Burger and Lobster, Mayfair

Burger & Lobster 29 Clarges Street, Mayfair, London W1J 7EF Web - www.burgerandlobster.com Twitter - @londonlobster Tel: 02074091699 Cuisine - North American We made our way over to swanky Mayfair to attempt to get in to this popular eatery for the first time on our second attempt. To define this place as busy would be an understatement. The restaurant has been mentioned in Time Out magazine a couple of times and you can see why. Our previous attempt saw us arrive at 8.10pm on a Saturday night and we were told that there were to many people on the list already and we should find somewhere else to eat. This time to avoid disappointment we arrived  at 5.10pm on the Saturday. Finally, we were in and on the list and were advised that our waiting time would be no longer than an hour. Great, we will stand at the small and bustling bar and have a drink while we wait we thought!  After getting through 3 rounds of drinks, an hour and 50 minutes and £35 later we were finally seated. It looks like there are two lists and it is very confusing as people were turning up and seated way before us but had arrived at the same time as us. We asked the manager, or the person who loss in charge for the seating a couple of times and he tried to explain helpfully I am sure but he came across as quite arrogant advising they try and seat everyone as quickly as possible but they do do 700 covers a day and that we should understand the situation. Despite the wait the drinks were very enjoyable, I started with an Argentinian Lager called Quilmes, priced at £4 a bottle it was cold and crisp, similar to many other imported premium lagers. My partner had a Summer of Love cocktail priced at £9 and this was fresh, sweet and delicious, a very imaginative cocktail containing a Finlandia vodka, mango, ruby grapes, passion fruit and a South African Sauvignon Blanc finished with very thinly sliced green apple. As the frustration grew on the await to be seated we decided to have one last round of drinks or we were to leave and find somewhere else to leave. After a couple of the beers I was starting to feel a little bloated so I decided to change to a cocktail, I went for the Gin based 10cc. Tanqueray 10 as the base, with lemon, cucumber, chamomile syrup and soda, this was a superb cocktail and very pleasing for the taste buds. We were finally seated, hurrah! As we were taken over it occurred to me how tight the tables were together, this place really has been designed to make the most of its product and in turn is a money making machine, the Goodmans group has really tapped in to a great market here. Pricey drinks at the bar and either a lobster priced per weight or a burger or lobster roll both priced at £20 each. It is quick and you can see how they get through the 700 or so covers the front of house mentioned. Our food arrived, I had the lobster roll, the roll was airy and buttery and it was perfect with the lobster, it came with fries and a side salad of mixed green leaves with balsamic vinegar, red onion, spring onion and topped with Parmesan cheese. I also shared my partners 2lb lobster priced at £30, grilled rather than steamed it was incredible, served with a garlic butter sauce in its own 'gravy boat', it was meaty and it just worked, the lobster is already cracked for you to which saves a lot of hassle. The restaurant provide bibs which were good fun to wear, the food turned up quickly and we shared a bottle of red wine with the meal, we chose the Fico Grande 2011, a Sangiovese grape from Emilia Romagna in Italy priced at £22 was good value and accompanied the meaty lobster very well. As we tucked in the frustrations of the wait to be seated evaporated, it's exceptional food in a really cool restaurant. I really liked the decor despite the tightness of the tables. Really modern interior with silver ventilation on show above the kitchen and quirky art on the walls throughout. Superb ambience to, it really is a fine restaurant, just such a shame you can not book and therefore have to wait so long to be seated. We will be going back but next time we will head west for lunch rather than dinner and I'll get to try the tasty looking burger too!! Well done to the Goodman's chain. Gastrogreglarr rating 8/10 Gastrogreglarr likes: the lobster roll, superb and a great find, I could eat that everyday Gastrogreglarr dislikes: the waiting time, I have marked down for this

Queens British Grill

Queens British Grill 63 New Wanstead London E11 2SA Tel - 02085308861 www.queensbritishgrill.co.uk Twitter - @queensbritgrill Cuisine - British/Grill This was my third visit to Queen's and never let's me down. On this occasion is was for a birthday so we made full use of the Taste card deal of 2 for 1 (other deals available, visit website). I love the decor in here with its open kitchen, wooden beams and partial brick walls sorted around the restaurant. From the outside the building is Tudor in look but on the inside decorated with modern features, comfortable seating and nice cutlery to eat with, especially the steak knives. It may not have the gaucho ambience or the wood oven goodman's flavour but this is good local food giving simplicity an excellent name along with its own character.  The staff were very knowledgable and went in to great detail regarding any ingredients, service was also always with a smile. There are a good variety of dishes available including fish but as all the steaks are dry aged cattle and hung for at least 35 days we both went with food from the grill. Mine was the 18oz Porterhouse which was served on a lovely wooden board which came with rocket and some baby plumb tomatoes. The other dish was a 14oz sirloin, both were medium rare as ordered and were excellent cuts of meat. We shared some mash potato which was creamy and seasoned as well as the steak and also had cream of spinach which also has some nutmeg and all the food together gave some great combinations of flavour. Before the mains we decided to have some starters, I went for the soup of the day which was a superb cream of mushroom soup, it was creamy, garlicky and was served with a nice hot roll. The soup had excellent consistency also. The other dish was scallops with bacon, a bit of garlic and was served on a hot plate, beautifully presented and bursting with salty flavour. After our super sized steaks there was no room for dessert, which was a shame as the dessert selections sound really good. We left extremely happy after paying the bill of only £50 which included a few soft drinks. Gastrogreglarr rating 7.5/10 Gastrogreglarr likes: flavour and presentation of the dishes Gastrogreglarr dislikes: not much to dislike here, perhaps a little pricey if you don't go with the set menu or taste card deals

