The Lobster Pot

Ringing a doorbell to gain admittance is the first quirky touch at this Breton seafood restaurant, which is totally at odds with its ultra-urban Kennington location. Once inside the nautically-themed dining room, fish swimming past portholes set into the wall & fog horns blaring in the background continue the Captain Nemo effect. French classics of fish soup, skate wing with brown butter & capers &, of course, lobster however you want it – grilled or poached, with garlic butter, a thermidor sauce or flambeed – are supplemented by blackboard specials such as smoked haddock in puff pastry with sorrel cream, plus a handful of meat mains. Finish with tarte tatin or a cheese board on which top billing goes to a Camembert enhanced on site with calvados. Prices may seem steep for what is basically skilled home cooking but the warmth with which this family-owned place is run, plus a unique atmosphere that’s perfect for romance, makes it ‘priceless’ to its fans.