‘No reservations’? Of course, there are! What would you call a fact that one still has to come down to the restaurant two hours before the anticipated dinner and put his name down on the list – as opposed to an old-fashion way of doing so over the phone?
We went to Burger and Lobster yesterday and were second on the list when we arrived, assured by a not so welcoming lady at the door that a table would be ready within 1 to 2 hours wait. Alright, we thought, and headed to the nearest bar to start an evening with a drink… And there we were, sitting at the May Fair Bar two hours later with three cocktails down my neck and no phone call from the B&L people. Almost considered having a dinner at the Nobu who always make sure they help you find a table especially on a Wednesday night but thought, hey, I want to try the Burger and Lobster and see for myself if it is worth waiting for at all after all…
So we decided to head back to the restaurant to see what’s happened. The lady at the door had now a longer list in her hand and a fewer customers waiting outside. We were offered to wait again, now at the restaurant’s bar where all cocktails were served with an orange zest on top, not that we cared much after the ones we had at the May Fair Bar. All in all, after having put our names on the list at 6:25pm we were finally seated at a quarter to 9pm. Hurray!!!
The place was buzzing and packed – and no wonder why. The grilled lobster I had was good and a real value for money as you’d expect to pay a bit more for a half lobster in other London restaurants. However, the burger was a bit of a disappointment – nothing wrong with it but nothing spectacular either. I had better ones in.. Byron and had not had to wait for it for hours for it!
I am not really sure what B&L are trying to achieve with their limited menu where burger does not really fit (and is overpriced) and the waiting time which is beyond comprehension. A fully packed place every night and no returning customers? I truly wonder how long they last…
As for me, I’d rather take control over my dinner arrangements, be it a burger or lobster.