The Hinds Head, Bray

The Hinds Head High Street Bray Maidenhead  SL6 2AB Web - www.hindsheadbray.com and also follow on twitter @hindsheadbray Tel - 01628626151 Cuisine - Gastro Pub The Hinds Head in the beautiful village of Bray is steeped in history dating back to the 1500's and known to have been an Inn for at least the last 400 years is owned by gastronomy expert Heston Blumenthal.  Mentioned in the Michelin Guide the pub cuisine is brought to a high level with it's seasonal menu created by head chef Kevin Love.  A raft of awards have followed over the years including Best Pub 2011 and Tastiest Scotch Egg 2011, 2 AA Rosettes have also been awarded to this Tudor built eatery. Many other awards are on show in the restaurant, we were luckily seated next to the cabinet! Our night started at the bar as we waited for our table, packed full of locals I heard a great story told about one of the rare Gin's served whilst I waited. Served in what appeared to be more of a wine glass "so you can smell the aroma..." with a small drop of colouring as the tonic is poured and stirred a wonderful gold colour appeared as the story told that in the past this particular Gin was "worth it's weight in gold". I went for a pint of fruity Zebedee Ale to fit in with the other gentlemen at the bar and it was really nice, exactly what I was looking for before we started our meal. Apparently the King of Jordan and Walt Disney have been to this building and HRH Prince Philip celebrated his stag do here to, whilst Zebedee may not have been on sale then I'm sure lots of Ale was sunk that night. After being sat we were presented with the evenings menu, I had previously been on the website and saw a picture of the delicious looking scotch egg and therefore had an inkling I was going to go for that, then whilst sat seeing the award for tastiest scotch egg we were both in no doubt that we were going to go with that. I was inspired by an engraving on the fire place for my choice of main, it read 'fear knocked on the door, faith answered and no one was there'. I generally always go for red meat over fish but after seeing the engraving I went for the Sea Bream and Mussel broth whilst my partner went for the 10oz RibEye with Triple Cooked Chips and Bone Marrow Gravy. We deliberated over the wine a little longer as the menu carried a real assortment of Old and New World wines, we couldn't decide between the Pinot Noir or go with our love of the Sangiovese grape, we eventually went with the reasonably priced Angelo Nero d'avola Sangiovese, fruity and full bodied, perfect with the steak. The scotch eggs arrived quickly and we soon realised why it had won awards, crispy on the outside, soft in the middle with a lovely runny egg which looked like the egg of a quail. Very tasty, certainly the tastiest I have had.  Our mains then arrived, the steak cooked perfectly medium rare, the triple cooked chips were fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside and enough to keep you full but not bloated, the accompanying gravy made with bone marrow was thick and rich in taste. My sea bream was pan fried with a crispy skin and the fish was moist and fell off the fork, served with plentiful mussels the aroma was outstanding, served with tasty seasonal crushed peas and diced carrots it was a stunning dish. I would recommend the Jersey Royals to accompany this dish and these came cooked to perfection in keeping with the rest of the meal. We stayed away from having dessert but finished with a coffee and a special Honey Jack Daniels, this is extremely rare in this country and the head barman imports this from Tennessee direct? I drank half neat and the other half was in my coffee, was a great end to a lovely meal. The staff were great all night and very knowledgable.  Total price was c£110 including 12.5% service charge. Gastrogreglarr rating: 10/10 top level restaurant food in a Gastro arena, would not believe anyone if they said they have been anywhere better Gastrogreglarr likes: the atmosphere allowed me to indulge in to new flavours Gastrogreglarr dislikes: nothing, was a very enjoyable meal. Although nut allergy sufferers would struggle with the dessert menu

Bodean's - City of London

Bodean's 16 Byward Street London EC3R 5BA Web - www.bodeansbbq.com also on Facebook Tel - 02074883883 Cuisine - American "Smoke it slow, cook it low" is the  catchphrase in this American chain eatery and they don't lie! For a quick answer to hunger visit Bodean's near Tower Hill tube for a meat fest that would feature on 'Man Vs Food'. Not only are the portions large but they are also incredibly tasty. Meaty and tender racks of ribs, big tasty burgers, succulent pulled pork, no matter what you order here it will satisfy any hunger. Most dishes are served with crunchy coleslaw and potato skinned fries but if you don't feel like you have enough BBQ sauce do not fear, each table has bottles of sauce including hot chippolata sauce and more. The all American looking bar and decor with sounds of the deep south make you feel like you are temporarily in the States. The bar serves up a number of cocktails and local beers including Blue Moon and Coors Light. The staff add to the fun and seem to constantly be on the run to make sure each table is attended to as and when needed. 'Game Night' is often very popular with the local American inhabitants and if your looking to do your own summer BBQ and impress your friends visit the website for ordering the vast quantities of marinated meat. You can also sign up to a loyalty card and receive free drinks or food dependant on the day, my particular favourite is the free hot wings, order the Diablo spice and see which of your friends eyes start to water first! With some soft drinks the bill for two was at just over £30. Definitely worth a visit whilst visiting the nearby attractions. Gastro Greglarr rating 8/10 Gastro Greglarr likes - bbq pulled pork with tons of bbq sauce is amazing Gastro Greglarr dislikes - the lack of good lager's, if they could do just one imported lager...please?

