I
finally made it. I have been to exclusive London
clubs, I have been to expensive London
restaurants, but I have never felt a place to be so close and yet so far away
from me. The monstrous waiting times (my first attempt at going was cut short
when the lady at the door told us we'd have to go back 3 hours later - and that
was at 8pm) and the fact that I have a full-time job meant that I would
probably have to wait for weeks, maybe months, until I'd make it.
Patience
is a great virtue though, and so is willpower. Armed with these, and a good
friend, we went, we put our names down, and headed to the pub. We were told
we'd have to wait for at least an hour, so after two hours and two glasses of
wine had passed without receiving the telephone call we were so desperate to
get, we took our chances and headed over. Luckily, our table was just getting
prepared for us, so we sat down straight away.
There
is no food menu; just one for drinks, with a good selection of cocktails,
spirits and beers, and a rather limited selection of wines. I was a bit
disappointed with the small choice we were given for wine, especially given Goodman’s
amazing wine list. You can only famously eat one of 3 things (or all of them if you feel like it) once you’re in – burger,
lobster or lobster roll. We went for a lobster roll and cheeseburger, split in
half. They were great. Good food makes me happy. I was definitely happy once I started
eating. The food also arrived very quickly, which kind of made up for the two
hours wait. The burger was fantastic, although my bun was a little bit crunchy
and I would have preferred it softer. The lobster roll was delicious and highly
recommended. Looking back, I’d say go for the lobster or lobster roll. They
feel a little bit more ‘special’, plus you can get good burgers in many places
around London,
with about a quarter of the waiting time.
The wonderful lobster roll
The sexy burger (with the slightly crusty bun)
There's always a little 'but'. Despite the food (and atmosphere) being fantastic,
waiting for two hours when we were diplomatically told ‘at least one’ was a bit
frustrating. What was more frustrating, however, was that despite the service
being excellent and our waitress being very friendly, we got the feeling we had
to get the hell out of there as soon as we finished our meals or else we’d be
getting kicked out. Pushy yet polite, our waitress gave us the dessert options
and when we said we didn’t want any she brought us the bill because our table
was about to be given away. This meant we spent two hours waiting for one hour
of dining, which was not disastrous but it made the experience feel a little
bit less special, which is a shame.
Was
it worth the wait though? Definitely? Would I go again? Of course, but I’d give
it another week. I need to hit the gym now.
Food: 9/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Drinks List: 8/10
Service: 7/10
Overall Rating: 8/10
