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Lobster used to be decadent - cloaked in elitism and perhaps used as a socio-culinary threat to whoever was footing the bill (‘maybe I’ll order the lobster!’). But restaurants like Burger and Lobster and Smack Lobster have put the costly crustacean into the hands of the masses. And now another specialist has opened in what’s rapidly becoming a culinary enclave on the edge of London Fields.
High ceilings, huge industrial-style windows and whitewashed interiors give Lobster Bar a feeling of serenity. Service is warm, attentive and knowledgeable.
Going for dinner on bank holiday Sunday meant they’d run out of quite a few dishes. But what we ate was good: scallops and cauliflower purée (£7) juxtaposed sweet, perfectly charred shellfish with the savoury vegetable. A crab croquette (£6.50) was pleasantly spicy. Venus clams with tenderstem broccoli and tomatoes (£8) had a salty, garlicky broth that was worth ordering extra sourdough for.
If you’re hungry, I’d avoid ordering the half lobster (£15.50) for a main. Pay £19 and get an entire 450g beast, or £26.50 for 750g. Our grilled half (of a 750g lobster) was succulent and well bathed in herby garlic butter. The lobster roll (£15) didn’t come with promised wasabi mayo (they’d run out) but it had moist flesh and iceberg crunch, and was encased in a pillowy brioche bun. Its diminutive size, however, left us needing a second order of excellent truffle fries (£4.50) to stave off rumbling tummies.
Bottles of wine start at £21.50 and many are sold by the glass. Desserts from a small list were a mixed bag, however. The lemon tart - dry and not citrusy enough by half - could have benefited from a dollop of the mascarpone served with a well-spiced poached peach.
Lobster Bar is an extremely pleasant place. Just a few small adjustments to pricing and portions would make me more inclined to return, perhaps for a lobster benedict breakfast.