Castle Tavern - Paphos, Cyprus

Castle Tavern Paphos Harbour Cuisine - Seafood This is in a stunning location in the harbour, I was very lucky to be sat outside right next to the water. Unfortunately due to the location and the sunday afternoon timing the restaurant, like all the others on this stretch was heaving, whilst creating a fantastic atmosphere with local and holiday making families chatting away, the service left a lot to be desired. Food wise I started with humous and Tzadziki dips with bread. Both were good tasting and had that home made feel without setting the world alight. For the main I was served the most fantastic piece of grilled dover sole. Huge portion cooked to perfection, after a squeeze of lemon I was in fantasy land, was just a shame it took so long to turn up. The fish came with rice which was under cooked and with some vegetables that were edible, so whilst the sides were disappointing do not let this stop you from coming here for the fish, it really was exceptional. With two bottles of local water the bill was 25Euros, which may seem a little expensive but your paying for the great location and super fresh fish. Perhaps try to avoid the busy sunday afternoon rush to get the perfect meal, my rating could easily hit eight out of ten here if the sides had been cooked as well as the fish. Gastro Greglarr rating 6.5/10 Gastro Greglarr likes - superb dover sole Gastro Greglarr dislikes - I don't want to be to negative because it was so busy but the service and sides were not up to scratch here  

The Crab and Winkle - Whitstable

The Crab and Winkle South Quay The Harbour Whitstable Kent CT5 1AB Website - www.crabandwinklerestaurant.co.uk Tel - 01227779377 Cuisine - Seafood This well established eatery sits in the South Quay Harbour in beautiful Whitstable. Winning an AA Rosette for culinary excellence in 2008\9, the well lit modern decor dining room delivered an excellent meal. To start we had the pan fried chilli and garlic tiger prawns with rocket and red onion salad which was served with a delightful sweet chilli dip, prawns fresh and cooked to perfection. The other starter was a dressed crab with home made peppered bread served with garlic mayo dip and side salad. Both led to an excellent start. As it had been a while since having proper fish and chips I opted for the self proclaimed "famous" beer battered cod and chips, which was meaty, cooked excellently and the batter was very tasty. Accompanying this on the table was the mussels simmered in white wine and garlic liquor and served with chips. The mussels came in a big pot and smelt delicious. With soft drinks the bill at the end came to £43 and was well worthwhile. Service was good also. Gastro Greglarr rating 8/10 Gastro Greglarr likes - the fresh fish cooked to perfection Gastro Greglarr dislikes - had to query a couple of bits with the staff but that is just being picky!

Goodman Steak Restaurant - City of London

Goodman Steak Restaurant 11 Old Jewry London EC2R 8DU Web: www.goodmanrestaurants.com also follow on Facebook and Twitter Tel - 020 7600 8220 Cuisine: Steak WOW. WOW. WOW. You would run out of superlative's for this Goodman steak house. The American chain really has come out on tops against the other City steak house chains such as Gaucho and Hawksmore. We chose to start this excellent meal by standing at the bar trying the household beer and watching ex England Rugby legend Jason Leonard tucking in to a fine steak. Really nice lager was then followed by smooth South American Malbec as we went straight in to the mains. The wine we chose was priced at £39.99 and you could forgive yourself for thinking you was drinking something slightly more expensive! I went for the 650g T-Bone as where shared a number of sides including salad, chips, spinach and macaroni cheese. Everything was made to a high standard but the steak was just exceptional, oozing of flavours I never thought existed, cooked as ordered to medium rare it was tender  and smokey in taste. It was so good I'm fearful of it not being replicated again. The decor and ambience was perfect for what I would call a gentlemen's lunch with wooden benches, well lit dining room and the playing out of old classics by Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. It is something everyone should try to do but I'm not sure it gives the whole Gaucho experience of cool cocktails, dimmer lights and vibrant background music to wow the woman of your dreams or the one you try to impress. With no waiter/waitress issues we really did have a great meal and no doubt ill be running back here soon. Make sure you have some money in your back pocket though as this restaurant defines the "pay for what you get" rule as you look to go for around £100 a head for starters, mains with sides and nice red wine. Gastro Greglarr rating 9/10 Gastro Greglarr likes - the smokey flavoured steak Gastro Greglarr dislikes - nothing to dislike here but misses out on a perfect 10 as not sure it provides the Gaucho experience