfair. I live above this establishment and I can assure you that this part of town is not bland.

Charmaine, I hope it didn't take you too long to gt back to your Zone 6 crash pad after eating here...

"...it's a pretty decent burger and, at £20 with excellent chips and salad, not extortionate..."

Charmaine, did you write that on a gold-plated typewriter?

What a great idea! I enjoyed the food very much, I tried all three dishes. The staff where all very friendly and looked after us extremely well. Great drinks selection. I'll definitely be going again.